CAGbag: Get your questions answered on CAGcast

[XTommyDonX]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Have either of you ever forced yourselves into purchasing a game solely because that particular game had the potential of becoming a rarity or collector's item in the future?

Congratulations Wombat

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Do you guys think the Sony-style price drop by Microsoft at E3 will do anything to stop their slump or will Sony's new single SKU approach at essentially equal grounds in terms of pricing keep Sony's momentum going through to the fall? Also, does it seem like that fabled PS3 comeback that analysts called a year ago that most everyone else put down is actually a likely proposition from what you've seen Microsoft and Sony focus on at their press conferences?

Does it seem like Nintendo's WiiWare's been a huge disappointment so far while XBLA and PSN will keep their good games coming through the end of the year? Maybe it's because we rarely hear of announcements of new games and see updated builds by WiiWare developers, especially Nintendo themselves not really putting much of anything significant on the service since platform holders should be the ones setting an example for everybody else on their own platforms. I rarely hear people in the industry raving about that great recent WiiWare game on their podcasts, blogs, or the game sites themselves.

I'd also like to give congratulations to Wombat and Mrs. Wombat on the new kid.

[FireUltima]

Hey Cheapy

Correct me if I'm wrong but I remember hearing on a past CAGcast that your wife was into the Fallout series, if so, how does she feel about the upcoming Fallout 3?

Also, I'm curious to know how much of the CAGcast do us listeners not hear? I know you take care of the editing, but how do you find yourself making cuts you deem necessary?

And congratulations to Wombat and family on the baby

[polly]

Hey guys. How do you honestly feel about the 360’s video marketplace? I don’t know about you but I can’t believe people would actually pay for the majority of the content they offer. Why would someone in their right mind pay $2 for one tv show episode? Even if we assumed a good portion of 360 users didn’t have cable tv service to get the same content, they’d still need a respectable internet connection to get on live in the first place. In which case they could go to a number of streaming video sites like Hulu that have the same programs for free. Not to mention the somewhat morally questionable options, like downloading torrents off thepiratebay for example. Even with their movie rentals, you’d still get more value from other options like Blockbuster and Netflix. And with the recently announced Netflix partnership, I think it will become even more obvious how much Microsoft is gouging their customers. Maybe if they offered some kind of subscription service, where you could download x amount of shows and movies for free each month, it might be worth it, but as it stands now it seems like the video marketplace is set up to cater to two groups: the people that are too lazy to leave their house and go to a local video store, and the people who just don’t know any better.

[nofx2006]

dear cheapy and wombat

this is a little off topic but what are your views on the dark knight and the watchmen preview?

congrats on the baby wombat

thanks if this gets read on the cagcast

[crazytalkx]

Hey Cheapy, considering how much you pigged out during your last U.S. visit I was wondering which restaurants you hit up during you E3 tour?
Oh and congrats Wombat! Now there's going to be a much needed increase of stories involving bodily functions!

[Chronis]

Hey Cheapy, two questions. In the Cagcast before you and Ship went to E3, you mentioned a Cagbag question of mines about "what if you or Wombat found a porn or weed stash on your kids" on the show but really didn't answer it. What was up with that!? Did you just forget it or did you think it was a stupid question and just dodged it skillfully?

Also, Microsoft has just announced that XNA community games will be on sale on the XBL in the fall and that the creators will get "up to 70%" of the profit. You mentioned that a few Cagcasts ago it was something MS mentioned but never came through with. So how do you feel about it now that they are going through with it?

[ocelot24]

hey cheapy i just wanted to know if in the next xbox console microsoft introduces a blu ray player then will sony really need to make a ps4

[Yipwoop]

Hey Cheapy,

Recently, I was in Akihabara and was struck by how large and how crowded the arcades are. And there weren't just teenagers playing - there were plenty of people in their 20's and 30's playing fighters like Street Fighter IV and old-school Ikaruga-style shooters in the middle of the afternoon on a Friday. Do you have any thoughts on why the Japanese arcade has been able to thrive whereas the American arcade died? How long do you think the Japanese arcade can survive within the environment of next gen consoles?

-Yipwoop

[tomscab]

We all heard about Microsoft's so called 3-mote and it seemed that Microsoft had to show it at E3, but they didn't. Why do you guy's think this is? is it because they wanted to put all light on FFXIII or because they finally listened to the internets and decided that it was a stupid idea. Or possibly could this have anything to do with the new Bungie Project and maybe it's incorporation of the 3-mote?

[Smallville123]

Hey guys great show this week. My question is would you ever consider having cag users guest star on the podcast week to week(not talking about a live cagcast) but you know like how shipwreck and other people guest star from time to time. They might know something you don't for the day and freshen it up a little. If my idea sounds stupid please let me know either way on how you feel.

[BrandonMills]

Gamestop isn't your sponsor next week? Then allow me to get something off my chest.

As a PC Gamer, the Steam service is already in high-gear with most PC gamers. They've started to have weekend deals every weekend, and I love the idea of having all of my games tied to one account, and being able to install them all without media.

I have to wonder if the next generation of consoles will have the option of downloading all of your games online. Gamestop really hasn't bent over backwards trying to give gamers reasons to pick them over other stores, especially when it comes to new games. I really see Gamestops days as being severely numbered. It's just plain easier to buy the game online than it is to go out to the store, and with gas prices continuing to rise, I wonder what Gamestops plans are to deal with this in the longterm.

Imagine being able to buy any Xbox 360 game online, and having the game immediately tied to your Xbox Live account. Furthermore, what if they had the option of mailing you the media for the cost of shipping?

[undiegnome]

CheapyD,

Since you're throwing out movie recommendations to the CAG community with such qualifications as watching every episode of Tila Tequila and the Real World I thought it would be a nice gesture to throw something back your way. I was the one that recommended you check out Harvey Birdman awhile back and you seemed to like it so I thought I'd give it another shot. In keeping with the fowl theme, "Duckman" is a show for you as I see a few similarities between you and the shows main character (voiced by Jason Alexander). Both of you are fathers, love your porn, are sex starved, and go on R-rated adventures (smoking weed in the back seat of a taxi). It's a no-brainer for any Stern fan.
Here's the Amazon link but you could easily pick up some episodes of your favorite site.

http://www.amazon.com/Duckman-Seasons-One-Two/dp/B001AIQ15O/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1217206549&sr=8-1

Wombat,
You didn't seem as angry this last podcast. Was it because you're much happier being a new father or just too tired?
Anyways. Congratulations!

[VirgiltheChicken]

Hey guys,

Great show, been listening since the beginning etc. Now that that's out of the way, I want to ask Cheapy, and Wombat (and Shipwreck) a question. From what you have said in the past, you all think the music creator for Guitar Hero World Tour is a fairly stupid gimmick. Yet Cheapy is in love with Little Big Planet. Don't you guys think that both the creators are similar? Sure, most people won't really get into creating epic stuff in either, but that doesn't matter. The 1% who do will churn out great content for the rest of us. I for one am pumped at the thought of playing songs "inspired" by bands that would never even make it into downloadable content. Or what about playing Bach; hey, Tenacious D did it.

[V4oLDbOY]

Great show as always...

But I hear you guys complain about the PSN and XBL marketplace games being overpriced nearly every show. I have to agree about XBL games being overpriced and in over-abundance, but I have only boughten games from PSN. The only reason is because you can share the games with 4 other people, cutting the cost in 5ths. I'm just curious why that is not mentioned when "mentioning" new PSN games on the CAGcast. I just got a group together that bought 1942 and Pain for ($3 each person) and still have a spot open for one more. I haven't paid for a PSN game without sharing the cost yet. Is it considered immoral to do so? It saves CAGs a good amount of money on PSN games?

[JMEPO]

CheapyD, It seems to me that you've just let the "Your man in Japan" forum die out. Any plan to revive it or do we need to get a new tall bald man living in Japan to take care of that forum?

[Layziebones]

CheapyD, It seems to me that you've just let the "Your man in Japan" forum die out. Any plan to revive it or do we need to get a new tall bald man living in Japan to take care of that forum?

He just said a couple CAGCAST's back that he wants to use his Blog for that stuff and he said he was just going to merge the forum.

[Yipwoop]

What happened to the Cheap Thrills segment that you guys were doing for a while? I thought that this segment had a lot of potential in that it can help point me and other CAG's in the direction of some really nice cheap games that have been out for over 6 months or so. The discussion of podcasts is too often on games that haven't come out yet or are too damn expensive rather than on games that people can actually play and don't cost 60 bucks.

-Yipwoop

[CtrlAltDft]

So I saw The Dark Knight a while ago and was going to ask for your thoughts about it, but then it got me wondering, how do you watch new movies? Are movies that are made in English still have English audio but Japanese subtitles at your local theater? Do you just wait until the movie is available on disc or do you have any 'other' ways?

Also I wonder if either you or Wombat have read Watchmen or are looking forwards towards the film; I saw the trailer shown before TDK and it looked good so I just picked up the graphic novel.

[kastang101]

I was just wonder what u guys think about the ION rock band drum kit that can also be used as an eletric drum kit

[PooPooRocket]

Hey Cheapy,

Having picked up the iPhone in Japan, which apps have you tried? Have you purchased any games? Do you have reasonable data plans over there? If you do, I would highly recommend buying Tuner for 5 bucks for some streaming audio action. This may be of particular interest to you as I know you're a Howard Stern fan, and there are a number of Howard 101 streams available. Live Howard 101 on-the-go in Japan would be pretty sweet.

[briaooon9]

Cheapy,

Surely with all of your free-time (ummmm the gay E3 video) you will be able to put together a CAG meet up at PAX this year....maybe breakfast (steak & eggs) on Friday? Thought it would be cool since the Joystiq one at E3 sounded cool. Maybe a combo meet up with CAG & Stiq...hell worst case it's another ego trip for you ;)

[pb0000]

Hey Cheapy,
Since you are considered "press" now, is it possible for you hook up some CAGers with press passes to TGS this year?

[thorbahn3]

Cheapy, do you plan on recording the Pax panel and then throw it up on youtube after you get back from your cruise ship trip. I bet a lot of CAGs who can't make it would like to see it.

[BlueSwim]

Dear Cheapy and Wombat, Where's the love for the CAG blogs? It's been over a month and there has not been any mentions of blog posts on the CAGcast. I know that both E3 and Sabrina might have thrown the normal show style off a little bit, but still. Where is the "CAGs On Blogs" segment on the CAGcast?

[krazy14kraz]

What sports games are you guys excited for this year?

Also are you guys sports fans. Since both you guys are both from New York, are you Mets fans or Jets fans etc?

[Bravelionheart]

CheapyD and Wombat:

What do you guys think of the charge that Resident Evil 5 is racist, based on the ethnicity of the enemies? Or that Call of Duty: World at War is racist? I'm not sure how any other CAGs feel, but I think it's unfair to call these games racist because the enemies you'll be shooting happen to be of a different skin color. It's not as though we can make a game about the Pacific Theatre in World War II where the Japanese are replaced with Caucasians. And in Resident Evil 5, the protagonist's race has long since been established in past games; it's not as though they can just make him black, and if the narrative needs the setting to be Africa, that they can simply make everyone white (or else they might be charged with racism for not showing any blacks at all.) I think it's especially unfair because the same line of reasoning desn't work if you replace racism with sexism. Does shooting female villagers in Resident Evil 4 as a man imply sexism? Of course not; then why does it imply racism if it's different races instead of different sexes? Just food for thought, I suppose.

[kube00]

Cheapy and Wombat, don't know if you guys have mentioned this before but the CAGs on News theme is originally from an 80s song, correct?


And then I heard it is it possibly from Duran Duran's "Girls on Film."

Also Wombat have you read Marvel Zombies or Image's Walking Dead? I recommend both to you.

[XTommyDonX]

Cheapy and Wombat,

How do you guys feel about obvious product placement on respected series such as Soulcalibur's "force" characters? Do you believe that ideas such as this are to increase the unique quality of the product, or to simply drive sales by printing Star Wars characters in large sizes on the box cover. Thanks.

P.S. Can we expect another great live show in the near future?:applause:

[XTommyDonX]

Dear Cheapy and Wombat, Where's the love for the CAG blogs? It's been over a month and there has not been any mentions of blog posts on the CAGcast. I know that both E3 and Sabrina might have thrown the normal show style off a little bit, but still. Where is the "CAGs On Blogs" segment on the CAGcast?

A blog segment is a great idea. Maybe a section of the show where Cheapy and Wombat would take a minute each to recommend a single blog post that they enjoyed reading that week of the episode.

[BlueSwim]

A blog segment is a great idea. Maybe a section of the show where Cheapy and Wombat would take a minute each to recommend a single blog post that they enjoyed reading that week of the episode.



Thank you! I've taken up the issue here (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192800) and on my blog (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=2049) so it won't clog up this thread. Let us march to get a blog segment on the CAGcast!:bouncy::bouncy::bouncy:

[XTommyDonX]

Thank you! I've taken up the issue here (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192800) and on my blog (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=2049) so it won't clog up this thread. Let us march to get a blog segment on the CAGcast!:bouncy::bouncy::bouncy:

Well, it isn't a problem at all, just a suggestion for the CAGcast. It would be cool but if Cheapy and Wombat aren't up for it, then that's fine.

[misterine]

cheapyD are xbox live gamers in japan better than the ones in america? lol


both of you guys. Do you guys collect anything? Besides games? and cheapy's robocop stuff? I.E Vinyl?, Medicom toys?

[LittleWildman]

Cheapy I thought it was really really funny in your new video when you clicked on youporn but since that youtube are being tight ass bitches lately aren't you worried that video may be flagged and possibly get your account suspended again? We definitely wouldn't that.

[LiK]

hey Cheapy, it's August. Did you see Dark Knight yet and what did you think of it?

Wombat, did you see other superhero flicks like Wanted and Hancock? Wanted was decent but Hancock was total shit.

Thanks dudes.

[LittleWildman]

Scratch that last question, I've seen your new edited version.

[Jannik01]

hey Cheapy i have a friend who is going to Japan on an exchange for school. Being the good friend she is, she has allowed me to request two things which she will bring back from Japan for me. What are some sweet relatively cheap toys that would interest a 17-year old.

[nolrootltoe]

CheapyD - What the hell do you do during the weeks that Howard Stern is on vacation? I find myself getting Stern withdrawals.

Wombat - Secret Invasion or Final Crisis?

[H.Cornerstone]

Cheapy, just wondering why are you excited for a game like LittleBigPlanet where you get to create your own levels and such, but not for Guitar Hero IV to create your own songs?

Was it because LBP made it so much more easier to do this than Guitar Hero? Or is it simply you have no desire to make your own songs?

[Wolfkin]

Since the Venom movie looks like it's underway I got a question for you guys. One of my biggest gripes with Spiderman 3 was the cross casting of Venom and Sandman (should have been swapped). Would you like Topher Grace to return to the role and if not who would like like to see take his place?

[LiK]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, isn't Braid awesome?

[adriley313]

hey cheapyD and wombat. huge fan of the show and the site. I tried listening to other podacst but they bore the hell out of me. I wanted to know since im not willing to cough of the money for a XBOX 360 is there any games on the ps2 that are like Oblivion. Im a huge fan of role-playing games but don't wanna pay that 15 bucks a month, i am a cheap ass gamer after all. Keep up the good work.
adriley313

[AlbinoNinja]

-Cheapy

A few friends and I are going to a friend's party next week and there will be karaoke. Since you're an expert, I was wondering if there were some tips/song choices you could give to an aspiring amateur.

And congrats Wombat!

[StinkyCheese]

Hey, cheapoo and wombutt,

you ever put your forum persona instead of your real name?

[as50193]

Cheapy and Wombat,
I know you will probably be discussing it on the show, but this is incase you don't. Have you guys played braid? And what do you think, FUCKING AMAZING right? I'm guessing wombat probably played the demo, and I'd suggest to him, and you cheapy, to play this amazing game.
PS 1up(nick suttner) game this game an A+

[encendido5]

Cheapy, I'm surprised you didn't mention the murder in Akihabara on June 8th. I just saw it in the new EGM magazine and it seemed like it would be big news for you since you're in Japan. To think you could've been there :shock:

[Chris_GTR1]

hey cheapy and wombat, what happend to the double dragons of the week section you promised? i was looking forward to that.

[LittleWildman]

Where's CAGcast 130? Are you doing it on Monday now like you said you might?

[classact]

Cheapy And Wombat

A week ago my 360 red ringed, so went through the repair process, but needed something to play, so got myself another 360 until the repaired one came back, sure enough yesterday that one died, so now have 2 broken 360's, been thinking about getting myself a ps3 so i can actually have a console brake, any suggestion?? Running out of dreamcast games to play

[LittleWildman]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, are there any time consuming non RPG games on the PS3 (exclusive or not) that you can recommend for me? I'm off school until September and have a hell of a lot of spare time on my hands. I already have MGS4, COD4, Uncharted and Guitar Hero.

[TiE23]

Some food for thought about the Shovelwares Cheapy:

Recently I've been doing my best to spread the hilarity that is the CAGcast to my fellow internet friends. But I've yielded almost no results, it's just too hard to tell someone to listen to a 90 minute Pod Cast. But lately I've been starting a special mission to convert my number one internet friend to the CAG goodness, and I've found that the only way I can get him at all interested is to promise that it "Won't take a bit!" So over the last month I've had him listen to the best and funniest stuff the CAGcast has to offer. I had him listen to the Girl's Panties story and the Pizza Guy story, both of which he found to be hilarious. I've also showed him the Shovelwares, videos he found to be very entertaining. And most recently I instant messaged him with this: "I can't believe I listen to this guy's pod cast..." and linked him to the Bath Tub video. This really got to him and made him genuinely interested in the big, naked, bald, deep voiced white guy in a Japanese bath room with a baby in his lap. I think I've almost got him hooked to the idea of listening to the CAGcast.

But I just wanted to tell you that the Shovelware videos are not a complete waste of time, it's more of an advertisement for your show if you ask the CAG community to use them properly. Tell them to use these "Best of..." clips to get their friends into the show. Because it's one thing to say "Hey, this 90 minute long waste of time is awesome!" But then to show them a 3 minute long clip or video of you doing something wacky or interesting can be a real bite sized treat, and could get them hooked. I personally gave the CAGcast a chance because of links on Joystiq and Kotaku, and I happened to listen to the Falafel Problems story and found it to be fucking hilarious, way more entertaining than Vaj Nelson's boring drone.

And as closing: I've only been a listener since the 90's, but often spend an average of 3 hours a day listening to old CAGcasts at work, so I may not be a long time listener, but I feel like one. Also, I can't wait to see you at PAX as possibly the only guy who will be taller than you, yet half your age. Also, get ready to show off to your wife your popularity, cause I'll probably ask you to sign my DS or something.
Thanks. :V

[Pip3610]

Why do I love you both so much?

[Davestation]

Dear Cheapy,

There are many myths reguarding Asians, so with that in mind....Do they sell Magnum sized condoms in Japan?

[lebkin]

On #130, Wombat once again complained about Little Big Planet and making his own levels. I understand this desire to buy a complete game. But the game is shipping with a "story" mode with at least some pre-made levels. How long would this mode have to be in order to be complete enough to warrant a purchase?

[Xiofire]

I have a couple questions:

Cheapy, now that your Dad has made you an offer on a house back in the States, are you considering the move? I believe that having you in Japan and Wombat in the States adds to the show, as Wombat can give his opinions on games and content available in the US Stores (XBLA/PSN Region Locked content), and you can give opinions on Japanese or Asian exclusive titles. It also gives us Westerners insight into Japanese life and lifestyle with your stories such as the "Vomit Stroller" and also your story about tips at Restaurants and how it differs in Japan. If you are considering the move, why?

Great show as always, please keep them coming.

Thanks

-Xiofire (said Zeo-fire)

[BRUIS3R]

Hey Guys!

I am thinking about getting Astro's A40's gaming headphones for my birthday. What do you guys use and what have you heard about the Astro's A40s. Also, Wombat what do you use, if any, and are you going to buy a pair so Mrs. Wombat and Sabrina can sleep?

[PenguinoMF]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

In the previous episode you both mention how your Wii has gotten no use in over a month and I'm sure many other CAGs can say the same thing. Do you think that Nintendo can continue their success when they introduce their next console? With 60% of Wii Fit owners "playing" only once, what will the next console have to do draw back those customers?

[misterine]

Hey CheapyD and wombat Do you guys think that the new prince of persia movie or the tomb raider movie will be any good when released

[BrandonMills]

Comments for episode 130 -

* Little Big Planet should ship with enough content to be considered a 'game' and gain the interest of the players before unleashing them as developers. While I can understand Wombat's concerns, all one needs to do is look at the Doom and Quake mod community on the PC to see that user-generated can work in the games favor.
* Wombat, *please* start up a World of Warcraft account. I'd love to hear your opinions on the #1 PC MMO on the market. Perhaps it could even be your gateway drug into PC gaming.
* I still play WiiFit at least twice a week, but I only do a handful of the exercises repeatedly. I for some reason enjoy the strength challenge section. That being said, most of WiiFit doesn't appeal to me, and I'm a guy who hits the gym 5 days a week.

[GuruuShah]

To keep it short. Big fan of the show, sometimes i burst out laughing on the bus and have everyone looking at me like im crazy. Question, I have been listening to a lot of your older shows and cheapyD you have said a lot of racial comments. Cags have asked the question before and you always found a way to dodge the question. Are YOU racist cheapyD or you just dont give a fuck and dont it because its funny (like saying that things are GAY) Still love the cagcast either way GO Wombat and CheapyD!

[elchbulle]

It's not really a gaming related question, but I know Cheapy is the man to talk to on it. I am wondering how you obtain your Howard Stern "podcasts" or show recordings that you listen to on your iphone? It's definitely not in iTunes, I have found crystalone.net (http://crystalone.net/) but can't believe I'd have to pay to listen. I am a sirius subscriber, but they don't have the recordings available to my knowledge...

So do you use CrystalOne, or do you use methods similar to those used for obtaining movies (wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more)?

Thanks in advance, love the show, congratulations to both you guys on being new dads, although Wombat's is more recent.

Tim from Minnesota

[skychotic]

Hey Cheapy, I'm not sure if this is CAGbag worthy, but I see that Radiohead just announced they're doing a couple shows in Tokyo. Being that you're a fan, are you gonna go? I've seen them twice and my mind was completely blown. :)

[joem5815]

I've been talking to a friend of mine about recording a podcast. We haven't made many decisions, such as whether it's serious or for fun, regular or whenever, but maybe you can help us with one decision: whether it's best to record in person, over Skype, or some third thing.

I argued that over Skype is best for listeners because it forces pure vocal discussion and weeds out "body language" discussion that listeners won't ever see. My co-host argues that in-person allows a more natural, and thus more entertaining and pleasing, discussion. What insight have you for us?

Love the podcast. It helps me get through the day in my cell of four cloth walls (a cubicle for the uninitiated).

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

With Braid's controversial release last week and the uproar in blog commenters over Bionic Commando's lack of online play this week, I'm wondering if you guys think this is a matter of the internet finding anything they can to complain about or if these expectations of what XBLA/PSN games must have are simply too high for what developers should include in their games? With Bionic Commando Rearmed, the developers cited the initial single-player-only development focus as the reason for the lack of time to get the multiplayer modes online, so is the outrage reasonable or not? The developers have been mentioning the lack of online play for months now, so is it the fault of the gamers for assuming it would be there or is it the developers' fault for not being able to deliver that feature? Is online play really a standard feature that should be in all XBLA games or should it be considered a bonus depending on the game itself? In short, what are the standards that these downloadable games should be held to, if any standards at all?

[GloveBox]

Cheapy, just downloaded the latest episode of Qore. Got a good look a Ronnie Belmonts Double D's, they don't look to much like heavy barrels to me. Granted she's cute and all but can't really go with the Double D tag as of yet. Maybe next episode. Also Cheapy, I was stationed in Japan for 6 years (Okinawa, Kadena Air Force Base) and I really didn't want to move back to the states. You are one lucky bastard because I really miss the land of the rising sun. Great show guys keep up the good work.

[majinluffy]

Yo Cheapy now that u have an iphone are u gonna develop an iphone app? cause ur site loads fucking slow on the iphone

[Maklershed]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat. I was listening to the 1up Yours podcast and heard Shane Bettenhausen mention that the team behind Little Big Planet was going to dedicate their time and support to LBP long after it's release. This begs the obvious question, how long would they focus on Little Big Planet before they moved efforts to Little Big Planet 2.

This makes me wonder, for games in general, given a choice, would you guys prefer a development team provides strong focus and support of a game that is out, well after it's release or would you prefer that they have a fairly brief period of support and then move their attention to keeping the series fresh by beginning work on a sequel?

[Baron O Hell]

Hey Wombat I'm glad you didn't name your kid after a one eyed battlestar galactica character like cheapy did. When will you make a youtube video of the kid? Or will you let cheapy's kid get all the youtube glory?

[Maklershed]

Cheapy - due to the gaming conventions happening on the west coast, it seems like all the official CAG meet ups occur there as well. Do you have any plans of being in New York or somewhere in the east coast within the next year to have a meet up in the good half of the country?

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

With the announcement that Burnout Paradise (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/burnout-paradise-coming-to-psn-this-fall/) will be coming to the PSN this fall, do you guys think this could start a trend of PS3 games going the digital distribution route as they start to be pushed off the retail shelves? Or maybe even the start of third party games simultaneously releasing on both PSN and in retail like a few of Sony's games have done and will do in the future (Warhawk, GT5 Prologue, SOCOM Confrontation)?

[LiveCrazy_Joe]

Wombat, Wombat, Wombat. Are you negative about everything or is it just me. You need to have an open mind. Be less close minded. It seems the only game your looking forward to is ratchet and clank.

FYI the reason people want to hear Shipwreck is because he is open minded and tries just about everyting before discounting it.

Love the show btw.

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys,

With the ability to update existing PS3 games with non-retroactive trophies, which games would you consider a second playthrough for in order to get these new trophies?

Also, what other PS3 games that you haven't played before would you consider playing for the first time?

I have recently rented Uncharted for the first time. Don't know why I waited for it but wow, it has quickly become my favorite PS3 game, possibly surpassing MGS4. My PSN profile even gained a few levels due to the new trophies.

[joem5815]

FYI the reason people want to hear Shipwreck is because he is open minded and tries just about everyting before discounting it.

And because of that accent. It's sexy and makes some of us Midwesterners feel more at home listening to the CAGCast (I live in Chic-ah-go, not Chic-aw-go). Not that Cheapy and Wombat aren't sexy or make listeners feel at home, but something about the east coast accent just seems....foreign, sometimes (Wombat's seems especially thick. I'm guessing Cheapy is losing his accent due to no longer living in New York).

[PawnTakesKing]

Cheapy and Wombat, I'm in the same boat as you guys when it comes to the Wii. I've tried time and time again to give Nintendo the benefit of the doubt, but nearly every game I've played on the Wii so far has left me disappointed. That being said, why even bother discussing the Wii at all on the CAGcast? Seeing as most CAGs would consider themselves "hardcore" gamers, as I'm sure you both are, why not leave the Wii discussion to other Nintendo-oriented podcasts and just talk about the 360 and PS3? You could probably get more content in there and you wouldn't have to feel obligated to try out stuff like Wii Fit just so you could talk about it on the show.

[sinewav]

CheapyD and Wombat, your discussion on Braid inspired me to ask you both this question, why is it that with all the discussions regarding pricing for online games is there no mention of the fact that you don't truly "own" Xbox live games in the traditional sense and how that affects feelings of price justification. For example buying Braid or any XBLA game means I lose the ability to sell or trade my game in and while that pleases developers & publishers it sure as hell doesn't please buyers such as myself.

Because of this and other limitations of the digital/DRM age I would even go as far as to say that buying games on XBLA/PSN amount to glorified "renting" and that while Emperor Microsoft feel that shouldn't have any affect on price in my opinion it does and should be prioced accordingly. Your thoughts?

[sinewav]

Comments for episode 130 -

* Little Big Planet should ship with enough content to be considered a 'game' and gain the interest of the players before unleashing them as developers. While I can understand Wombat's concerns, all one needs to do is look at the Doom and Quake mod community on the PC to see that user-generated can work in the games favor.
* Wombat, *please* start up a World of Warcraft account. I'd love to hear your opinions on the #1 PC MMO on the market. Perhaps it could even be your gateway drug into PC gaming.
* I still play WiiFit at least twice a week, but I only do a handful of the exercises repeatedly. I for some reason enjoy the strength challenge section. That being said, most of WiiFit doesn't appeal to me, and I'm a guy who hits the gym 5 days a week.


I don't know where you've been but in a past CAGCast (sue me for not knowing the #) Wombat DID mention playing WOW and said he liked it very much but in seeing the time sink that it is he decided it wasn't for him and stopped fairly early on in the game. He didn't really have anything negative to say about about and in fact was pretty understanding of why it is so popular but perhaps now with baby Wombat it's best he stay at arms length from WOW lest he incur the wrath of Mrs Wombat.

[XTommyDonX]

Cheapy and Wombat,

Girls on Film by Duran Duran was announced for the Rock Band Store next week. Do you guys plan on downloading it and singing to it using the CAGs on News lyrics?

[Maklershed]

Cheapy and Wombat,

The July NPDs were released today and it appears Sony experienced a major slump, selling 9,673 PS3 units (with the next seller being the 360 at 24,962). To what do you attribute dismal sales? What can Sony do to rectify this situation?

[misterine]

wombat any events happening?

[thorbahn3]

When was the last time you picked up your PSP or DS? You guys haven't really talked much about them.

[Richlough]

Did you ever think the higher ups from game stores namely Gamestop could be using CAG to determine trade in values , based on the deals & clearance prices posted on the site ?

I know it sounds like conspiracy theory , but I wouldn't put it past corporate America .

[CdnArmy33]

Hey CheapyD and Wombat


I’m at the age where my waist size seems to be competing with my age, 35. With the seemly willing audience to pay money for good peripherals do you think we will ever see real exercise equipment for the consoles? I hate exercise but love games. I’m thinking an exercise bike where I can race with other lard asses online. I know there was one released but it didn’t actually control anything or have online play. The wii Balance board looks neat but has no long lasting appeal or real cardio exercise.

[Layziebones]

This question is directed at Cheapy, but I would be interested to know what Wombat's response is.

I know you enjoyed Call of Juarez and I really like Call of Juarez, Gun and Red Dead Revolver. My questions is whether you would like to see more western games. There aren't exactly a lot of western titles being made but would you be willing to pay the full $60 price tag for a new western that looked good? The games are usually rather short, but would you be interested in playing another one?

[JMEPO]

This question is directed at both Cheapy and Wombat:

If you could switch lifes with any one person for an entire day who would it be and what would you do? (RoboCop is not an answer)

[cfootball1]

Cheapy/Wombat - if you could change 1 thing from your teen years what would it be?

[LittleWildman]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, do you guys think that the Wii would have sold nearly as well it has if it didn't have motion controls?

Also do you think that Nintendo will ever go hardcore again? People say that Sony doesn't have a consumer voice/doesn't care about their consumers but at least they have stayed true to their fans by staying hardcore unlike Nintendo who have completely let down their original fans (hardcore gamers) by aiming their newer consoles at the general public.

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

If you guys could be guests, either together or by yourselves, on any podcast you've yet to appear on, what would that podcast be?

Wombat, since you said a while time ago that you really enjoyed Oblivion a bit more on the PS3, at least from what I recall of your comments on that version, have you taken that into consideration for what system you want to play Fallout 3 on? Also, have started to take Cheapy's recommendations for what games you should play after he told you that MGS4 was not going to be a game you'd enjoy? You two have made claims before that your tastes are similar enough, so I'm wondering if there's a little voice in your head now that makes you question recommendations from your narcoleptic co-host?

[XTommyDonX]

Hey Guys,

I recently listened to a certain IGN podcast (don't know why I would listen to IGN, just did), in which a reviewer who I shall not name stated that the controls on Metroid Prime 3 were not all that great like he thought they were when he was reviewing the game. He mentioned that another shooter (Medal of Honor) which launched around the same time as Metroid had controls that actually obliterated Metroid's. This same exact reviewer also wrote an article that you guys mentioned on the CAGcast a long time ago that had a headline stating something along the lines of:

"It plays better than any first-person console game ever... really."

Found in this article:
http://wii.ign.com/articles/803/803978p1.html

My question for you two is: Have you ever felt lied to by a reviewer in which you purchased a game and then had complete disagreement with he/she to the point where you thought they were playing a completely different game? I don't completely disagree that Metroid has great controls, but IGN has given out many high marks and then gone back on their word after a few months. The decreasing credibility of reviewers can become a real problem in this industry, and you see more and more of it over time.

[ObiBen]

Wombat,

What are your initial thoughts on the new Batman game?

[LiK]

Yo Cheapness and Wombatful,

Do you guys own any rare games? If you do, do you plan on selling them in the future? Do you care about owning a rare game that is highly sought after?

Thanks.

[thorbahn3]

Has there ever been something your wife put her foot down on you not purchasing?
i.e. Cheapy's friend who's wife wiped him so hard he can't have a free 360. BTW what happened?

[LittleWildman]

Cheapy's friend who's wife wiped him so hard he can't have a free 360. BTW what happened?

I still can't get over how much of a tight ass she is.

[drumman201]

I hear there will be a game trading integrated into cag. I am excited to see what this is all about and be a participant. But I was just curious what happened to Goozex on your site, you guys never mention them. Is this because you and Goozex will become competitors? It sounds like your service will be free?

[Loyalty]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, how about doing a one time 5 minute section on the Cagcast highlighting the layout of the website? Touching on things like itrader, deals, etc. Treat it like a refresher for older Cags and a guide to new ones. The Cagcast is getting so big now that some people tuning in don't really frequent the website outside of d/ling the show... people like me that stumbled upon this place thanks to a certain towel trick video on youtube.

[theolliellama]

Cheapy and Wombat,
I have two Japan related questions and one Wombat related comment/request.

1. I read a story about a guy who moves to Japan. When he goes to have his hair cut, they put a warm towel over his head and whack his head. I know you don't have much cause to visit barber shops over there, but I thought you might be able to offer some insight. You must know people with hair, right?
2. My friend was dating a Korean guy and she told me that Asian nutsacks aren't divided into two "pouches". Just one pouch for both jewels. I can't see any reason for this and never quite believed it, but have never been in the position to confirm or deny this. Maybe Mrs. Cheapy could confirm this?
3. If you ever make a new batch of t-shirts or wrist bands, I would love to see Wombat's quote regarding downloadable content on one of them: "I don't want to download hundreds of penis levels"

Thanks.

The Olliellama

[x2k-one]

cheapy and wombat

how did you guys meet your spouses?

[icoreyi]

Cheapy and Wombat,

Do you guys ever use eBay? I sell nearly all my games on eBay to get the best value. I know you guys sometimes use Gamestop but I haven't heard you guys mention eBay lately. Also, in your lives, what percentage of people call you by your real names compared to your superhero names, CheapyD and Wombat?

[GuruuShah]

CheapyD and Wombat! Ok on the 72 ep of the CAGcast you said that you think too human was going to be a solid game, do you stand by your statement? Should we not buy a game best on reviews? this is not the first game it has happened to but it seems the reviewers for too human were a little harsh exspecially Gamespot with a 5.5. i bought the game and loved it. i just think everybody has a different tasted in games.

[misterine]

CheapyD and Wombat! Ok on the 72 ep of the CAGcast you said that you think too human was going to be a solid game, do you stand by your statement? Should we not buy a game best on reviews? this is not the first game it has happened to but it seems the reviewers for too human were a little harsh exspecially Gamespot with a 5.5. i bought the game and loved it. i just think everybody has a different tasted in games.


Didn't cheapy rant about that a-hole dennis dyack? he said the game sucked so fucking much lol in the newer cagcast.. how he sent the demos out

[GuruuShah]

Didn't cheapy rant about that a-hole dennis dyack? he said the game sucked so fucking much lol in the newer cagcast.. how he sent the demos out
lol fuck tard it didnt come out when he did the podcast and i want to hear what both cheapyD and Wombat have to say not just cheapy. Yes the demo was out but just in case your a little slow let me give you the definition of demo: "a freely-distributed "try-out" version of a video game, usually fully playable but INCOMPLETE".
Just in case hear the wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_demo

[ecmazza]

I've seen people tell those who pirate games that they are the reason game prices are going up, that next time a studio closes they are partially to blame, etc, etc. Yet, you don't hear these arguments towards people who buy used games. While, under both situations the publisher/developer never sees a dime.

In your opinion, what does more harm to developers, or what do they dislike more, people who pirate games, or the used-game business as a whole?

To some extent, I think the used game business may be worse for them, as it is legal and moms and dads, along with CAGs have no problems picking up used games, while they wouldn't necessarily pirate a game...

[Sideswiper]

I think the used game business may be worse for them, as it is legal and moms and dads, along with CAGs have no problems picking up used games, while they wouldn't necessarily pirate a game...

I see what you are saying but I'd disagree.

A lot of people who buy games new sell them. Part of the reason that many people pay $60 for a game is that they know that they can sell the game later. The price of a new game currently covers that it may be sold to other gamers in the future. They aren't losing any money because they are selling lots of copies for lots of money. If the current system made it so people couldn't make any money making video games, then the only video games would be freeware PC games.

Pirated games don't even give the producers any money on the first sell of a game. In the past, software piracy was among friends or small networks... now it is available to everyone with a little computer saavy. A used game has 2-10 potential owners... while a pirated copy could reach millions of people.

I'm no saint myself, but now that I'm an adult with an income I feel good supporting quality games.

[ecmazza]

I see what you are saying but I'd disagree.

A lot of people who buy games new sell them. Part of the reason that many people pay $60 for a game is that they know that they can sell the game later. The price of a new game currently covers that it may be sold to other gamers in the future. They aren't losing any money because they are selling lots of copies for lots of money. If the current system made it so people couldn't make any money making video games, then the only video games would be freeware PC games.

Pirated games don't even give the producers any money on the first sell of a game. In the past, software piracy was among friends or small networks... now it is available to everyone with a little computer saavy. A used game has 2-10 potential owners... while a pirated copy could reach millions of people.

I'm no saint myself, but now that I'm an adult with an income I feel good supporting quality games.

I too am not a saint, but I have never pirated a game (several reasons, morals, fear of bricking, not tech-savy, etc), but I buy used A LOT, especially now that GS keeps pumping out these 25% off used coupons.

And I am not sure if the price of people selling used is built in to the price of the game. Warhawk on the PSN costs the same as at GS, same with when Burnout comes out on the PSN.

I also think, in the past, the selling or trading of games was between a much smaller group of people or friends, but now with GS (and places like Best Buy thinking about getting into seriously) Goozex, etc, the practice is much different now than before.

I don't, however, have the answer. I do think this is a reason why publishers and developers want digital distribution to take off.

But you make good points, no doubt...

[GotXXRiceXX]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat

As you know the new PSP 3000 model is coming out this October in the U.S. for $200.

My question for you is do you think its worth buying this new psp for the only 2 additions to the system, the mic and the better screen.

As always the cagcast is great keep up the amazing work.http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Blackout]

I really like the idea of DLC coming out for games that have been out a good period of time, which adds new missions or a chapter to your game. It gives you a reason to go back to a game you would have just forgotten about or traded in. My question to you guys is, what do you think is a fair price and the "perfect" amount of gameplay time for added content? (ala Mass Effect or Ratchet and Clank, for example). The new content for Ratchet has received criticism for it's "more of the same" game play and price point. IMO, $10 would be the sweet spot for me for new content. I would love to see more games add new content, rather than the crappy DLC of costumes for your characters, cars, etc that we often see.

[pinebarrens]

The contest number is EAT-CAGS? I don't get it.

[sdp]

Cheapy why did you decide to go for the bald head?

and Wombat so you don't feel left out umm....would you shave your head if you were balding or just transplant some of your back hair? I know cheapy has plenty in the front to donate.

[Panther1484]

Cheapy. Wombat. Love the show.

My question for you guys is how did you guys propose to your wives? Did you think of a romantic, elaborate plan to make sure they couldn't say no? Or did you guys do it in typical cheap ass fashion by asking through a video game? I remember a guy making a Will You Marry Me? level in Smash Bros Brawl...

[BrandonMills]

CheapyD and Wombat -

EA has recently announced that it thinks the selling of used games is a problem, and that they're looking for ways to pursade people away from doing so.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/54455

What are your thoughts on the situation?

[Zip_Zap_Rap]

Good afternoon gentleman,

I’ve just moved so I’m catching up a few weeks. Currently I’m listening to CAGcast #130, so I suppose this comment is a week late.

I wanted to respond to the listener’s question, and your responses, to the racism in RE5 issue.

The listener is making a common mistake. The question of racism does arrive as a result of a white player character shooting black zombies, rather it stems from the monsterization of the villagers itself.

As Cheapy mentioned, if video games want to be taken as series pieces of media, or dare I say art, then the creators must share the same freedoms as writers, sculptors, or musicians. However, by the same token they also must be aware that their creations do not exist in a vacuum and will be held in context with everything that came before it.

It seems that the creators of RE5 have either ignored, or directly played into, the long history of the monsterization of colonized people.

A reading of RE5’s first trailer could easily parallel the savagery in the non-infected military (possibly warlords?) with the savagery of infected villagers. It’s not hard to equate these to instances, and without a counter example it appears like the creators are suggesting there is nothing human in the village.

This reading is reinforced by the second trailer that begins with a voiceover stating “There is nothing human here.” This voice continues along this line reaffirming the notion that Chris, an image of a country with a long colonial history, as come to a savage land to destroy monsters, both natural and unnatural, that populate it. Again, without any example of a human presence the trailer suggests “There is nothing human here.” The trailer in this case would appear to be a game about genocide. Which I suppose isn’t by definition racist; however, it does begin to raise questions.

This reading would suggest that RE5, is just another example of a piece of fiction that, through the trope of monsterization, dehumanizes a colonized people allowing for actions that would otherwise be morally unacceptable.

Bottom line is African monsters have a much different history then American or European monsters, and RE5 creators seem to be ignoring this fact

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys,

What do you have to say about Guitar Hero director, Brian Bright's unsportsman-like comments regarding their competitors Harmonix? It seems that every time this guy speaks out in public, all he has to say is how Harmonix is doing things the wrong way, taking more about Rock Band 2 rather than their own game. He comes across as a bit of a jerk making either disrespectful or factually incorrect comments on an almost weekly basis. Comments include how Harmonix copied Guitar Hero's drum cymbals, and how Activision is innovating the most, completely ignoring how Guitar Hero looks almost exactly the same as Rock Band now.

Do you guys feel that his comments are a normal part of competition between two companies or just obnoxious and unwelcoming? In addition, does Activision have the rights and ability to shut the guy up before he does something to embarrass the company name?

Here's just one of the many idiotic comments:
http://kotaku.com/5043354/neversoft-get-bitchy-call-out-rock-bandscymbals

[bctenas]

Cheapy D:

I live in Brazil and you may now or not, but we take a long time to get our games here, The supply is at best erratic and the prices soar, because of taxes (~U$140 any game). If I import any value less than US$500,00 I need not to pay the importation taxes, so it is a good way to get my games. Do you have any hint on a good site that may mail me in a secure and fast way? I don't want to pirate these games.

By the way, the recent discussion for downloadable content may be enriched by this problem. The downloadable content expands much more rapidly the market for potential buyers for these games. The market outside Japan/USA/Europe is small, but one of the main reasons (taxes) may be overcome by allowing us to directly download the content to the consoles.

Love the show

[LittleWildman]

cheapy and wombat

how did you guys meet your spouses?

It's already been answered, can't remember which episode though

[UltimoRey]

Hey guys,
Recently Wombat has expressed his love for Mighty Muggs both in the CAG thread about them and on his blog. Also a CAG posted a possible CheapyD MightMugg Template on his blog (will try to find). What do you guys think about the idea of CAG MM's? If you like the idea:
What would your wear? (or not wear) did someone say youtube bathtub variant edition Cheapy?
What accesroies would your character come with?
Thanks guys.


edit: the CAG was WhipSmartBanky (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/member.php?u=242) http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=2537

[bsesb2003]

Cheapy and Wombat-- what do you think of Amazon dropping the 30 day price protection on purchases made on Amazon. And do you think CAGs will look to buy their games at other on-line stores that offer such price protection?

Wombat -- I don't recal your Dark Knight review -- are we waiting for Cheapy to see the movie? Also, from a comics question -- is Morrison going to kill Batman?

[Chronotrigga]

Cheapy and Wombat,

Just incase this question does NOT get answered by Fable's own when the next CAGcast appears, what do both of you think about the tower trick located in the Fable 2 Pub Game? (insert background knowledge of tower trick here for CAG listeners) How do you think this tower trick will affect Fable's players; do you think there will be consequences or no, and if so, what do you think the consequence will be?

Aight,
Chrono

[thorbahn3]

Cheapy, Do you plan to replace Wombat with a guy named Steve anytime soon?

[woodcan]

Cheapy, Do you plan to replace Wombat with a guy named Steve anytime soon?

:rofl:


Cheapy, what did you think of Wombat's impression of you throughout the CAG Forecast....I personally think it was a little heavy on the douchiness ;) so it was more of a Cheapy caricature, you're a much nicer guy to Ship.

Wombat, what was it like being Mrs. Shipwreck for an evening?

[Wombat]

Cheapy, Do you plan to replace Wombat with a guy named Steve anytime soon?

Am I missing the joke?

EDIT: Nevermind I get it now

[Darwin23]

i'll be brave...

Obama or McCain?

[tsg2005]

i'll be brave...

Obama or McCain?

good question, im interested to hear their opinions on this.

[Baron O Hell]

good question, im interested to hear their opinions on this.

I will third this request. Cheapy as a small business man and wombat as the regular guy might have different views on this.

[thorbahn3]

Now that Blu Ray players are coming out that are cheaper than a PS3, do you think PS3 sales will start to slide down.

$269.99
http://www.jr.com/category/video-tv/dvd/blu-ray-players/n/4294562477/

[TC]

Cheapy & Wombat,

Have either of you watched the meatloaf video<NSFW> from http://cakefarts.com/meatloaf/ ? If so do you think they have a future on the Food Network?

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

I know I asked you guys about the impact that Burnout Paradise's impending release on the PlayStation Network would have as far as day-and-date releases of games on both retail and PSN shelves, but a few weeks later NFL Head Coach 09 came out the same week as it arrived on store shelves. That has to be a bit of a surprise for you to see this digital distribution initiative progressing more quickly than you may have anticipated, right? Though it may not be the most glamorous title to kick off the third-party PSN initiative, but that still seems like a big thing to me since it seems like EA's definitely on the digital distribution bandwagon. The main issue still has to be price since NFL Head Coach 09 is $50 right now, and for a sports game, so what do you think EA will do about pricing when they start dropping the price of the retail versions of the game? The other main question I have is if you guys think Sony should be trying to sign deals with third-parties about getting their retail games on PSN, whether at release or sometime afterward?

With the big Xbox 360 price drop, it brings to mind that the 60GB Xbox 360 was launched at $350 about a month ago, so what was the point of doing that besides the good chance that many of those $350 60GB 360 owners not price-matching to get their $50 back? Couldn't they have just held the 60GB back, launched it during this price drop instead of potentially screwing people out of money, and then kept the 20GB's at their clearanced price, though I have no idea if the remaining stock of 20GB's would've lasted until then?

With the four day delay of the start of the SOCOM Confrontation beta, the SOCOM developers actually received a ton of hate mail and death threats over having to wait another four day. I even noticed comments about people taking the day or multiple days off for the start of the beta, which makes me ask what's too far in any of these aspects of the delay of a beta? Do the developers deserve seething hatred for four more days of waiting, without cutting it short or anything like that?

[BlueSwim]

Cheapy, what's the status of the Circuit City lawsuit against CAG? I haven't heard anything about it in months. Did "The City" bow out?

[corky_uk]

hey cheapy and wombat, what do you guys think of the new xbox 360 controller coming out? and will you be buying it?

[pop311]

Hello chum. I was recently watching Gametrailers Bonus Round and they were talking about the future of video games. Mr. Pachter said that he doesn't think there will be a PS4 or an Xbox 720, just updated SKU's more or less every year. Cheapy la D, Wombat, what is your opinion on this topic? Do you think that Mr. Pachter is right, or do you think that the trend will continue and Microsoft and Sony will release a next-gen system soon?

[KingBroly]

Do you think in future generations of consoles that still have disc drives where consumers will be able to install their old console games (Like say from a generation or two or three in the past) onto the hard drive and play them without a disc like some aged PC games?

[bmachine]

i'll be brave...

Obama or McCain?

Oooh...would this qualify as a celebrity endorsement? ;)

I was really impressed by Cheapy's well-articulated stand on politics and religion. I'm sure others might prefer that you stick to the videogame talk, but I think that it's talk like this that really elevates the CAGcast beyond the standard (um, average?) videogame podcast.

More, please.

[lucao]

After being a long time listener of the Cagcast these moments are rare. And once again it happened. I found my-self agreeing with wombats random burst response to something cheapy said. The word mediocre strikes me as a much better description of the quality of the game than average.

And cheapy wtf are you talking about pressing a button to pick up a weapon? I never heard you complain about this in Gears. In gears every thing that was on the floor required a push of a button to be picked up. So the x button isn't gonna ruin Mercs 2 for u.

[buttle]

wombat is 100% right about the word average. it's simply a mathematical term. thank you so much for saying this. i don't think i've ever heard another podcaster mention this.

any reviewer who decides ahead of time that the average score is 5 or 6.5 or 7 or whatever is doing it wrong.

also, there seems to be a fair amount of wii hate out there. and they've certainly had a summer drought like usual. but they've got a pretty good line up for holidays. and for anyone who is tired of first person shooters, the variety the wii provides is essential.

[thorbahn3]

Recently, a founding member of the Player One Podcast, Greg, has had to stop being in the podcast because the unnamed video game company who hired him doesn't want him to podcast anymore. Wombat, would you leave the Cagcast if such a situation happened to you? For example, a high paying PR gig for Rockstar, etc.

[Chase]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat. During his final 1UP Yours appearance, Jeff Green mentioned that 17 years, or a number equally high, is too long to stay with one company. So, how long will it be until Wombat jumps to IGN or exclusively signs with UGO, or Cheapy sells the site to GameStop? I just want to prepare my cynanide capsule for the proper disentigration date.

[PacManster17]

Hi guys. I am starting a software development job in a couple weeks and am hoping to discover some "gamers" around work. Any tips on doing this? I was thinking about starting by decking out my office with some cool gaming schwag.

I know you guys have a lot of video game memorabilia lying around the house, but how about your office environment? Wombat, do you keep a clean office at work or do you decorate it with any fun gaming-related stuff? Cheapy, even you may have some particular schwag you keep at your office at home that visitors enjoy to look at.

Remember, I'm NOT trying to make everyone at work think I'm a hardcore gamer (which I am), but just show my appreciation for gaming with some discreet gaming mementos. A Halo Wars style figurine battle in the middle of my desk or a Pokemon themed office (complete with a pokeball pencil sharpener and pokemon eraser tops) may be a bit too much.

Any ideas?

[Coupled]

:-#
Hey Cheapy, Wombat

About the show, I have a couple things to comment on.

1. I wouldn't drag politics out into such a long discussion. It's supposed to be a PODcast about gaming news in general. I can understand involving some things in your daily lives, but please....it kinda follows the rule at work. No discussing politics or religion at work, at least not while on the clock. I would greatly appreciate it if such topics were at least kept to a minimum. If I want to spend time listening to people talk politics, I think we all know what web site or news channel to tune in to.

2. Now, normally I tend to agree with Wombat, but regarding the "Average", argument, I would have to stand by Cheapy. I was listening to you two guys argue it out like some old married couple, but neither of you were really listening to the other.

Yes, "Average" when we're talking numbers does refer to something entirely different mathematically, but in Cheapy's layout of the 5 steps, the word "Average" takes on a different meaning entirely, where the "majority" of the public would understand the meaning. To Wombat's argument, it does sound as though Metacritic is using the word improperly.

3. Lastly the whole discussion about used games I find incredibly silly. Will publishers be able to stop it? No they won't be able to. What would happen if they did try? Such as removing selling rights to companies such as EBgames for example.......Simply put, the public would find a way as they always do. Ebay, Craigslist, Amazon market, you name it. Those used games will exchange hands one way or another. So, in general, people will continue to sell/buy/trade used games until one of two things happen.

a. Publishers, retailers work together, (cooperatively or otherwise), to make it so hard to buy/sell/trade used games where people won't want/be able to go through the hassle. Which would be pretty hard in itself to do, since people tend to go through a lot when it comes to their hard earned cash.

OR

b. Somehow publishers, retailers make it more cost effective or so easy to purchase new games, that people won't want to go through the whole used game buy/sell/trade hassle. Which again, I doubt...."all those publishers in favor of selling us games for less, SAY I!".......*cricket* *cricket*...............

In summary though, I was a little dissapointed with this show. It sounded like you two were goin at it a little more than usual, and it seemed to you went into non-gaming related topics too much. I do look forward to future programs, and I really appreciate all you do. I have saved lots of money via your site.


Thanks
-Michael

[oscargrouch]

Guys great show as always. Great to have you back on the iPod.

I only have an issue and a half with your discussion of McCain vs. Obama. Its your show and you can discuss what you want, however I think you unintentionally slighted Senator McCain. I agree Senator Obama has overcome a lot coming from a single parent home and it was an important formative experience, however I think you would agree Senator McCain also overcame a lot being a prisoner of war for five years.

Secondly, as someone who owned his own business, I think the correct message for the Cagcast should be, we don't care who you vote for, just make sure you go vote. Our forefathers be they democrats, republicans, or independants died for your right to vote, don't dishonor their sacrifice.

[GLOCKGLOCK]

Cheapy and Wombat,

When you talk about the games you are currently playing both of you always seem to be playing new releases, I know that that is partially because of the CAGcast, but are there any old favorites that you go back to and play online or single player? Do you find yourselves going back to play the online modes of games like Call of Duty or Halo? If not, will the upcoming title update/new maps/new achievements that are planned for Halo make you pick that back up or do you tend to play these types of games only when they come out and then never pick them up again?

[cfootball1]

Why does Wombat not sign up for the blockbuster thing where u pay 21.99$ a month or 2 games for 34.99 a month and you can get as many games as you want than you could talk about every game on the show?

[MrPlow14]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, long time listener, first time poster here.

Did any of you triend No more heroes (Wii)? Suda 51 new game witch did not get the attention it deserves. My wii was gatering dust and its now getting a lot of action thanks to this little gem.

Since there is not much coming up for the wii right now, i think it is a good idea to try such games. And its cheap!

[Smallville123]

Why does Wombat not sign up for the blockbuster thing where u pay 25$ a month and you can get as many games as you want than you could talk about every game on the show?

The pricing structure on the combo pass is 21.99 for 1 at a time. 2 at a time is 34.99. I work at blockbuster and I'm not trying to be a dick by correcting you.

[Smallville123]

Oh ya and as for my question this week guys is what do you think about these wannabee podcast that try to ride the success of your format?

[lucao]

Guys great show as always. Great to have you back on the iPod.

I only have an issue and a half with your discussion of McCain vs. Obama. Its your show and you can discuss what you want, however I think you unintentionally slighted Senator McCain. I agree Senator Obama has overcome a lot coming from a single parent home and it was an important formative experience, however I think you would agree Senator McCain also overcame a lot being a prisoner of war for five years.

Secondly, as someone who owned his own business, I think the correct message for the Cagcast should be, we don't care who you vote for, just make sure you go vote. Our forefathers be they democrats, republicans, or independants died for your right to vote, don't dishonor their sacrifice.:applause:

I agree with what you said, although I am voting for somebody else. I want to add that people shouldn't just vote. People should vote fore the candidate that emphasizes your wants. And only vote if know the subject, not just because you like a party or dislike another.

[notman]

Cheapy,

Since living in Tokyo, any interest in heading out to the Tokyo Disney parks? Or will you now just wait until Tai is old enough to go, and take him there?

[Simon D I]

Hey, Cheapy and Wombat! Are you guys EVER going to play COD4 with the CAGs again? We miss you guys!!!

By the way, Thursday Nights are the most CAG-Packed!

[TiE23]

Seriously Cheapy, just lie to Pizza Guy and get a phone call with him or something, here is an interesting article I found just 15 seconds ago!
Why Drunks Forget the Embarrassing Things They Do (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/health/2711391/Why-drunks-forget-the-embarrassing-things-they-do.html)

[kvadair]

Cheapy and Wombat,

Please do the world a favor and quit discussing the following topics until at least one of you discovers that games can in fact be played on PCs:

1) 'Hardcore' gamers.
2) Quality graphics
3) Why the Xbox is the best current gen console
4) Why you dislike the Wii

Your ignorance has become painful to listen to, and undercuts your credibility as cheap ass gamers as well. There are only a handful of titles for the xbox that are not also available for the PC within their first year of release. The PS3 fares slightly better, but only due to MGS4 and Sony first party titles. The PC version of such titles is usually superior featuring enhanced controls, graphics, and in titles such as Jade Empire the xbox DLC is included out of the box, or available online, for free. All of this for $10 less than the cost of the console version. In addition there are whole genres, such as real time strategy, that are available to PC gamers, and not to console gamers.

On the hardware front a competent gaming PC costs little more than a PS3 these days, and it costs less than that to upgrade an existing computer for gaming. In addition there is no fear that Microsoft will gouge you $180 for a 120GB hard drive when more drive space is needed, and then not allow you to transfer all of your content. For 'graphics whores' like Wombat you might appreciate that PC games have been doing 1080p graphics for years, many new games support higher resolutions.

I cannot consider anyone a hardcore gamer if they are not interested in playing the best version of a game available, and as such have trouble considering any console exclusive gamer hardcore. In this light I find the Xbox to be the LEAST desirable of the current gen consoles, because it offers very little that I cannot experience better elsewhere. Likewise the WII becomes the most desirable of the current gen. consoles because though it may only have a few great titles, those titles give an experience that I can't get anywhere else. Curious to hear your thoughts.


Examples off the top of my head (recent quality titles only)

Available on PC and xbox/ps3, PC version better:
Orange Box
Half Life 2
Mass Effects
Bioshock
Call of Duty 4
Oblivion
Lost Planet
Gears of War
Jade Empire

Available on PC and xbox/ps3, console version better:
Guitar Hero III
[EA sport] 2k8

Console (multiplatform) only:
Rock Band
GTA IV (PC release 11/18/08)

Edit: Corrected resolution comments, I forgot 1080 refers to vertical not horizontal resolution.

[theblizzman]

Cheapy and Wombat,
I was commpletely addicted to Puzzle Quest on the PSP. Do you know why it does not seem like it is going to be released on PSN or PSP? On the official website it says "PC, Xbox 360 Live Arcade and Nintendo DS".

[John Ketch]

Dear weiners,

I know we are in the relative infancy of the current generation, but given Microsoft's propensity to leak insider information--whether intentional or otherwise--which of the three console makers do you think will tip their hand first about the development of the next gen console? Who will have smelled it and will have therefore dealt it?

I don't really have a preference one way or another, this is just an exercise in oddsmaking.

Congrats on your baby-making prowess.

[DJSteel]

CheapyD and that other guy (j/k Wombat),
Long time Listener, first time caller... Love the show first off. Is Sapporo in Japan like Budweiser in the US? I've had it over here a few times and it's not bad, but it does seem a bit like budweiser, coors, or miller in that it's a cheaply made beer just good enough for the masses but not for the beer enthusiast. If Sapporo is not the best that Japan has to offer in the terms of beer, what is?

Thanks.

[oscargrouch]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Since this week marked the 9th anniversary of the Dreamcast's US launch, what if any thing do you think Sega's last home console contributed to the current console marketplace?

What Dreamcast titles do you look back on fondly?

[eJohnny]

Cheapy and Wombat,

In the last podcast you guys talked about retailers selling used games, piracy, etc... You seemed to think digital distribution would be a solution for publishers, but do you think data transfer caps (like the one Comcast just set) have pretty much killed any hope for digital distribution? Granted, 250GB (Comcast) is plenty right now, but people are moving to the Internet more and more for entertainment and I don't think it will be long before 250GB isn't enough.

Games are getting bigger
Movies are being streamed
Online play (who knows how much bandwidth that uses??)
Television is transitioning
General Internet Use

I think hope for digital distribution ever being a real thing is fading.

Also, just my 2 cents, but I think the only way publishers will ever make a dent against piracy is to start selling games at a $30 - $35 price point. I only wish a publisher would be brave enough to try it and see if they didn't sell enough additional copies to make up for the huge price cut.

-
eJohnny

[carpwrist]

Wombat, I imagine you have more to say about this. In case you haven't seen the official roster for the MK vs DCU, here it is:
Baraka
Batman
Catwoman
Darkseid
Deathstroke
Flash
Green Lantern
Jax
Joker
Kano
Kitana
Lex Luthor
Liu Kang
Raiden
Scorpion
Shang Tsung
Shao Khan
Shazam
Sonya
Sub Zero
Superman
Wonderwoman
I'm kind of disappointed with their choices. No Aquaman or Hawkman? Where's Goro and Shiva? How would you spice up this list?

[LiK]

Cheapy and Wombat, what are your thoughts on Wipeout HD? Are you gonna get it? It looks awesome.

[Purkeynator]

Cheapy I come before you as a humble CAG of the last 4 years asking for your help. You see I am about to defect from ebay due to their latest shenanigans of increasing fees, taking away the option of paying by check or money order, and setting a "maximum" allowable rate that one can charge for shipping and handling. See here for the discussion http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=196493

Long story short- I would like to take more of my buying and selling of games away from ebay and more toward Amazon and CAG. I am tired of feeding the hungry ebay monster. The more fees you feed it (and Paypal) the hungrier it gets and the more it takes away from sellers. Ebay is supposed to be a venue- I don't remember any other venues like the swap meet or the classified ads in the newspaper setting the price that I can or cannot charge for something and telling me which methods of payment I will and won't take. I would like to use CAG more for my gaming buying and selling needs.

I am far from a Powerseller or anything like that but I do have a wife and kid and a house and they come first. Any games I want to buy I usually fund by selling other games. If I find that copy of Final Fantasy 7 in a pawn shop for $5 you can bet your ass I am going to sell it to pay for Gears of War 2. I would like to see the CAG trading thread grow and expand into a more user friendly venue.

I would like to see a textbox on an individual's trading thread that is searchable. For example I would like to do a specific search for say any CAG selling Uncharted Drake's Fortune on PS3 complete for $20 shipped or under. I would like to filter it to only show those threads with it for sale for that price or cheaper. If nobody is selling it for that cheap I would like it to say "no results found" and not pull up a bunch of threads in other forums that have the name of that game in the thread but are otherwise irrelevant to what I am looking for. Using the search command often does this and I am wasting lots of time searching through the search results only to find threads where the game is on someone's WANT list and not their SELL list or maybe they are selling the GUIDE and not the actual game. Any changes like this in the works?

[gamerstop]

Hey guys I wanted to know the games you are looking forward to in 2008/2009. I myself am looking forward to left 4 dead.

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys,

How do you think the setup for the rumored "DJ Hero" that is supposed to arrive next summer will be like? The game is said to have been in development for over 2 years now. Do you think a new controller that will attempt to immitate a laptop turntable peripheral is a good idea? I know at least Cheapy may be excited for a game like this. Wombat, how about you?

[General Gweevus]

Are there any games that you have ever looked forward to where you convinced yourselves that the game would have no or very few flaws whatsoever? I've done this twice this year; I've gotta stop that.

[Thevoiceinyourhead]

Just wondering if Cheapy or Wombat know, why us UK gamers are treated so badly. Its getting harder and harder to be a CAG while we have to spend $300 for Guitar hero world tour, and you guys get it for $189. Games retail in the US for $60 while here its $80 and sometimes even $100. The US arcade 360 is $200, and ours are $320

[Chase]

Hey guys! Have you read David Perry taking, GameStop CEO, Dan DeMatteo to task over his comments over digital distribution (http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/david-perry-blasts-gamestop-ceo-for-spewing-nonsense/?biz=1&page=1)? If so, what are your thoughts? DeMatteo says we are "12-17 years away from downloading games digitally." Apparently, he hasn't heard of Steam.

[BlueSwim]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, what do you guys think about Mark Hamill(Luke Skywalker from Star Wars) voicing The Joker in the new Batman game, Batman: Arkham Asylum? He was the voice of The Joker on the 90's Batman cartoons, and was absolutely fantastic in the role. I figure since Cheapy just saw The Dark Knight that now was as good a time as any to ask.


Keep up the great show guys. And one more quick thing, what about using the term "generic" instead of "average"? Wouldn't that be a better fit after the discussion last week?

- Swim

[TiE23]

Cheapy and Wombat,

Please do the world a favor and quit discussing the following topics until at least one of you discovers that games can in fact be played on PCs:

1) 'Hardcore' gamers.
2) Quality graphics
3) Why the Xbox is the best current gen console
4) Why you dislike the Wii

Your ignorance has become painful to listen to, and undercuts your credibility as cheap ass gamers as well. There are only a handful of titles for the xbox that are not also available for the PC within their first year of release. The PS3 fares slightly better, but only due to MGS4 and Sony first party titles. The PC version of such titles is usually superior featuring enhanced controls, graphics, and in titles such as Jade Empire the xbox DLC is included out of the box, or available online, for free. All of this for $10 less than the cost of the console version. In addition there are whole genres, such as real time strategy, that are available to PC gamers, and not to console gamers.

On the hardware front a competent gaming PC costs little more than a PS3 these days, and it costs less than that to upgrade an existing computer for gaming. In addition there is no fear that Microsoft will gouge you $180 for a 120GB hard drive when more drive space is needed, and then not allow you to transfer all of your content. For 'graphics whores' like Wombat you might appreciate that PC games have been doing 1080p graphics for years, many new games support higher resolutions.

I cannot consider anyone a hardcore gamer if they are not interested in playing the best version of a game available, and as such have trouble considering any console exclusive gamer hardcore. In this light I find the Xbox to be the LEAST desirable of the current gen consoles, because it offers very little that I cannot experience better elsewhere. Likewise the WII becomes the most desirable of the current gen. consoles because though it may only have a few great titles, those titles give an experience that I can't get anywhere else. Curious to hear your thoughts.


Examples off the top of my head (recent quality titles only)

Available on PC and xbox/ps3, PC version better:
Orange Box
Half Life 2
Mass Effects
Bioshock
Call of Duty 4
Oblivion
Lost Planet
Gears of War
Jade Empire

Available on PC and xbox/ps3, console version better:
Guitar Hero III
[EA sport] 2k8

Console (multiplatform) only:
Rock Band
GTA IV (PC release 11/18/08)

Edit: Corrected resolution comments, I forgot 1080 refers to vertical not horizontal resolution.
I know this isn't a discussion thread, but I'm still gonna put my opinion here.

I don't understand why the 360 (and PS3 in some cases) releases are considered worse if they're also released on PC. Just because they're also on PC doesn't make it worth less, PC exclusive gamers and Console exclusive gamers are becoming more and more separated and there really isn't an issue with that. It's clear that Cheapy and Wombat are Console gamers almost exclusively, as displayed over their choice in using Macs as their main computers, they just don't care for PC games all that much.

You can't call the Xbox 360 crap just because there are a handful of titles on PC also, this really shouldn't be an issue, you get it for the console or the PC, just because the PC games usually have the potential to be better than their console counterparts does not discount the consoles all together. Now, the problem is that console exclusives are consistently outperforming most computer PC exclusives for the first time in a while. There is no question that last generation (2001-2005) PC games were consistently better looking and better playing than console games, but that has changed. Back way when we played console games at 640x480i and PC games at 1024x728p - always sharper, and with the proper hardware, much better and prettier. Now it's much more even, with the PS3 and 360 often beating out all but the most high-end computers with 1920x1080p versus (insert any random PC res from 1280x1024 to 1680x1050, etc).

You need to admit that the only PC exclusive that can still prove that "PC's can do it better" is Crysis, a game that is too gnarly for the PS3 or 360. Now look how unfair your standards are. If you judge by just "what pure exclusives this platform has determines it worth" way of thinking the PC is far off worse than the two main consoles.

Now, in the "console war" - it's dumb to take these 'On PC also' games and to discount them. BioShock was considered a 360 exclusive, it was merely coincidence that it was also launched on PC at the same time, PC games don't matter in the "console war".

Now, I've tried my best to point out the follies in your reasoning, I'm going to now sympathize with you. I myself used to be a primary PC gamer, and I've been trying my best to keep up with the PC crowd for as long as I can, I'm close enough to be a fan of the latest PC cult hits like The Witcher, STALKER, and Crysis - I very much look forward to these three titles in the next few days (Enhanced Edition update, Clear Sky, and Warhead). But I've switched over to the 360 and Wii as my console outlets, there have been situations where I'll take the 360 version over the PC version, not because my computer is too shitty to run it right, (I updated my PC early this year just to play Crysis at medium-high settings, and everything else at max.) - I got The Orange Box, BioShock, Call of Duty 4, Mercenaries 2, DiRT, all for the 360 because I can trust the online mode, I don't have to deal with hard drive space, or patches, or potential problems, and I want to play with my friends on the 360. It's all relative and a matter of opinion, it's true that it's unfortunate that Wombat and CheapyD don't get their kicks on PC, too. But you shouldn't shun them for that, they can be a little ignorant without knowing the wonder for Half-Life 2 over three and a half years ago and the amazing experiences with the mods such as Garry's Mod and such.

But seriously, you're acting a little too elitist just because you're a PC gamer by heart. You're stance of "if it's on the PC, why even bother with the console version?" is really snobby, you can't trust the average Joe to properly make the right decisions to getting a great gaming rig for the price of a PS3. It's a lot easier to buy a PS3 than all the parts to a PC from NewEgg.com for the average lay-person. Am I really not a hardcore gamer if I prefer to play many of my games on my 360 when I could play them on my PC perfectly fine? Am I not a hardcore gamer if I play an average of 2 or 3 hours a day, yet don't go out of my way for the mouse and keyboard controls? Seriously? Seriously?! You're strange.

Lastly, the statement about the Wii being the best console out there is a gross overstatement in the importance in exclusives, just because it can only really be on the Wii doesn't make it the best. And again, by judging on quantity over quality is misguided and potentially a way to burn yourself with PC games, because it's clear that PC games are by far the least numerous in exclusives that are worth a damn than the Wii, PS3, or 360.

Okay, I'm going to cut it short there, I'm tired of putting so much effort into this.

[FriskyTanuki]

With the announcement of the full Guitar Hero: World Tour song list, Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/12/rock-band-2-guitar-hero-world-tour-share-16-songs/)noticed that both Rock Band 2 and World Tour have 14 on-disc songs in common along with World Tour having 2 Rock Band DLC songs on the disc, as well. It was previously thought that exclusive bands and songs would hurt these two franchises, but could the opposite be true, as well? Are the labels and bands responsible for this large overlaps of songs by not licensing different songs to both games or is it the fault of Activision and Harmonix?

The follow-up article from Dean Takahashi reported (http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/12/microsoft-fires-game-test-contractor-who-talked-to-venturebeat/)on Robert Delaware's firing because he was willing to put his job on the line to talk about Microsoft's RRoD troubles on the record, but I found the section of feedback from readers who are on their 11th Xbox 360. If both of you were on your tenth Xbox 360's and both were going to die in a few days, would you still be enthusiastic about the system, the games, and playing on Xbox Live or would you be fed up enough to at least focus less of your gaming attention on the Xbox 360?

With Jeff Green's 17 year tenure at Ziff Davis and 1up ending last week, do you guys think you could last that long another 14 or 15 years doing this podcasting thing or would you hope that your slowly-rising fame, or eventual drug abuse, gets you out of the hot seat long before that point? If there was one developer that you'd be willing to quit the show to work for without any hesitation, who would it be and what would you hope your job would be or entail?

[misterine]

Cheapy Do you enjoy american arcades more or japanese ones?

How the joystick is..
The japanese ones has a ball and then a thin rod to connect it
or the american ones thats just a black weiner..?

Button layouts? americans buttons all straight left and right
the japanese ones the light punch and light kicks are in a angle.

YOU decide

[SonicHog91]

Hey Cheapy, whatever happened to the CAGwiki? The site hasn't been updated for at least a year. Did you and/or the CAG community just forget about it? Or did you just quit updating it altogether?

P.S. Love the show, guys!

[Chase]

Greetings gents!

Wombat, considering you're a comic book fan, are you looking forward to DC Universe Online for the PS3? Should those of us who are getting the game tremble in fear of the "gosh darn" Wombatman?

Cheapy, I must add that if CAG had a feature called, say, "CAG Auctions" I would never again use eBay to sell things. eBay treats their sellers terribly, as evidenced by their new fees and changes in feedback.

[teto111]

Hey guys i have a question who is the xbox 360 arcade console intended for...

[Vegan]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

It's nice to hear that the upgraded Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is coming to America on the PS2, and it made me think of how Dreamcast games still come out in Japan. Do you think the PS2 is going to be the Dreamcast of America? Will we still see PS2 games coming out 10 years from now, simply because everyone has one?

[KingBroly]

Hey Cheapy,

Now that you have played and beaten both, which XBLA game is more worthy of the 1200 point price? Braid or Castle Crashers?

[lokizz]

can either you or wombat explain to me why the fuck the wii is still selling out everywhere? both you and wombat and alot of cagers were happier than fegs at a penis farm when you heard about the wii and even moreso when you got your wiis and only now do you see the error in your ways but that said the damn thing is still selling out!!!!!!!who the fuck is buying the machines and why ? there arent very many decent games on it and those that are are basically the same damn nintendo retreads we know to expect.

i said from day 1 this system was all about gimmicks and that id never buy one and i was hoping over time people would wake up and smell what the rock is cookin but there doesnt seem to be any end to the maddness. im kind of afriad that the wiis success will cause sony and that other guy to rethink their future strategies for future consoles which will leave real gamers like me out in the cold because i refuse to buy a console centered around lame gimmicks.

i want games dammit. the only time i want to wave my arm around is when im slappin a girls ass or when im pretending to be a hip hop hype man. this shit has to be stopped.

[RyanG]

Hey Cheapy,

In a (very) previous CAGcast you mentioned that Mrs. Cheapy's favorite games were the Fallout series. You also mentioned that you are looking forward to LittleBigPlanet with great anticipation.
Now, LittleBigPlanet's release date has recently been confirmed to be October 24, and we've known for a while now that Fallout 3 is being released four days after that on the 28th.
That being said, do you foresee conflict between you and Mrs. Cheapy on who gets to use the TV? Or is Mrs. Cheapy possibly turned off by Fallout 3's new gameplay and style?

[kvadair]

I know this isn't a discussion thread, but I'm still gonna put my opinion here.

I don't understand why the 360 (and PS3 in some cases) releases are considered worse if they're also released on PC. Just because they're also on PC doesn't make it worth less, PC exclusive gamers and Console exclusive gamers are becoming more and more separated and there really isn't an issue with that. It's clear that Cheapy and Wombat are Console gamers almost exclusively, as displayed over their choice in using Macs as their main computers, they just don't care for PC games all that much.

You can't call the Xbox 360 crap just because there are a handful of titles on PC also, this really shouldn't be an issue, you get it for the console or the PC, just because the PC games usually have the potential to be better than their console counterparts does not discount the consoles all together. Now, the problem is that console exclusives are consistently outperforming most computer PC exclusives for the first time in a while. There is no question that last generation (2001-2005) PC games were consistently better looking and better playing than console games, but that has changed. Back way when we played console games at 640x480i and PC games at 1024x728p - always sharper, and with the proper hardware, much better and prettier. Now it's much more even, with the PS3 and 360 often beating out all but the most high-end computers with 1920x1080p versus (insert any random PC res from 1280x1024 to 1680x1050, etc).

You need to admit that the only PC exclusive that can still prove that "PC's can do it better" is Crysis, a game that is too gnarly for the PS3 or 360. Now look how unfair your standards are. If you judge by just "what pure exclusives this platform has determines it worth" way of thinking the PC is far off worse than the two main consoles.

Now, in the "console war" - it's dumb to take these 'On PC also' games and to discount them. BioShock was considered a 360 exclusive, it was merely coincidence that it was also launched on PC at the same time, PC games don't matter in the "console war".

Now, I've tried my best to point out the follies in your reasoning, I'm going to now sympathize with you. I myself used to be a primary PC gamer, and I've been trying my best to keep up with the PC crowd for as long as I can, I'm close enough to be a fan of the latest PC cult hits like The Witcher, STALKER, and Crysis - I very much look forward to these three titles in the next few days (Enhanced Edition update, Clear Sky, and Warhead). But I've switched over to the 360 and Wii as my console outlets, there have been situations where I'll take the 360 version over the PC version, not because my computer is too shitty to run it right, (I updated my PC early this year just to play Crysis at medium-high settings, and everything else at max.) - I got The Orange Box, BioShock, Call of Duty 4, Mercenaries 2, DiRT, all for the 360 because I can trust the online mode, I don't have to deal with hard drive space, or patches, or potential problems, and I want to play with my friends on the 360. It's all relative and a matter of opinion, it's true that it's unfortunate that Wombat and CheapyD don't get their kicks on PC, too. But you shouldn't shun them for that, they can be a little ignorant without knowing the wonder for Half-Life 2 over three and a half years ago and the amazing experiences with the mods such as Garry's Mod and such.

But seriously, you're acting a little too elitist just because you're a PC gamer by heart. You're stance of "if it's on the PC, why even bother with the console version?" is really snobby, you can't trust the average Joe to properly make the right decisions to getting a great gaming rig for the price of a PS3. It's a lot easier to buy a PS3 than all the parts to a PC from NewEgg.com for the average lay-person. Am I really not a hardcore gamer if I prefer to play many of my games on my 360 when I could play them on my PC perfectly fine? Am I not a hardcore gamer if I play an average of 2 or 3 hours a day, yet don't go out of my way for the mouse and keyboard controls? Seriously? Seriously?! You're strange.

Lastly, the statement about the Wii being the best console out there is a gross overstatement in the importance in exclusives, just because it can only really be on the Wii doesn't make it the best. And again, by judging on quantity over quality is misguided and potentially a way to burn yourself with PC games, because it's clear that PC games are by far the least numerous in exclusives that are worth a damn than the Wii, PS3, or 360.

Okay, I'm going to cut it short there, I'm tired of putting so much effort into this.


Just wanted to clear a few things up, and then we can take this elsewhere if we wish to continue it, or at least until Cheapy and Wombat chime in.

I in no way meant to imply that I think the 360 (or PS3) are bad in any way shape or form, indeed I think they are both quality pieces of hardware, and would happily take either one. My point was that the 360 and to a lesser extent the PS3 give me little reason to BUY them, and I get tired of hearing people talk as if these are the only gaming choices.

I tried to be fair with the games that I listed, and I know I missed many. The ones I listed as 'better on the PC' have multiple improvements over the console versions not just in graphics (personally I could care less about graphics, and would much rather have quality game play). This is not because they are on the PC, but because the PC versions are made better partially due to the fact PC gamers demand more. The two biggest improvements IMHO are the ability to save anywhere, and mouse and keyboard controls. It drives me nuts to not be able to put the game down whenever I want, and in this day and age where the saves are no longer stored in a limited amount of on cartridge memory it is just ridiculous. For the most part PC gamers do not accept this (titles with checkpoint only save systems have traditionally underperformed), why console gamers don't demand better I don' t know. As to mouse and keyboard controls, a skilled player with a mouse and keyboard will always beat a skilled player with a gamepad in any first person shooter. This used to be more open for debate, but when games such as Halo 2 and Shadowrun came out console gamers consistently got decimated by those with mouse and keyboard. My favorite account of this was a challenge between editors or OXM and PC gamer in Halo 2 shortly after the PC version came out. Despite playing it consistently for nearly three years the OXM guys got it handed to them by some outlandish score. In addition the mouse and keyboard make entire genres possible that are not available in any quality on the consoles. Real time strategy games come to mind.

Back to the games themselves. I certainly would argue that Crysis is not the only game PCs can do better. In fact Crysis is a terrible poster child for the PC since few PCs can play it. As I stated above any good real time strategy game is an example of a game PCs can do better, and so are most shooters. In particular it has been painful to hear Half Life 2, and KOTOR discussed by console gamers. The coverage was along the lines of "what a surprisingly good game!" Those of us who play PC games have been excited about these for ages since HL2 is the sequel to one of the best games of all time, and KOTOR was the 10th game (counting expansions) from Bioware, a company that has yet to make a less than spectacular game. This is not to say there aren't genres the consoles do better with. Platformers and sports games are better on consoles, and so are rhythm games such as Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and DDR. None of those however makes me want to drop $300-$500 on a console. As to the argument of of quantity versus quality it should be clear that I care much more about quality than quantity as my whole argument is that the quality games are often higher quality on the PC. Certainly the PC will never top consoles in the quantity department. That being said it takes more than a couple of quality games before I am willing to spend money on hardware (PC or console), and that is why I have not bought a PS3 or 360, as I can already play superior (or at least equal) version of most of their best titles.

I do not begrudge Cheapy or Wombat their consoles, but I find it tiresome to hear games discussed as though they can only be played on one of the two systems. In particular the argument that 'the 360 has the most best games' grows tiresome because often neither 350 or PS3 has the best versions of the games in question. These days I play more games each on the Wii, DS and PSP than the PC. However what I am looking for on all of these systems is something unique from what I can already get on the PC. The 360, and to a lesser extent the PS3 don't offer me much in this regards.

Hope that clears things up a bit, thanks to everyone else for your patience.

Edit: I missed one thing I wanted to respond to. Consoles have always maintained an ease of use advantage over PCs, and only a fool would dispute that. Buy any console game, stick it in the system, and within a few seconds (longer if installing to the hard drives) the game is guaranteed to be up and running on your system. It's the biggest reason cited for why the PC market has grown much slower than the console market. Personally I find the extra effort worth the reward, especially since there is no cost involved.

[davidb69]

CheapyD, you mentioned that people in Japan are buying 360s because the heard the news of Final Fantasy XIII coming to the 360? Are they idoits over there? Final Fantasy XIII is still a PS3 exclusive in Japan. It's only coming to the 360 in North America. Unless that has changed and I havn't read about it.

Also, Wombat, getting Crushed to Mrs. Shipwreck in fantasy football and having my wife rub that fact in my face all week, so NOT cool.

Overall, though, another great show.

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

What do you guys think of the news that Konami has cancelled Rock Revolution's guitar and are focusing on the release of the drum set, which won't even be out for a month or so until after the game itself sees release next month? Is this game just doomed to failure when it comes out or does it actually have a chance to make a dent in the plastic instrument and music games market?

[dbzeng]

Hey guys, seeing as how the xbox live arcade has been an attempt for microsoft to snatch up the casual gaming audience, what are your thoughts on the top selling xbox live arcade games (Castle Crashers, Penny Arcade, Braid) being geared towards non-casual gamers?

I know UNO would be a good example of a good selling XBLA game that's casual but I don't know of any others.

[branDamn]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,
What do you think of Square-Enix attempting to take over Tecmo?

[Dr. Strangepork]

I just got my PS3 a few months ago and I'm looking at Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour. How are the pre-orders going for those games from CAGers? I've heard you report how certain pre-orders were going in the past when big games were coming.

I suspect I know which one is getting more (my gut tells me RB2) but by how much?

Thanks. Love the 'cast!

[lucao]

Yo finally the CAGcast has smashed 1up on digg. This weeks show launched it what is right now 35 diggs ahead.

CONGRATS to Cheapy and Wombat!!!!!!!!

[ecmazza]

Wombat,

You have to love Mega Man 9 coming out, game looks sweet. But here is my question, how many gamers do you think will purchase Mega Man 9 that have not played any of the first 8?

I think there is a good number, and that begs the question why...why buy 9, when you can get the Anniversary Collection for about 10 bucks used that has 1-8 on it and is back. compat. My answer=hype.

[smarkbran]

Dear Cheapy and Womabt,
With a whole buttload of games set to come out in the coming weeks, do you feel certain games will get overlooked becasue of the lack of hype and the lack of a marketplace or PSN demo? I would have loved to try out TNA impact but with the less than par review scores and no demo that game will never see the light of day on my list of must haves eventhough I am a huge wrestling and fighting genre fan. Do you think we will see demos for some of the sleeper titles that are coming out? (like the Fracture demo) I would like to see more game companies do that for the non jaded gamer who is controlled by metacritic review scores.

[FriskyTanuki]

So, Cheapy, what is it like to be the most hated man on Kotaku. From the comments, you're an idiot, an asshole, a communist, but we all know you're definitely not a porn star. Seriously though, Brian Crecente declared that CAG has lost all credibility over this and that you've personally set the progress made for the credibility of blogs back a long ways, but Wombat's hardly getting any of the hate for actually being the one that fully endorsed this contest. Do you plan to fire back at Kotaku and try to discredit Brian Crecente by maybe saying something about his mama, possibly a Yo Mama joke?

[Magitek85]

Dear Cheapy and Wombat,

With the recent anouncements that Guitar Hero wants to triple its game releases by 2010, and also that GH: Aerosmith made more money for the band then any of their cd releases ever did, did you think that this pretty much confirms we'll be seeing a whole slew of GH branded band games. GH: Metallica, GH: Beatles, GH: U2? Do you think that Activision threw these news items out in the public to try to get more bands to sign on for exclusive games? Certainly the news that Aerosmith made more money on the game then any of their cds would only help to entice more bands to try the same.

[LittleWildman]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, would you guys ever give up gaming all together and if so, what for? Please try not to say stuff like "I would give up gaming for my wife, kid etc." Just something in general that you would give up gaming for if you would ever give it up.

P.S I'm not encouraging you to give up gaming guys, it's just hypothetical.

[RoboCag]

Hmmmm
This is a question for cheapy and wombat
i was listening to an old podcast and someone brought up something about ilovebees
Rumors are saying bungie is re releasing another ilovebees arg
i was wondering if wombat or cheapy was going participate in this arg ?

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

I wanted to ask if you two had seen the week-long interview that Peter Moore had with this Guardian website, where he made public some of his more controversial moments and thoughts, like Rare not being a relevant developer anymore, his first impression when seeing the Wii Remote four years ago, and his experiences with having to kill off the Dreamcast and Xbox. It's far too rare to see heads of these companies being this open and honest about his past, so I wanted to also ask what departed executive of one of these huge game publishers would you most like to see spill some of the beans about their past?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2008/sep/11/gamesinterviews.microsoft1?gusrc=rss&feed=technology

[XTommyDonX]

In addition to FriskyTanuki's question, do you feel that it is wrong for Kotaku to call CAG out because of the creation of the false rumor? They didn't even have to research it, there were tons of posts referencing a contest going on and they could have easily held off on posting the story. I feel that this contest was actually a great experimental project which tests the credibility of news sites in the gaming industry. It was actually pretty affective and allows you guys to further validate your theories.

[thorbahn3]

What games do you own that you'll most likely never finish?

[woodcan]

Cheapy, I'm sure you probably have talked about this before (I can't remember everything) but since it sounds like you purchase a lot of new releases what do you do with your old games? Do you sell them at local stores there in Japan, have them stock-piled, give them away, or something else? Also, if you do sell/get rid of your games what is your deciding factor of when to get rid of them (i.e. completed, bored, no room, etc)?

[pop311]

Dear Moses and Abraham,

In the lonely time between Tuesday and Sunday, I decided to listen to the Giant Bombcast. One of the topics that they were talking about was the Fable II Pub games money glitch/cheat. They said that the glitch was put in there intentionally, and that people who used it will face consequences (which I recently found out is a neutral word) in the actual game. What do you think that consequence will be? and what do you think about this in general?

Sincerley,

God

[Froogin]

Hey Cheapy, if you guys win the gaming podcast award again this year, are you gonna let Wombat keep this one?

[LittleWildman]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, I would like to get your guy's opinion on this piracy topic. I was just pondering on video game piracy and thinking, is it really all that bad? If a game can be pirated then it is obviously going to get around a lot more and therefore more people will know about it. People who pirated the game could then tell more people about it who may then go out and buy the game, spread the word etc. Do you think that word of mouth from video game pirates could actually help game sales? My friend has a modded Xbox 360 and I have had the privilege of playing a lot of games on his console which has then encouraged me to buy the good ones and avoid the bad ones.

[uberpwner93]

Sup Cheapy and Wombat. I would like to know if a game developer would sway your decision on buying games. I have a friend who refuses to buy games from THQ, even if the game is great.

[my2k2zx2]

Cheapy and Wombat,

Would there be an 8-bit game you would be excited about to see a "sequel" come out for? Didnt seem like Mega Man 9 was up your alley. I think I'd like to see a new 2d Metroid game that wasnt on a handheld.

Love the show, keep up the good work, (my wife loves Tai's movies.).

Any chance of special "Off Topic" pocasts in the future, I think those would be entertaining.

[E*Master]

Question for Wombat.

I like hearing you on the show and I greatly enjoy your part to make the show what it is. I do however find myself getting more and more irritated by the fact that you always want to be mentioned in everything Cheapy does and what everyone writes about CAG. Such as the usually comment you make now which is "Where's ther part about me?" or "It's missing 'Wombat is Awesome'" etc. As well as actually asking for someone to yell "Wombat is awesome" during Pax panel cheapy was on. Wombat do you suffer from severe self esteem issues? Have you considered seeking therapy for this or anything? The reason I ask is because it's getting really REALLY ANNOYING having to hear you basically scream "WaddaboutMeeeeeeeeeee?" at every possible oppourtunity. If you mean this in jest I suggest ceasing so as it's getting hard to listen to.

Please stop doing that. Most people like you, I myself included. However continously crying out for more attention on a show you already Co-Host make me think "Then why the hell doesn't he just make a CAG spinoff show for himself called "Wombat is Awesome" where he can rant on and on and on and cry for more attention. In other words and more plain words; this shit is getting really F'n annoying please stop!

To Cheapy.... How do you constantly tollerate these antics from him?

Thanks guys I Love the show

Peace,
PS Wombat stop crying for attention you may be in fact awesome but that needs only to be said a few times and not every 10 seconds. Like you desire it to be.

[dreamshade]

If Wombat would like to add some analysts' opinion to something, I might like to ask about some of the things said about Konami in the last show. The outlook of Konami's new Rock Revolution music game looks to be pretty poor. The common wisdom seems to be that the game is going to have a hard time cracking a market that's already pretty heavily held by two other guitar games in the U.S. It was also reminded that Konami started this whole thing back with Guitar Freaks / Drum Mania some years ago.

I've been going around asking a lot of people - why is Konami not releasing a U.S. version of GF/DM now?

A bit of historical context: Dance Dance Revolution was sort of a cult hit in America for a little while, just with whatever arcades managed to land an import copy of the arcade cabinet. When the first official U.S. home version of the game showed up in 2001, it came in a very limited release. Most stores got a couple of copies and that was about the most of it, and the game sold out quickly and left a lot of people asking for more. It was later revealed that Konami executives deliberately kept the print run small because they didn't see a big market for the game in North America - they thought it was just too strange to pierce the market and didn't think it was worth too much of a chance.

Now, you look at everything that Konami must have had to do to get Rock Revolution going: they would have had to speak to a handful of music companies in the U.S. and elsewhere and negotiate the rights to a lot of these songs, they needed to develop a somewhat new system for delivering these songs in the game, they needed to receive a lot of new master tracks and remaster and mix them to fit the new game profile. There's a lot of effort that would need to be put into a game that looks like it isn't going to be a big seller. They'll probably make their money back, at least, but it's not going to be a serious return on the investment.

On the other hand, Konami has already produced, what, 13 versions of GF/DM and has a huge library of music tracks to go along with those games. Negotiating the rights to re-release these songs in a different market shouldn't be terribly difficult, as much of the music was produced by in-house or smaller composers. The framework for the games is already well in place. It would seem like reproducing a copy of the game they've already been doing for years would be a fairly simple process.

The obvious question would be, how big would the market GF/DM be in North America when it doesn't rely on classically American music? However, a large number of American households already have plastic guitar controllers installed - which would have been a much more difficult hurdle five years ago, and that the American public seemed to adopt the DDR library much more quickly than anyone expected. I'm not suggesting that GF/DM in America would sell any more than Rock Revolution would, but it seems like the game would essentially be free money - just repackage the game in the English language and relicense music as downloadable content, and you've got an extra 100,000 sales in your pocket.

Granted, my bias here is that I'm a big fan of Drum Mania, and I'm hoping that sparking a bit of fervor will get a true U.S. release of the game, but I can't see why Konami wouldn't just go for that instead of trying to directly compete with Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Am I alone in thinking this?

[XTommyDonX]

Cheapy and Wombat,

Has poor box-art ever affected your game buying habits, pershaps when you were young and didn't know about the actual quality of a game? I'm looking at the Street Fighter 4 box art as I'm typing and despite an awesome game...it's not too pretty...

[bluu]

1. Wombat : Over on the Joystiq podcast Chris Grant has said (as most recently episode 66 @ 33:20 min into) quote " of the up to 90 million copies of Grand Theft Auto 4 sold , He (Grant) doubts less then one quarter (25%) of the players finished it " I was shocked, I always play through a GTA title and GTA 4 had an amazing story how could anyone not ? DO YOU believe this number is accurate ?

2. Cheapy : Are you going to Attend / cover Tokyo Game Show 08? I mean not just side note stuff on the regular podcast ,but dedicated episodes/on the floor pics anything of that kind (a live call in type show on nowlive each night or at the wrap would be awesometastic)

Anywho those are what im asking ,now drop some wisdom on us O' wise overlords.......

[Mahoney07]

Cheapy and Wombat, maybe you should get Duke Nukem 3D even though you said you were not interested. The game is great and has EIGHT PLAYED CAMPAIGN ONLINE COOP!

[Dirty Rabz]

Just wondering if you guys would be interested in an online Cod4 Tournament on the 360, I'm a father of three in Vancouver, Canada and an officer of the Facebook Group "Gamers Unite:1,000,000 Strong." If you go to the group we have a registration page linked to it. I love your podcast, I listen to it at work all the time and you've almost made me shard my pants laughing. I'd love to play online with you guys some time, my gamertag is Dirty Rabz, if you read this on air, please mention my Tag as I'm always looking for new challengers online. Thanks, keep doing what your doing cause it's K-Rad.

[PacManster17]

Hey guys, I really enjoyed CAGcast 134. Nice job stickin it to da man!

I've anticipated CAG 2.0 for so long and I'm not afraid to ask ... WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE Game Database & Collection system and OTHER Cheapassgamer.com CONTENT? WHAT IS FRAGGIN TAKING SO LONG? Is it really as state of the art as you say Cheapy?

[Loyalty]

so cheapy, what do you think about the new Knight Rider tv show?

[J Bling Blang]

This question applies to the both of you. Most marriages involve the couple having a joint bank account. There are some couples who don't have one, and instead have their own separate ones and split the bills when it comes to that time of the month. With that being said, do you guys have a joint account, or separate accounts?

[LiK]

follow up!

Did you guys get Wipeout HD yet? It's awesome...

Also, what do you guys think of Dead Space and all its various spin-offs like the comics and animated movie?

[Mahoney07]

Cheapy, you and Wombat talk about playing games online all the time but rarely do you play with each other. I think your conversations about online games would be much more entertaining if you guys were on a team or fighting eachother while playing.

Oh and Duke Nukem 3D is great. Very smooth controls surprisingly and the coop is great.

[Dirty Rabz]

Another question from Dirty Rabz the canadian, will the new dashboard update allow canadians the Netflix option. We don't even get TV shows to rent on xbox live and as far as I know Canadians can't subscribe to Netflix. You guys know anything?

[Magitek85]

Wombat,

I know you were whining about Joystiq mentioning Cheapy and not you. Just wondered if you noticed that their most recent episode is the second time they've closed out the show to the music of The Wombats instead of their normal music. Maybe their subtle way of saying hey?

[thorbahn3]

Any chance of Wombat getting Netflix for the low price of $9.00 a month for one disc at a time so you can watch streamed movies on your 360?

[Cursor]

Since you're both new parents and you're married to non-Jewish women (I'm assuming that neither of your wives are Jew-panese, Jew-lombian), and Judaism is matrilineal--what do your parents think about your children not officially being Jewish? I guess that the two of you could give two shits. Do you plan to bring them up religious at all? Will OG take Tai to shrines/temples? Or are you guys going to rock it with your kids the Richard Dawkins way? Maybe lapsed Jewish like Bill Maher? Of course when the kids get old enough they'll make their own decisions, but when they're 5, 6, 7 what are you going to teach them? (see Bill Maher movie trailer link below)

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/06/06/religulous-movie-trailer/

[misterine]

Cheapy if your son becomes gay when he's older would you get mad?

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys.

Don't know if Wombat picked it up yet but has Rock Band 2 reminded you of any past DLC that you missed when they first became available?
If so what did you buy? Thanks.

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

What do you guys think of the name of the Xbox 360's new dashboard update, the New Xbox Experience? Does it sound too much like PR speak instead of a more functional name? And how long do you guys think that Microsoft will keep calling the new dashboard the New Experience Experience before just calling it the dashboard, if they ever will?

Are you guys disappointed that LittleBigPlanet and Fable 2 will be shipping without their big online co-op features? Though LBP will still have online co-op, it's online co-op creation mode will be coming at a later date.

[ebaughn1]

Cheapy & Wombat

Well guys just go into Brisbane, Australia today for a 3 month rotation for my current job. Went to EB games to see how different they were from the states and I had no idea how expensive games are in Australia. $100 Australian for Madden which is around $90 US. 104.95 Australian for a used copy of Batteflied Bad Company. I talked to the Eb clerk for a while and he said that game still sell really well.

Do you guys know if they really do. I love video games but I think I would think twice before spendding 90 -100 for a video game. Cheapy is this like this in Japan? Love the podcast guys and I appreciate that you are different than the rest. You all are the only podcast with personal stories that I give a shit about.

[ebaughn1]

Cheapy & Wombat,

Another question for you guys. Is Major Nelson really that corny or is just me. I have been listening to his podcast for a little while and I think he is just a salesman for the 360. I know he works for Microsoft and all but he is quick to point out that he has Wii and Playstation at the office to keep track of his competitors. But he seems to think every game from X360 is so good. And his partner E make Chris O'Donell portrayl of Robin seem like a Acadmey award performance.

I know Major has some clout in the industry but jeez whiz how could guys like you & Wombat that actually have smart ideas and feel for the industry and a very sucessful podcast and really have no shot to become as big as this guy. It is sort of sad about the industry and I wish that one day wombat get his wish and becomes consultants to the industry. Do you guys ever get jealous of really no talent ass clowns like Major & E?

[RudyPants]

What are your guys' opinions on last week's slated release of Red Hot Chilli Pepper's Blood Sugar Sex Magic album on Rock Band?

If what I'm hearing is correct (and the content has not come out as of this post), Harmonix is planning on releasing "clean" versions of the individual tracks and the album as a whole.

Is this a troubiling trend to you guys? Personally, I was really looking forward to this album and would have had no problem shelling out $20 for it, but I refuse to support this type of precedent.

Why not simply have a pop-up in the Rock Band online store reading - "Downloadable content not rated by the ESRB." Then, users not wanting a watered-down album would be happy and Harmonix would not have to censor its content.

Any opinions on this disturbing trend?

[rocksolidaudio]

guys, you know i adore you, but i felt compelled to chime in about the slightly misguided embargo discussion you were having. for those of us who regularly attend press events to cover whatever games are being shown off, embargoes are an absolute blessing -- the farther away, the better. why? because that means you don't have to rush back to your office/hotel/wherever and write up the same thing everyone else is writing. you have time to process what you just saw/played, and write something a bit more eloquent and interesting, and give your take on it. companies have every right to want to try and control the message -- that's what those events are for. the less time they give you to write something up, the more they're controlling it. as for different embargoes for different sites, that's a different story, but that's just how it works. 99% of the time there's nothing sinister going on, it's just taking turns giving the big sites different exclusives to keep them happy. i hate it too, but that's the cycle. and speaking for 1UP/EGM only, i like to think we do our best to break it through other approaches to coverage, like my 1UP FM podcast, our video content, features, etc. and now, i stop pimping. point is, embargoes are a good thing in many contexts. as for review embargoes, that's a whole other story we'll get into when you bring me on your damn podcast. but they fucking suck.

[LiK]

guys, you know i adore you, but i felt compelled to chime in about the slightly misguided embargo discussion you were having. for those of us who regularly attend press events to cover whatever games are being shown off, embargoes are an absolute blessing -- the farther away, the better. why? because that means you don't have to rush back to your office/hotel/wherever and write up the same thing everyone else is writing. you have time to process what you just saw/played, and write something a bit more eloquent and interesting, and give your take on it. companies have every right to want to try and control the message -- that's what those events are for. the less time they give you to write something up, the more they're controlling it. as for different embargoes for different sites, that's a different story, but that's just how it works. 99% of the time there's nothing sinister going on, it's just taking turns giving the big sites different exclusives to keep them happy. i hate it too, but that's the cycle. and speaking for 1UP/EGM only, i like to think we do our best to break it through other approaches to coverage, like my 1UP FM podcast, our video content, features, etc. and now, i stop pimping. point is, embargoes are a good thing in many contexts. as for review embargoes, that's a whole other story we'll get into when you bring me on your damn podcast. but they fucking suck.

ya know, Nick has a point. and i'm wondering the same thing too. why hasn't Nick been asked to be a guest on the show? 1up FM and CAGcast unite!

[misterine]

Cheapy Do you have a picture of yourself with hair?
What are you both going to be for Halloween?

[LittleWildman]

Hey Wombat, while you were at the MK vs. DC event thing, did you get to see a variety of fatalities and if so, who's was your favourite?

[sweeper1303]

Hey Cheapy I won the first Gamestop GC and havnt received any info on how to claim my prize. How do I go about doing that?

[doug89]

Hi guys I discovered this podcast last week and have already listened back to episode 108. By the way wombat your awesome. The episode with shipwreck and CheapyD was boring without you. Something about your voice helps to break up boringness.

My question is about the new Jasper motherboard on the Xbox 360. I was listening to podcast 109 where you mentioned you wouldn't get a new American 360 until jasper hit the shelves. Has it begun shipping? When can I expect to see it in Australian stores.

I want to get a new arcade bundle, my premium RROD on Christmas day and I was screwed over by Microsoft. The warranty sticker was missing since the day I bought it.

Also what 3 games would you recommend to a person that hasn't bought anything for the 360 in 9 months. Keep in mind I already own CoD4, Bioshock, Mass Effect and the Orange Box for PC.

[MikeydCT]

The episode number is getting up there. Is there a point where you will stop numbering the cagcast?

[H.Cornerstone]

Cheapy, this is an odd question but one I thought I would ask anyways.

I am taking a marketing class, and in my book it states that Kit-Kats are extremely popular in Japan. And I just have to know, is this true?

[XTommyDonX]

Cheapy and Wombat,

Have your families ever been embarassed because of your gaming habits? How do people that your families know respond to what you guys do for a living?

I know Wombat doesn't fully work for the gaming industry but does Mrs. Wombat ever explain to people that she knows that you write for a gaming blog?

[Dion]

Hi there!
What ever happened to the 'Stalk Wombat - Facebook' "ad" or whatever you call it, that appeared in the upper right corner cycling with CaG Blogs and CaGcast etc.?
I found it extremely funny and was very disappointed when I noticed it was gone.
Did Wombat find it offensive or what? :o

Thanks for the best podcast out there, keep it up!

Edit:
Seems it's back? :o Didn't see it for quite some time.
Well, it's back now so rejoice! :D

[Fahd]

1) Bring back the hype wagon! Which games are you looking forward to most this fall?

2) Cheapy, I know you were a big fan of Marble Blast Ultra, it was leaked (http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-1648-Marble-Blast-Ultra-Updated-to-250;-DLC-Coming-Soon?.html) that DLC may be coming soon, though it's not sure if it'll be free or not. If the DLC is free, will it bring you back to the game and if it costs would you be willing to pay to get content for a game that is so old?

3) It was announced (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/01/penny-arcade-adventures-ep-2-done-priced-at-15/) that episode 2 of the Penny Arcade game will be coming out at $15, will you guys be picking it up at this price?

4) Either of you going to be picking up the new DSi?

5) Not game related, but I know you both watch Heroes, what do you think of the new episodes?

Love the show :)

[my2k2zx2]

Any update with the Pizzaguy?

[misterine]

what are you being for halloween?
Cheapy Saget? Krotos?
Wombat mario?

[Wolfkin]

you guys are pretty much on the Rock Band side of the fence and that's cool but out of curiosity what would it take (gameplay-wise or music-wise)to get you to switch to the other side (assuming you could keep/use your own instruments)

[Fallout911]

My wife and I also have separate accounts for the exact same reason.
Only we wish we had a savings account.

Anyways, were any of you SEGA Master System dudes?
I had that instead of an NES and I really don't have any regrets.

[Smallville123]

Hey CheapyD and Wombat. What do you think about amazons new price guarantee. Starting September 1st they wont adjust the price unless its more than a 20 dollar drop. And they wont do it after 7 days after it ships. With how flexible amazons pricing is this is very frustrating as items go lower all the time.

[Smallville123]

what are you being for halloween?
Cheapy Saget? Krotos?
Wombat mario?

I think wombat should go as evil spock!

[CyyberSpacecowboy]

Great work posting the deals, I just picked up Call of Juarez. I always enjoy the show, even if Cheapy and Wombat are a pair of console weanies :)

In 1991, Hasselhoff starred in Knight Rider 2000, where they put Kitt in a 57 Chevy body (you didn't miss much) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Rider_2000 . The post apocalyptic Knight Rider 2010 pilot was a spoke on the "Universal Action Pack", the "wheel" of rotating syndicated shows that spawned Hercules and Tekwar in 1994. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Rider_2010 And surely you remember "Team Knight Rider" (the tag line went something like "One man used to be able to make a difference, now it takes a team"). The sad part is, as bad as the new series is, it is better than all the above.

[buttle]

hey guys

what are you thoughts on cags just posting questions in the blogs. shouldn't these be in the forums? i know it's not a big deal, i just find it kind of strange.

buttle

[J Bling Blang]

We all know that Wombat trades in his games for store credit. Cheapy, what do you do when your done with a game? Do you have a pile of beaten games somewhere and sell them? Or do you keep them for re-playability?

Since Wombat needs attention, this one's for him. Do you think we will ever see a Batman vs Superman movie? Why or why not?

[lucao]

Cheapy, 2 things.
First why the fuck haven't you guys mentioned CAG's recent victory over 1up on digg?

Second, do you give preference to promoting deals for certain websites than others because the pay you more? ex: when both buy.com and amazon.com where having the same deal on 12+1 month xbox live cards, you only posted it on the front page after Amazon encorporated a deal that buy.com had had for weeks. Ultimately a smart business man, which I think you are, would do this. Furthermore, these scenarios do not harm the deals that CAG's would get because they are basically the same.

Thanx, for continuing to put on a great show, and congrats on the diggs. And because I know Wombat will complain if I don't . . . Wombat you did your part in carrying the CAGcast to where it is and you're a great co-host.

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys,
What types of prizes do you expect to be given away through the American Club Nintendo? Do you think that the prizes will be nearly as nice as they are in Japan, or perhapse cheaper, smaller prizes being that we are a larger country?


And a question for Cheapy (sorry Wombat, it's about Japan),

Are there any other Japanese game company-based clubs where gamers can exchange points for prizes similar to the way that Club Nintendo does it? If so, have you ever cashed in for valuable prizes from these companies?

[CAG Noob]

hello mr.A

i was just reading a few gaming news articles and found this one:
www.slapstic.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53:a-massive-falling-in-daily-traffic-to-every-major-gaming-site

as the title says there has been fall in traffic to nearly all of the major gaming sites, including yours which has dropped 37%. what is your opinion on this? is it something that goes around at this time of year that makes people not want to go to gaming sites? LBP beta?. thanks to you and wombat for the show.

[stryder381]

Hey cheapy.
You have talked about this already but, dont u think that games like too human are bad for the industry. I mean didnt it take many years for this game to finally come out? After all that time it has a busted ass camera and the targeting system of Wendy the retard? Not too mention a story of a highschool book report covering a whole mythology. I dont know, just want too see what you think.
thanks,
stryder381

[thorbahn3]

Why doesn't Cheapy post links to Wombat's baby videos in the show notes? I'd like to see them but I'm too lazy to go search for them.

[Wolfkin]

Shacknews has an interesting article about Developers fighting used game sales
- http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55084 -
The gist of the article is that developers are putting in these one time use codes for original owners. Rockband 2 with 20 free songs. And stuff like EA only letting the original owner use the 365 function for free (everyone else they charge)

Any thoughts? Do you think from a consumer standpoint this single-use code will be popular and/or beneficial to customers? Believe it or not but most of the people i know in real life don't often take their gaming systems online. Interestingly enough I know a few in terested in Guitar Hero but not the DLC.

=====

CheapyD you mentioned a show or two ago that you saw an interesting article but that it was too long to bother reading. I'm not trying to call you out on it or anyting but have you ever considered using the summarize option on your Mac. You and Wombat both have Macs but do either of you know how to use the summarize option? It's very easy
1. Highlight the story (or i guess the current page)
2. Go to the Application Menu (Firefox, or Safari or whatever you use)
3. Select Services Sub-Menu
4. Select Summarize

Summarize is actually pretty darn useful and it works pretty well. It's a great way to cut down those 12 page articles into 12 handy bite-sized summaries.

[XTommyDonX]

Hey Guys, what happened to DLC Tears and Jeers? I loved your opinions of the DLC for the week of the show and would like to see it come back. Thanks

[ratzombie]

I think you mean jeers.

[fredy182]

hey cheapy do u think bioshock for the ps3 should be $60 just because of the new mode,
or it should be priced $40 like the x360 bioshock

[doug89]

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4282/1223285303300yb2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

What is your opinion on this? Do you cry sometimes?

[Tengaport]

Cheapy, this is an odd question but one I thought I would ask anyways.

I am taking a marketing class, and in my book it states that Kit-Kats are extremely popular in Japan. And I just have to know, is this true?

They do have some crazy-ass Kit Kat flavors:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2500241297_db079142bc.jpg

I'm not even sure what these were... mint perhaps? maybe wasabi?

[ratzombie]

Probably green tea KitKat, those are damn delicious.

[LiK]

Hey Wombat, what do you think of the Red Lanterns? Cool? Lame?

[Dr Killotron]

Hey,

360 specific: Spider-man, farcry 2, legendary & Fable II are all coming out on the 21st of this month. Who's buying/playing what first or is everyone holding off until the next week when Fallout 3 drops?

I'd love to start up on Fable, but I'll never finish it before fallout. Thinking I'll grab a shorter game (spider-man/legendary) and trade it in for Fallout a week later. Pick up fable II when online co-op is added.

eff-Crecente and eff-Jacky

[Mahoney07]

Cheapy, did you see any Otters in Alaska?
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/images/species/full_seaOtter_2.jpg

[getcarter]

I have seen a lot of videos on LittleBigPlanet before, but this is absolutely absurd:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiRgYBHoAoU

This designer basically made a functioning adding machine using nothing but the tools in LBP and his own creative mind.

People like Mrs. Wombat ask what the point of Little Big Planet is, and the best response to that I can think of is, "What's the point of playing with Legos?" They are really the same idea: to create interesting things using the simple, elemental tools given to you and your own imagination.

Like Legos, LBP can be used to make something that is just pretty to look at, something that is really fun to play, or something that is really a work of art and engineering rolled into one.

This isn't a game for everyone because of the gameplay mechanic and the complete lack of direction for the player, but that is what will make it successful, I believe. The game comes with a good number of premade levels that show what the gameplay and physics engine is capable of, but the magic lies in what users will be able to do.

I play almost nothing but sports games, so I won't pick this game up right away. But I do realize a brilliant game when I see it. In fact, Little Big Planet and The Orange Box are really the only two games I can think of that will make me deviate from playing the sports games that I do 99.9% of my gaming time.

Not everyone has to like it, because Wombat is right in that it isn't for everyone, but you have to give it up to Media Molecule for what they have created. The pre-made levels I'm sure will be varying degrees of fun, interesting, and challenging to play, but largely this game is as fun as you make it, and creative people like the guy in this video only make that clearer by the day.