CAGbag: Get your questions answered on CAGcast

[undeadbabies]

My question is aimed more towards the community, but some on air attention would be great:

I've recently sent in my Xbox 360 for the RROD and had it sent right back denying my repair.

There was a list of terms and conditions that COULD apply to my Xbox, however on the side of the box they wrote "TAMPER" in Sharpie marker.

I have never tampered or done anything to my Xbox to break the warranty, but Microsoft insists they have "Conclusive evidence." They will not tell me what this evidence is.

My question is this: Of the CAGS that have had to send in their systems for the RROD, has anyone else had there's sent back without a valid reason given? And if so, was this their first time sending in an Xbox?

I'm trying to find out if this is some sort of epidemic. This was my second time sending in my system and I get the feeling they won't fix it because of that reason. Either that or perhaps they look at my "Games played" list and deem me "Not worth fixing." I made a blog on it at http://tamperedxbox.blogspot.com/ and will transfer the story to my blog here soon.

[terpkristin]

Cheapy, was there any coverage in Japan about a guy skinny dipping in the Imperial Palace's moat? Does stuff like this happen all that often in Japan? Link below, in spoiler tag.

WARNING: there is a picture and a video on the site linked in the spoiler tag that are not safe for work!! http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Naked_guy_in_Japanese_moat_adventure&in_article_id=342526&in_page_id=2&haha

/tk

[SmackMyPanda]

Hey guys, what is your take on COD:World at War? Do you think it'll be better than COD4 in terms of going from Automatic guns to Semi-Auto? It'd feel weird for sure.

[Chase]

Cheapy, I first heard about your LittleBigPlanet face-decorating story on last week's Joystiq Podcast. Were you playing with Chris Grant/Richard Mitchell?

Wombat, you appear to know your marketing. Have you ever considered getting into gaming marketing? Boom Blox could have used your help.

[misterine]

Cheapy how long have you known wombat?
How'd you meet um

[Stuttering Billy]

I'm sick of Wombat playing the "bad guy" role on the podcast. Every story, game, etc Cheapy brings up Wombat always takes the negative side. If Wombat wants a job in PR or marketing in the gaming field, it helps to list games and marketing campaigns that he thought where affective. No one is going to hire you if you do nothing but bash PR and marketing complanies all the awhile asking for a job and hand outs of free games. Games are not marketed to a crotchety old jew(Being a fellow jew im allowed) that has ADD and only has good things to say about free games he gets (generalization).

For the next CAG cast, I would like Wombat to list 2 to 3 games that where great games along with smart marketing.

[ares04]

Are you guys excited for the new Spider-man game?

[Nibi]

Cheapy,
I couldn't help but notice that on CAGcast 136 you went from disappointed in Nintendo to downright disgusted by them. What does Nintendo have to do in order to get you back? Is it too late?

[ares04]

Why doesn't the Wii have playable demos in disc form? Couldn't they just distribute it through their magazine.

[Walt Jay]

Cheapy's friend strikes again?

Naked swimmer evades police in Tokyo palace moat

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4964Y620081007?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

[terpkristin]

Cheapy's friend strikes again?

Naked swimmer evades police in Tokyo palace moat

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4964Y620081007?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Ok, now Cheapy really needs to address this, I brought it up in one of the last posts on page 163. :) ;)

/tk

[happy]

This probably isn't the best place to ask this, but at least Cheapy will read it so...
Cheapy, you should do a video with the giantbomb guys tasting strange Japanese foods/drinks while they're in Japan for TGS.

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

With the announcement of the Nintendo DSi, it seems that Nintendo (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/02/nintendo-officially-unveils-nintendo-dsi/2)actually considers the DSi its "Third Pillar" system. Looking at what it's offering as far as gameplay possibilities, there's not much there that differentiates it from the normal DS, so I'm wondering if you believe that claim or is it just PR hype making the new system announcement out to be more significant than it really is?

For Mega Man 9's big release, Capcom sent out PR kits (http://kotaku.com/5060749/mega-man-9-press-kit-goes-for-750-on-ebay) with an NES replica box and cartridge that contained a CD with press info, screens, and artwork along with a T-shirt with the Mega Man 9 box art on it. Somebody that got one of these rare kits, put it up on eBay (http://kotaku.com/5060749/mega-man-9-press-kit-goes-for-750-on-ebay), and at this moment, it's selling for $750 after 31 bids. Do you think the winner is just insane for being willing to pay $750 for a T-shirt and a CD and should this person be deported to another country if they actually pay the seller?

[rayee6]

To Cheapy and Wombat:

What do you guys do with the games after you play them? Do you guys just keep them on your shelves and kind of "collect" them? How often do you guys replay your old games? If you decide to trade in the games, how do you choose which ones to trade and which ones to keep in you "collection?"

Also, any new movie recommendations Cheapy? What about you Wombat?


PS: WOMBAT RULES!!!

[LimpDaddy]

Hey guys,

I love the Cagcast. Recently you guys overtook over the top spot from 1UP Yours in the coveted LimpDaddy Monday Morning Commute Extravaganza!

I'm looking at getting a new HD camcorder. Cheapy, I know that you recently bought the new Sanyo Xacti 1010, would you recommend it? What do you use for editing software? Any pros or cons? It seems pretty small is it too small?

Wombat, you must have a some sort of camcorder to post your videos, care to talk about it?

thanks guys!

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys,
Looks like Guitar Hero is finally revising their DLC strategy to compete with Rock Band. They are apparently bringing bands like Foreigner, Boston, and Jimi Hendrix, along with allowing people to finally pick singles instead of bulk-song packs. Do you think that this will halt the number of disc-only games like Aerosmith if the strategy goes well? If the value is decent, would you guys consider purchases of the DLC if you get the game? Thanks.

[Pavi Gill]

Dear CheapyD

since u got married to a japenese girl, are you going to let Tai (CheapyT) marry a japenese or an american woman????

[Sacsquash]

Hey Cheapy & Wombat,

I've been contemplating all the games that are coming out this fall, and one in particular has kinda dubbed itself "Sleeper Hit" to me. Far Cry 2, this game looks absolutely amazing. As well the game includes a very in-depth map editor which is available on all platforms, and appears to be extremely easy to pick-up and use.

I was wondering if either of you have had a hands-on experience with this game and what your opinions of Far Cry 2 may be? Even if you haven't had a hands-on experience I'd still like to know what your thoughts are of this game.

[LHIdigital]

Hey CheapyD and Wombat! Cheapy, what's with all of the Mighty Muggs hate a few shows ago? Wombat, what Mighy Muggs have you collected so far?

[kiddvid]

Hey Cheapy, I don't get it.....You picked Little Big Planet as your Best Game at E3 for 2 years in a row. Now that you've played the beta you seem skeptical and genuinely not excited about it anymore. Did you not play it before now or what has changed your mind?

[robbyH]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Today I was listening to CAGcast 136. I was returning from a doctor's appointment and my bus transfer was at a dount shop next to a catholic girls high school. I walked in to a) get a diet coke and b) smell the sweet donuts (a pleasure I can no longer enjoy due to diabetes). I took my ear buds out and turned up the volumn, so I could still listen while placing my order. There were several of the CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS in the shop. And when I raised the volumn, you two fuckers started talking about Wombat's gay.com PSA. Next thing I hear is "sperm, semen, masturbation" and other terms within the earshot of these CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS!!!! I was mortified and embarassed. Thanks to the two of you, I cannot go within 1000 ft. of that high school ever again. THANKS A LOT, GUYS. And fuck the both of you!!!

a faithful CAGer'

RobbyH aka syvyn11

PS. the name of the donut shop? YOU GUESSED IT! Krispy Kreme.

[shafnitz]

Cheapy and Wombat:
As you probably know, Fallout 3 was recently leaked onto the internets, nearly three full weeks before it's release date. Nearly all of the gaming outlets I follow have commented on the leak in some way. It seems that whenever game piracy is brought up, the majority of writers mention that they prefer to support the developers of games by purchasing the games they enjoy. Personally, I feel the same way. The writers also usually infer that piracy is bad because it doesn't support game development. Using this rationale (and ignoring legality for a moment), isn't buying a used copy of a game just as bad as downloading it for free? What are your thoughts?

Keep up the great work,
Shafnitz

[misterine]

Do you think CheapyT will get alota girls in japan when he's older?

[misterine]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Today I was listening to CAGcast 136. I was returning from a doctor's appointment and my bus transfer was at a dount shop next to a catholic girls high school. I walked in to a) get a diet coke and b) smell the sweet donuts (a pleasure I can no longer enjoy due to diabetes). I took my ear buds out and turned up the volumn, so I could still listen while placing my order. There were several of the CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS in the shop. And when I raised the volumn, you two fuckers started talking about Wombat's gay.com PSA. Next thing I hear is "sperm, semen, masturbation" and other terms within the earshot of these CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS!!!! I was mortified and embarassed. Thanks to the two of you, I cannot go within 1000 ft. of that high school ever again. THANKS A LOT, GUYS. And fuck the both of you!!!

a faithful CAGer'

RobbyH aka syvyn11

PS. the name of the donut shop? YOU GUESSED IT! Krispy Kreme.

Um theres a reason why you buy headphones smartass instead of using earplugs.

[yukine]

:lol:

That's an awesome story though.

[StealthSoul]

1) If you could only get 1 game this holiday season, what game would it be and why?

2) When are you guys gonna get some guests on the show?

3) What have you been playing while taking a dump lately, Cheapy?

[Ramza394]

Hey CheapyD and Wombat, with the world wide economy in shambles would you still agree with analysts who said a year ago that the video game industry is recession proof or do you think that will eventually see game sales drop?


PS: Cheapy can we see more pictures of your apartment i.e. your kitchen and bedroom. Just wanna see what a typical Japanese apartment looks like, Thanks.

[Smallville123]

Fellas quick question for you. As far back as you can remember, what has been the absolute best video game deal either one of you has gotten. Happy new year to both of you and may it be a happy and healthy one.

[greatdark]

Dear Cheapy and Wombat this is my first post as I am a new listener and of course it would be a question. I play MMO's and havent touched an xbox or ps in quite some time. I was wondering what your thoughts are on why game systems arent making mmo's? I was also wondering if you have heard any news on the Marvel universe game that was supposed to come out for the 360?
Love the show and its really making me want another 360 or ps3, keep up the great work!

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

What do you guys think of the news from Microsoft that the new Xbox 360 dashboard update will not work on Arcades without a storage device attached to it? The update will need 128 MB of space and Arcade units right now only come with a 256 MB memory card, meaning that Arcade owners need to give up half of their space just for the update and there's no word what may happen if you were to turn on the system without the memory card in the slot. Microsoft says that they'll be offering storage solutions, so I'm wondering what you two think will be the solution and what should be the solution they offer to the unfortunate owners of an Xbox 360 Arcade? Is this the fault of the update being so big or the fact that Microsoft decided to release a hard drive-less 360 coming back to bite them in the ass once again?

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/10/nxe-requires-128mb-space-ms-to-offer-storage-solutions/

[XTommyDonX]

Hey Guys,

I've been thinking about the types of games comming out this holiday. I can't help but notice that a large amount of the highlights from Q4 focus on the single player portions rather than the multiplayer. When deciding what to get this season, games that focus on the online aspect like Little Big Planet, GOW2 and extremely long single player experiences like Fallout 3 are must buys. But when looking at other games including Dead Space, Mirror's Edge, Prince of Persia, etc., I feel that I can get the full experience just by renting them. Do you guys think that re-opening my Gamefly account to take care of the shorter, but high quality games is a good idea? It's stilll at around $16 a month but would save me the money that I would have paid on the shorter games that I would probably never play after their completion. Thanks.

[misterine]

Did you smoke an alternative weed going to tokyo game show harhars

[Frythan]

With more and more games coming out only partially complete and plans for add-ons in the future (The announcement that starcraft 2 will be 2 parts, fable having limited/no multiplayer, penny arcade as a series, etc...). I was wondering how you feel about it? On one hand, you get the games sooner, and if the add-ons are free, there is little downside. Yes paying for the extras suck, but thats business. During a course on software engineering, I learned about a development method, called iterative development, where the core product is released with plans to add onto in the future. This newly popular method of releasing games in parts seems to be iterative development, and has been common in other software areas, and seems to finally be spreading to the gaming industry, for better or worse.

[serenitygod]

When you click on the link for the buy 2 get 1 free toy's r us link, it says Fallout 3 CE applies. If you search for eligible games on the site it doesn't show up! Can you confirm this? Also does it have to be the CE?

[bmachine]

I'm not sure I understand why you guys put so much stock in the opinions of your listeners. Every few weeks Wombat says something inflammatory, the forums light up, and you've got to spend a good chunk of the next show explaining your way out of it.

I like that Wombat says things that piss people off. Or begs for money and free games. Or doesn't get on board the hype wagon about some bloated game release.

I like that Cheapy thinks that everything is controversial, even when it's really not. Or says that something is gay. Or doesn't like black people. Or talks about politics.

I'm afraid that the more people call you out on this kind of stuff (and the more you promise to work on being more considerate), the weaker the show will get. It's already NOT as much fun listening to the CAGcast as it was in the first year or so...what's the podcast going to be like after another year of test-marketing and focus-grouping?

At some point can't you be content with the loyal listeners you have instead of trying to water down the formula in order to appeal to the unwashed masses?

Don't get me wrong: I think you guys are a hoot. I've listening to the CAGcast since episode 10 or so and will continue to listen as long as I'm entertained by it.

I'm just worried.

[undiegnome]

Any chance this could be the new CAG mascot?

Today's Drunken Ping Pong Karaoke Peeing Incident Brought To You By China (http://deadspin.com/5062615/todays-drunken-ping-pong-karaoke-peeing-incident-brought-to-you-by-china)

"I am the famous Wang Hao! I am the world champion! Does it matter if I beat you?" shouted the 24-year-old, according to a witness quoted by the papers.

http://deadspin.com/5062615/todays-drunken-ping-pong-karaoke-peeing-incident-brought-to-you-by-china

[hppypnts]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, as young Jewish guys who are pro-Obama are you going to be participating in the Great Schlep?

http://www.thegreatschlep.com/site/index.html

From the site:
The Great Schlep aims to have Jewish grandchildren visit their grandparents in Florida, educate them about Obama, and therefore swing the crucial Florida vote in his favor. Don’t have grandparents in Florida? Not Jewish? No problem! You can still become a schlepper and make change happen in 2008, simply by talking to your relatives about Obama.

[Baron O Hell]

Cheapy\Wombat

Are the new 360 holiday bundles using jasper motherboards?

[DesertEagleXIX]

TGS sounded too much like E3; most of the games you mentioned were playable at the Los Angeles show, which begs the question, what were some of the differences between the two shows? Besides toilets that wash your ass.

Also, did you see/play/taste: White Knight and Halo 3: Recon

Ok, and a few last questions: I heard that many arcade machines in Japan feature emulation, why is that? Is that a cost cutting measure? Why do you think arcades aren't feasible in the US?

And someone tell Wombat that while firing a handgun while running toward an enemy is typically bad news (it makes you a bigger target), it is standard procedure for SWAT officers who use aggressive forward movement coupled with room clearing techniques. Here's some drill to improve your accuracy, Wombat: http://www.rrmemphis.com/drills2.pdf

[Stuttering Billy]

Why do you think game companies are trying so hard to kill off the used game market? Where the counter parts of other industries are not bringing up the "used" issue. You don't see Ford trying toget a piece from everyone that sells a car, same with builders of a house that are sold years later. People have always sold off items they dont use anymore. Excuse my internet speak but dont you think gaming companies need to STFU and be happy with the record porfits they are already getting, with out trying to there hands into used games profits.

[thorbahn3]

Wombat, do you find it just a little sad that you still use the WLA logo in your sig? Get with the times and throw up some naked pizza guy pics or an animated gif of tai tossing his cookies on Cheapy in there instead.

[historyman13]

hey cheapy rember when you talked about the used game sales and how company's add extra features and content that you could only get it if you buy the game new and not used well get this if you dont buy gears of war 2 new you wont be able to get the flash back maps you could only get them if you buy the game new and you wont get them if you buy the game used :bomb:


*EDIT* the maps are free but only if gotten on launch day after that there gone

[jonny_ebe]

Hi guys just want to tell you the the CAGcast is awesome!

My Question is to wombat: I just got Lego batman ( i live in sweden so we are a bit behind) and they say that clayface is a actor by some name i don recognize. the name i am used to is "matt hagen" since i watched the animated cartoon from the early 90`s. so since you are a coomic "guru" can you sort this out? is the name used in the game from the comics or another source?

have a great week! // Jonny

[historyman13]

hey cheapy rember when you talked about the used game sales and how company's add extra features and content that you could only get it if you buy the game new and not used well get this if you dont buy gears of war 2 new you wont be able to get the flash back maps you could only get them if you buy the game new and you wont get them if you buy the game used :bomb:



*EDIT* the maps are free but only if gotten on launch day after that there gone

[Purkeynator]

hey Cheapy, check out this article on Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/lgj-first-sale-re-sale-everythings-on-sale/

They mention something you already mentioned a couple weeks ago. They mention that if games only costed $20 new like dvd's that there would be no market for used games. Interesting article

[LiK]

hey Cheapy and Wombat, what do you think about the whole LittleBigPlanet delay because one song had Quran lyrics in the game?

[LittleWildman]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, outside of the internet do you two still refer to each other by your nicknames or are you on a first name basis? Also, are there any other people such as friends, other people in the gaming industry etc who still call you by your nickname?

[Chase]

Greetings gents! Do you think multi-platform gaming is important for those who write about games on a general gaming website? For example, Joystiq or 1UP. I could see how it would be acceptable for platform-dedicated website writers, like Xbox360Fanboy, to own and play one specific console. But, for those who write for multi-platform gaming websites and partake in multi-platform gaming podcasts, I think they should play a variety of games for all three present consoles. I bring this up because over the past two weeks two notable personalities in Internet gaming journalism admitted to owning only one console of this generation. It makes me wonder if their past opinions were honest and not just paid by the highest bidder.

[HooHaa]

So, after listening to show #137 today, when Cheapy was talking about the awkwardly friendly brown man I was wondering if Wombat has had to deal with any awkwardly friendly brown men at his gay job?

[loca]

okay here it is Fall the nirvana of gamers world wide, but here I am complaining. In my opinion the amount of games released in fall is way to much. We have games that vary from Fallout 3, Saints Row 2, Guitar Hero World Tour, Fable 2, Gears of War 2, Rock Band, Pure, Midnight Club LA and I am sure I am forgetting a few others. In your opinion cheapy and wombot is it fair for publishers to do this. I mean sure it is their choice and option for them to release their games whenever, but is it too much on the gamers wallet and the overall fun a gamer can have with a game. I know I am currently rushing to finish pure and saints row so that I can move on to gears.

So my question: what is your opnion on the release of all these game so close together. I mean we have sumemr when it is a dry season where good games brarely are released.

I am sure wombot will point out you can just wait later and buy them later at probably a cheaper price, but lets admit as gamers we all hate to be behind the rest of the others when the hype and online community has died down.

[classact]

Cheapy was listening to past shows and you talked about that Sim stock exchange a good amount, what ever happened with that, and why does every time you said you played a game wombat asked who gave it to you.

[Z_meista]

hey cheapy,

how will you (or did you) celebrate tai's birthday? did the daycare do anything special for him? does he have other playmates besides the kids in daycare?

[Pavi Gill]

Dear CheapyD

Since you have married a japanese woman, are you going to let Tai (AKA CheapyT) marry an american woman or a japanese woman??

[GLOCKGLOCK]

Two Questions:

1. Cheapy is the xbox live leaderboard ever coming back to the site or is it officially dead?

2. Wombat are you coming back to Pitt for Homecoming this weekend? If not when was the last time you were back?

[paz9x]

Dear CheapyD

Since you have married a japanese woman, are you going to let Tai (AKA CheapyT) marry an american woman or a japanese woman??

Question 1 Cheapy - Can you ban retards like this cave dweller?

[LiK]

hey Cheapy, what was the weirdest store you ever saw in Japan?

Wombat, why is the Sentry such a loser?

Thank you~

[TiE23]

Cheapy and Wombat, what are you opinions on the whole Little Big Planet music fiasco? Personally, some comments on Twitter accidentally lead me to a long discussion with friends over the whole controversy. After listening to the song I couldn't understand how anyone could see this music to be offensive. Infact, I thought it was so beautiful that I bought the CD it was from and really enjoy it. So without sounding like insensitive idiots, what is your thought on the situation. They have a right to be offended, but did Sony go too far and go to a recall? Your thoughts, sirs!

Also, happy first Tai!

[crazytalkx]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,
I was wondering if you guys would ever be willing to do a balls to the walls controversial (more than usual) podcast, letting loose with the racial jokes/impersonations, much like what the Podcastle did to scare off your remaining 4-5 minority listeners.

[crazytalkx]

And one more question that's begging to be asked of you positively Jewish characters:
What artists do you like that get down with the hippin' and the hoppin'?

[corky_uk]

hey cheapy, as a soon to be tall white guy whos bald i was wonderin how far should your hair line be before you start to shave you head?

[acolon]

Cheapy, Being a long time gamer from the good old Atari days, I, like many have seen the graphical power of game systems grow to incredible leaps and bounds. This generation is probably the first time where two major consoles (Xbox 360 and PS3) are arguably on par with each other graphically to the point where they are almost equal. Granted some games look better on the PS3 while others look better on the 360.

In terms of the games, what aspect other than graphics do you see publishers focussing on in the next few years. Is it sound quality and musical scores? Scalibility like we've seen with Burn out Paradise with continued download support? Is it better Scripting like we've seen new IP's like Bioshock, Mass Effect and more recently Dead Space?

Thanks,
evangelion17

[John Ketch]

Weiners,

With all the Hullabaloo of recent releases and those coming up, are people sleeping on a game like Left 4 Dead? I mean, last year BioShock was something that didn't receive a huge amount of hype until it was in the hands of those of who write about games, but there wasn't much pre-release boner-stoking. I think given Valve's track record of releasing high-quality game experiences (and with the ORange Box, pound for pound the best value to come out last year), they might deserve the benefit of the doubt (if there is any). I know I'm pumped, but what about you two?

John Ketch

[fettouhi]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat

I have been listening for some time now and its a great show you got. My Question is Why is it that Europe (I'm from Denmark) always gets the short end of the stick when it comes to importing games/consoles ?

I heard you talk alot about Play-Asia and I got on there site and looks really good so I said to my self ill order some DS games (that worked) but when I want to order PSP games (no go). I don't understand this. They are REGION FREE. its the same with PS3 games and xbox 360. why do they block people that wan't to pay money for getting a game early ? its not only play-asia but amazon too.

Hope you read this on the air.

keep up the good work

kind regards

Christophe Fettouhi

[Purkeynator]

Hey Cheapy - When did CAG become the moral center of the gaming universe? It seems the holier than thou mods seem to be ruling this place with an iron fist for the last couple of years. Gone are posts about playing homebrew on your PSP, returning games you don't want to Walmart (even if you bought them elsewhere), trading a beta code, posts cutting down on people who are idiots, or putting (gasp) two posts in the xxxxxx gaming thread. Today you have either black or white with not a shade of gray in between on the boards. Anything not deemed as "white" is immediately taken down, removed, and the poster reprimanded. It seems our Puritan overlords (the mods) are all too quick to apply their brand of "moral" justice. Only a few mods (like Shipwreck) aren't here to tell me right from wrong. You mentioned in one of the CAG casts that you were getting bored with the site. I am starting to feel this way as well. Maybe I am getting tired of seeing the same boring threads being bumped for the millionth time. Maybe people are a little more gun-shy about starting new threads in the fear that the Gestapo will come to haul them off if they say something that somebody doesn't like. What I am saying is- maybe its time for some new blood in the mod community. I miss the old days when mods deleted spam posts and stopped flame wars. It is the shades of gray that make up the spice of life. I doubt I am the only one who feels this way. (Maybe you will get a chance to read this before the mods take it down.)

P.S. you need to have Jimmie Mac on the CAG cast again and do some more interviews and live shows again.

[ObiBen]

Cheapy, in these tough economic times we could all use a reminder to Live Cheap. Have you thought about getting more Live Cheap wristbands?

[smarkbran]

Hey Cheapy,
With the popularity of Cheap ass gamer and the Cag Cast, have you ever thought that game developers would ever ask you to help out in development of a game or let you and Wombat try out a test version of a game to see if you can give honest feedback on it and let you discuss it on the cagcast? You can go to these gaming conventions and play demos but as mentioned by Cheapy on the cagcast last week, those places are not the best format to enjoy and really dig deep into what a game is all about. Its easy for Developers to give out a beta version of a game too, but do most gamers really take the time to look over the mechanics and flaws it might have or do they take advantage of having a chance to play a game early? I just wanted to get your thoughts as well as Wombats on this subject.

Thanks

Smarkbran

[paz9x]

Wombat -

if you dont answer this on the cagcast would you mind pming me an anser? maybe ill just pm you this directly too.

I was discussing politics and the position of legislating Gay marriage tonight and a case abotu 2 years ago in which information was presented showing the estimated gay population in the US was under 1/10 % this got me thinking how prominant legislation involving homosexuals has become and how low that % seemed to be warranting such importance (not that my opinion is that it deserves less or more)
Does your company have a base % of the US population they identify as Gay? I assume they would have numbers regarding target demographics.
Do they have information on whether the percentage is increasing at a higher rate than the general population? In other words, do they believe that demographic is growing within the population?

Thanks
paz

[XboXRecGamer]

cheapy,
new user long time listener. have you seen the popularity of your website explode with the recent recession?

[XboXRecGamer]

wombat i got one for you to,
Are you gonna go absolutely apeshit with fallout 3, like u did Oblivion?
mentioning it in every podcast. I'll make you a deal, you can only mention it for 3 months following it's release or untill john mccain dies, whichever comes first.

[Wolfkin]

Nintendo is still making people shoot their videos with the controllers in view (http://computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=200084). Do you think they'll ever get over themselves and let people shoot the videos normally.


Its all taken off-screen, and zoomed out slightly because of a Nintendo stipulation that all off-screen footage of Wii games must show the controllers - so you know how the motion comes into play. So you'll have to put up with our crusty mitts waving around in the foreground.

[buttmunky]

Hey Cheapy. It's nice to hear a different intro and outro on every CAGcast but it must take some time and thought to find two audio clips for every show. How do you find the energy, time, and effort to do all that?

Shout-out to Wombat and SnatchMan (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/member.php?u=86063). :wave:

[Richlough]

Well Wombat's ideal video game enemy has reared it's head , Nazi Zombies !!! Or Zombie Nazis !!! Depending which you prefer .

What do you guys think of the recent flourish of zombies in games ?
[COD:WAW & GTAIV rumor]

I think this could cheapen the value of zombies if they start showing up in everything .

Next up 'Zombie Hero' !

[BrandonMills]

CheapyD and Wombat,

As you know, Far Cry 2 has come out recently. A handful of my friends were playing it this weekend. More importantly, every single one of them bought the game over Steam. The point being, it's just plain easier to click 'purchase' and have the game in a few minutes than it is to go out to a store and buy the game. I really think with PC Gaming and Steam, it puts the stores at a disadvantage. I expect to see many Steam-released games given hefty discounts at brick and mortar stores just in order to compete.

[tomscab]

CHEAPY AND WOMBAT YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE..........well mb not

I got a problem, my xbox of 2 years broke, but i have a little problem i didnt get rings of death, i got one ring, i called microsoft and they want me to pay 100 bucks to get it fixed. Since im a cag, i said no thanks. I know this is an unusual question but do you guys have any ideas to give myself the rings of death? I already wrapped in towels and left it on for a day and that didnt work. Any Suggestions?

[rick1000]

you guy need to sept it up if u wanna get that podcast award i can get my xbox back faster than you guys put out a podcast

[LiveCrazy_Joe]

Hey Cheapy what do you think about Robocop and unicorns? If you love both this site is for you.

http://www.webupon.com/Web-Talk/Robocop-and-Unicorn-An-Unlikely-Combination.316755

[TiE23]

Hey Wombat I was surprised about your Far Cry 2 PC comments. 2%? I know we're all mainly console gamers here, but 2%? You seriously underestimate the PC market. When listening before you said your guess I said "probably 25%" in my head. That low ball was ridiculous. Didn't Crysis sell like over million or so? Same with STALKER and The Witcher. It's not that dead... yet.

Also, hurray, my first CAG bag question was answered! Hallelujah!

[Spartan V07]

Cheapyd and wombat: Are you guys ever going to give the Wii a chance? Are you looking forward to any Wii games at all? It's funny i was listening to past cagcast pre-e3 2006 and you guys seemed really excited for Wii.

[gunm]

Any chance Cheapy or Wombat will post pics of their game collections? I know Wombat showed off some of his comic/toy stuff in his blog.

[LittleWildman]

Cheapy, when are you ever going to add another YouTube video to your page. It's been 2 months since your last video, and we're still looking for that apartment tour. I do realize that now you have Tai, you don't have as much time as you used to and I respect that, I just miss your videos. If not, maybe Wombat could make a nice house tour :D

[rukasu]

Hey guys,

Are you considering enabling the rss feeds for the forums? I just started using Google Reader and this is the only site I visit that I can't use with it. It appears to be an administrator-configurable setting, based on this:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/faq.php?do=search&q=viewable

Thanks! Love the show!

[BrandonMills]

Cheapy,

I happened to listen to the CAGCast on the same day that Zero Punctuation's Saint's Row 2 review came out. Seems he tends to agree with you on the game. Make sure to check out his review when you get the chance.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/312-Saints-Row-2

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

It seems that an unnamed DS developer has mentioned in an interview that their DS game failed certification from Nintendo, not because of anything to do with the DS, but because it had freezing problems during testing on the DSi. Do you guys think that whatever changes were made internally when making the DSi could come back to haunt them when people test out the 100% BC feature Nintendo's promised for the DSi and find out some of their games don't work as advertised?

[PhaperPlane]

Dear CheapyD and Wombat,
What type of genres would you like to see make a comeback and which type of genres would you like to see less of?
Thanks,
Phaper

[liquidcross]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

I know you guys are both fans of game show software like Scene It and Buzz!. Do you think consoles need more high-quality game show titles like this? Also, what's your opinion on downloadable question packs (e.g., the horror movie question pack recently released for Buzz! Quiz TV)

Thanks in advance, and as always, keep up the great work.

-liquidcross

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

It seemed like many people thought this holiday season would pale in comparison to the games that came out last fall, but it seems like there are plenty of games coming out that helps this fall compare quite well. Do you guys think this year's holiday lineup stacks up well when compared to last year's and how do you think next fall looks from the few titles we know or expect to be out then? Also, do you see the current development trends leading to big holiday seasons for the foreseeable future?

[Niblet]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat. Cheapy, I've wanted to try Sake for a while now and was wondering if you could recommend a good website or place in the city (New York) where I can get some. Also, any recommendations on a good affordable brand? Thanks.

[Wolfkin]

Is the Cag-O-Matic broken? If so when will it return. I'm sure you have big plans for integrating it into the new CAG but for now I'd love to be able to browse the old version.

[x2k-one]

played any good "sitting on the can" games lately?

[Shady3011]

Hey, guys. Have you played the Mirror's Edge demo yet? If so, what do you think of the game? Also, how about Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts? Did either of you play any of the N64 games? I feel the vehicle aspect is taking away a lot from what made the franchise fun. Don't get me wrong. Creating vehicles is fun. However, the challenges in the demo seem like it will focus mostly on escort and racing challenges. If that's the case, I can see the game getting stale pretty fast.

[falconkick54]

Whats up guys! Why aren't there any other console games with support like halo 3? Ex. Dlc a year after release. Cod 5 is rumored to have plans for this type of thing,and thats good but when will more game studios follow from bungies example?

O yeah Cheapy google "Trusty Bell" LMAO........you are the Trusty bell unofficial spokesperson

C.A.G. = N.W.O.

[aquaboy1976]

Not really a question, more of a comment. I am a new listener to the cagcast and wanted to say I enjoy it. I also am a father (my son turned 2 on halloween and my stepson is going to be 12 in december!).
I like your guys' sense of humor and how laid back your podcast is.

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

It seemed like clockwork that after releasing the extremely limited early preview for the new dashboard update, it was available on the internet for people to download and install on their own Xbox 360's, though there's a catch. Since MS has a list of the approved Xbox 360s that are allowed to be on Live with the new update, everyone else that installs it cannot access Live for the next two or three weeks, which means that they'd miss playing big games online like Gears of War 2 and anything recent they've bought. Is there any sane reason to be installing this update on anything but an approved console, except maybe those that don't have the system online at all? Is there any possible way that you'd take this kind of bullet?

[palaemon]

Did you guys play the Banjo demo?

[Noedskou]

Cheapy now that you have been featured on the official Saint's Row 2 homepage do you think that your character could become a main story character for Saints Row 3? Now that you know that you have listeners from the Saints Row 2 team there could be a possibility for you to persuade the developers into making you an in game character in their next game.

[doug89]

Hi Cheapy and Wombat.

I'm looking to get a new 360 soon but I am waiting until the Jasper motherboard is released. I recall from an earlier episode that Cheapy was going to wait for Jasper before buy one also, and I was hoping if you had any inside information about when they will be hitting shelves.

Keep up the great show guys, yours is defiantly my favourite podcast.

[KingBroly]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

The new 360 dashboard is coming out, and I was wondering what percentage of 360 owners do you think who get the new dashboard will install games to their hard drive then trade them in or sell them thinking they no longer need the disc to play them?

For reference and laughs (or cries): http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=13464688&postcount=438

[cochesecochese]

Dear Cheapy,

I recently read an article (http://www.foodbev.com/ArticleDetail.aspx?contentId=1696)that heralded the launch of a new Pepsi beverage called Pepsi White. I really enjoyed your previous video with the Pepsi cucumber. Is there any chance we can get some kind of repeat with Pepsi white? How about just a simple thumbs up or thumbs down?

Thanks

[XTommyDonX]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

The new 360 dashboard is coming out, and I was wondering what percentage of 360 owners do you think who get the new dashboard will install games to their hard drive then trade them in or sell them thinking they no longer need the disc to play them?

For reference and laughs (or cries): http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=13464688&postcount=438

In addition, do you guys find any use for this new feature? I personally have no reason to use this being that the load times don't seem to be that much shorter, you need the disc in the tray in order to play the game and I have an estimated mere 3 GB left on my HDD.

[rick1000]

why the he'll does no one talk about gears of war 2.this game has alot of potental but it's like no one seems to to care on this site. P.S-if you are still mad at the blog wars me and gpninja are sorry

[Mahoney07]

Make another post in the "Your Man in Japan" forum please.

[Smallville123]

Whats with the yes on prop 8 ad. Id like to keep politics separate from my game saving site thank you! In case you didnt guess im voting no on that prop(im not gay but i dont think we should take away their rights)

[pbaz11]

Hey Guys,

Love the show...finally caught up again and its good to know things are still going great. Must admit that Wombat gets things done sometimes, CheapyD complains over not having to work because he doesn't want too...however we as your listeners want to hear of the game previews, reviews and other info we are not fortunate to come across. Something to think about.

We would also like to know of a few good apps for the iphone or itouch ipod. Maybe you could tell us of some good gaming apps that are out there.

Keep up the great work. Thanks.

[thorbahn3]

What happened to that October release for the CAG game Database? Looks like Wombat called it.

[Thomas96]

Sony has been outselling the 360 in the US throughout the entire year... do you Cheapy and Wombat feel that if the 360 has a very strong finish (in terms of console sales / game sales) this holiday season that it will Negate he success that the PS3 has had throughout the year?

[Wolfkin]

My question is a bit long to explain but please bear with me.

As a recent PS3 owner I've been reading up on Sony and it seems to me that Sony is constantly updating. They added trophies, XMB and most recently screen capture but every time they do that people complain that older games don't support the new functionalities right away. Am I the only one who sees this behavior as babyish? There's no reason to expect that old games would support it and yet it seems I'm constantly hearing people get up in arms about it. Sony does a lot of things wrong in my opinion but that's one thing they do right.

If Sony wasn't doing it exactly as they do it then they would be Nintendo with a horrible friend code system that they'll never revamp because it would break old games like SSBB, or Mii's that won't be updated because the new hats or whatever wouldn't be compatible with Wii Sports.

It's the same logic that binds Microsoft to constantly support the :360:s that don't have harddrives rather than just take a leap and ignore them require a harddrive on a game or two.

Am I the only one who is in Sony's corner this one time?

[joelseph]

Dear Cheapy,

Is Wombat ticklish? I get all warm inside when I hear his laugh, please make him laugh more!

Thanks!

[tehtim]

Hey cheapy and wombat..you guys are close to my age (i think) so you can probably relate. i remember when i was a young whippersnapper my friends and i would always be super envious of the games japan got that we didn't . (especially with rpgs) Living in japan cheapy, do you see the landscape as having changed to where japanese people are at least a bit more lustful (good word) of games developed in america like our western rpgs and shooters? Or do you think japanese people are still hardwired to only really enjoy their domestic games. when i was in japan i pretty much only noticed japanese games but that was 5 years ago before this current generation and the 360. OH.... and love hotels rock...where else can you buy a condom/dildo/and hot CAN of coffee from the same vending machine. love the podcast ill be sure to vote

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys,

Do you think it's possible that Microsoft is making some type of hidden push to get everyone to convert to the new 60GB or 120GB hard-drives? More and more content from Microsoft is being made available for free download rather than being on the disc, such as a code for the revised Gears of War maps DLC being bundled with the sequel, and the Fable 2 Pub Games (if you pre-ordered) which already exist in the full game. More and more features are also making larger a larger HDD almost mandatory, such as the 360's game installation and the new dashboard itself. I just wanted to know if you guys think that there is a possibly of Microsoft secretly trying to force the 20GB HDD owners into upgrading to the over excessively priced new hard-drives by taking up memory with features that should or are already in the actual games.

[Z_meista]

Hey Cheapy,

What's the weirdest thing you saw being sold in a vending machine?

[falconkick54]

Good morning,evening or vice-versa Cheapy & Wombat what are your thoughts on the A.I. In Left for Dead contributing to the Co-op replayability? Will either one of you pick it up? I could see why if you didnt, it doesnt seem very family friendly.

[n11n12]

This one's for Cheapy...

From everything I've read, and from your recent unenthusiastic unboxing video, it probably wouldn't be worth upgrading to a DSi if I already had a DS lite.

But since I don't have one, and I'm in no rush to get one, do you think it's worth waiting for the DSi to be released?

[thorbahn3]

Do you think the download to hard drive feature on the new dashboard could be an attempt to keep your system from getting the RRoD? If the disc isn't spinning, the lens isn't reading, and the fan isn't cranked up to the max, wouldn't that result in less heat being produced that could warp the graphics chip? The end result could save Microsoft a lot of cash.

[John Ketch]

Weiners,

What was the most shameful amount of money someone has spent on a game as a gift for you? I mean, clearly spending any money on games for myself brings me a certain sadness considering what I could be spending it on.

As a frame of reference, I once made my dad buy me Streets of Rage 2 for the Genesis. $72. I felt horrible when the purchase was made, and even worse when I beat it in about 4 hours.

[dwhelan]

Cheapy & Wombat,

So when is CAG looking to start the fund raising for Child's Play this year? I realize money is tight for people right now, but as we have seen in the past, this community reaches deep, and always gives what it can. Also, are we looking to have the game sweepstakes again, I ask because I find myself in possession of two limited edition Gears of War 2 sets, and I wanted to put the none Canadian one up as a prize. I know it is not as big as some of the prizes in the past, but I hope to have more prizes to follow.

So, if you are looking to kick off "Operation Productive Cheapy", please let this project be top priority.

Tiny

[yukine]

Weiners,

What was the most shameful amount of money someone has spent on a game as a gift for you? I mean, clearly spending any money on games for myself brings me a certain sadness considering what I could be spending it on.

As a frame of reference, I once made my dad buy me Streets of Rage 2 for the Genesis. $72. I felt horrible when the purchase was made, and even worse when I beat it in about 4 hours.
Cheapy buying Wombat a PS3, if anything game related counts . :lol:

[gamerstop]

hey Cheapy and Wombat. I was wondering with the new dashboard coming out if you guys were gonna host maybe a CAG movie viewing night. Where a few (I don't know how many) CAG's can join a session with you and wombat and watch a movie all together. I know Cheapy that you don't have netflix, but that you might get it because of this awesome feature. Oh and I heard theres a movie you like that you might be able to watch starting with an R (hint hint)

[Frythan]

What happened to contests on the CAGcast, you guys used to have one almost every week, any chance of bringing them back?

[chakan]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

What do you think about the massive deletion of user-created levels in LBP?
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/09/littlebigplanet-levels-being-deleted-with-no-warning-or-explanat/

What's the point of a game built around user-created content if they delete any level that resembles an existing IP?

Why do idiot movie goers get crap like Meet the Spartans, but I can't have a LBP God of War level? Aren't both protected by parody laws?

Is LBP just about selling $5 virtual Tshirts, after all?
http://gamesblog.ugo.com/index.php/gamesblog/more/i_have_a_sack_you_can_play_with_for_5_bucks_too/

BAUGHH!!!

[oscargrouch]

Cheapy and Wombat,

With the big announcement of Circuit City filing for chapter 11 protection today, how do you think this will affect Black Friday sales? Does this mean bigger deals from CC to raise capital, or more conservative sales from Best Buy, Walmart etc as they figure people will be gun-shy about buying from a company that may be going out of business?

[corky_uk]

hey cheapy and wombat, in the past iv heard you talking about being lazy when it comes to gettin up off the couch and puttin a different game into the console(im exactly the same by the way) What i want to ask is how good do you think it would be if sony microsoft or nintendo installed a cd loader like you get on a Hi-Fi unit so you could have your console hold 4 or 5 games at one time and you just select the tray you want to use?

[lenny mcg]

hey guys,

im wondering what you two think about the new resident evil movie, degeneration. Do you think an animated resident evil could even work? I think its neat to see an R.E. movie so much more closely related to the games. Im definitely looking forward to it but how about you two?

[fettouhi]

Hey cheapy and wombat

I live in Europe Denmark and Rick Band just came out over here and now we have Guitar hero world tour comming in 2 weeks here. I like the game and I have GH 2 and 3. but I don't wanna buy both. witch one do you think will win this fight ? RB og GH world tour. they both look really strong and got a ok set list

Kind Regards

Christophe Fettouhi

[Thomas96]

MS and Sony are losing money on the sale of their consoles... if they were to extend the life of their products (by holding off on releasing new systems) will it allow them to recoupe the cost of their present loses?

When we do the CAG awards this year can we add the a category of best Cheap Game award... I have to say since Wombat convinced me to buy the Club, I ended up going on a 10 dollar game binge. I bought Conan at 10 dollars, and I bought WALL-E for about 12 dollars (might return that though); but let me say that Conan at 10 dollars has been one of the best hack and slash games I've played in a while... better than golden Axe

Speaking of Golden Axe... the game is already on clearance at Target for 41.58...

How do you guys feel about the state of Video games at this time? Are you satisfied with the games that are being released, the consoles, and the future projects that devs are working on?

[BlueSwim]

BlueSwim has a question...


Cheapy and Wombat,


Do you guys think that this generation of console games lacks the "timeless appeal" of the games from 15 and 20 years ago?


It seems like the focus with games these days is so heavily centered on the online multiplayer portions that the single player mode, the mode that makes games like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Link to the Past enjoyable nearly 20 years later, is treated like an afterthought or a bullet-point on the back of the box. Games like Shadow of the Colossus, God of War and Persona 3 can be played and enjoyed 10 years from now because the legacy of those games is as a single player experience.

The legacy of games like Call of Duty 4 for example, is as an online multiplayer game. People don't care about COD4's single player anymore, just it's online play. Once companies stop supporting the online portions of today's popular online multiplayer games, their legacy dies since they can't ever be played at that level again. What do you two think?

Keep up the great work!!!8-)

[NTolerance]

As a follow-up to a question posed on the last show, why do gamers at large and game reviewers demand online multiplayer modes in nearly every game when we all know that it'll only be a month before everyone goes back to CoD4 and Halo? Could development resources be better spent elsewhere? Could game prices be lowered by cutting out an arguably wasteful feature?

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

What do you guys think about this recent rash of bannings on Xbox Live just before the new dashboard that seem to be targeting the pirates themselves, taking a lot of them out in one swoop and scaring the shit out of the rest? Some people seem to be claiming innocence and suggesting that the replacement refurbished Xbox 360s could be the cause for innocent bannings, so what's the likelihood that some of these people are innocent and it's actually Microsoft's fault not removing those kinds of systems from the pool that are sent out as replacements?

[javeryh]

Cheapy - have you seen the new McDonald's "Quarter Pounder" restaurant in Tokyo? There are supposedly no golden arches or anything brand-wise connecting it to the original McDonald's. I've had McDonald's in Europe and the quality is way better than we get in the US. CHECK IT OUT (http://www.quarter-pounder.net/main.html).

[Spartan V07]

cheapyd and wombat,why do you guys always go by reviews? I noticed you probably won't buy a game if it gets a low score from ign,gamespot,etc

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Since you guys were shitting on the huge exclusive GTA IV add-on, it made me wonder if this exclusive content has been a complete bust for Microsoft at the moment since the game's fallen out of the limelight during the busy holiday season. The chance for Rockstar to get people back into the game seems to be slowly eroding away as it looks like Rockstar are taking way too long to get it out and capitalize on its success. Do you think a lot of the people that heavily favored the 360 version because of the new episodes will end up not getting it amd negating their whole argument of that being a huge selling point for the game?

[Wolfkin]

If the DSi forks the Nintendo handhelds* which do you think they'll keep. Will they abandon the DSi like the virtual boy or will they dump the faithful DS


* with the rumors that some games won't work on both systems and possibly old games won't work on the new DSi

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys,

How do you feel about Mike Capps from Epic stating that another solution to end the used game market is by selling essential, even final levels of games as DLC? He says that an idea that many developers are brainstorming is giving cerain levels of games as free downloadable content to people who purchase the game new, but charging upwards of $20 for those who buy it used. This seems to be a very strange idea that strikes me as going a little too far. When do you think this could happen? How would this affect people who don't necessarily buy used games but rent instead? I bring this up because of the used game market being a major topic in the previous few CAGcasts.

[TheEyecon]

What's up Cheapy and Wombat.

Cheapy, Is it true that Osakans (or however people from Osaka are called) walk faster than any other Japanese? If so, have you ever noticed it while being there?

Keep up the good work guys.

[Smallville123]

This question is for both of you. What is your absolute best gaming deal you have gotten in your life(software and hardware both count)?

[acerbist]

Wombat, while you are my favorite podcast sidekick based on a large rodent, i think you are way off on fallout. You play a survivor in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, i don't think the game needs to be friendly, and i don't think you need to have everything spoon fed to you. It makes sense that the world is a bit more hostile and gritty than something like fable.

Also, the info is all there if you just read a little. The damage and ammo you have left are right there in the description of the weapon. And even if you are too lazy to read the tool tips for the skills when you level up, are you really telling me you can't figure out that "repair" is for repairing your weapons, and "medical" is for healing yourself?

Have either of you guys found Dogmeat, your fuzzy canine companion? It's possible to completely miss him (i went about 13 hours into the game before i remembered you were supposed to get a dog). Definitely go get him right away if you haven't, i think it makes the experience a little less lonely. He is in a town called "scrapyard" which is just south of "minefield" which is a place you will need to go early on for the wasteland survival side quest (it starts with Moria in Craterside Supplies in the starter town).

Thanks guys, I love the show! I'm going to do the netflix trial through cagcast as soon as the NXE comes out.

[LiK]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, with so many games that came out this month, which games do you find yourself playing the most right now? And which game actually satisfied you and lived up to the hype?

[Ledvan]

hi cheapy and wombat do you think the global economy and the 'credit crunch' will hit the gaming industry.. maybe it hasnt right now but do you think we will see major developers not wanting to spend as much money on new games and releasing less games in the future?

[Chase]

Hey guys! Joystiq's James Ransom-Wiley wrote an op-ed piece (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/10/opinion-why-i-cant-go-beyond-the-first-5-mins-of-call-of-duty/) titled "Why I can't go beyond the first 5 mins of Call of Duty: World at War." In it, he asks gamers if "the Nazis transcended beyond historical reality into a mythical 'beast' onto which we can safely project our aggression" and if there is a "danger in that." His article has made its way around the gaming community, and I just wanted to get your thoughts on his thoughts.

[aerotive]

What do y'all think of the gaming industry's increasing aggressiveness in trying to limit used game sales? Buy Gears of Wars 2 used you don't get all the maps, buy NBA 2k9 used you lose some online features, and now Nintendo even disables hardware--buy Wii Speak used and it's not gonna work.

I think it displays the industry's raw contempt towards gamers/customers, and just what a demented business this can be.

[thorbahn3]

Cheapy, any chance you'll be attending the all new ScrewAttack Gaming Convention next July? Just think of all those Texan CAGs like Strell you could run into. I'd ask Wombat if he'd go, but he's broke like me now.

[Chatetris]

Is this thing the cag bag?? (I'm new here) But if so ,Cheapy D what is your feelings on Fallout 3. For me It's my favortie and why does Wombat hype a game up so much in his mind and then soon hate it? Wombat for life.

[Chatetris]

Hey Cheapy D and wombat. This may not relate to New games in general,But have you heard about a game named Earthbound(Nintendo). Why is nintendo holding back this game from the virtual console.(Now I understand how this cagbag thing works!!!)

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys.

With the holiday season, I am seeking a nice new HDTV, primarily for gaming. Being that I trust you guys, I'd like to know what type of TVs you use for gaming. What would you two recommend for a fully enjoyable HD experience? Also, do you think that TV prices will be cheaper during or after the holiday season of this year?

Thanks, and sorry if this has been asked before. I don't ever remember hearing what you guys use.

[ChoCoBoI]

Hey cheapy and wombat, I'm also seeking out a nice HDTV this black friday for my PS3. Playing on my 15 year old 14 inch tv is putting my PS3 to shame. After having a 32 inch vizio die on me the day after i bought it, i've been looking for better brands. So far the only black friday deals I've seen are on low budget/no-name brands? If this is supposed to be the season to get HDTVs, why arn't we seeing any high end brands with cheap prices in the stores. As a cheapass college student, my budget is very low.

[Pavi Gill]

Dear Cheapy D & Wombat

I have two questions and the first is for CheapyD:

Since their is a myth that Asian's wangs are small, at your (un)sexy love hotel experience in Osaka, did they sell male enhancement pumps/pills in the vending machines that sold sex accessories??

And the second one is for both of you

Since the website is being ran by CheapyD and the name of the web/podcast is cheap ass gamer why is CheapyD not being a cheap ass gamer by buying the overly priced 120gb hdd for xbox, a new ps3 headset and at the same time the co-host Wombat is the real CAG(Cheap Ass Gamer) asking for free stuff and not buying the overley priced 120 gb hdd for the X-box??

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

It seems that Xbox Live has been acting a bit strange lately with Live signing me out randomly, but with the upcoming launch of the new dashboard, do you guys think Live possibly even going down for hours at a time if Microsoft hasn't properly prepped their tubes for the mad rush of downloads? If you do think Live will be going down, do you think bricking will become an issue that results from the new update tubes being clogged up?

Now that Guitar Hero World Tour is out to compete with Rock Band, do you guys think Red Octane and Activision have done a better job with launching their band game than Harmonix did last year? It seems that their options at the moment are game only, guitar with the game, and the full band kit and no seperate instruments that are made just for World Tour outside of third-party guitars and mics. Reports on customer service broken seems to say it's not as easy to get your stuff fixed as it should be, so it seems like the veteran's having about all of the same issues that the newcomers had last year. Is that a sign that launching this big of a game with so many SKUs and parts is a daunting task or that these companies are slackers?

With the latest NPDs, it seems that Rock Revolution is a failure out of the starting gates, selling only a few thousand copies total on all platforms but the Wii, which didn't come out until November. Is this a sign that half-assing a Rock Band/Guitar Hero rip-off isn't a good idea, even for the publisher that made this genre? Do Harmonix and Activision own this genre as much as EA and Take Two own the sports game genre?

[Dylanissweet]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat! Well guess what!? I signed up for the Netflix 10 day trial like you asked us to, well i actually had to ask my parents to switch from Total Acess to Netflix which was hard for me, I mean I'm only 15, well I've been thinking, of course this helps the both of you, but do we get any recognition? I'd promise you that other cags would also love to be thanked! I would also love if you read this for me? My birthday is soon and that would be a marvelous gift!

Keep Up The Great Show!!
-Dylan

[Z_meista]

hey cheapy and wombat,

let's say wombat goes to japan for a few days. wombat, what would be the first 3 things you guys would do? what would be the last thing you would do in japan?

[Majora2010]

Cheapy and Wombat:
Have you guys ever bought a game just for the pre-order bonus? I recently bought Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts and wouldn't have even considered it unless I knew I'd just end up buying the original Banjo-Kazooie on the XBLA anyway.
Also, I see Guitar Praise adds running on the site now and I am lawling hard, even if it is just Google Syndication.

[Menta]

Hello folks,

Love the show. Listened since I heard you guys mentioned on MN's show.

Serious Question -

We all know that the big 3 are talking-up all digitial distrubtion as a future model for software, MS especially. This will NEVER take off under the current supposedly 'advanced' broadband companies in the UK - up until about a year ago I was with a company who supplied a 4 meg unlimited download service for 20 quid a month. I had been with the company for 5 years and I was very happy with the service - not a single outage. I could download a full game (8 gig) in around 5 hours. This company was bought over by the evil Virgin Media empire about a year ago who boldly proclaimed they were fitting in brand new superfast fibre optic infrastructure at considerable cost to Richard Branson and giving us all free upgrades - 4 meggers would be on 10 meg for no additional cost, which I a currently am. We all rejoiced. Until we got to the traffic shaping policy which they introduced. That game that took me 8 hours to download now takes me 3 days!!! The first (and probably last) game I downloaded on the new service was Warhamemr Online,
I expected to have it in around an hour, and I had taken time off work to play when it first came out. I was not a happy bunny.

How is it in the US? In the UK we now only have only one provider supplying completely unfettered unlimited download, and certain legislation is being brought in to curb the download usage, AND you need to attach a satellite dish to your house to get it.

Cheers,
Iain
Mentazm (live, psn, steam, xfire)

[Wolfkin]

I've heard that you're only allowed one avatar on the new 360 dashboard. I never got into the whole Mii craze in the first place but it seems to me that a lot of the attraction of Miis was that you could make one for everyone. Doesn't having only one Avatar sort of take the punch out of the fun factor? How are games going to use Miis Avatars if there's only one to choose from?

[Chase]

Hey guys! In the latest podcast, Wombat wondered about his factual errors in the last podcast. The Joystiq Podcast has the Joystiq Killjoy, who fact-checks each week's episode (much in the same fashion that Statboy fact-checks each episode of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption). Could you see the CAGcast integrating such a segment?

[davidb69]

Hey guys! In the latest podcast, Wombat wondered about his factual errors in the last podcast. The Joystiq Podcast has the Joystiq Killjoy, who fact-checks each week's episode (much in the same fashion that Statboy fact-checks each episode of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption). Could you see the CAGcast integrating such a segment?


That's what the shipwrecks show is for. If both shows comment on it, then it's fact otherwise, I'd ignore it. :-)

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys.

Unsurprisingly, we've now seen a new set of themes for the 360 labeled "Premium Themes". Little did I know that Microsoft has the nerve to ask for OVER $3 DOLLARS FOR A THEME. How do you guys feel about so-called "interactive backgrounds" as an excuse to make us pay twice the price of the old themes, most of which have been rendered useless due to the new dashboard. How do you feel about these new, over-priced themes, as well as the old themes being rendered useless after Microsoft had claimed that they would look "beautiful" on the new dashboard?

[joem5815]

Cheapy! Wombat! Somebody please tell me what happened to the "Video Game Pre-order?" This season I've only pre-ordered two games: Rock Band 2 (because I really wanted it day one and thought it would sell out) and Banjo-Kazooie Nuts 'N Bolts (because I wanted a free code for the original Banjo-Kazooie download).

I paid $5 for the Rock Band 2 pre-order (won't say where), but when I went to get it only a few days after release, they were sold out and refunded my money. Why take the pre-order if you're not gonna hold it for me?! Then, when I went to get Banjo-Kazooie, the store had a copy of the game for me, but they didn't have any "code cards" left. Again, why take the pre-order if you're not gonna hold both the game and promised code for me?!

This is ridiculous, and I can't see what the point of the pre-order is anymore if vendors just take the money without any concern as to whether they can fulfill it. Great show, guys. Keep it up. If you can't, pass it on and make a legacy of it.

[Smallville123]

Hey fellas. I'm wondering how you even pick questions from here anymore. There is like 171 pages of questions. As for my question there are a few this week. First, when are you guys gonna start live shows again. Its nice to personally talk to you both once in a while instead of hoping you will read a question i asked you from like a week ago. I know you're both busy especially with the holidays coming up. Second question is for you Cheapy. I know you are both Jewish like myself but since Cheapy lives in Japan the question is more relivent for Cheapy. Do you miss being able to see the family as much for Hanukkah and passover and such. Or do you come back to the states for the holidays? Do you still celebrate it in your own way while you are home(tokyo) or do you just kinda pass on it?

[tinomen777]

Cheapy,
i was wondering if it's worth ordering the out of print Criterion Collection of Robocop? I've been wanting to watch it, since its been a good five years since i've seen it last. i know ebay has the Criterion on there all day long. i was wondering if its worth the extra cash? does Nancy Allen show a full frontal?

thanks
anthony

[TiE23]

Hey Cheapy, after hearing the other show I decided I would get a 120gb 360 Hard drive just like you. And I can say that I am really enjoying it having all of my favorite games installed on it, and to never have to worry about space again. If I run out, I just delete a 6.8gb game file and whoosh, more space!

But I just wanted to say that I hope you didn't toss out that one time use dongle and transfer disc, that part has a huge aftermarket of it on eBay. I just got done selling it for $42 to a guy in Milwaukee, re gaining some of my $163.49 cost on the damn thing. Also selling my 20GB HDD for some cash. Something to consider for any other 120GB HDD buyers out there.

[oscargrouch]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, as we near the completion of Super Programmer John's programming on the CAG game collection, is there any plan for a beta? I mean outside Wombat logging in once and saying "best collection system ever! I did more than Cheapy."

[nelly54ram]

Hey Now!
Cheapy and Wombat, been a listener and big fan since being bed ridden after recovering from a ruptured patella tendon in France, where I was playing pro ball last year. A question for Wombat. A couple months ago on the Howard Stern Show, Howard mentioned his list of the 5 worst superheroes. On the list were Thor, Dr. Strange, Ant Man, Sgt. Rock and Aquaman. Just wondering who is on your list Wombat? Love the show keep up the good work guys. Baba Booey! Baba Booey!

[supermidget]

hey cheapy as someone who may do a podcast. I was wondering what you use to record the podcast. Cheap basterd,
Supermidget

[Sacsquash]

Cheapy in an earlier episode of the CAGcast you mentioned that you would have liked to cancel your pre-order for Left 4 Dead, It being too much of a hassle you decided not to. I was just curious what your opinion of the game was and if you wish you had canceled it or remain with your decision to keep it? As well Wombat would you consider picking the game up or do you believe that the game will lose it's mojo pretty quickly?

[Fat_Guys_Rock]

Hello guys,

First off I love the show I always look forward to another CAGcast every week. I actually have a question/comment and a question I hope to hear it answered on the next cast, ok as for my question/comment: Wombat have you received your copy of Mortal Kombat vs DC yet? and if you have what is your official take on it I picked it up and LOVE it well mainly cause I am a superman fan (the biggest one ever) and also cause it is a cool concept. and the comment part is I think you were right when you said captain marvel has just a bit more cooler moves and powers than the rest.

And now for my question question just simply would like to know if little big planet is really worth getting I know you said that it is a very good game so guess I would like you to say "You should go out and pick it up" my girlfriend wants it pretty bad so thought I would check with you and cheapy first again love the show and thanks

[Pavi Gill]

Dear CheapyD and Wombat

i have 3 questions and here they are;

CheapyD do you really smoke weed? If so what made you start smoking it? Was it peer pressure or just your choice??

Wombat how come you don't have a CAG nick-name like CheapyD does?Is their a reason your name isn't CheapyS, or CheapyW??

And my last question, Wombat, if you had a chance to meet CheapyD in Tokyo would you? And if you do choose to meet what would be the top 3 things you would do with Cheapy??

Thanks, Pavi

[SyphonFilter]

Wombat: Are you looking forward to Infamous? Since you like comic books and this is similar to that.

[nosoup4you0814]

Hey guys great show as always. I was listening to old podcasts and I remembered Wombat saying that he wasnt paying for his car because of the lease. I was wondering how that worked out. Also I was looking into Rock Band 2 or World Tour. I dont have either the games before and was wondering which one you would suggest. Thanks

[bluu]

SORRY THIS IS LONG BUT.......

CheapyD and Wombat , Unless I am just not looking in the right places on the bigger game sites page why is it no one includes a rating for "difficultness" or how hard a games is ? I freely admit I am not the greatest gamer skill wise but I do enjoy gaming so for purchuses this would help in bieng informed.Now I do understand most titles come with the ability to choose a easy/medium/hard or in some cases "legendary" modes and that is great but why not post a simple 1 -10 meter rating upon the titles release/review.Is this something that maybe could be added to a future C.A.G. games review/collection/or database? what are your opinions about rating games for difficulty? ...........love to hear both of your views.


AGAIN SORRY THIS IS SO LONG FEEL FREE TO ABRIDGE.

[sdp]

Has the Japanese man who' has been living in a airport in Mexico City made the news in Japan?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/mexico/3509614/Japanese-man-sets-up-home-in-Mexico-airport-food-court.html

[vanilla_shakin_it]

Dear Cheapy,
Why in the hell did you give little big planet the biggest, sloppiest, two year long blowjob, ever since you laid eyes on it? Much of the reason as to why I bought this game was because of your recommendation of it. And you know what? It's boring as SHIT. It sounds like even you're not enjoying it that much. It's not even one of those games where you can make excuses saying, "Well, look at all these other games, I have no time for this." You know why? If you guessed "It's boring as shit" you win a a free little big planet blu-ray coaster. And a question for Wombat since I know you don't like things being one-sided...what's the game you think cheapy or yourself will give a handjob to next that will not live up to expectations?


PS: You guys better fucking answer this.

[adriley313]

I just recently watched the movie Hellboy 2 with my boyfriend ( by the way the movie sucked) and during the previews there was a trailer that came up that had me glued to the TV. the graphics looked cool and the action looked crazy. i want the game when it comes which Im hoping will come out when the dvd comes out Dec. 2. Does the game look like something you want to play or is it just me. CheapyD and Wombat keep up the good work.

[Bootstrapwill]

Hey guys, just want to say i have been a fan of the show for about a year or so now and it only gets better. I have one question for you both today. Now that the NXE (new xbox experience) has launched and gives people the chance to install there games. Do you think reviews for xbox 360 games will be based on installing games e.g. load times, frame rate......... what do you think? thanks guys.

[mykevermin]

This isn't a question, but it is a challenge.

I have a whole dollar that I'll mail to wombat if he can say something nice about the Playstation 3 on either his blog or the CAGCast.

Are you up to the task?

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

If I recall correctly, Wombat said he liked the PS3's XMB a lot when he first got the PS3 from Cheapy, so I'm wondering how you think the Xbox 360's new dashboard stacks up.

What are your thoughts on the new community games? Though I haven't liked any of them enough to buy one, I've seen a few that I'd like to see be picked up and turned into XBLA games. The crappy 4-5 minute time limit you get for the demos is way too short for most of them since I'm used to having unlimited time with most of the XBLA demos. It seems that a few of the games had trial modes set-up for their demos before Microsoft forced the time limits onto the games instead of leaving it up to the developer on how they want to handle the demo.

One of the community games developers made a post (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5146224&postcount=26)on CAG about how Microsoft doesn't allow leaderboards or achievements in their games and will even threaten delisting games that just use those terms for their own versions of leaderboards and achievements, which seems oddly restrictive for an initiative that Microsoft said they would be taking a hands-off approach to the games they come up with. Do you think Microsoft is hurting this potentially huge feature with some of these restrictions they've placed on XNA developers?

Since it's the holiday season now and many of us are getting time off to spend with family and our new games, I was wondering if you two had any suggestions for games from earlier this year that you'd recommend people buy or rent to play in their time off to maximize their free time? Are there any games you bought earlier this year that you've yet to finish that you'd like to pick up again during the holiday season?

[konatachan]

Dear Cheapy,

What's your opinion on games that try to innovate and push the envelope in terms of gameplay, setting and story.

Mirror's Edge for example is one many new games which further tried to be unique yet seemed to get shot down by the reviewers.

Do you think innovation and uniqueness is what makes a game special?

What do you look forward to in a game? What setting do you find is underused?

Also an issue with the podcast. What is Wombat's issue with PC gaming? I understand both of you aren't PC gamers yet every time the PC platform in mentioned you can hear Wombats voice tone change and the usual snide remark about PC gaming and Gamers is made.

Majority of CAG gamers are probably console gamers but did you ever consider that there might be PC gamer listeners.

Thanks for all your hard work and keep Cheapy's bald ass head shiny.

[XTommyDonX]

Hey Wombat,

What's the deal with your friends at PETA and Cooking Mama?
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y206/brian_chunn1989/Jerry_Seinfeld.jpg

[ACE42]

Hi cheapyD and wombat, I am kind of new to CAGCAST,
I first started Listening to the cagcast round about the time you were talking about pizza guy but I frist saw cheapyD in the youtube video of your reviwe of the ds lite stand and styles,
I have only resently become a member.

The Question I want ask is,
whould you is whould either or you trade in a 40GB PS3 X 4 games
for a 60 GB XBOX 360 X 2 games

PS: the cagcast is "AWSOME!!!!" cheapyD's and wombat's make a grate teem, keep up the good work!

[fullhavok]

Hey Cheapy, love the site & the podcast, been there since ep 1. my question is, when ever you come back to Florida to visit the family, could we meet up? would love to take a pic with you man. ( nothing guy about it. ) LOL serious IM me. that goes out to Wombat too, if he ever get's down here. keep up the great work with everything.. catch ya later..got's to go defrost the turkey..Happy Thanks giving, to all My Cheapass brother's & Sister's !!!

[ratsock]

Cheapy, I wonder what your wife's opinion is on you sharing information about your sex life on a podcast that is listened to around the world? :)
My partner would kill me (and then some) if I talked about even half the stuff you do.

(duplicate post from another thread, thought I'd submit to CAGbag)

[ACE42]

A Men!!!!

[Poorleno]

Dear Cheapy,
Why in the hell did you give little big planet the biggest, sloppiest, two year long blowjob, ever since you laid eyes on it? Much of the reason as to why I bought this game was because of your recommendation of it. And you know what? It's boring as SHIT. It sounds like even you're not enjoying it that much. It's not even one of those games where you can make excuses saying, "Well, look at all these other games, I have no time for this." You know why? If you guessed "It's boring as shit" you win a a free little big planet blu-ray coaster. And a question for Wombat since I know you don't like things being one-sided...what's the game you think cheapy or yourself will give a handjob to next that will not live up to expectations?


PS: You guys better fucking answer this.

I agree Little Big Planet is not that great and it to me is just a mediocre platformer with a level editor. This is not a system seller.

[Chatetris]

Hey Wombat and the other guy that talks.

Wombat why do you have to bash Fallout 3 so bad. Like gimmeabreakman. Can you not say something negative for at least 1 cagcast?? CheapyD you should reward Wombat with something If for one Cagcast,Count them one cagcast don't you think he deserves something like a little something from Mrs.Cheapy Maybe??? A Dinobox maybe

[doug89]

The Xbox 360 Jasper motherboard has just begun surfacing. Cheapy I remembered that you said you would wait until it came out to buy a new American 360. Are you still going to, or have you caved to pressure already.

http://gaming.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=16440
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=668104
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=668038

[Bazz]

Hey guys do we have a holiday charity coming up?

[bigl523]

Cheapy,

When the fuck are you we going to have the game catalog system?? Also, do you get all of your games for free from Play-Asia via credit? It seems like you buy/pre-order a lot stinkers as if you have money burning a hole in your pocket. I know you need "material" for the show but if you're not exactly sold on a game why bother buying it unless you're getting it for free?

[Mindzeye82]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Do you think that with games such as left 4 dead, warhawk, bioshock and deadspace that the shooter genre is slowly learning to focus on either a great single player experience or a great mulitplayer experience instead of trying to include both elements and making the overall game subpar?

Excellent work with the podcast!

[EqualNine]

CheapyD and Wombat,

If you guys were stranded in the middle of nowhere, and could bring 3 games of your choice (and matching system + TV of course + possibly an internet connection), which 3 would you wanna play until the rescue team found you?

[thorbahn3]

Dear Cheapy

After speaking so highly of the Screwattack Gaming Convention during the last show and during the black Friday live show, why not put your money where your mouth and have a booth at SGC. You could offer some of those CAG rubber bracelets, sell shirts, hand out pamphlets, and have a raffle where you must already be a CAG to enter or sign up to enter. I really think you're not taking advantage.

[Sacsquash]

Hey guys,

With the imminent release of T-shirts and other clothing for purchase for NXE avatars, would you consider looking into the development of CAG-wear for the avatars? I understand the gamerpics didn't quite work out, but hopefully something like this would.

[Jackshoku]

Hello there, finally listend to all episodes (I started at 134 and went back). BTW, ChapyD, episodes 36, 37 and 38 are broken on the Big Contact Server.

This is mainly for Wombat (Chapy can answer too, but I doubt it you read those). So, you like Marvel, and you like zombies. Did you like Marvel Zombies? I only read the first histories, because that´s all that was available here (I live in Brazil).

[RudyPants]

Cheapy and Wombat:

I was wondering if you two could tell us loyal listeners a tale or two from your childhoods relating to the holidays and games - for example, did you guys ever "sneak a peak" at any games under the Christmas tree? Any holiday disappointments?

When I was younger I remember asking for Sonic Spinball for the Genesis and instead I received a copy of Ecco the Dolphin, a game which still weirds me out to this day.

[Clarke]

When was the last time any of you drove a car?

[H.Cornerstone]

This question is based on something Wombat said, but I would love to hear what both of you have to say.

I remember Wombat said on a podcast right after he got MGS 4 that he thoroughly enjoyed it and that it created a new found desire for him to play more games with the typical linear story type game play. I like you, am the same way and kind of tired of Sandbox games. I was looking forward to the new Prince of Persia due to the fact that in the past it followed this linear story game play, but when I found out it was sandbox my enthusiasm kind of waned. Especially when it was really the only Action/Adventure game coming out this year. (You might say Fable but I consider that an Action RPG).

So the Question is, has this happened to either of you? Are you so tired of sandbox games that you won't play them anymore, regardless of how good they are? I know it seemed like Wombat wasn't as enthralled with Fallout 3 as Oblivion, and I wonder if that is because of this.

P.S. Wombat, are you looking forward to the new Captain America movie? (Rumored to follow the ultimate storyline where he fights nazi's and then is frozen?) I am shocked he hasn't had a full blown movie made of him yet, and am a big fan and personally cannot wait for it (as long as they don't hire someone stupid to play the role).

[ryanflucas]

I'd like to see either (or both) of you review the following product:
http://www.amazon.com/USBCELL-AA-Rechargable-Battery-MXAA02/dp/B000LV8YKQ
http://www.usbcell.com/

They are AA batteries that have tops that flip up so you can plug them into a usb port and recharge them. People complain often about how long they take to charge or not lasting long, but they are trying these in too high power needs. I'd expect they would be great for Xbox 360 controllers.

[davkeats]

Hey guys, im a big fan of the site and podcast.
Recently Wombat has mentioned that he thinks he has a ghost in his house...im not sure how serious he is, so can you guys tell us for 1. if he is serious and 2.what other non-fact based pseudoscience stuff you believe in, if any? (ex. accupuncture, religion, earth being visited by aliens, ghosts, homeopothy, bloodletting, etc...?)

thanks!!

[Baron O Hell]

Het guys
For a little while now something has been rubbing me the wrong way with Little Big Planet that I couldn’t put my finger. I just realized what it is. DLC that you have to pay for. They want me to pay for extra costumes from video games like Metal Gear Solid. It just occurred to me that they want me to pay for a freaking AD. People are going to see my sack boy and wonder what game the costume is from. I’m basically turning my sack boy into a walking billboard.

That isn’t even the worst part. The worst part is even if I don’ t buy the costume I’m still forced to download it in a update. So now my hard drive space is getting eaten up by crap I can not use unless I pay for it. Capcom should be paying me to wear street fighter costumes not the other way around. This is just nuts.

[Z_meista]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Since the holidays are almost here, what was the most outrageous present that you have given or received?

[FoxHoundADAM]

What are the Holiday traditions at the Wombat and Cheapy households?

Also, what's on each of your wish lists?

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys,

Does the possibility of the video-CAGcast that you guys mentioned quite a while ago still exist? I just wanted to know if you guys are still thinking about it or if that idea has been canned.

[supermidget]

Dear Cheapy,
I am a big gamer who wants to ask for some games for the holidays. Now my grandparents hate M rated games. So I was wondering what are the top 10 T or lower rated games that you like on the Xbox 360. May the Dinodick reign supreme forever. Fellow blogger and Cag.
Supermidget,
ps. If this becomes part of the cagbag Wombat should answer too.
Double P.S. screw you Banjo Kazooey (Yes I know I spelled it wrong)

[RKR215]

Cheapy and Wombat:

Have you put any thought into how you'll game with your kids in the future as they get older?

Some things to consider: How old will they be before you allow them to play T or M rated games? Will you have a separate console for yourself or share a communal console, assuming there will still be consoles and not cybernetic implants in the future? Are your kids going to be spoiled and have every game that is released? Will traditional father-son/daughter relationship building activities be replaced with multiplayer games?

[LiK]

hey Cheapy and Wombat,

What characters would you like to be added to MK vs DC for the DLC or possible sequel?

Thanks.

[SyphonFilter]

Cheapyd and wombat, are you guys getting Resistance 2?

[ObiBen]

Cheapy and Wombat,

I have a question regarding video game backlogs. How do each of you approach your backlog of games? Do you bounce around from game to game, or do you pick one game and play through until you are finished? Keep up the great work.

[Chase]

Hey Wombat! As a DC comics guy, what are your thoughts on Batman R.I.P., Issue 681? Obviously, Bruce comes back during Final Crisis, but it will be interesting to see who wins the Battle for the Cowl and becomes the intermittent Batman while Bruce heals up.

And for Cheapy, did you like how Schumacher put nipples on Batman? What are your thoughts on Snyder deliberately putting nipples on Ozymandias' movie costume? If you could put nipples on any superhero's costume, who would it be, and why?

Thanks, and keep up the good work.

[Jonman]

Hey Cheapy,
Couple of questions for you:
(1): Is Frisky Tanuki giving you head on a regular basis or something? He gets first question on nearly every CAGcast. What's up with that?
(2): Do you think that the Community Games are very quickly going to become a sea of shit, and it'll be impossible to pick the rare gems out. Seems like there's going to be a glut of crap games coming to it. I've already pretty much given up on it, and will only check out ones that are mentioned as particularly good on the blogs and/or podcasts.
Cheers now,
Jonman

[spriltsc]

Hey Cheapy

Ever since your food videos on youtube, I've been fascinated with what you have been eating in japan. On podcasts, you usually mention only sizzler's, mcdonald's, and other american cuisine. I was wondering how much would you say you eat japanese food in relation to american food? Keep up the good work

[lalagideon]

Hi Cheapy and Wombat,

I started play the demo for Dead Space, and promptly got the living shit kicked out of me by the zombies.

Despite the demo's outrageous difficulty, I decided to buy the game thanks to the Black Friday sale (found out on CheapAssGamer). After trying the game from the beginning, I have come to the conclusion that the Dead Space demo may be one of the worst demos this year. Apart from blatherings about dismembering monsters and teaching me about a little white laser to tell me my "objective", the demo didn't tell me jack and shit about the essentials of gameplay. Thrown into a middle level, it gives a short explanation on how to sort objectives, go through inventory, and a bit on aiming, but fails to mention how to run, how to melee, and, most importantly, how to reload the fucking weapon!

How could such a shitty demo be approved?! Had the game not been so cheap on Black Friday, I would've completely passed on it and I'm willing to bet others feel the same.

Thanks and keep up the great work!

Your fellow New York Jew and CAG'er,

Gideon

[jonny_ebe]

Hi cheapy and wombat Great show.

My question: Do you guys ware shoes indoors or do you have your socks on.
In sweden were i live we take our shoes of indoor but i see it on tv that they dont in the US. and if you do how long did it take for you cheapy to convert.

What games do you wombat play on the subway ;)

[cfootball1]

Hey Guys In the past you have called yourselves hardcore gamers because you play allot of video games however my definition of a "Hardcore Gamer" is someone who is a General in halo 3 and who is Gifted at ALL multi player games but all of you suck at multilayer games none of you are even past SGT in halo 3 and you suck at Gears 2 "No Offense" you even admitted to sucking at gears 2 in the past cagcast. So how can you guys call yourself a Hardcore gamer? . Please Answer Me!!!!!

[DarkNessBear]

Can you please stop "warning" people about LBP. It's a perfectly awesome game. You have no idea what your talking about.

You both hate every single game, so stop giving people false conceptions about it... or else, I'll rip up your sacks.

[majinluffy]

Cheapy now that the RE5 demo is out in Japan have you had a chance to play it? If so what do you think of it? I was fortunate enough to create a Japanese XBL account before Capcom region locked the demo and i love it. I would also like to add that i think a DSI would be a kick ass raffle prize.

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Recently, Gamasutra talked to a few analysts not about what games will sell big this holiday season, but which games they think will flop. One chose Banjo & Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, Tomb Raider Underworld, Midnight Club LA, and Need for Speed Undercover. Your boy Michael Pachter chose Midnight Club LA, Shaun White Snowboarding on the PS3 and Xbox 360, Tomb Raider Underworld, and Animal Crossing: City Folk before he flip-flopped on Midnight Club and replaced it with Need for Speed Undercover after seeing the reviews for both games. Do you guys agree or disagree with these choices and are there any other games you'd add to the list?

Your other boy, Nick Suttner at 1up, mentioned in his comments on the length of Tomb Raider Underworld that it seemed to end abruptly at about six or seven hours, which lead to the discussion of the possibility that the six hours of exclusive Xbox 360 DLC were just cut from the last few levels of the game instead of developing new levels. So how bad could this situation be that not only could the people that paid $60 for the Xbox 360 version didn't get the whole game, but that those that purchased the game on the other platforms were also screwed over because of Eidos and Microsoft's exclusive DLC agreement?

After playing the Japanese demo for Resident Evil 5, I'm still confused as to why Wombat thinks the gimped controls are an integral part of the scariness of the game. Why can't Capcom enchance the rest of the game while letting the controls catch up to the games it's influenced, Gears of War and Uncharted, instead of just gimping our controls? Though I haven't played it, wasn't Dead Space successful at providing good controls and the creepy atmosphere you'd expect from a horror game?

Speaking of the Japanese demo of Resident Evil 5? What do you guys think of Microsoft's inability to not region lock their foreign demos a few hours after it is put out for the public, forcing a lot of people to download it from the net and burn it to a blank disc to just play this free and legal demo? Sony seems to be completely fine with anybody getting foreign accounts to grab items on the Japanese, European, and other PlayStation Stores without this kind of hassle, which is great for impatient gamers.

Are there any updates on your LittleBigPlanet torture sessions?

[sophistry]

Hey Cheapy & Wombat,
Big fan of the show! I was hoping you could help out a fellow cheap gamer - Here's a little name game for you...

Gears of War 2
Fallout 3
Resistance 2
Fable 2
LittleBigPlanet

Choose two to buy. Tough choice, I know. But I'd love to get your opinions. Keep up the good work, you guys are my favorite podcast!

Rory
Boston, MA

[HooHaa]

So, Tai and Sabrina getting married. Discuss.

[Bluesilo]

Did you guys ever look at Eternal Sonata or Valkyria Chronicles? Two great PS3 games. Also, Little Big Planet was good yes, but it had little replay value for me. I wanted so much for it to become my new Katamari Damacy (which I still love to this day).

[HustlerKid]

Dear Cheapy and Wombat


Im a freshmen in college and im looking for some advice. Im registering for classes for the winter semester and im getting to the point when I have to start going for classes that will affect my career.The problem is Im not sure exactly what is I want to do, or rather whats it called. I know I want to do what you guys do. Not exactly running a website, but being a big part of the gaming community. I want to go to E3s and mingle with gaming devs, maybe even move to japan. I dont want to develop games but....I want to have a job where games are a huge part. Any suggestions?

[PhaperPlane]

Dear CheapyD and Wombat,
Now that both of you are fathers (And good ones I can imagine ;)). Are you going to be dressing up as Santa Claus for your kids for Christmas and see if you can fool them into believing that you are Santa Claus? Well, that is if they can't tell that your under the suit.

I really do enjoy listening to the show, but now, its something that I look forward to, because at the moment I am doing my GCSE Mock exams at the moment and after hours of writing and panicking, I can chill out at home and listen to the CAG Cast.

I wish both of you a very happy Christmas and a happy new year!
~Phaper

[Ultramoose]

hey cheapy and wombat, ive been listening for about 3 months and i really love the show. keep on keepin' on.

I was wondering what your thoughts on the new prince of persia are? Ive been a huge fan of the Prince of Persia games for a very long time and the new game somewhat worries me. I love love LOVE the new art style, and graphics. I like the elika idea quite a bit, hearing the guys at Ubisoft talk about her made me really highly anticipate the rebirth of the franchise. However! i keep hearing that though the game is great the platforming is now super easy. This disapoints me a great deal. The platforming is what made the previous games, i couldn't care less about the combat I always enjoyed the difficulty of the game, playing over and over until i could master every platforming sequence. Executing wall runs and jumps with grace and precision.

So I'm curious about your thoughts on the current trend in video games of making things easier but still delivering a decent game. Is it worth making a game really easy to hook new players if you turn off old fans of a franchise in the process? Also, what games, if any, have you found to be too easy but still enjoyed the look and feel of?

Some games that fit this descriptor for me are Half-Life 2(PC), Secret Agent Clank(PSP) and Fable 2 (X360).

Also, a plug for my blog: Savestate (http://gamemoose.wordpress.com)

[kube00]

Question for Wombat: What fraternity were you in? Are they still around? What what was the dumbest/craziest thing you ever did while being a member or a pledge?

[padumavati]

Hi Cheapy and Wombat,

First, Cheapy, congrats on your Aspire One! I freaking love mine. If you find as I have that it has wireless card issues, I suggest going to aspireoneuser.com. Aside from fixes, there's a lot of interesting information on there. And yes, I still love mine even though it's had issues.

Second, finishing games was briefly mentioned on the last podcast. Do you guys feel like you have to finish a game in order to get your money's worth out of it? Do you finish everything that you are genuinely interested in and take time to sit down and play? This is something I've wrestled with in the past and just wondered what your take on it is. I often feel like I shouldn't buy more games when I have so many unfinished, but they just keep coming out with more! Argh!

[SeanNOLA]

Hey Wombat,

I was just curious, with all the talks of UGO buying the 1up network, do you think that your seat on UGO's Gamesblog has poised you in a position to become more involved in the game industry? Also, if the merger goes down in January, can we expect to hear you do a guest spot on 1Up Yours or have Nick Suttner on the CAGcast?

Just curious, love the show, as usual. Keep up the good work.

[VirgiltheChicken]

Hey guys, love the show, insert additional praise here, etc.

I'm just curious about what you guys have been playing when not in front of the tv. Wombat, what are you doing on the train, other than staring at girls and playing "games" like Mystery Case Files? Cheapy, I know you don't go anywhere and think the DSI is pointless, but have you played anything good on your beloved iPhone or DS sans i?

[KingBroly]

What do you guys think looks more like you: Your Mii, your 360 Avatar, or your Home Avatar (or whatever the hell it's called)?

[SeanNOLA]

Hey Cheapy,

I was listening to the radio this morning, and they reported on a Karaoke Bar shooting in Malaysia. The report said that "Karaoke Rage" was a rising problem in Japan, Korea and the Philippines, and that the song "My Way" by Frank Sinatra has been removed from many Karaoke Bars, due to its tendency to insight violent, and often fatal Karaoke Assaults. I was just wondering if you have witnessed or fallen victim to Karaoke Rage?

As always, keep up the great work. CAG forever!

[Baron O Hell]

Hey Cheapy,

I was listening to the radio this morning, and they reported on a Karaoke Bar shooting in Malaysia. The report said that "Karaoke Rage" was a rising problem in Japan, Korea and the Philippines, and that the song "My Way" by Frank Sinatra has been removed from many Karaoke Bars, due to its tendency to insight violent, and often fatal Karaoke Assaults. I was just wondering if you have witnessed or fallen victim to Karaoke Rage?

As always, keep up the great work. CAG forever!

You need to answer this man's question because this just blew my mind.

[falconkick54]

Cheapy wombat I am almost certain both of you have seen RoboCop but have you guys seen the 10 min condensed Rap version "Amazing RoboCop Rap"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUnMF7dV86k
............I saw it on A.O.T.S. and checked it out,it is in fact the Shiznit

[Errockk]

hey cheapy, i was wondering if when you watch any Japanese television do you see any American celebrity commercials? I just saw this ridiculous Nic Cage commercial, and it was one of the most hilarious things i've seen in weeks. Thanks!

http://joblo.com/video/joblo/player.php?video=cagead1

[ChiefsFan21]

CheapyD!

First my rant!

What is the deal with all these questions/complaint about your (and Wombats) Opinions?! If there weren't any contraversial opinions presented on the show, then it wouldn't be much of a show would it? Some of your viewers need to get with the whole crazy podcast idea...

Now my questions:

Wombat-
Do you think that Playstation Home will get any better, or will it always be filled with random people doing the running man to the drakes fortune theme?

Cheapy-
Will you be buying the Far Cry 2 Fortunes pack DLC?

Thanks, I enjoy the show, keep up the good work guys.



PS_ Excuse the bad grammar

[thorbahn3]

Question for each of you.

Cheapy, why do you still have the "your man in Japan" forum when you have a website with a blog system now? Can't you just get rid of it and move anything new to your blog?

Wombat, will you be spending Christmas day at the movie theater watching The Spirit like many other comic book loving Jews and what have you done in the past on the 25th?

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys,

What do you think would be the outcome of the highly rumored purchase of EA by Disney? Do you think Disney has what it takes to acquire the arguably biggest game company out there? If so, what does this mean for a series such as Kingdom Hearts where there is strong involvement with another video game company? And also, video game theme park addition to Disney World?

[chado53]

I should add that episode 142 (i believe) was hysterical, especially the part about cheapy not understanding why people do not use the analog stick for fighting games, much less the d-pad.

anyhow, my question is: How do you think the iphone can do in the gaming world? I've just recently bought a big name game, "Brothers in Arms" for the iphone and it really surprised me. I'm not too bothered by the absence of tactical feedback when i think about using it as a phone, or even typing. But, when i think of games, it really matters to me. So, my next question to you is: Do you think there's a barrier for iphone gaming? While this isn't noteworthy now, it's gaining a great deal of momentum and coming from someone who looks at gaming on all aspects; i believe my question should be answered.

by the way, i hate on jews all the time (being the arab that i am), but i can't get enough of you guys. keep up the good work!

[JoeStunna-GameGod]

Why don't you talk more about sports type games such as the annual NBA Live or MADDEN games, aside from the small notion of the Fifa and Soccer management game in the last podcast? And even you guys said that wasn't a sports game............Is roleplaying your life? Do u not play the sports games on 360 or PS3? They really arent that bad of games to play, and some of them are worth mentioning in ur show.

[MattX66]

Hey guys love the show and I listen every time there is a new one so I dont go insane while at school. I have a question for Wombat and I just wanted to know what he would recommend for me in terms of graphic novels? I recently was turned on to reading the Watchmen book and I love it and I noticed in the last CAGcast you talked about batman and so I was wondering if you could recommend any other graphic novels like the style of watchmen? Doesnt matter who makes them either. Thanks a lot, keep up the good work with the show.

[cfootball1]

Question for wombat how good are you on the guitar?

[psychobrawler]

Cheapy-
I was glad to hear about your 180 on Far Cry 2. I've been loving that game and feeling it's highly underrated amongst this years releases. I was curious about what "discoveries" in the game made you change your mind or eventually sucked you in. I took up a recommendation from another podcast and turned off the in-game music so that the only sounds in the game were from the environment and gunplay. It cranks up the immersion factor even further and has made it an incredibly intense experience for me, especially playing with headphones on. I'd recommend giving it a try.

[konatachan]

Cheapy,

A highly inappropriate question (please don't ban me)

Mods if you feel this question is far off just delete it.

==========================================

I was watching a Japanese Porno and I could help notice that Japanese women whine when they orgasm.

Does your wife do this?

Thanks and keep up the great work.

[PEN-15]

Random Comments:
Retarded Batman FTW.

I hope your Asus One has a 6-cell battery or else you got screwed. I have the Asus Eee Netbook and love it especially the 7 hour battery life.

I still call things gay, but thats because saying "This game is like having a penis shoved up my ass and since I am heterosexual that is a bad thing." takes too much time.

Questions:
Wombat: Blade Trilogy or Spiderman Trilogy? I personally think Blade is much better cuz it made a character I never heard of completely awesome. Meanwhile Spiderman 3 was so bad that it let me see faults in the first two movies I never noticed.

Cheapy: Would you consider recommending/reviewing more gadgets and gizmos? If so there are some that I would love a review for like that Amazon electronic book reader.

Both: Who are your current and past favorite rappers?
I suggest Papoose, Eminem, and Chamillionaire.

[n11n12]

Hey Cheapy...

What's Christmas music like in Japan? Is it anywhere near as bad as it is back in the USA? Since you're a bit out of the loop, let me give you an example.

Near Chicago, not only did they start playing the stuff right after Halloween, but one song they've started playing too damn often is a country/western Christmas song featuring the Chipmunks. Seriously, God struck people down in the Old Testament for far far less.

Then again, I can't imagine a J-Pop rendition of Jingle Bells being much less painful.

[gamemind303]

Hey guys love the show, and I must say I am loving the new founded attention to the front page, very helpful. My question is what is the deal with Michael Pachter? I know he was on your show earlier and that was interesting. But his recent predictions and opinions have been so off it is ridiculous. If you watch his appearance on Gametrailer's Bonus Round and more specifically their Q4 predictions segment; nearly everyone of his predictions were wrong besides his safe selections. Here are some of his opinions from that show.

-Little Big Planet will turn around PS3 sales and become a huge system seller. note: LBP sold 141,000 units in the whole month of november

-Mirrors Edge was going to be a break out seller in the vain of Assassins Creed.

-Fallout 3 will have shallow sales.

-*Wrath of the Lich King won't have huge sales numbers and estimated 2.4 million . note: Wrath of the Lich king sold 2.8 million in the first 24 hours

Go and check out the videos for more ridiculous comments.

So ultimately my question is what qualifies Michael Pachter as a game analyst? If I was investing money on his opinions, I would be very pissed. Even the game journalist that accompany on the show like Jeff Gerstman have a better idea of sales number and the future of games. Wombat I think this your chance to get into the game industry, it might not be telling Sega how dumb their decision are but I think you could do a better job then Pachter; so get those big ass chains son !

[chwisch87]

Just out of curiosity guys ... do you HATE the spike video game awards as much as i do? I have to hand it to these guys that make can give out about 4 awards in 2 hours and fill the in between with constant plugs for every product they could sell ad space too ...

[Z_meista]

Wombat,

Have you tried the Home Beta since it launched last week? What do you think about it?

For cheapy and wombat:

Do you think Sony has a chance of redeeming itself regarding the Playstation Home?

[thegcast]

would you like me to compose a CAG beat?
ps... i like the site, its much better now!

[Spartan V07]

Cheapyd and wombat, Do you think Microsoft made the xbox brand a lot stronger this time and for the next generation be a lot more competitive?

[Pavi Gill]

Dear Cheapy and Wombat i have a couple of questions,

CheapyD, was it manditory for you to move to japan??

CheapyD, since you married a japenese woman are you going to be letting Tai (aka CheapyT) marry an american or an japenese woman??

CheapyD, what one do you like more???PlayAsia or Amazon?

CheapyD, two days ago i was playing online on CoD4 and someone from Japan threatend to call the fbi on me, do you think japenese people are stupid enough to do that???

Wombat, how did you meet Cheapy??

Wombat, now that you have been a father and the prices of a baby's needs have increased are you finding it to be a little difficult buying/plaing video games as much as you did before you became a father?

and this for both CheapyD and Wombat,

Ever since rockband came out, thier have been more and more companys trying to have drumsets guitars etc as a controller. Where do you think the music industry with these kind of controlers originated??


Thanks, Pavi

[lucao]

Cheapy, after seeing the Wii sell so many consoles to a new broader audience, do you see a portion of this audience becoming "hardcore" gamers in the future, and possibly leading them to consoles such as the 360?

[Krams706]

Since you guys have been discussing Netflix recently, I have a couple movie related questions. First off, what are your top three favorite movies of all time, and generally what is your favorite genre?

[Clarke]

It's been 50 years since Tennis for two, somewhat of a golden anniversary for gaming. What are your thoughts on how gaming has progressed?

[skubish]

Hey Cheapy:
How much did you rake in from Amazon on Black Friday/Weekend? Gives us some perspective. Was it enough to fund the site for a year? Enough that you can retire on? Or was it just an average weekend? I would think you cleaned up on referrals with all the deals Amazon had.

[rocksolidaudio]

This one's for Wombat (and Cheapy, who is claiming to me at this moment to know more about X-Men than Wombat): Have you seen the new Wolverine trailer that premiered in front of The Day The Earth Stood Still, and is now online? Thoughts? If not, I demand you watch it right now (http://www.myspace.com/x-menorigins) and have an on-air orgasm...that is, if you're any sort of a comic fan.

[LiK]

This one's for Wombat (and Cheapy, who is claiming to me at this moment to know more about X-Men than Wombat): Have you seen the new Wolverine trailer that premiered in front of The Day The Earth Stood Still, and is now online? Thoughts? If not, I demand you watch it right now (http://www.myspace.com/x-menorigins) and have an on-air orgasm...that is, if you're any sort of a comic fan.

o man, i personally find that trailer pretty cheesy.

in addition to your question, Wombat, what do you think of Sabretooth being included with this film since he's also in the first X-Men movie?