CAGbag: Get your questions answered on CAGcast

[callmesteam]

Hey guys... this one is for Cheapy... I see that you have set up several affiliates for CAG, but you only ever seem to talk about Amazon and PlayAsia (besides when Goozex or Lion Games or whoever is paying for adspace). I was just wondering how your other affiliate links were working out. I had to buy a part for my PC and I decided to use your NewEgg link in hopes that you would get a couple bucks from my purchase. Is it enough to help? Are CAGs buying enough stuff via your other affiliates to make them... interesting? Just curious!

[callmesteam]

I'm with twen... you can Halo anytime... alone... in the dark. However, getting to spend some time with your lady friend... alone... in the dark, will probably provide many more memorable moments...

[twen]

I'm with twen... you can Halo anytime... alone... in the dark. However, getting to spend some time with your lady friend... alone... in the dark, will probably provide many more memorable moments...

Thanks, your avatar owns btw. Beat'em & Eat'em.. I consider myself a gamer since I was the age of 3 (I'm 21), but I have my priorities. Sadly I don't know which one will come around first. The right girl or Duke Nukem Forever.

[Sideswiper]

In response to:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/mainstream-media/sports-columnist-says-video-games-desensitize-us-to-sports-violence-298982.php

(Note, I actually like football, I just wrote this using the same snotty attitude towards his interest as he shows towards ours...)

Bob:

In regards to your column "Video-game generation may be desensitized
to NFL injuries", you make a lot of good points about how people think
of athletes as just cogs in an entertainment machine.

I don't think bemoaning the effect of video games will help since they
are protected by free speech. What we need to get rid of are sports
and sports journalists. This way perhaps newspapers can focus on
news, schools can focus on education, doctors can focus on non-sports
related injuries and diseases, and fans can focus on more serious
endeavors such as local politics.

To quote your article, "This week, more than many, we're reminded that
in real-time, real-life football, the violence and its consequences
are all too real." Maybe that's why we need to take a good long look
at whether or not football is good for society.

[udabenshen]

Shana Tova Wombat (and, sort of, Cheapy)!


Long time listener (well, at least a few months), first time cagbagger (that sounds dirty), and i must first congratualted the both of you for your awesome jewiosity. Because im such an observant man of the hebreic persuasion, I didn't realize it was our people's new year until I listened to the cagcast this morning on my way to school, so thank you for allowing me to realize it until after the day had come and gone. Also, I have a few questions for wombat concerning some of the more, uh, lets just say, negative feedback he recieved concerning the possible advertisment that has been in the work for the past few weeks (you know, the one that, as lenny bruce said is one of the goyish branches of the military. Look it up, i thought it was amusing). What kind of comments did you get (you dirty little media grabbing communist)? I realize this might be a sensitive subject to speak about on the cagcast, but were there any really extreme ones? Well, hope to hear from you soon,


Udabenshen (its pronounced you-duh-ben-shin)

[callmesteam]

Since she's breaking her back for us this week, I was thinking of Cheapy's mom... so my question is...

Does she game? I know you had her on the Wii, but does she do DS or 360 or whatever? Sudoku? Still has your 2600 plugged in for some late night rounds of QBert? If I remember right (from their visit) your dad DOES NOT game.

What's their story?

AND! is Cheapy and only child? do his siblings game? i think i recall Wombat having siblings... are they gamers? were you guys picked on for being cheap bastards AND video game dorks as kids?

[Tapio]

Well my question for Wombat and Cheapy D:
If some company would pay MORE than a 80$ a show for commercials in your CAGcast yould you accept it?[lets say 150$ for show,which would include 8second commerial at start of show,2 15 second commericlas in middle of show,and one 15 second commerical at end of show]
if not,How much would they have to pay?will GACcast stay community only and not get sold out?

[Vv The Dude vV]

Cheapy- What is the most shocking thing about Japan that you might see everyday that you would never see in America? Wombat- Your awesome i dont care what the wombat haters say.

:newbie: i thought that this would be an appropriate time to use this smiley because its my first post.

[yummytyson]

To CheapyD

How did those whole, Cheap Ass Gamer thing start? Did you just wake up one morning and said, "I think i'm going to help people find cheap deals on games."?

[Shivy]

Firstly, I just wanted to say that you really ought to try Chicken Hearts. They taste just like the fatty part of bacon, and are really good.

Secondly, I was wondering how Japan and New York compare to LA as far as the general friendliness of people. I live out near LA, and they say people are a lot less friendly in California than in New York. I'd imaging people in Japan are pretty quiet and stick to themselves.

[Madhattan]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat. I love the show and have been listening since close to the beginning. I have a question for Cheapy.
A while ago you reviewed the DS stand accessory. You were using it to practice your Kanji.
I went to Play Asia and found a DS title called "Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten." Is this the title that you use? Is it any good? I live in Manhattan and have been studying Japanese in school for 2 years in the hopes of finding work in Japan after school.
After the grammer basics, Kanji is the biggest obstacle when learning Japanese. Is this DS title helpful?
Is it just a dictionary or can it quiz you or provide flash card studying?

Thanks,

Roy (Madhattan)
NYC

[Fatal Snipe]

Hey cheapy, a while ago around episode 45 and 50, you had an idea for what Microsoft should do with the Xbox Live Marketplace. You felt that Microsoft should make it so that you can go to Xbox.com, browse all the downloads, and queue up all the ones you wanted. Then, when you turn on your Xbox 360, it simply downloads them all.

I don't know if you remember saying this, but as you probably know, this is exactly what they are doing for Halo 3. You go to bungie.net, queue up any downloads you want, and as soon as you start up halo 3 on your Xbox 360, it downloads them all.

Do you think by any chance that bungie took this idea from you? They are litterly doing the exact thing that you said, and in my opinion it is a pretty unique idea.

Anyway, thanks for the podcast.
Anyway

[Mindzeye82]

Sony appears to be looking at a rough holiday season. Two of their big exclusives are not doing as well as expected (Lair & Heavenly Sword). The buzz surrounding Rachet & Clank and Uncharted does not even approach the hype surrounding Mass Effect and Bioshock.

What advice would you guys give to Sony for the coming year to make the PS3 king of the console hill? Also, how much focus would you tell them to put into securing exclusives?

[HotShotX]

I'm new to the CAGCast, so I don't know if this has already been touched on, but I have two questions:

1. What's your (CheapyD & Wombat) outlook on Digital Distribution? On one hand it'd be nice to see it wipe Gamestop of the face of the Earth, but in essence it could wipe out CAG as well.

2. What's your thoughts on games like Kwari (Money-FPS), where real money is used not as endgame prizes, but as the rewards/punishments for gamer skill.

~HotShotX

[FunkyDoRight]

Just got back off a boring vacation to Panama City, FL. My question is what was you peoples worst vacations?

[cjg0621]

Cheapy-
A few CAGCasts ago you mentioned you were working on getting the site redesigned. I was wondering if you had any updates because the site is in need of a clean up (no offense!)
-Chris G.

[ALLoGISTIC1]

Hey Cheapy and wombat! Can you guys recommend a third party 360 controller with a d-pad that actually works? I find myself wanting to throw my microsoft controller through the t.v. when trying to play live arcade games using its horrible horrible d-pad.
p.s. thanks for the bracelet.

[jedi0077]

Hey now!
Is Guitar Hero popular in Japan? I know people all over the world love our music. Just wondered if the language barrier was a huge problem. But, colors are colors. Notes are notes...

[max42]

Hey Cheapy,

Do you think its gonna be hard for your child to grow up in a home where two langauges are spoken? Well just wondering i think i will be wierd for the baby

Better bursh up on your japanese otherwise you child will never be able to speak to you.

[twen]

Hey now!
Is Guitar Hero popular in Japan? I know people all over the world love our music. Just wondered if the language barrier was a huge problem. But, colors are colors. Notes are notes...

I wouldn't be surprised. Us Americans love the japanese music games, so I wouldn't entirely doubt that fact. It may not be as popular as their own games of course, but yeah...

[msdmoney]

Cheapy,
I posted this before, but I never heard you answer it on the podcast, so I figured I would give it one more shot.

What has been the general perception of the industry, developers and publishers and also online or B&M retailers, towards cheapassgamer (besides the obvious CC ordeal)? Do they hate us for waiting to buy their games cheap, or love us for buying more games than the average gamer?

[unicron129]

Hey Cheapy,I got a Wii a while back but I haven't gotten any games because I dont want to waste a whole bunch of batteries. Do you or Wombat use a rechargeable battery pack for the Wiimote? If so would you recommend it?

[flyers241]

Hey Cheapy,

I don't know how much TV you watch, but are there HD broadcasts available in Japan? And if there are, is it just Japanese programs or do they also show American TV shows or sports in HD? Also, do you watch any of this HD content?

[miyamotofreak]

Cheapy and Wombat, do you feel Warhawk is doomed without downloadable content?
I also feel that ads are good in podcasts when they are spoken by the hosts and nicely integrated, not time bumpers. Bravo to Cheapy for not always selling out and taking everyone into consideration.

[H.Cornerstone]

Cheapy, did you hear about hte Robocop Blu-ray release? If not:

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/news/show/MGM/RoboCop_Blu-ray_Gets_New_Transfer,_But_No_Extras/966

If so, how excited are you for it?

[TheTrueSephiroth]

Hey guys, long time CAG and long time listener, keep up the great work.
Less than a year after buying it, my 360 has red ringed on me. I did the Cheapy D approved towel trick, but that extended its life by only a day. My dilemma is this: If I buy a new 360 now, it's still not going to have the cooler running 65 nanometer chips and I could end up with another red ringing 360 in 6 months. On the other hand, if I just send my broken one into Microsoft to be fixed, there's a good chance I won't have it back in time for Halo 3, and that would be heart breaking, as I am extremly pumped to play that game.
I haven't decided what to do yet. Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks.

P.S. the "There You Go (Everydoby Drink Remix)" is Grammy material. You guys should go on tour.

[EddieT]

Cheapy I just read on kotaku that Major Nelson lost his passport and won't be able to get to TGS. I know you were looking foward to taking him to the sumo match soooo who are you taking (did you take) in his place? I hope you have a good time either way.

[buttle]

wombat

wifi is not free at starbucks, in seattle anyway. and i have to assume that that goes for the rest of the nation. you must have a T Mobil account. you'll just have to find your wifi elsewhere.

buttle

[Carlson]

Hey guys. Love the show, been listening since about 84 or 85 and I enjoy it every week while driving. Quick question for you that I would really like to know.

The sound files you play at the end of every cast with the old video game commercials I think are so awesome. I was wondering where you access these and if you could point me in the right direction to download them in the future.

Thanks much, and keep up the good work :).

[PenguinoMF]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

As anyone can see Wombat has a love for comic books so I have a couple questions for you. When did you start reading comic books and which ones? How many comic books do you have? And would you ever consider hosting a podcast about comic books?

[Walt Jay]

How lame of a website name is

http://www.thefrugalgamer.com/

?

[gamewarrior]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat I was wondering what I should get at this point a PS3 or a 360 ? which has a better future ?

[daphatty]

What would you do if the purchase price of games were closer to $80 or $90 dollars? Would you be even more selective with your game purchases? Would you resort to piracy? Unfortunately it costs me $80 - $90 dollars just to have a single game shipped to Indonesia. The more games I purchase this way the more appealing these pirated versions and modded consoles look. Oy vey...

[tylertoo]

I've been listening to and loving the CAGcast for at least a year, but finally registered to tell you this sorry tale:

Last night in the middle of the night my dog has not one but two diarrhea attacks on the floor of the bedroom. I clean up the first, after the second I told my wife it was her turn. Big piles of loose turd stink up the bedroom and I'm about to toss my cookies. So I decide the best thing to do is take the damn dog for a walk, in part to get some fresh air. And while I'm out walking the dog I put on the CAGcast #90, joined in progress, and what do I hear: Cheapie telling us that Mrs. Cheapie wanted him to look at her beautiful dump in the toilet, and also that he has to clean up a turd off the floor, and Wombat talking about how his dog peed on a blanket.

So thanks guys, that was the perfect capper to a wonderful morning. :puke:

[phear3d]

while watching the TGS2007 Microsoft briefing, i suddenly asked myself if japanese gamers care about american games at all.. could this be the reason why the 360 isnt such a big hit in japan? although we do have plenty of violence in our games here in america, but does that even appeal to japanese gamers? im sure this would all change soon (i hope!) because microsoft showed some good exclusive 360 japanese games made by japanese developers like square enix (the last remnant, and theres another title i cant remember).

[tsbardella]

I really really like your podcast. I mean it is fun to just sit and listen to it. You guys are extraordinarily funny. I just started but I am going to work my way back. Part of my podcast problem is that I live 5 minutes from work and I do not drive even then I bike to work and headphones and biking is crazy because I use my hearing to keep me alive.

I listen sometimes to podcasts when I am working but I get distracted by the podcast so I will forget what I was doing and also I have to take calls. But yours is so great I am actually making time for it. I have to focus - maybe you could have a little break and say like get back to work

Thanks

[DarkNessBear]

Hey WeapyD And Chombat.

I just want to know your quick opinion on the word (I dread saying) "Videogames".

What do you feel about using that word to describe our favorite past time?

For me, whenever I hear it I think of an old lady holding a Atari Joystick yelling at her son, "Quit playing these dang-nabit Videogames!" It gets me annoyed and whenever I hear such cruel butchering of my favorite activity I correct those and say, "I prefer they are called Games" I believe our hobby has evolved higher than simple board or card games and I think that it deserves the simple name.

"Video games" is to Games. As "Moving Picture Show" is to movies. Outdated and dumb.

[buttle]

wombat and cheapy

do you think halo 3 is over hyped or just over advertised?

buttle

[snowsquirrel]

Cheapy, Wombat, Michael P.,

Are either of you worried about MS totally dominating this generation? I am no anarchist, communist, nor anti-MS, I am somewhat of a capitalist to be honest. But I am concerned what will happen if 360 wins this generation by a large margin.

PS2 won last gen by a landslide. PS2 was basically keep Sony afloat. On the other hand if MS wins this gen by a landslide, they will have billions pouring in from multiple streams, something sony didn't have. In fact many quarters, gaming was the only sony division in the black. Their ability to buy exclusives and set any price they want would be unprecedented.

I really feel that this is where we are headed. When ever a multi-platform game is advertized on TV (Madden, Stranglehold come to mind), they always show the 360 version, and people using 360 controllers. I believe 'the sheep' interpret this to mean they need a 360 to play. (Remember, knowledgable hardcores may be vocal, but are a minority). Hardcores tend to be more influence by the internet comments, and review scores. 'Regular Joes' are more influenced by TV, and their hardcore friends who have already purchased. Becuase many more 360's have already been purchased, and TV advertising, I am worried that 360 will really start to pull away.

I know of a handful of people who went and bought a 360 because they wanted a 'gamer' system. The PS3 wasn't even an option for them, as $549 is a long ways away from $399 (Canadian prices, though dollar is currently on par). There are arguments that like free online, wireless, blu-ray, which can sway the price argument, but most consumers don't see that way. Bottom line is that they are playing a next-gen game for $150 less. I suspect people are having this thought process all the time, all over the world. And it will continue unless Sony gets their heads out of their ass.

North american leagues seem eager to sell exclusive licenses to their leagues. What if they starting licensing their stuff to just one console? Would the cost of playing on Live still be $70/year if there were no competition, like the free PSN. Yeah, I know psn lacks some features, but mainly it lacks Live's numbers.

I don't really know why, but I fear an MS monopoly much more than a Sony monopoly. Comments? PS, I would love to hear M. Pachter's comments on this; Have you considered this scenario? Is it likely? Would it be bad for the consumer? Do you think the pubilc cares? I dream of a 50/50 split of the hardcore market.

Thanks,
~S

ps - I leave Wii out of this discussion, as the average Wii owner buys little software, and really are competing for a different market, IMHO.

[snowsquirrel]

Another question? If MS spends the same amount on marketing Halo 4 as they did selling Halo 3, how badly would Halo 3 have to suck to stop people from buying Halo 4? In other words, how many sales can you get based on past performance, and marketing alone?


FWIW - I know I am going to buy H3 based on H1 and H2 (not marketing).

~S

[Nephlabobo]

Wombat - Are you a Marvel or DC guy? Do you watch Heroes?

Cheapy and Wombat - You both have complained about the online portions (or lack thereof) on several games. Why do you feel an online portion to a game is always necessary?

I think a game with a fantastic single player experience is far more important than a half assed single player and a decent multiplayer, because I feel like I'm only getting half of a game.

Keep up the good work - but quit whining about multiplayer.

[garrett_in_the_hat]

I preordered my copy of Halo 3 a couple of weeks ago. Last week my 360 red ringed. I sent it off to Microsoft and they told me it would be 2 to 3 weeks for them to fix my 360. :cry: This has left me with a shiny new copy of Halo 3 and an empty spot where my 360 should be. I think that Microsoft should have done everything possible to repair or replace 360's that broke the weeks before Halo's release so that no one would be left not being able to play 360's biggest game because of there hardware defects. Now it looks like I'm going to be finishing the fight a month late. Do you think Microsoft should have sent new core systems to people who had there 360 red ring the week before Halo's release.? What are your thoughts?

[ZeroForte]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat... I've been listening to show for a pretty long while now and you possibly may have answered this question, but I'm gonna ask it either way.

Hearing you guys go on about your love for Puzzle Quest, which I too can't wait to get on XBLA... it makes me wonder... what do you guys think are the NERDIEST games you've ever played?

(in b4 RAILFAN.)

[Argive]

Hey CheapyD and Wombat,

What do you think of the way Valve is packaging Half Life 2 Episode 2? If you haven't heard, the only way to get it right now is to purchase orange box, a package that includes several items most PC gamers interested in episode 2 already have (HL2, EP1, and Counterstrike). Despite the fact that I really want to play EP2, Portal, and Team Fortress, I won't be purchasing anything until valve comes out with a package that doesnt force me to repurchase things I already own. Valve will allow you to send your old HL2 and Ep1 copies to other gamers electronically, but how many gamers haven't yet played these two titles?

Thanks.

EDIT: Here is a link to the relevant package on steam. I believe this is how it's gonna be sold on Xbox too.

http://steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=package&SubId=469&

EDIT AGAIN: Apparently you can get Black Box, which just has the new content. But it's only going to be sold through steam I hear. Where does this leave console owners who have already bought half life 2?

EDIT AGAIN! This Joystiq article makes it sound like black box was totally axed:

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/19/half-life-2-black-box-gone-only-orange-box-remains/

And here:

http://origin.arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2007/05/21/valve-cancels-the-black-box-forces-consumers-to-waste-money

[Milkyman]

Cheapy,
Now that the xbox forum guys have dissected a halo xbox360 and found 65nm chipsets are in some of them, are you going to return that core and get a halo 360?

[gamewarrior]

Hey Cheapy and wombat I was just wondering is a PSP a good buy ? and do you have one if so do you use it often

[Loyalty]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, how about briefly touching on the origin of the CagCast and how you and wombat got into the whole thing? I'm (and I'm sure several other listeners) are new to the show and are curious. Thanks

[yukine]

Cheapy, how can I be sexy like you?

Wombat, same question.

[PawnTakesKing]

Cheapy, when you make your rare visits back to the states, what is the ONE single American food item you want to eat most?

[daphatty]

It's been quite some time since I've seen a Best Buy deal grace the front page of CAG. In fact, I think the last time BB made the front page was just before CAG was wrongfully removed from the affiliate program. So, does Best Buy's reappearance mean that CAG has found itself in the good graces of the BB affiliate program managers?

[CMorrigu]

re: this week's video game 'best of' front page post...

Uh what? No TRU ad with the better Zelda deal?

CC has Zelda with a $10 kit free

TRU has Zelda with a $20 guide book free

Seems like you're steering us wrong, Cheapy.

[Sideshow]

CheapyD and Wombat, I have sort of a weird question for you brought on by the last few CAGcasts I've listened to. How jewish are you two? I notice that Wombat has barmitzvahs, commented on you following Germans into a booth by yourself and knows some Hebrew phrases for what I assume is "Happy New Year" but though Cheapy who I assume is also jewish by his mom wishing him a happy new jew year, but doesn't seem to notice or care for Jewish holidays. So, is Wombat like Superjew while Cheapy you try to forget you're jewish?

Not knocking either of you or the show. It's still the best podcast out there.

[ZeroGrav]

CheapyD...what do yo uthink about buying a refurbished xbox360 rather than a brand new one?

[JadedJedi]

CheapyD and Wombat, I have sort of a weird question for you brought on by the last few CAGcasts I've listened to. How jewish are you two? I notice that Wombat has barmitzvahs, commented on you following Germans into a booth by yourself and knows some Hebrew phrases for what I assume is "Happy New Year" but though Cheapy who I assume is also jewish by his mom wishing him a happy new jew year, but doesn't seem to notice or care for Jewish holidays. So, is Wombat like Superjew while Cheapy you try to forget you're jewish?

Not knocking either of you or the show. It's still the best podcast out there.

I made a statement similar to this with the lunch with CheapyD segments with him eating a ham sandwich and ham on his pizza from Domino's. Also both cheapyd and wombat refer to Christmas. There fore I think that neither of them are those militant Jews who won't eat anything nonkosher or scream at people in public when someone says Merry Christmas. I live in a medium size town in PA where Jews are few and far between, but the one I know at work is a hard core militant jew who has spraypainted a Star of David over the a work posting of a paper Christmas Tree on the bulletin board. Watch out for those people, their mission in life is to make life difficult for all.

[GreySpear]

Just a quick question for the both of you, Cheapy and Wombat. How much time do either of you spend a week playing games, and how much do you spend on putting the CAGcast together?

[Sideshow]

I made a statement similar to this with the lunch with CheapyD segments with him eating a ham sandwich and ham on his pizza from Domino's. Also both cheapyd and wombat refer to Christmas. There fore I think that neither of them are those militant Jews who won't eat anything nonkosher or scream at people in public when someone says Merry Christmas. I live in a medium size town in PA where Jews are few and far between, but the one I know at work is a hard core militant jew who has spraypainted a Star of David over the a work posting of a paper Christmas Tree on the bulletin board. Watch out for those people, their mission in life is to make life difficult for all.

I mean I knew neither of them were like mega jewish nazi style. Only marry jews, only watch stuff produced by jews etc, but I was just wondering how wombat would rate himself as a jew. Also, my question isn't to bash the jewish religion, either, but for some reason it just seems that even though both are jewish, they both have opposing views on most everything jewish related. I just found that interesting.

[RyanTheGNR]

Perhaps this question has been asked before, but Im a bit too lazy to look through the pages.What are your favorite novels/books Cheapy and Wombat?

My favorite book of all time is Frank Herbert's Dune.

[metalmat]

Have you thought about changing the name of Cheap Ass Gamer just to CAG in the future, kind of like what KFC did to Kentucky Fried Chicken. I think it is stupid that companies avoid you for the word "Ass" but you have to keep it real sometimes and changing the name to just CAG would help get more press in the future. Keep up the good work cheapy D & wombat, peace.

[thorbahn3]

What do you think of the new MGS dialogue vids that are for SSBB? ( http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/index.html )
Also, have you (CheapyD) been back to that Go meeting since the last time you talked about it?

[CheapyD]

re: this week's video game 'best of' front page post...

Uh what? No TRU ad with the better Zelda deal?

CC has Zelda with a $10 kit free

TRU has Zelda with a $20 guide book free

Seems like you're steering us wrong, Cheapy.

This post would have been a lot more helpful in my PM box :(

[ALLoGISTIC1]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat! Cheapy, when are we going to see some more video silliness, surely you have aquired some new toys or expericened some new japanese craziness. These are quite entertaining and I love annoying my wife with them. Plus, they seem to reach an audience beyond the cag community and perhaps even draw new members/listeners. How about you Wombat? Any comic statue unboxings in your furture?

[Kfoster1979]

So Cheapy did you get this yet?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000VD5I94/panandscathed-20

[linkpwns]

I have a question for ya Cheapy. Have you ever read the video game reviews section of the forums? One my my favorite reviewers on the forum seems to be chacrana. He is a long time user, and a very through reviewer. Why don't you send some of the review (or evaluation) copies of the games from companies to review for the front page? I think it is a great idea honestly.

Oh, and I am not a clone account of Chacrana, I've been registered for almost a year now. Of course he didn't tell me to post anything like this BTW. :p

[SoNiC1023]

Hey cheapy I heard in cagcast 92 that your baby is due on the 26th? My birthday is on the 23rd. I would feel awesome if your baby was born earlier (born earlier as in not bad premature stuff) on my birthday. Maybe you could get everyones birthday thats on you babies birthday and announce them on the cagcast after your babies birth. Think about it!

[LiK]

what is the coolest video game collectible in your collection?

[JadedJedi]

Hey Wombat, how about playing some guitar on the CAGcast?

[Dikkiedik]

I just joined the CAG and listened to three episodes. I think its funny and i will listen to it from now on. I had a question about Killzone 2. Because im from the Netherlands where the game is made we get a lot of info about it that it is all awesome and positive. I learned from the first version (where they did the same) that it was seriously overhyped (at least here). The game was ok (very lineair and grey) but definetly not even close to for example halo. So are u guys looking forward to it and what did u guys think of the first one? Because i desperately need an excuse to buy a ps3 but cant find one.

[eswat]

Do you guys think that the current Limited/Special/Collector's Editions of games offer enough extras to justify the branding and cost?

Since 99.9% of today's Limited/Special/Collector's Editions pretty much include a "Making of" DVD and artbook, this seems more like a norm than something for a Collector. Look at Persona 3 for example.

[CloudANDTidus]

Do you guys think Sony has gone to far with the million new SKUs, ranging from those who have hardware backwards compatibility, software backwards compatibility, no backwards compatibility, wireless in the box, no wireless in the box and a other missing or extra features.

I know they all have hard drives but isn't this going to far? I know Microsoft says choice is everything but it gets to the point where customers just get confuddled. :S


Is the 40GB/no PS2 games PS3 a good idea? Or desperation?

[mydogisdexter]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat.

I recently bought a PS3 60GB for the Blu-Ray (and to kill time while waiting for RRoD repair #4 on my 360. Yes, #4).

I was going to wait for the 40GB version, but found out it is not going to be backward compatible. Huh?

Wait. Are they really trying to sell a half-assed console that will not play any of the 35 games you bought for their last console? If there was not BC on my 60GB, I'd be playing the Skate demo over and over again (oh, wait, that's what I am doing).

I loved my PS2. Why is Sony stepping on the dicks of their fans?

Help me Cheapy, you are my only hope.

[ALLoGISTIC1]

Hey, Cheapy and wombat! Cheapy, I was catching up some older casts I missed and you mentioned owning a Ti99/4A. I was also a proud owner of said machine, well maybe not proud...anyway, Do you remember a magazine called Compute? Every month it had pages of code you could type in manually, and after several hours of typing you could play a real life free bad game! maybe microsoft could have xboxlive free bad game code tuesdays! you have to type in the code yourself, but hey its free!!! Hunt the Wumpus FTW!

[jonnyflash]

I noticed that you guys played the MTV Multiplayer clip explaining how to pronounce Reggie's name, but I haven't heard you say anything about Ubisoft's similar clip. You didn't mention it on the last show, but on the show before last were still saying it Oo-Bee-Soft. Have you seen this is or is another example of the Mar-e-o/Mare-e-o phenomena?

http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2007/09/17/how-to-pronounce-ubisoft-the-official-explanation/

[catapult37]

I just recently starting listen to the podcast. I really love it and I joined Digg just to support you guys. Anyway, I realized that your show somehow jogged a faint memory in my mind. Do either one of you remember an episode of Captain N that featured "Wombatman"? :-)

[Sideshow]

Live show?

[Sideshow]

Live show?


Shortest CAGbag question ever.

[javeryh]

Is Halo 3 worth $60 for the single player game and maybe about an hour a week on multiplayer?

[MrNEWZ]

I noticed that you guys played the MTV Multiplayer clip explaining how to pronounce Reggie's name, but I haven't heard you say anything about Ubisoft's similar clip. You didn't mention it on the last show, but on the show before last were still saying it Oo-Bee-Soft. Have you seen this is or is another example of the Mar-e-o/Mare-e-o phenomena?

http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2007/09/17/how-to-pronounce-ubisoft-the-official-explanation/

I didn't realize Ubi ever did a clip!

U-Bee-Soft is the correct pronunciation as in ubiquitous... Yup. ;-)

It's like the old Final Fantasy games "Fig-a-row" or "FIG-AR-O" (obviously the first, but I remember friends saying both). The wonder of the English language!

[Thomas96]

Is Halo 3 better than resistance? CheapyD/Wombat strip away the names when you answer that, and try to look at what each game offers (i.e. 40player online max vs 16 online max) tell us what you think.

[Kromax]

Including the CAGcast, I listen to a few other video games podcasts every week (hey, it's either that or read a book on my hour long LIRR commute). I've been a bit surprised at everyone's deference to the Halo 3 players in terms of not revealing any spoilers, particularly the ending. (Major Nelson has REALLY danced around even the smallest detail in his podcasts.) I for one, was very appreciative, but here we are now two weeks post release, and everybody is still giving "spoiler free" podcasts. True, not everyone has played through the campaign (especially the unlucky red ring victims), but come on already...can't we talk about it yet? If not now, when?

I never remember such deference being given to a video game--heck not even a movie.

Noah "Kromax" Kromaksian

PS, Thanks for the CAGBand.

[Hot Sizzle]

Hey cheapy, I'll be traveling to tokyo pretty soon and wanted to know which places you'd recommend for a gamer to check out like stores or arcades. I'll also be checking out the toilet museum, so do you know of any other weird places i just gotta visit? And any tips or phrases that i'll need for a traveling gaijin like me is appreciated.

[Mitchell.Dalton]

Hey CheapyD and Wombat,

I got a question for you and it is not video game related, but I think still think might be interesting. I was wondering what the process was for you, CheapyD, on getting citizenship in Japan. As someone looking to one day flee from the United States, I have been looking at the requirements and processes for entering other countries. I was hoping from hearing about your experience that I could get a better grasp of what could be in store for me. Also, been listening to the show for about a year now and always enjoy when a new show comes down the ITunes pipe.

[Shivy]

Hey CheapyD and Wombat, do you believe in ghosts?

If so, what is the oddest or scariest supernatural experience you've ever had?

[Mindzeye82]

This is directed towards Wombat.

I bought Shadowrun for the 360 on the same Amazon deal as you and logged about 2 hours total before I got annoyed and put it on my shelf forever.

I noticed that you weren't even able to make it through all the training missions (according to your achievements) and wanted to know what about the game left a taste in your mouth similar to that of dried semen?

(Not that you or I know what that tastes like...)

[jer7583]

What difficulty did you guys play Halo 3 on, and what do you think of the "Heroic or it's not how the game was meant to be" type statements?

Heroic was the sweet spot for me, but that's because I've played the other games through several times. It really surprised me that bungie said that in the game, because a new player starting on heroic would get eaten alive.

[KingBroly]

Hey Wombat,

Have you ever played Tales of Symphonia for the GameCube? I don't find myself as a big RPG fan, but this is one RPG that I love. It is an awesome pickup, especially with the sequel coming out on the Wii.

[Indiana]

Cheapy,

Where do you find the great retro video game commericals? I love hearing these and would like to go listen to some more. Found memories of those early days of gaming.

[Jim Jim]

What is the better multiplayer experience, Team Fortress 2, or Halo 3?

[krazy14kraz]

have you heard about how Gilbert Arrenas is cheating in halo 3 to get his skill rating up. what are your thoughts.

[LiK]

Wombat, where's the pics of your new home that you promised? (maybe i missed it)

Cheapy, can you post a pic of that rent-a-crib that you mentioned in the show?

[doc_zaius]

hey Cheapy,

So I was in your fair city a couple of weeks ago and I checked out the public days at the Tokyo Game show and I have to say that I must protest your characterization of the show as a sweaty, smelly nerd-fest. Certainly there were some nerds there but many of them were of the hot, sexy cosplay kind. Mostly I saw normal people and even a lot of normal looking families and kids. (Though I must say the lines were long, I didn't waste time standing in line for hours just to play games that are coming out in a few months anyway.)


Certainly compared to E3 the sweaty stink factor was negligable. Japanese people just can't compare to the fat-ass Americans you used to see in LA every year. I think in general japanese people tend to be a lot less stinky than whiteys. What do you think? I 'd also be interested to know Mrs. Cheapy's opinion on the caucasian vs. japanese smell factor.

[bobthecat23]

hey wombat i was wondering since u are geting a new house will you also be getting some type of transportation.

PS dont get an american car there no good i would get some sort od import

[regis100]

Topic for disscussion/questions:

Console companies and development kits: balancing between being easy to work with and hand-holding

A company comes out with a new console. Obviously they need games to sell their system, which can come from multiple sources. They have first-party developers that they either own or are heavily invested in, so those teams will come up with games that will drive gameplay on the new console. Then there are other big 3rd-party developers that make lots of games for multiple consoles, like big sports games or action adventures or whatever. And there is everyone else from smaller 3-rd party developers to even really small groups that have a concept and create a game or two.

And back to the new console. Because of new hardware and new accessories and the new platform in general, developers have to become accostomed to making games for the new console. The learning curve is there, and it takes a few iterations usually to come up with the best games.

So how much does the console manufacturer help? Obviously they provide resources to allow developers a sandbox and development environment. But how much should they provide? In some part, they probably want the developers to have as much access to resources as possible so that they can succeed. They want their partner developers of all kinds to be able to produce successful work.

But they probably don't want to hold their hands too much. They are invested more (literally) in the success of their first-party developers than in the success of the other guys. But they obviously want the others to succeed, too, because it will help the console in general. But if they help too much, it canibalizes their first-party teams. And if they hold hands too much, they end up doing too much. Or maybe the developers take a minimalistic approach and put out a bunch of crap.

Basically, what do you think the best strategy is with regards to helping devlopers and providing resources for game development? What is the best balance based on historical examples and your own theories?

[DesertEagleXIX]

Cheapy; thoughts on fatherhood. It's a big life step, and you've been uncharacteristically quiet about how you feel. Nervous, excited, dreadful?

I've been married for about two years now, and the pressure of having offspring is getting great. I'm pretty fucking scared, though...

Do you think being a father will change the amount of time devoted to gaming habits and CAG duties?

Do do think the trend towards Lite (or Casual) gaming is hurting or helping the industry for us 'hardcore' types? Are resources being drawn away, or are new bodies being brought into the realm of videogaming, helping the industry grow?

[umcthomas]

CheapyD and Wombat, last week you complained about the ease of the final boss on Bioshock. In an EGM article, one of the people who worked on the game story admitted the final boss was tacked on (and apologised for even having one at all). My question is, do you feel that a game must have a final boss to be a good game?

[LiK]

hey guys, which video game developer(s) would you like to meet the most and why? examples: hideo kojima, shiggy miyamoto, will wright etc.

[MRJESUS925]

CheapyD and Wombat:
Which do you think is better? Guitar hero III or Rock Band? I was wondering becuase I only have enough money this holiday for one or the other.
Thanks.

[RudyPants]

What happened to the live show idea? I know that it takes a lot more preparation for live shows, but Cheapy, you said you'd be willing to keep at it for a while.

Does the fact that we haven't seen one in a long time mean that you've given up on the idea? Or does the idea of crying in the background from your new kiddo make the live show less appealing?

[polly]

So...Portal...great game, or the greatest game?

[ecmazza]

Two Questions, One Comment

Q1: Between Bioshock, Halo 3, The Orange Box, and Call of Duty 4 just a few short weeks away, do you guys think we have seen/are seeing the best 4 months for FPS shooters ever. Seriously, all these great FPS so close together, have we ever seen this type of quality FPS's released all so close together?!?!?

Q2: Do you guys think there should be another rating (one that can actually be used, unlike AO right now), or that AO should be allowed to be used by companies, etc? After playing Bioshock and Halo 3 back-to-back, I just can't believe they both are rated M. Bioshock is much more disturbing than Halo 3. I know there are "soft-R" rated movies and "harder R" rated movies, but still...


Comment - Cheapy, you are right, that Yaris game blows balls, and not in the good way, I did not even make it through a single game before I removed the game from my HD...total crap!!!

[Nephlabobo]

Cheapy, I have a question.

You frequently mention how you order from Play Asia. I've ordered from Play Asia also, and they would *only* ship to my credit card's shipping address in Canada.
In addition to the brutal shipping costs to Canada, my package got pegged at the border and I had to pay a brutal import shipping fee.

How do you get them to ship stuff to you in Japan, as I know it's difficult, if not impossible, for gaijin to get credit cards in Japan. (It's the same in Korea.)

Do you use your wife's credit card? What's the deal?

[buttle]

cheapy and wombat

do you think there should be more wii games without motion control. some of the big ds hits had virtually no touch screen or even second screen action. new super mario bros and mario kart ds come to mind.

i would like for games to only use motion if it betters the game. not all snes games needed to use the L and R buttons, not all 64 games needed to use the analog stick. i think this is beginning to be a problem with the wii.

also, it seems like the cursor is being under utilized. i thought mario kart wii would have been great if you steered with the analog stick and used the cursor for weaponry.

and lastly, i think the classic controller aught to be used more as well. beautiful katamari would have been a great port. especially since many nintendo players have never been able to enjoy the series. the classic controller would have been perfect.

what do you think?

[MassiveDuck]

Wombat,

With this new blogging job, are you still going to go by Wombat, or are you gonna have to reveal your real name?

[zerowing]

Cheapy,

My thanks to you and GQD for sending me to E 4 All. I played MGS4 today and I found it very good, it wasn't too hard and it wasn't too easy. I found satisfaction in sneaking up on unsuspecting soldiers and killing them, etc. It was an awesome game, and I might just buy a PS3 just for that. But on to my question, what was so hard about MGS4 to you? I played it and had little to no difficulty executing moves and sneaking around, so it got me curious as to what you found difficult about it.

Thanks

[lilboo]

Cheapy,

Congrats on your new son! :applause: Very cute!
However, please do not refer to him as CheapyD Jr as that name just sounds too long. Any future references here OR on the podcast he will be called CheapyT.
Ok? :)

Again, congrats and good luck!!

[CYRiX]

Cheapy, congrats on the baby! Seeing your baby with hair made me think of this question...what color is/was your hair? And also I think everyone would like to see a picture of you with a full head of hair :D

[destro713]

Congrats, CheapyD!

Welcome to Earth, CheapyT!

[Sideshow]

CheapyD and Wombat,


Why haven't you downloaded puzzle quest?

[MrDemonicAngel]

I just read an article in Sarcasticgamers.com so i dont know if its true or not but how do you feel about Xbox Live charging by the hour and not monthly?

Heres the article. (http://sarcasticgamer.com/wp/index.php/2007/10/xbox-live-to-charge-by-hour.html#more-479)

[Negronometry]

Cheapy,

After hearing about your suspension from Xbox Live for your motto, something weird happened to me. I logged on Saturday morning to find out that my gamertag is no longer allowed to be on Xbox Live. MS informed me that if I wanted to log back into Xbox Live I had to change my gamertag (for free of course). I had the tag Negronomety for almost 2 years now and they finally decided to kill it off. I wasn't using "negro" in a derogatory way or anything (I am black if that accounts for anything). It's not like I was going from game to game being a complete dick, but in the wake of MS trying to clean up Xbox Live I was swept under. Do you think that this is fair considering that they let me get away with it from the beginning? I just hate that I lost the name. For better of for worse, it was the BEST starter for lobby chatter.

[JadedJedi]

CheapyD, I was just wondering, how did you meet your wife?

[shoelace1976]

Hello Cheapy and Wombat

My question is about the PS3. I have been seriously contemplating purchasing one lately. However, I have noticed on ebay that there are many PS3s being sold "As-is." I thought that the PS3, unlike the early X-box 360s, is not having any serious problems, however, if this is so, why are there so many PS3 being sold as is? Have you heard anything?

Love your pod cast guys. Its become a part of my every Friday.

[gunm]

Do you think that this holiday will be a defining point for PS3, or do you think 2008 will be the year that really makes or breaks the platform? With only a couple of "notable" exclusive titles coming up soon, I don't see a strong software lineup closing out the PS3 this year. Certainly, the current 3 SKU tier of consoles suggests that Sony is still struggling to establish it's PS3 user base, and is now biting the bullet on it's once-confident "luxury" pricing strategy. Do you think that the lower price in 2007 will sell enough units to convince more developers to sign on for PS3 exclusives in 2008 and beyond? At this point, I'm not sure Sony will be able to attract the long term third party support it needs to become a leader in the HD generation of gaming. It seems like developers are either just waiting for someone else to take the risk with PS3 software sales or are simply going where the money is already being made.

Also, do either of you have any contacts that are aware of the state of developer tools for PS3? One of the concerns of developing for PS3 is the difficulties of working with the proprietary Cell architecture and having access to a large and easy to work with library might alieviate some of the barriers to making PS3 games--it could also make porting PS3 games more successful than it currently seems to be.

Finally, if the above questions aren't to your liking, I'd be curious to know what you folks think about the current state of DLC i.e. XBLA/PSN/VC. So far, I'm coming to the realization that I'm not as interested in any of that stuff as I thought I'd be. It seems like with all the games coming out, I need to focus my limited resources on disc-based games only, with a few exceptions. Do you think these services are living up to expectations or are they simply a distraction? Which of the three major services do you prefer, XBLA, PSN, or Wii VC?

[Dingleberry]

Howdy,
Now that Cheapy has the kid living in Japan I was wondering what language he learns. I mean, obviously you don't know that much japanese and if he's going to go to school, he can't just speak english. So how does one go about the whole language thing.

[Liquid 2]

Why did you choose to give your child a Japanese name?

[thorbahn3]

Has the newly annouced $29.99 MSRP for Ghost Squard on the wii and the online only CE of Mass Effect made either of you consider buying them?

P.S. after watching your youtube video of Tai I now know he's your kid 100%

[Decepticreep]

Cheapy, So was the birth with or without drugs?

ps

Do Japanese kids celebrate Haloween?

[adamska2020]

We' ve been hearing a lot of questions/comments on Cheapy and Wombat's opinions as of late. It seems that a lot of listeners think that by you giving your opinion on something like the PS3 or the Wii or by favoring one console over the other you are performing the "unthinkable" by aligning yourself with the corporation known as Microsoft (cue scary thunderbolt sounds). This "fanboyism" as the kids these days are calling it is getting a little out of hand. Any time I go on gamefaqs.com and visit the wii message board you see topics about how gamespot is working with Microsoft and trying to make the 360 the biggest selling console of the holidays or how the reviewers of any website hate Nintendo and that's why their game got a 9.0 instead of a perfect 10. I expect this stupid shit to be at a place like gamefaqs but when I listen to my cagcast I become angry. I guess the question I have is why do you, Cheapy, tend to answer these questions as nicely as you can? Why not tell these shits exactly what you are thinking and give them a big ol' fuck YOU! (And I don't mean shaq-fu either I mean F U C K!) I mean, it is your show. Why go around being nice to the pricks when they are making your opinion seem like you are trying to argue fact? Anyways I hope this gets read because I've been a big fan of the site for a long time.
Sincerely,
A Loyal Listener.

[wiiheat]

As my system overheated and is in for replacement, I am now going to bite the bullet and get a 360 Elite (I never had a 360, it was my WII that overheated; google "wii artifacts" if you don't believe me). Know which store is running the best deal (i.e. get as much swag and crap thrown in as possible) since I'm looking at $800+ after getting an Elite + teh Haloz + Gears + Whatever else I impulse buy after that? I may as well get the stupid messenger bags and 2 Month Live card. I can trade in my Xbox and Gamecube (for an extra $0.50 off). My nephew will be happy to get me off his console though.

[mydogisdexter]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat (mostly Wombat since I'm sure he's played it most of the way through).

I've heard a little about Sony trying this, but, did you notice the achievement type pop-ups throughout Ratchet and Clank? They even had clever names assigned to them too. It didn't give you points, but it still popped up on the screen like 360 achievements.

I was wondering either of you (or any of our fellow CAGS in the business) knew of any games still in developement that are implementing an acheivement type system in PS3 games? There has to be a few programmer/developers that can speak up about it.

Oh yeah, congrats on the new mini-Cheapy.

[LiK]

Cheapy and Wombat, what games do you have preordered right now?

[FoxHoundADAM]

Just wanted to throw my $0.02 in on the new Sony SKU.

Here's my abriviated story:

Well when the rumors of the rumors of this 40 GB PS3 priced at $400 it sounded like the sweet spot to me. I eneded up trading in a bunch of my older games as well as my PS2 because I thought there would be no need for it once I got my PS3. In total I got over $350 of trade in credit, then the shoe dropped, the 40 GB model wouldn't feature BC. Well imagine my surprise, here I was without a PS2 and a ton of great PS2 games and the sysytem I was looking to buy wouldn't even work. I know the 80 GB is only $100 more but the more I think about it I'm probably going to take that $350 and buy all those other great games that are coming out this holiday season and continue to wait for Sony for figure their *bleep* out.

I understand most people are in this situation but this is exaclty why removing BC totaly sucks for me.

[KingBroly]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Have you guys ever started playing games, and have trouble getting into them, then tried changing something (like turning the lights off) to get into the experience? Or do you give up all hope and toss it in your 'do not want' pile?

The best example I can give is Metroid. I never really got into much, but after turning out the lights and playing it at night, the game really came alive and doing this has made it my all time favorite gaming franchise.

[krazy14kraz]

yo. love the show but i was just curious to know if you could chose three games that have came out or are going to come out (aka GTA 4), what games would you play until end of 2008

[mega_n00bzer]

what is wombats real name? I demand to know

[Walt Jay]

Wombat,

Are you for or against an Elder Scrolls MMO?

[Jim Jim]

Cheapy D and Wombat,

I am fairly certain that The Orange Box is a game of the year contender, so my question is, would you judge the package as a whole, or would you award that to a certain game, like Team Fortress 2 or Portal?

[max42]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat

So for this christmas im thinking of getting a 360 i just wanted to know what are your top 3 games on ur list for a must have??

BTW Wombat Grads on your new job!:booty:

[Riptard]

Will there ever be another live Cagcast?

[gunm]

Since Sony's original/exclusive IP for the holiday is thin at best, do you think it's a mistake not to push The Eye of Judgment harder? I haven't seen much of anything about the game, and I'm wondering if Sony is missing an opportunity to bolster it's "lower cost system" strategy with the lure of innovative games that aren't available anywhere else.

Granted, EOJ follows a niche genre and there's that card copy issue, but it seems like Sony needs all the help it can get, and EOJ could break the mold of TCGs/CCGs and make a bit more accessible to a different audience. I'm wondering what you guys think about this.

[burr22]

take advantage of the cheap ass chat?
should there be certain days/times for people to get together and talk about games?
i go on there every once and awihle but i rarely see someone else. It would be a good way to meet other cags and become closer community.

thanks burr22


€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ €€€€€€€€€€€

[retail sucks]

Cheapy & Wombat

In CAG Cast 95 you guys mentioned upcoming game releases that you are interested in possibly buying like Solider of Fortune: Payback. What about Blacksite Area 51?

It's looking like it's going to be a great FPS singleplayer, kind of a present day Resistence Fall of Man for 360.

[retail sucks]

The name Major Nelson always made me think of the word Melvin as in wedgie.

Major Nelson: the severe act of pulling a wedgie & melvin up someone's crouch & crack and over their head until they choke.

[thorbahn3]

Why'd you change to the DVD deal forum name so that it included HD-DVD and Blu-Ray? Why not call it digital disc deals?

[Kromax]

Is the Navy actively courting gamers?

As strange as it sounds, I was glad to hear the Navy ad on your show. As you said, it adds a level of legitimacy. Ironically, it's the Arbiter, who also made an appearance in the Podtacular: The Unofficial Halo 3 Universe Podcast this week. So, it sounds like the Navy is going after gamers?

Your thoughts?

[burr22]

i hear you guys talk about games but what about game headsets?
cheapy...ive seen ur video with a socom ps2 headset (on pixl8's youtube)
but how does that compare to blutooth headsets?
i have a jabra that came with warhawk, but i am wondering if i should buy the ps2 usb logitec headset for my ps3.

thanks guys i relize how much effort is put into just one show

[GAMERMASTERMAN]

for cheapy & wombat,i have a wii & 360 and was thinking about buying a PS3.
but do you think its worth it?
it seems like most of the games on PS3, i can get on 360
i am huge fans of the MGS & GTA series, is the main reason im thinking of getting a PS3, since they come out next year

[Cagfreak]

Hi cheapyD and Wombat.
i have a question fou you guys.
some people might of asked this already but

(to cheapyD)You have a baby now,and something more important than games has come.(well i suppose its important)
Will you have to or will reduce the time of gaming?or will you watch the baby while you play games?
and wombat, if you were in the same situation? do you agree or disagree to what cheapyD thinks.

Your shows are awsome and i listen to them while im on the train to work.keep up the good work.
and if by any chance you guys read this or use it on the show, thank you.

[MSUnman]

Ok its the holiday season, and the games are coming fast and furious. I for some odd reason feel bad, because Im not able to keep up with all the new games. I beat Bioshock, then I beat Halo 3. Now Im at the end of HL2(loving it), but I still have episodes 1 and 2 and portal to complete. Every once in a while I will play some team fortress as well. I was just curious if you guys have the compulsion like me to keep up with what is being released, and feel bad when you dont have enough time for everything? I would also like to add that the games coming out are so good I want to be able to play them thorougly before moving on to the next great title.

Once I get through the orange box, I have the following games on my radar:
Super Mario Galaxy
COD 4
Uncharted
GHIII and Rock Band
Mass Effect
Ratchet and Clank
Blacksite 51

Hopefully there isnt too much coming in early 08 so i can catch up on the glut of great software coming out this holiday season.

[LiK]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, do you guys think Xbox Live will ever be free or do you think MS will simply lower the price in the future?

Also, who would win in a fight? Robocop vs Chibi-Robo

[mega_n00bzer]

what does cheapy spend most/least of his time doing? with the new baby, time is obviously a lot less. I want to how much time do you game averagely,

and want you do with the rest of the time?

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

I was wondering what your thoughts on the new patches for Warhawk (1.1 (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/10/19/warhawk-v11-patch-and-arbiters/) which is out now and 1.2 (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/10/22/warhawk-v12-patch/)) and Resistance (link (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/10/31/incoming-from-insomniac-resistance-fall-of-man-patch/)) are and how likely you may return to them as a result of these fixes/additions. Also, have either of you seen the new PS3 ads (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/10/31/new-ps3-tv-ad-campaign/) on TV that highlight the new SKU and the big games of the fall?

Thanks.

[MSUHitman]

Cheapy,
What is the OFFICIAL policy for reposting info on a deal to another site? When the CoD Circuit City error was posted in the deals forum I made a thread on the IGN 360 GB. I credited CAG and linked to the CAG OP.

As soon as I made the post two CAG's, one of who is also on IGN apparently, demanded I be IP banned immediately. I don't appreciate people who have no authority demanding I be banned from this site so I would like to know what the official policy is and what is the punishment for calling for a ban of a user that's unjustified.

Thanks for your time and congrats on the baby.

[adamska2020]

Figured I'd try and post this last minute before you guys record but today my little brother was caught "looking" at porn on my dad's work computer. My question is, have you guys ever had any embarassing moments like these in your childhood. I remember a couple close calls when I was young about explaining why my browser history had google searches for "hot bitches." Anyways looking forward to the big one zero zero.

[condensed]

CheapyD and Wombat,

I have been listening to the cagcast since episode 50. I really enjoy the cagcast and cagforeplay. They are my stress relief for the commute to work. However, I rarely visit the forums or the site. Do you think there are other listeners out there that are only cag's by the medium of the award winning podcast.

[Nephlabobo]

So Cheapy, I'm very curious to hear what your take on the region locked Uncharted demo is. From my perspective, it is a *giant* PR clusterfuck.

There are a *ton* of pissed off people - mainly Europeans who feel they continually get the shaft from Sony. Though, truthfully, they usually do.

Are you angry about being locked out of the demo?

I am. I'll be focusing my attention on games from companies that don't treat their customers like crap.

I wish I could rub Naughty Dog's nose in the giant dump they took on their world wide customer base.

[Scobie]

Cheapy, Wombat,

Something has really been bothering me for the past month or so. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there has been a single mention of the CAG community's amazing efforts with the Folding@Home project on the PS3:

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132099

Lead by CAG Legend Marten, the team has busted well into the top 300 out of over 86,000 active teams. This is quite possibly the greatest community achievement in CAG history and could help to get the site some really positive PR, and yet there is *zero* mention of this on the CAGcast.

What's worse is that both of you have PS3's but aren't actively participating. My question, then, is what do you have to say for yourselves?

[Maklershed]

Cheapy, Wombat,

Something has really been bothering me for the past month or so. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there has been a single mention of the CAG community's amazing efforts with the Folding@Home project on the PS3:

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132099

Lead by CAG Legend Marten, the team has busted well into the top 300 out of over 86,000 active teams. This is quite possibly the greatest community achievement in CAG history and could help to get the site some really positive PR, and yet there is *zero* mention of this on the CAGcast.

What's worse is that both of you have PS3's but aren't actively participating. My question, then, is what do you have to say for yourselves?

Harumph!

[TheDonAndMikeShow]

Could you fine folks please comment on the noise the sticks make when hitting the pads of the Rock Band drum kit. I tried out the demo at the local Big Box and that horrible noise really took away from the music in the game. The stick to pad slap is loud and the game does not insert much of an in-game drum beat to recognize your correct input. It sounds as if the only noise your making is the one from the actual beating of the pads. It was pretty embarrassing to play in store because although my timing was fine the drum playing sounds like a child beating on a cardboard box while “Suffragette City” plays in the background (and yes I had plenty of volume coming through the televisions speakers.) Yours in Christ, Adam S. from Baltimore

[mega_n00bzer]

Figured I'd try and post this last minute before you guys record but today my little brother was caught "looking" at porn on my dad's work computer. My question is, have you guys ever had any embarassing moments like these in your childhood. I remember a couple close calls when I was young about explaining why my browser history had google searches for "hot bitches." Anyways looking forward to the big one zero zero.

my freind and I were surfing the web on his computer and
''naked britney spears'' came up in his google history.
it was unpleasently akward. how old is your brother? my freind was only 13

[mega_n00bzer]

why cant I see my own avatar. I have a link sprite, but I cant see it if I'm logged in. why?

[yummytyson]

To CheapyD:

Would you kindly tell us the story of why/when you went bald? :D


PS. I personally think you look good with/without hair.

[GloveBox]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, see if you can get to this question on the Cagcast.......thanks.....

Ok guys I was wondering if you can relate to my decision making process.....Ok I'm at EBgames and I want to purchase Call of Duty 4 (great game btw) and the sales associate says "Which one do you want, the PS3 version or the 360 version". Ok for a minute I gotta say to myself "Which one would I get the most out of"? Now, while the PS3 version would probably look a smidge better on my $6,000 dollar setup I would probably enjoy the 360 version more because XBox Live would definitely be more of an online experience than the PS3's "Homeless" edition. I know people get on a rant about games with an online component but XBox Live definitely helps me make my decision. What do you guys think? Shouldn't Sony be worried about this decision making process of mine. Shouldn't they be in a rush to get up to XBox Live's tried and true standard of online gaming. Just my thoughts guys....


"GloveBox"

[pinebarrens]

Cheapy

I would be interested in hearing you talk about the first couple months of running CAG and would like to know if you thought it would be as successful as it is. Thanks!

[briaooon9]

Cheapy & Wombat - This is just an idea for your charity issue this year. I sent Cheapy a PM about it but no response...anyway long story short I got the hospital I work at Arizona Children's Center @ Maricopa Medical Center ( I work as a nurse recruiter) hooked up with Child's Play for this year and would love to fill our wish list, so if CAG could help to work to fill that list out would be a great cause. It seems easier this year they way they have it set up with Amazon.com plus if we get the list filled then we can move onto the next hospital of choice? Thanks.

[sigtheman]

Cheapy, do you sill plan to do the office tour vid? If I remember correctly it was promised after the mac purchase a few shows back.I'm actually pretty interested in seeing in action, other things unique to an apartment in Japan.

[shieryda]

Hey,

Do you guys think there will be another backwards compatibility list with the next update (fall update)? There are still so many great games that need to be played from the last gen.

[lordwow]

Here's one you guys skipped over during the many weeks of hiatus for the CAGBag:

Hey Cheapy and Wombat,

Which DLC for Rock Band would you rather see: Toto or Journey?

[dubbfoolio]

Hey guys the Zune got updated with podcast support. Think you could get the CAGcast and CAG foreplay on to the Zune marketplace for those of us that like cheap ass mp3 players?

[LiK]

hey Cheapy and Wombat, what game(s) got you into gaming?

[yukine]

Cheapy, since you live in Japan are you going to focus on teaching Tai Japanese as his first language or English?

[XNintendoX123]

Dear Cheapy and Wombat, what is the longest amount of time that it has taken Microsoft to repair any of your 360s? That includes Microsoft sending you the box, you sending it in and them sending it back. Do you know any people that have had repairs that took an extraordinary amount of time to repair?

And don't say you haven't had one break, they're practically made of paper.
Thank You!

[shieryda]

This is not a question, but rather a request.

Please do not add any more hosts to your show. I just started listening to the 1UPYours and Joystiq podcasts, and have got to say that after 5 minutes, I was ready to stop listening to both, and unsubscribe. Holy shit, do they like to talk over one another and just ramble to no end. The guys at 1UP should add a parental advisory warning to each episode, too, because they sure do like to drop the f-bomb.

If these people want to get more listeners and higher reviews, they need to make some major changes in the presentation and delivery of their episodes. I was pulling out what little is left of my hair just trying to get through a single episode from both groups.

That being said, I will never stop listening to the CAGcast. Keep up the great work, guys.:applause:

[LiK]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, can you guys include your wives in the 100th podcast so we can hear their opinions about the clips that you'll play? i really wanna know what they think of all the stuff you guys talk about on the show. ^^

[waterman460000]

wat is the longest time you guys have gamed non-stop?

[smellytim]

Dear Cheapy and Wombat,
You guys have been ones to speak out against the injustices of this world. I am of course talking about downloadable content. With the first dlc announced for Rock Band weeks before the game is released are you guys worried? Do you think that this is content they purposely left out of the game? or maybe even content on the disc we're just unlocking? Dont forget this is EA we're dealing with.

[liquidcross]

Here's my random question:

Who would play CheapyD and Wombat in CAGcast: The Movie? (And no, Cheapy, you can't have Vin Diesel play you. That's a cop-out.)

[Nephlabobo]

Cheapy - not even a single mention of the Dual Shock 3?

With you preordering a fair amount of PS3 games, I assumed you'd have gone out to get a DualShock 3 by now, since you live in Japan.

Pretty disappointing that you don't even seem to think that its release is newsworthy enough for the podcast. I thought you might have regaled us with a few impressions.

[Tybee]

Hey guys,

Recently, a rumor surfaced that Nintendo has developed a new DS that eschews GBA backwards compatability in exchange for a thinner profile, bigger screens, and, most interestingly, onboard memory. Unsurprisingly, an interview with Iwata and Miyamoto around the same time indicates they have no plans to introduce a new DS model for the forseeable future.

But it got me thinking. What sort of feature upgrade(s) would it take to convince you to buy another iteration of the DS, Wii or of any of the current consoles? I don't mean a full generational shift like Xbox to Xbox 360, but rather tweaking a current console's design.

[linkpwns]

Cheapy, what is your current go-to game while on the bowl?

You used to talk about that all the time :)

[Celticfan106]

Do you think that Japan is better, worse, or equally as good as USA?

Do you think that the 360 is worth getting if you cannot play Rated "M" games, besides the Halo Trilogy?

[GLOCKGLOCK]

Cheapy and Wombat, I just saw that Microsoft released the next group of "community" gamer pics on XBL. Any news on getting CAG or the CAGcast on there? I know it was mentioned on one of the CAGcasts and I wonder if your interview with Major Nelson or any of Microsoft functions you have attended has made this closer to becoming a reality?

[Triforceowner]

Cheapy and Wombat, you often talk about using headphones with your game consoles. I recently began using headphones as well by running my 360's composite sound cables through a bass amplifier and out of that through a 1/4 adapter to 1/8 headphones. How do you guys hook your headphones up to systems, and which types of cables (composite, 1/8 jack, etc) do the headphones use?

[tah84ag]

I often hear Wombat talking about having a large backlog of games. Like Wombat, I have a day job and I find it hard to make time to complete games much less even play them for extended periods of time. I'm hesistant to purchase new games knowing that I have at least 5 I haven't gotten more than 20% through. Any ideas on how to make the best use of my gaming time? Or should I just wave goodbye to any notion of finishing these games?

[jaystaeb8]

Orange Box Questions:

I don't need this answered on the CAGCast any opinions by anybody would be appreciated. PM if you have input you think would be helpful to me.

I dislike FPSs, I have played quite a few and never really enjoyed them however ,I am interested in Orange Box as it seems to be a good deal, and possibly the kind of package that may involve me and interest me more. It may be the kind of thing to turn my impression of FPSs. I am also very interested in playing Portal after reading Wombats blog and watching the ending videos. Should I get it for PC or should I wait for it on PS3. PC is cheaper, however I am not good at controlling with the keyboard and mouse. I am willing to try though with these games to give it a chance. Which should I get? Also online doesn't matter to me at all, I will not be partaking in TF2 as I don't play online.

[JCally]

Hey Wombat, I was wondering what you thought of the Marvel Digital Comics subscription service. Is this something you'll be partaking of, or is it geared more towards someone trying to catch up?

[flyers241]

Hey CheapyD and Wombat, just watched your first hour of Mass Effect video, and I was just wondering, do you guys plan on doing anymore of these for other games in the future?

[ishcor]

Hey CheapyD and Wombat.

Last CAGcast you mentioned that you don't run folding at home because you are mostly lazy. Well I have another good reason not to run folding at home. It's because you are cheap. I mean yeah running that program gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, but it uses a lot of electricty. In fact I'd bet that if we all did our part to conserve electricity we could do more to fight cancer than running folding at home. To run our PS3's, 360's and computers the government fires up it's coal, oil and natural gas power plants putting tons of polution in the air/water wich can cause cancer. It can also get you some extra games. For example, turning off your computer every night or when you aren't using it can save you over $100 a year. Now ask yourself how many games can I buy with that $100? With Cheapy's help I'm sure that could go a long way to getting some gaming goodness.

[thorbahn3]

Now that you're both playing Mass Effect, what do you think about the achivements list? Nothing personal, but I don't like not being able to obtain all of them through on playthrough, kinda like Earth Defense Force.

[One51]

Cheapy, is there some sort of equivalent to Black Friday in Japan. Sort of like Boxing day/week in Canada?

[survivestyle5]

Hey, i haven't quite caught up on all the podcasts but i did have a cagbag quesiton so if this has been dicussed or answered bofore just skip over me.


So I was a big fan of all the previous smash bro games.. Each week there is some new post about some new game mechanic in super smash bro brawl or new character or wacky new item... do you think there is a concern about the new smash bro "jumping the shark"
Generally nintendo is good at this but there are plent of games out there that got ruined in sequels (kotor i'm looking at you).
Does this seem like a genuine concern to you or am i just getting game information overload?

[MrBrando]

This one's for Wombat, but cheapy can add his 2 cents since he does CO-host a very popular podcast.

I wanted to ask you a question about radio broadcasting. I was just wondering what is a good way to get into radio broadcasting, voice over work, or something like that. I've always heard just go to your local radio station and ask to answer phones for free and if they like you maybe they'll keep you around for a real job. I thought you'd be a good person to ask cause you have a successful podcast. I've also listened to every episode and you ( I'm guessing) seem to have some experience in this field. You also seem very personable and would give sound practical advice. I'm also guessing a college degree in broadcasting might help but yeah, I don't have that. ok, well overall I was just looking for some advice, tips, and mentorism (that's totally a word). Ok thank you very much and love the show.

[dragonsho]

Hey Cheapy,
I know you played Stranglehold and had highly recommended it. I picked it up for PC and must say that I am loving it. It has such a great old school action game feel. It reminds me of old beat em ups that used to populate the nes, snes, arcade and every other console in most of the 90's. This got me thinking, why don't these types of games don't come around as often now as they used to? Don't get me wrong, I still love games like Bioshock and Mass Effect, but sometimes I just want to blow shit up. Also, with Stranglehold doing fairly well and surprising everyone by not being awful, do you think there will be more games like this in the future?


Thanks,
sho

[mega_n00bzer]

maybe the cagbag can get to page 100 before cagcast 100. get your questions posted people! :)

[XNintendoX123]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat. Did you buy Rock Band yet? What do you think of the downloadable content and do you have any issues with the instruments? Thanks.

[phear3d]

why cant companies use Mii's instead of creating a new one for a specific game? im talking about carnival games and ea playground. where you'd have to create a new character to play the game. my kids always ask this question. i think that we can somehow agree that when you get a game, all you want to do is play the game. i know that for games for adults, sometimes creating a character is part of the experience. but i still think it would be easier and more fun to just use your Mii's. specifically for these kid friendly games. is nintendo preventing the 3rd party developers from using this feature of the Wii?

[maxchain]

Hey CheapyD and Wombat! I guess I'm a little late to the party, but I wanted to say that the Major Nelson interview was pretty cool. At what point do you think the CAGcast would be willing and able to get an audience with another prominent face of the gaming industry, and who would you guys want to talk to next from that group?


Also, CheapyD, I think you hit a valid point on how difficulty in Guitar Hero shouldn't be tied in to the number of buttons used. Personally, I'd have a fair shot at Hard if there was a four-button mode. Maybe they'll change it eventually, like with the selection of differing difficulties for Versus mode? Just sayin'.

[LUNE187]

hey CheapyD and Wombat, how is goin?

I have a good question for you guys.

I heard that the Arcade version of the 360 is not backwards compatible and that there is no way to change this fact, even with a hard drive. I wanted to know because I want to get a 360, but I don't have much cash and I need to know if it can play my old xbox games.

now, I've done as much searching as I can short of calling Bill himself

[kPod]

Just a quick thanks to CheapyD for getting me interested in Mass Effect. I originally thought that this would be boring as Timeshift (Rented it for three days, sent it back after one. You do the math), but I was really surprised at how immersive the game is. The footage I saw with Wombat being gangraped by Husks was the the final pry in my wallet for my hard-earned cash.

Ten hours in, still loving it, although one thing in particular I have to praise is the Voice acting. I chose Liara, and now William's is all professional in tone. Aw-kward. Refreshing to say the least.

Got a few questions for you on Mass Effect:
]] How far are you in now?
]] Who did you choose?
]] Which do you prefer being? Paragon or Renegade?
]] Is there any way to get the Mass Effect Novella that you got?

[Monsta Mack]

To CheapyD: Do you think Mass Effect is the best RPG you've ever played so far, and why?

[Master Onion]

I just want to mention that until the last week or so I thought Wombat's blog was on the anime web site yugioh.com :D You know it's spelled the same way as UGO. But then I saw a link to it somewhere here and realised why it wouldn't work when I tried gamesblog.yugioh.com. Well anyways, I love your show, keep up the good work.

[HenryKrinkle619]

Hey Cheapyd and Wombat,

what are your top 5 films Of 2007 so far?

[tini1485]

First, I really enjoy you guys and your show. Your great chemistry together makes for a very entertaining podcast. I about "busted a nut" when you started bashing on Katie Couric. Actually, I think a weekly bashing of her on the CagCast would be very therapeutic.

I already own an XBOX 360, but I really like some of the games coming out on the PS3. (Heavenly Sword, Uncharted, etc) I have never owned a Playstation 2, so by gettin the PS3 I would open myself to a ton of PS2 games I have never played, for example---God of War which I recently played . So my question is... when do you think there may be another price drop on the 80 gig...I don't want the "40 gig because it is not backward compatible. And I inevitably as soon as I buy it, it will drop in price.
Example: XBOX 360 recent price drop.

Just wanted your thoughts! Again, love the show and keep up the good work!



Thanks,
Tini1485

[buttle]

cheapy

what is with all of the ign bashing. ign is both informative and entertaining. they've got a style unlike anybody else.

about the gabe posts, here are the facts.
in gabe's first post about assassins creed, both ign and gamespot were mentioned in the second paragraph. they were actually being bashed for something else. but they were mentioned. he then went on to say that "There are about four or five reviews of the game with scores in the low to mid 7's." and gabe "wanted to tell everyone that these guys were full of shit."

at this point. if gabe is calling out these reviewers for giving them low ratings. these reviewers have every right to fight back. mind you gabe could have just talked up the game and left all the rest out of it. this is why i don't visit penny arcade.

and then in gabe's second post he says, "The sad thing is I wasn't even talking about their review. I was talking about the 7.0 from 1Up." 1up was not mentioned in the first post, unlike ign. he pretends not to even know what ign rated the game. this is bull shit.

was it gabe's hope that he'd be able to hate and not be hated back? and then to play stupid? this is very weak.
why don't you and gabe try focusing your energy on video games and not on hating other video game sites. i'm tired of it.

and as for the rant on ign by Jeff Haynes. the majority of the rant was about the game's failures. and only in the latter part was gabe mentioned. and as for everything that jeff said about gabe. gabe can be quoted as saying that "everything he said there is true."

but i don't care about gabe. i care about you. we're all gamers here.
where's the love.

buttle

[Kosh]

Cheapy,

I have more of a general podcasting question. In episode #98 Penny Arcade Sucks, you played a clip from the IGN Podcast Beyond show. It was the part where the guy throws a tantrum about PA.

My question is, did you have to get permission from IGN to use that clip in your show? With podcasting being a relatively new media phenomenon, I'm not sure how all the legal stuff works in that regard and was just curious. Thanks.

[fevernova86]

So does Nintendo think its funny that a lot of people's Christmases are going to be ruined? I'm just saying this because I've been promising my little sister a Wii sisnce it came out and I still haven't been able to pick one up. I thought things were looking up when I went to my local Best Buy, and just for shits and giggles, asked if they had any in stock. One of the ASSociates there told me "we don't but another store has 65 of them in stock" I was amazed when I heard this and I had him call to make sure. Now I don't know if he did call or not because he gave me a thumbs up and when I got to this other Best Buy - about an hour drive - just to get laughed at. The Wii's that showed up in the computer weren't going to be sold for another three days. It seems like the only way to get a Wii is to pay 600 bucks for the bundle or wait for 10 hours to make it in the store before they sell out.

[jonnyredbeard]

I noticed in the last couple CAG casts that you (cheapy) has had more pleasent things to say about the PS3, do you think they are finnally becoming a real player in this generation and do you think they will eventually out pace MS? I know I am much happier now that I can buy some good games for it.

[destro713]

Not a question, but a comment...

Regarding the thing about how people go to Penny Arcade specifically for Gabe and Tycho's opinions but don't go to the major review sites for any specific reviewer... this used to be true for me, but I've noticed a change in this now that some reviewers can be heard and seen in podcast form. When you hear them actually talking, you suddenly get a feel for what kind of person they are, and more importantly whether they're similar to you as a gamer.

My favorite videogame podcast is the CAGcast obviously, but as a retro gaming dork who doesn't play many shooters or own a PS3 or 360, I'm not very similar to either of you guys as gamers. So Cheapy, when you dismiss something like Mario Galaxy as no big deal it doesn't really mean anything to me. I'm not saying I get mad at it, I'm just saying I know your opinions will likely have no connection with mine. On the other hand, my (distant) second favorite gaming podcast is 1UP Retronauts, and I do think I have a lot in common with those guys as gamers. As a result, I've found that I put a lot more stock into a review when I see one of those peoples' names in the byline. So if CheapyD says a game is overhyped because of its branding, and Jeremy Parish says a game is fucking brilliant, I'm going to believe Jeremy Parish... even though I'd rather be listening to CheapyD's podcast any day of the week.

The future of "game journalism," I think, is to expand further into audio and video media so that readers can "get to know" the writers, and people will start following their favorite game reviewers just like a movie fan would choose to follow someone like Roger Ebert but not some other critic.

In other words, the CAGcast is the future, and IGN can slob on my knob.

[Unlucky97]

I would like to know if there will ever be a godzilla ds autographed giveaway?

[PawnTakesKing]

How about an update on the CAG website redesign?

[thorbahn3]

Do you think the Atari name is cursed or rather that those seeking the name are only in it 100% for the money which is why they fail.

[Tybee]

Cheapy and Wombat,

What are your thoughts on the Jeff Gerstmann/Gamespot controversy? It's hard not to see this as a watershed moment in video game journalism.

As someone who earns his living in publishing, I'm painfully aware of the way the sales side tries to make incursions into the editorial side. I've been fortunate to work with salespeople who have a healthy understanding of the importance of credible journalism and the inviolable separation that must exist between ad and edit. But all it takes is one manager with skewed priorities or a big advertiser with an agenda and suddenly journalistic integrity takes a backseat to profitability.

Don't these people understand? You can always find other advertisers, but it's almost impossible to regain the trust of your readers and your staff once you've sold your soul.

[gunm]

Even though you're a self-proclaimed "C-List" Internet Celebrity, you've made it clear that you'll sell off CAG without hesitation if the right opportunity presented itself.

Unlike other Internet Gaming Sites, CAG feels more like a community (despite recent incidents that may suggest otherwise) and your participation and personal involvement with the podcasts, videos, and posts have made you (and Wombat) as a person synonymous with CAG in general.

My question is, in the event this ever happens, would you ever continue a figurehead role as Head Cheap Ass to continue the CAGcasts and such? Would Wombat stay on whether you do or not?

[White-Wolf]

never mind

[White-Wolf]

ug dubble post

[Maklershed]

Cheapy, I made a beautiful CheapyD goaste picture and I'd be honored if you would use it somewhere:

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4813/cheapygoatsecreatedbymaqs4.th.jpg (http://img141.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cheapygoatsecreatedbymaqs4.jpg)

(click for large size)

[Mindzeye82]

Hi Guys,

I wanted to second Destro713's comments about the name behind the review slowly becoming more important with the increasing popularity of podcasts.
I am an avid listener of you guys and the 1up network podcasts. Through consistently hearing (and seeing in the case of 1up) these voices discuss games on a weekly basis, I've become much more interested in the opinions of these individuals rather than the random game reviewer at one of the other popular websites.

Also, you guys even present evidence to support the argument that reviewer's are starting to matter in your own podcast! You are much more interested in hearing opinions from the penny-arcade, destructoid, joystiq, kotaku, etc. guys than those of other websites. (despite the fact that you know them in person). Also, look at Wombat... his new position at UGO is the result of the popularity of his personality and the esteem in which the larger gaming community holds his opinions. UGO's gaming site would not have seen the recent boost in popualrity if they had hired some random dude off the street.

I think that "Roger Ebert(s)"of gaming are slowly emerging and you guys - Cheapy & Wombat - are establishing yourselves as two of the best.

Keep up the great work!

[paintball745]

hey cheapy d and wombat. i love arcade shooters like time crisis and i own and xbox 360 i was wondering if you guys knew of any games like this that are coming out for the 360. also do you know if time crisis 4 is coming out for the 360 or is it ps3 exclusive.

[PooPooRocket]

I'm just listening to the IGN PS3 podcast. Man... if that wasn't the weakest semi apology I've ever heard. It sounded to me like they are just back-peddling because no one in the community seemed to agreed with them. Did anyone one of you listen to this, they began their show with it:

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/839/839073p1.html

Any comments, Cheapy?

[buttle]

so. . .
what are your thoughts on the jeff gerstmann firing? i think something should be said about the integrity of jeff. over and over again we're told to never trust reviews from any of those big video game sites. but we never see any actual evidence of their wrongdoing. obviously this story makes gamespot look very bad. and the video game community as a whole looks bad as well.
but this story is only evidence that reviewers, even from those big sites, can still have integrity and give a true review.

[meager]

Cheapy -

You may have already answered this before but...

How do the Call of Duty games fare in Japan? The previous ones were all WW2 games, which I presume is not a very popular subject over there. Were they released in Japan at all? Is the new one out? If so, does being the fourth in a (presumably) unpopular franchise hurt sales?

[Baron O Hell]

Cheapy
Have you ever given a game a higher review because of pressure? Has your wife ever given you a higher review because you pressured her? I think you understand why I ask these questions.

[pop311]

(non video game related question)
Cheapy,
Have you seen Lost in Translation? If you did, did your views on the movie change at all after moving to Japan?

[DesertEagleXIX]

I have a few questions relating to this thread:http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162177

I haven't seen any other blogs examine this:

I recently read that Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia completely revamped its game with a single patch. That got me interested enough the write "A Cure for Madness?" on www.tech-gaming.com

To summarize:
In May of 2007, developer Southpeak Interactive released Monster Madness: Battle to Suburbia to low review scores and abysmal sales. Gamespot called the game, “ a severe pain” in their review, while IGN remarked that, “ every command felt loose and unresponsive”. Recently, the Target retail chain dropped the price of the game to $19.99, from the original MSRP of $59.99. Other retailers are selling the game at significant discounts, also. Despite an infusion of capital, Southpeak endured and recently released a patch to address many of Madness’ problems. The myriad of changes include:

(see www.tech-gaming.com for full changes)

This is the first console game that has significantly changed its gameplay, camera, and graphics, resulting in a major overhaul to the core gameplay. Most other patches fix relatively minor issues concerning multiplayer matches, hosting and the like. Rarely are major changes made to the single player game. This raises a number of interesting questions to members of the game community:

- Do reviewers have an obligation to devote manpower to re-review the game?
- Since game patches are ubiquitous, at what point can critics let their reviews stand?
- Can a bargain-bin title be ‘saved’ with a mere patch?

[kenkaze]

Hey guys,
since there is new free Bioshock DLC coming this week (new plasmids, option to turn off vitachambers) I started wondering, what kind of DLC would they have to release to make you want to go back to an old game?

[Bojizzle]

Hey guys!
Recently my wife's family came over for dinner to our house in Cincinnati. After dinner, my wife (who is not a gamer) insisted that I show them Rock Band.
I pulled out my plastic guitar and drums and her Grandma says "Will you be playing us a song?"
"Not exactly" I replied. But her comment made me think about how back in the old days families used to sing songs together for entertainment. Families have since grown away from this type of group activity. It occured to me that games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero really harken back to those times when a family bonded by singing and playing music together.
Her family played Rock Band and loved it.

My question is, do you think gaming will become or has already become the new medium that brings families together again? Do you think gaming is at its high point as far as bringing families together goes?

[Cursor]

A couple of weeks back on the 1up Show a couple of their contributors (Shane Bettenhausen, their unabashed Sony guy, and Jeremy Perish, who I think is their go-to Nintendo guy), were saying that they expect Microsoft to have a lackluster year in 2008 with regard to software releases. They pointed to the lack of widely published exclusive game announcements. Shane said that he believes Sony's going to have a much more attractive lineup than MS in 2008.

Start at about the 1:27:15 mark on the 11/30/07 Podcast and you'll hear the segment I'm talking about.

They list troubled titles and mentioned and said MS is "hemmoraging":
Marvel MMO
Alan Wake
Halo Wars
Banjo
Fable 2
Too Human

Shane also says that he expects the PS3 to be the "go-to" version on multiplatform games. The example given is Burnout--supposedly a bit better on PS3.

I was pretty surprised to hear them spin this way--what do you guys think? Would you bet that you will you be playing your PS3 or your 360 (or your Wii, for that matter) more at this time next year?

[phreak5k]

Do you think it's alright for video game reviews to criticize a game for not having certain features? When I was reading Gertsman's review for Kane and Lynch and in the review he says "You can play through this story alone or with a friend in co-op mode, though this mode is only available locally and takes place on a vertically split screen that makes it difficult to follow the action, even on a widescreen TV." while in the bullet points he states " No online co-op mode." as one of the bad points.

Should a developer really be at fault for what they don't put in the game? If this standard was set earlier, would we see deathmatch in Bioshock or a campaign in Warhawk and would it make those games any better? I know Cheapy is a little biased towards Online multiplayer because of the majority of U.S. friends with 360s that he can play with, but honestly should the exclusion of a feature affect the quality of the game?

[Baron O Hell]

Sine it is kane and lynch I would say that is valid point. Bioshock, HL2, ect don't base there stories on two people so it wouldn't be ok to take points off for those games. Two guys against the world is the main point of the game so making it easier for two guys to go up against the world make sense to me.

[XTommyDonX]

Hey guys. What do you think of the Spike TV VGAs video-game event, that is, if you would even call this a video-game event. In my opinion, this was just a sad attempt by celebrities to act as if they were relevant to the video-game industry. The entire show was just about newer celebrities commenting bad video-game references, such as one I caught about a Medusa Head. The show went on for two hours with this repeating process, where finally for about a solid 2 minutes during the middle of the show, BAM, they just come out and state the winners as if it were a race to the finish. They had given about near ten awards in under 2 minutes, and a few others through out the other 2 hours. I feel it was just a huge block of celebs trying to be funny and I am very surprised that they didn't pick a game like Halo 3 just for the hell of getting credit from most of their viewers. And COD4 winning best shooter, but Bioshock winning game of the year? They realize that they were playing a shooter when they were playing Bioshock right? I am however happy to see a new IP actually win an award, which was Bioshock.

Oh and Spike, Wii Sports doesn't qualify after a year of being available.

PS: I think its time to start a new CAGBag thread, its quite crowded. Thanks guys.

[LittleWildman]

Hey Cheapy. First of all well done with the childs play fund, i see that you have raised alot. I just wanted to know if you will post video on youtube of christmas in your apartment and have Tai wearing the soundwave jumper if it fits him yet.

[FriskyTanuki]

Hey Cheapy and Wombat, what do you guys think of the news that Activision is blocking the Rock Band patch for the PS3 that would allow the use of the GHIII controller in Rock Band from being released?

http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/12/harmonix-activi.html

[Jonman]

Hey Cheapy'n'Wombat.
I'm always intrigued to hear other CAG's express an interest in CAG-themed Gamerpics. As a gamer who's ass is well and truly cheap, the idea of playing a buck for a handful of tiny JPEGs just doesn't make any kind of sense whatsoever to me.
I make it a point of principle not to pay for any gamerpics or themes - they feel to me like a completely cynical method of nickel'n'diming the consumer. More to the point, it just doesn't make finiancial sense. Are 10 sets of gamerpics in any way equivalent in value to Boom Boom Rocket? Not in a month of Sundays, they ain't. Are 5 sets of gamerpics equivalent in value to Space Giraffe? Whether or not you actually enjoy Minter's latest Tempest-a-like, you can't argue that it's not a fully fledged nugget of audio-visual interactive entertainment, worth far, far more than a pitiful bunch of static pictures, or a wallpaper of Lara Croft's tits.
Cheers,
Jonman

[Temporaryscars]

Kotaku pisses me off. It seems like at least once a week, one of their editors mentions a title from gaming past, and talks about how much it sucked, when in fact, the general consensus was that the game was pretty good, if not great. It made me think, do some games get better/worse with age? Why is this? Also, i'd like for Cheapy and Wombat to each name one game that has gotten better with age, and one that has gotten worse.

[burr22]

Do you think that Robocop is a movie worth getting in blu-ray. I've seen it here at local best buys but not on Amazon. Do you think you'll pick it up. (In blu-ray?)

[Thomas96]

CAG Bag questions -

Did any of you guys pick up Unreal Tournament III, if so how did you like it?

Cheapy, Wombat are you guys ever going to join PS3 cag in some online matches, Warhawk, UTII, or Call of Duty 4 [COD4 is unlike since you have it for 360 most likely].

Do you trust reviews? How do you choose what games to buy and not to buy?

unbanning manaknight?

[tomatotyrant]

Hey here's a question--have you noticed any of those famous PS3 controller dropouts with your DualShock3? I've been using my PS3 a lot more lately with some of the new games out and thus have been unpleasantly reminded about the SIXAXIS' propensity for dropping out in the middle of a game. I'm hoping they somehow fixed this with the DualShock3.....but I doubt it.

[Cheerios WRATH]

Great Cag cast like always I really enjoy the show.
We as gamers need to not be as demanding for games to be release so soon. I think a game that is being pushed back is a good sign and it shows a lot about that company; how they want to release the best product, establish a name for themselves and not have the title of cutting corners like for example EA.
I like how the next gen consoles allow for updates and patches however they are over using this function. I’m to the point that I don’t buy new games as soon as they're released anymore, I wait for all the patches and updates to follow shortly after. 60 bucks is a lot for an unfinished game. Do you feel the same way or am I alone on this subject?

Thanks for reading,
Cheerios WRATH

P.S.
I will buy a PS3 just for Littlebigplanet that looks amazing and so fun…

[Autumn Star]

Hey Cheapy,
I have a couple of questions for you. Ever since you talked about that story with the kid getting in trouble for smoking pot and having his Dad sell his Christmas gift on eBay. Cheapy, now that you're a father, what's your reaction to this? If you caught Tai smoking pot when he was 16-18, what would you do? Talk to him? Punish him? Ask him where he got it? Do you think the father went over board or do you think he was too light with the punishment?
Thanks.

[Sgt. Baker]

Hey Wombat, you and I are both moving at the same time, and I was wondering, what you think the absolute worst part about packing up is.

For me, it's dishes. I don't even have the luxury of just throwing them out if I don't like or use them (which I don't) because my parents bought them for me for X-mas when I moved into my place. They suck, they chip easily, and they are not, I repeat, not bachelor at all.

Next to that, it's packing things up over time that I want to use. I got the Wii packed up last night in the bottom of a huge box, and I woke up this morning with a hunger to play Galaxy.

Anyway, what's your least favorite part about packing?

[Jonman]

Ey-up Cheapy

After you mentioned theSimExchange.com during last week's show, I registered, and have been noodling aound on it. I agree that it's waaaaay more fun that it ought to be.

However, with you boasting about your antics on the site, I'm suprised to see that after approximately 2 days of trading, I've overtaken you in the CAG rankings.

Consider my virtual gauntlet slapped across your face, and hurled to your digital feet.

[LittleWildman]

Hey Cheapy, not sure if you have played the game or watched the movie but if you have, could you please share your verdicts on Transformers (2007). I love the movie but I haven't played the game yet so if possible could you review both, and who is your favourite Transformer (mine is Bumblebee). Also I would like to know, since you live in Japan, and your wife is japanese, do you and Shima (correct spelling?) do any traditional japanese things? Thanks Cheapy, hope to get the answer.

Congratulations on the success of the child's play fund.:applause:

http://youtube.com/LittleWildman

[Blaine]

Cheapy D,

I've been obsessed with the Japanese tradition of the Fukubukuro for a few years now - particularly as it relates to the ones at Super Potato. The thought of getting 25 random Dreamcast games for $8 makes me obscenely jealous.

Surely these 'lucky bags' make your cheapy sense tingle.

Do you ever buy any? You could probably make a cool unboxing video by picking up a 360 fukubukuro - I'm sure it'd be jammed packed considering the consoles popularity in Japan.

And just as a related suggestion: DS, Dreamcast and Saturn bags would make awesome CAGcast give-a-ways.

Shorter question: What do you anticipate will be the first game related product you purchase for 太?

[stonefry]

Hey Cheapy, I was on the can yesterday and dropped a big 'ol bomb and although I am sure that that is enough to get this post read on the Cagcast I also made it through the first level of Contra 4 without dying. The moral of the story? You should try playing Contra on the crapper to increase your skillz.

[Apathy]

I'm going to be visiting Japan for the first time in May... what gaming related places in Tokyo are worth checking out (I think my bro-in-law's in Shinegawa if that helps)?

[thorbahn3]

What kind of downloadable content would you like to see offered for Mass Effect?

Also, who would you like to interview in the new year again or for the first time?

[Vegan]

Cheapy,

I think it's time to answer the question that's been on everyone's mind: Have you tried the breastmilk?

[LittleWildman]

Cheapy,

I think it's time to answer the question that's been on everyone's mind: Have you tried the breastmilk?

It's far from been on my mind lol.

[PooPooRocket]

Hey Cheapy,

It turns out that your favourite IGN Nintendo editor, Matt Casamassina, is married to Golin Harris Vice President Edie Kissko. Golin Harris is a public relations firm that has a Nintento account. And reportedly, Kissko works on that file. This was never disclosed in any of his articles.

Does this apparent conflict of interest taint the articles Casamassina publishes over at IGN? And should this information be disclosed in his writings?


http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/igns-casamassina-responds-to-conflict-of-interest-claims/

[Nephlabobo]

Cheapy,

I think it's time to answer the question that's been on everyone's mind: Have you tried the breastmilk?

Classic! :lol:

Sorry Cheapy, but I feel the need to admonish you about something you said in Ep 100.

You chastised sites like Penny Arcade (those Neo Nazis!) and Kotaku about spreading rumours regarding the Jeff Gerstman story. While I agree that sites have a duty to be responsible regarding their stories, when the people in said story (Cnet, Gamespot and Jeff) can't or won't talk about the situation, it doesn't mean there's no truth behind the situation. I don't think it makes Kotaku or Penny Arcade look bad simply because they can't a comment on their story.

[funkpanda]

Hello CheapyD and Wombat, Ive been a fan of your podcast for a few months now and I have to say you two are the greatest and I love to buy you two a beer.

Since I've been listening to the CAGcast, i heard cheapyd has trouble getting laid now. So I wonder, for christmas, did Mrs. CheapyD surprise you with a blowjob? :bouncy:

I think you deserve one.

[ecmazza]

Cheapy and Wombat,

What is up with the ESRB ratings sometimes? And no, I do not care about the Manhunt 2 crap.

How is Uncharted rated T, while Halo 3 is rated M? Nate curses (at least shit and hell), and you are shooting and killing human beings, and yes, there is blood. MC never curses, and you are shooting aliens. I don't get it sometimes...

Any thoughts?

[Joon2324]

This one goes out to Cheapy.

I'm currently visiting in Taiwan, and after pulling many hours over the holidays I still haven't finished all of my work. Therefore, I am attempting to finish up from overseas, but the lag from offshore servers is killing my efficiency. I'm assuming that opening cag in Japan takes significantly longer than in the states. How does this affect your productivity?

[XTommyDonX]

Cheapy and Wombat,

What was the worst case of bad customer support you've ever received from a company, video-game related. I ask this because I had purchased Rock Band on the launch day and in the Special Edition bundle, I had received not only a busted guitar, but also half-responsive drums. I called immediately for the drums, and not to my surprise, the box they sent me for replacement was defective as well. It finally took over a month just to receive the box to ship the drums in. I am still waiting, from November 20, 2007 for the guitar box. It generally is supposed to take only one week for the replacement box to arrive, not for me however. And supposedly, I am not elligible for their free game redemption offer because the free game is not given out to drum replacements, even though my guitar is overdue almost 2 months, this is what they told me. However, I doubt anyone has waited as long as this for the Rock band peripheral replacement.

Thanks for your insight.

[NiVRaM]

When do you think "next-generation games" will simply become the "norm". I for one am getting tired of hearing "next-generation" buzzwords, considering that the 360 has been out for 2 years, and the PS3/Wii for 1 year. Additionally, the last videogame generation (gamecube, xbox, ps2) lasted about 5 years. That means we're nearly halfway through this generation, yet we still keep calling it "next-gen"! Shouldn't all this "next-gen" nonsense be considered current-gen by now?

[LittleWildman]

When do you think "next-generation games" will simply become the "norm". I for one am getting tired of hearing "next-generation" buzzwords, considering that the 360 has been out for 2 years, and the PS3/Wii for 1 year. Additionally, the last videogame generation (gamecube, xbox, ps2) lasted about 5 years. That means we're nearly halfway through this generation, yet we still keep calling it "next-gen"! Shouldn't all this "next-gen" nonsense be considered current-gen by now?

Very true. I also wonder when graphics are going to become so realistic that they can't get any better.

[Koshirou]

He cheappy

I was just listning to cagcast 92 and someone was suggesting to change your name into CAG.com because company's ignore you because of the ass. But what about changing the name to Cheapssgamer without the a, when you say ss it sounds like ass.

Greetz,

Koshirou

[LittleWildman]

Hey Cheapy. Just something that has been on my mind and I know it has nothing to do with gaming but i'm going to ask anyway, what is your natural hair colour?

[Koshirou]

Hey Cheapy. Just something that has been on my mind and I know it has nothing to do with gaming but i'm going to ask anyway, what is your natural hair colour?

lol, i just heard this on his podcast(number 96), his natural hair colour is dark brown and he would post a foto somewhere on the forum.

[jakehoss]

Hey cheapy, i was just wondering.... Why does microsoft suck so much ass. Hopefully you can answer this. thanks love the show.

[lalagideon]

Dear Cheapy and Wombat,

Although it's almost unanimously accepted that Bioshock is a spectacular game that has raised the standard for video games - in particular with regards to storyline, voice-acting, music, and overall presentation - there is a not-so-small contingent of gamers that were underwhelmed with the game's ending(s). I, for one, thought the game was brilliant and was actually moved by the "good" ending. What about it was so offensive to some of the gaming community? Was it the ending's sentimentality or the lack of a throw-down, challenging boss fight? Or perhaps something else? If it's the challenge (or lack thereof) of the boss fight, there are a myriad of games that have come out this year from Portal to Assassin's Creed whose final boss battle was anything but a battle and proved far from epic, yet those games escaped that criticism. As far as the sentimentality of the "good" ending, I, for one, was actually moved and found it wonderfully fitting.

2007 was probably the most important year ever for gamers in that it's the first year where being a gamer became as close to mainstream as it ever has been. It has given us ample ammunition to combat the stereotypes gamers have had to face for YEARS from anti or non-gamers. One of these stereotypes, however, is that gamers lack the capacity for deeper thought and/or emotional connections to things and that they'd rather involve themselves with mindless explosions and mowing down of endless, faceless enemies (i.e. Call of Duty 4). Is the "Bioshock Backlash" an example of this? Are "they" right about us? Say it ain't so, Cheapy!


Love the show,

Gideon