CAGbag: Get your questions answered on CAGcast

Now that you guys have surpassed some of the biggest gaming podcasts and are now pioneering one of the first Live call-in podcasts related to gaming on the Intertubes, are game companies finally going to give you guys the inside scoops/media access/free game and shwag props that other sites like Kotaku, Joystiq, et al get?

In any case, what is the current state of Cheapy and Wombat's media contacts, and how has it improved compared to a year ago?
 
[quote name='Paradroid']Hi Cheapy and Wombat,

I think I agree with your views on console modding Cheapy:

ie: modding for region free == good;
modding for cheating == bad;

But I can understand why some people were offended by your comments, it did sound a little like you were saying that modding 360 is bad but modding the wii is ok.


Anyway keep up the good work guys, I love the show.[/quote]

As a kid I pirated tons of games. I am now trying to find legal copies of them to add to my collection. Modding for cheating and piracy is not good... As an adult with a job, I actually want to spend money on crap. It is the American way.

Anyway, modding for homebrew applications, programming, and imports is okay in my opinion. My original Xbox is a way better media center than the 360 because of XBMC. It can actually use codecs that are not made by MS. I also programmed a few crappy (very crappy) games for the DS lite and played them with that flash cartridge.

There is more to modding/flash carts than piracy and imports.
 
Hey guys,

With this recent run of "price mistakes" from places like Circuit City with the Matrix box set and, Deep Discount with well all the price mistakes as of late and a few others. Do you think online retailers get a free pass on not having to honor their mistakes like a B&M ? And should they have to do anything but just cancel?

Thanks
 
Hey CheapyD and Wombat!

I was wondering about your opinions on how Xbox 360 achievements are divided up between single player and multiplayer. In my opinion, 75% of the total score schould come from single player while 25% should be obtained during multiplayer. I feel this is the right ratio because it is difficult to play all the games which require these high amounts of kills, etc, and to still find time to play other games. I also worry that at some point the online community will die and then there will be no way to get those achievements whereas single player can be done on your own time.

This all came to mind when they brought to mind is the addition of future new achievements in Gears of War related to the new multiplayer maps and Annex mode. This would bring the total to 1250, and of those 600 would be multiplayer. Even though this is just about half of the total the amount of work that they require is excessive, and personally I think that it can ruin the online experience because people are trying to get specific achievements and not trying to be a team player. Perhaps future achievements would be more suited to playing how the game is supposed to be played.
 
this concerns the forums, as the recent deals with the memory stick pro duos, they are supposed to be posted in the other deals and requests section.. but as ive noticed lots of people miss it in there. example : i originally post the frys lexar 4GB MSPD for 39.99 deal in the other deals forum, then 3 days later someone posts the same thing in the video game deals, and much more people see it there before its moved.

is there any way to have the memory stick pro duo deals in the video game deals section, as most of us use it for our PSP, and it is an accessory.

for the good of the CAGS,

mrblinG22
 
After listening to your opinions on why people are so sensitive and quick to defend your system, why do you think people are the opposite way? What is your opinion on why when Sony is rumored to loose an exclusive people will say things like "SONY R DOOMED!" or "NO REASON TO OWN THE CONSOLE NOW!"? And so quick to criticize the console as if it killed their parents.
 
Hi, I'm trying to post in the "Your Man in Japan" section, but for some reason, the board isn't letting me.

Anyways, I just read in an article that Japan has a high suicide rate. I'm wondering, are things really bleak over there? Is it the weather?
 
I feel kind of in the dark when it comes to a XBLA game's release date and knowing what it's about before it's released. What do you think Microsoft could do to change that? A highlight video on upcoming XBLA games perhaps?
 
Cheapy,
Two questions about Japan for you:

1. Are comics and collectible card games (VS System, Magic, Yugioh, Pokemon, etc.) sold in the same stores as video games in Japan or are they sold in different stores as they usually are in America?

2. I just read a Kotaku article about a significant (for Japan) increase in crime in Akihabra (sp?) for the first few months of this year compared to all of last year in regards to pickpocketing and shoplifting. Have you noticed or know anyone affected by this?

Wombat,
One question for you also:

You are right near two of the biggest hobby stores in the US in King's Games and Neutral Ground (also these are two of the biggest area's to play VS in the US.) Have you been in either of these stores? If so what was your experience in them?

Thanks for your time. The CAGCast is one of the two video game podcasts I listen to (the other being Major Nelson) and I enjoy each and every episode. Keep up the good work and innovation.
 
Hey Cheapy and Wombat, I was wondering what your thoughts on God of War: Chains of Olympus, which was one of the big PSP highlights of Sony's Gamers Day event. You guys ignored the PSP's showing, so I was wondering if this helps get you two excited for the PSP's lineup for the rest of the year and into next year or if it's already dead with nothing that could change your mind?

Reference:
1up preview (pre-gamers day)
1up preview (gamers day)
Gameplay video 1, Gameplay video 2
 
Pokemon question for Cheapy and Wombat:

I too hadn't ever considered playing a Pokemon game before the recent pair, and positive comments from both of you have me seriously considering it, but the "collect them all" mentality has me worried. I'm always up for collection quests that actually give you new things to see and do in the game (e.g. Dawn Of Sorrow soul-hunting), but repetitive things like RPG level-pumping and waiting around for rare item drops can sometimes be game-ruiners for me. After a few weeks of play, how does the experience of drilling for new Pokemon stack up? Does it consistently bring fresh experiences to the game, or does it sink into completist tedium after a while?
 
Cheapy and Wombat --

Have you ever though of releasing your podcasts in a CD or DVD collection, complete with artwork and booklet, for a nominal fee? You could send this collection out to game related organizations and get your names out there some more.
 
Hey guys,

Early reports from Europe would seem to indicate that the online multiplayer for Mario Strikers Charged is pretty fun and surprisingly well-implemented. How important do you think the online experience as offered in the North American version of Charged will be in determining Nintendo's future online strategy (especially as it pertains to games like Smash Bros. Brawl)?
 
Cheapy & Wombat,

Long time listener to the CAGcast and I love it, keep it up. It keeps my commute alive.

Just two questions:

1. Why was Wombat's speech all over the place in the last live Cagcast? Sometimes it was "oceanic", laggy, or perfect. Just wondering if it was due to the live CAGcast and then being transferred to a normal recording or if it was due to other technical difficulties.

2. Any chance that you could use more soundboards and soundclips? They really make the show funnier and are exciting to hear. Just a suggestion. Nothing like hearing Adam Sandler explain how wrong the price really is.

Keep up the good work guys!

-SoccerStud652
 
Cheapy, I enjoyed hearing your brief take on emulation in the last podcast. However, all you touched on was emulation of more current gen systems, like with the R4 DS. What is your take on emulation of older systems? I find it hard to buy similar arguments for those - since you can only purchase the games used now, the developers aren't losing any potential profits. What do you guys think?

Also, I think you both need to keep checking in with Pokemon updates! Who's on your team, and what levels are they at? How many hours of your life has the game sucked away thus far?

Keep up the good work, you BOTH do a great job! :)
 
I havn't heard you talk about this is quite some time...actually, I think it's been since around february.

But, the questions is:

How is the redesign of the site coming along? Have you been taking any steps toward it? maybe some design ideas you want to reveal?
 
got a question either of you can answer...if there is an answer

Why is it that developers dont seem to like adding online co-op?
With the except of Crackdown, Gears, Tenchu and Vegas...i dont think there are any xbox live enabled coop games...

I grew up playing coop games like Streets of Rage, Secret of Mana, AvP, Halo and the Turtles...
i'm not talking about rehashes that appear on the live arcade... i'm talking about original titles...
just read on Joystiq about their close encounter with the upcoming Call of Duty 4...they mention NOTHING about co-op.

its hard to meet up with friends to play either offline co-op or system link...jobs and school get in the way not to mention distance to travel to nearest friend's house

is the programming that much harder for online co-op?
 
With the new rumors of a PSP redesign and new games coming out for the PSP (God of War: Chains of Olympus, Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core and Oblivion to name a few) do you think that either of you will start playing the PSP more?
 
ATTENTION!: INCOMING QUESTION! Non FANBOYISH QUESTION!

What system do you guys think is the most valuable in terms of money?
In other words, which console is the better deal?

PS3 already has the next gen dvd player, rechargable controller, you can use your own camera and headset, it has the harddrive already built in and free online.

Thats all 600 dollars if you have the camera and headset already.
In 360's case, thats perhaps 100-150 dollars over 600.
 
Would you like to endorse a candidate for President? (If you say Ron Paul and put in the Cagcast title, I guarantee you'll get a ton more downloads. He has a huge presence on sites like digg. And he'll never vote to regulate games, he doesn't want the government to regulate much of anything.)
 
What game this year do you guys think will have the biggest impact for their system? Halo 3, GTA4, Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy, SmashBros Brawl, Mass Effect are a few huge titles this year. Also, do you think that who ever wins the console war this year will have a huge advantage in the future?
 
I just wanted to make a couple of comments about criticism of the Live-Cast

First, Ive been listening to Cagcast for a long while now. and Ive enjoyed the evolution of the show. However, something that us cags cant possibly fathom is the hosts's thoughts about their own show. I mean we have seen you guys go from simple conversations, jokes, news rumors. Then interviews came about which are a great addition to your presentation, and speaks miles for professionalism in my opinion. Out of all people, you know your own progress, just making a point that it IS noticed, and its not bad to be reminded of that.

Eventually, though, the LIVECast came about, and I gotta say im not a technician or gadget wiz of any sort. I am pretty much astounded by the fact that you are able to do this and "still remain in your underwear". You are picking up calls, and Cagging in real life as I listen. Considering it is a maturing project, I understand that you guys are having some trouble with these technical difficulties.

More importantly however, I understand you guys do this because I imagine it can be terribly boring talking to the same Wombat and same CheapyD for 2 hours straight, recording, knowing that there is this void that will record all conversation. I mean, this has been going on for at least, what, 65 shows? I mean, you guys do talk throughout the week, dont you? I love some friends I have, but I too get tired of talking to ONLY them...So the possibility of having a dynamic show with listeners tuning in might inject a little excitement, at least for the hosts themselves...isnt that right, guys?

And yes, there are some technical problems, Im sure the internet had problems at the beginning. fuck, even the wheel had some bumps during the Beta (if you read that on the Cagcast you will totally make my week, It was either that one or saying "Even Christianity had some issues during Beta"). Maybe the Caggers will feel a little less critical if you had some sort of way of letting them know how much your show is improving technically. Im sure its some sort of learning process for you, since you ARE learning audio and video (maybe) editing, webmastering AND Japanese on the side, arent you? well, considering all this entertainment and services are free (technically speaking, I spend too much on deals, overcagging if you will), I think we should cut you both a little slack. But some sort of update about technical improvements wouldn't hurt every now and then, telling us something like "Hey guys, so now Wombat's voice won't sound as if he was just making out with his microphone anymore....so quit yo' bitch'n" like you did on #79

By the way, I would give Wombat more credit...but i REALLY dont know if he is sweating over this show as much as CheapyD is. If he is however, all I gotta say is that that is the curse of "behind-the-scenes" work. Regardless, Thank you guys.

I just think that its your damn show, and you are to do whatever you damn want with it, and I am totally greatful for it, but i know there is room for improvement, yet constructive criticism is pretty much the only way to complain and not sound like bitching.

PS Truth be told, Ive only listened to the edited portions of the Livecast, not in the actual LIVELY fashion, so I dont know how terrible those shows actually come out to be. But in all honesty, if they were really so bad, wouldnt the hosts moved on from that novelty already? Considering it was so bad, and such a monumental failure, why bother with more...the point is they bother with more, because it probably has potential.

So keep up the efforts, guys.
Im the kinda guy that thinks effort goes a long ways further than results.
 
Hey Cheapy (and you too Wombat), love the show! Say, I'm a fellow Japanese language learner and I like practicing whenever I can. Unfortunatly, Japanese isn't the standard language in New York city so I am forced to try to either read or watch excruciating japanese shows on youtube. But recently I got a DS and was happy to learn that games are not region locked. My question is this: What are some of the good Japanese DS games that you've played? I imported Ouedan 2 and I'm loving it but I'm looking to get more. What say you?

Osu!
nickdrj
 
Cheapy and Wombat,

How long do you see yourselves doing the cagcast? Any chance you two will be doing it into your 50's, telling tales of the "good old days" of the 360, PS3, and Wii?
 
Hey Cheapy and Wombat.

I just wanted to say thanks for consistently putting together such an entertaining show each week. I work an overnight shift, and I download several different podcasts to help pass the time (and keep me awake) at work, but the CAGcast is far and away my favorite.

Here's my question- do either of you have any games that have become favorites of yours despite being from a genre that you're usually lukewarm about? For example, I normally don't care about fighters at all, but the original Soul Calibur is the one and only reason my Dreamcast still gets hooked up from time to time. Also, although I enjoy racing games, I generally find myself losing interest in them fairly quickly, but for whatever reason, Downhill Domination for the PS2 is one that I go back to again and again and never seem to get bored with. Any games work against expectations like that for you guys?

Thanks, and keep up the great work!
 
hey cheapy i'm a noob to this site i listen to the cagcast and love it i sent you a pm nut i know your a busy man i was just wondering if you and wombat could maybe review some cell phone games maybe even just once i had to sell my ds and psp for cash when i moved to my new town and all i have left is my cell for mobil games so could maybe consider this just once? i played the doom rpg which was a great game but am looking for anonther .
thx.
fredgamer117
 
Cheapmaster D,


What's up, king of gaijin? I live in San Francisco and I we had these whales awhile ago that went the wrong way up the Bay and it was just on the news about how much it cost to get them turned around. It got me thinking about the diference in attitude about whales between the US and Japan.

I saw an article about how unhappy the government of Japan is with restricting whale hunting. I also saw an article about how the government media is promoting whale meat eating and I saw a picture where it looked delicious.



Have you ever eaten whale and was it tasty?
 
This is for the Your Man in Japan.

ok, so I work at a Spanish language TV station and one of the heavily advertised products we air is Inglés sin Barreras. Meaning: English without Barriers. It's a set of dvds & cds that shows spanish folks how to learn english.

So I was wondering, is there a product similiar to this, but instead teaches english to japanese? and can i find it on the cheap?

障壁のないenglish
 
Guys,

I enjoyed your exchange about XBLA pricing. I have a few friends that work for XBLA studios, and we often have discussions about the pricing.

Because of this, I am curious - what have you guys spent $10 on, or have felt that was worth $10? Additionally, what $10 games would you have bought for $5?
 
Hello Cheapy and Wombat I justed like to say love the show, its one of my top 3 prdcast i listen to.

Last week in video game news yet another VP or some inportant guy at someother video game company (in this case,sega) once again said he doubts
WII's saying power and said he thinks the PS3 will become the market leader by the end of this console round. My question(to cheapy and wombot) is why so many video game Companys doubts the WII's saying power and think the PS3 will become the market leader?
 
Hey fellas,

I just read on Kotaku that new dl content for GH II is coming next month for the 360. Heard any more details on songs (whether they'll be bundled in shitty 3-packs again), or how many points we'll need to fork over?

Peace (in the Middle East),

Shieryda
 
Cheapy i work 3rd shift at a rubber factory and you're podcast keeps me somewhat sane all night.I think the cagcast is great and why are people always complaining about wombat ? I understand his video game scope is'nt as wide as yours but give the guy a break it's not like he's the sole host , he's a co-host. I think you guys work great togther.

So to my question i just recently sold my 360 and bought a ps3 . So now im waiting for games instead of playing them . waiting for mgs 4 , devil mat cry, gta 4, gran turismo 5, and a new crash bandicott platformer . But in the meantime i want to try railfan will it play on my us ps3 and where can i get it?

keep up the show and if you can shout out fullflex on the podcast the people i work with say im wasting my time listening to podcasts show them whats up cheapy d and wombat.


Fullflex
We dont make sense
we make elastic
 
A few questions for Sir Wombat:

It sounds like you have a bit of experience (and cynicism) within the realm of game PR, so this question is directed to you:

What, do you feel is the likelihood that the recent AO rating (and subsequent banning in the UK) of Manhunt 2 is a fabrication by Take2/Rockstar? Everyone knows they’ve been on shaky terms financially, and they’ve been known to capitalize on negative PR in the past.

But some rumors persist. The recent purported meeting with Jack T is but one example.

So did Rockstar purposely show grossly hyper-violent demo to garner some attention, then will slickly release a “M’-rated game similar in content to the original Manhunt? Will gamers ever settle for a toothless, castrated version of this game?

Do you think they will try to release this game as/is across a smaller retail front? What are the odds of its success/changing the retail paradigm?

Now Question Two for the both of you

GTA San Andreas was a landmark game in size and scope, few games are larger. Now I’m a bit worried about the 50 million Microsoft put down for a few downloadable episodic pieces. Before Marketplace/VC/Sony Paystation (or whatever the name Sony uses) a game maker would try to fill the game disk with as much content as possible. Now, content is purposely excluded to later be sold (see Crackdown, most EA Games, etc), this is compounded by the ten dollar increase in many games. Do think this is a fair practice? Do you expect any gamer backlash, as we saw a bit of with the GH downloadable content? Or will gamer bitch for a few months, then adapt to the new status quo?
 
Can you guys discuss the perceived future of licensed games. Will the model ever change, or will be always be forced to game through Summer of (less than) Fantastic 4, Drek 3, Spiderman 3, Transformers and the like?

Was Riddick a fluke, that the industry failed to notice?

What happened to Atari's incentive that was tied to game review score?
 
I wanted to call in for tonight's live show and ask this, but I thought it might put you guys a little too much on the spot.

Are there any games you had on the hype wagon or that you were really looking forward to getting that you were so disappointed with that you returned them immediately, or so deeply regretted you're almost embarrassed?

Thanks for answering!
/tk
 
Hi guys,

Love the show, keep up the good work. I've been reading recently that Nintendo's considering yet another redesign of the DS. While I would like to see a more responsive D-pad and internal memory, I'm not a fan of buying the same system twice. What do you guys think?
 
Hey Cheapy, I was wondering if you would do a guest spot on all games radio while your at e3 this year. Mr Rubin has been saying that his new gaming lounge will be up in a month or two. It would be great to hear you during allgames radio. Just a thought.
 
FORZA 2 QUESTION.

Do you get depressed when you look at your world rank on the Forza 2 site? I just did... :cry:
 
Wombat,

I haven't listened to #80 yet, but after hearing about your troubles with your 360 (episode 79), why have you not sent it in yet? How long have you been dealing with the tray issues, etc.? You are a patient man, my friend. I would have sent that shit back after the first few times I experienced any sort of problem with the system. Besides, you have a PS3 and a DS to keep you occupied while you wait for your 360 to be fixed.

Send it in and keep us updated on the progress.
 
Episode ?? - You said you needed new iTunes reviews, and you said to encourage more reviews, you'd read some of the new ones over the air next episode. That never happened.

Episode 79 - Lack of games for the Mac. Sadly, true. However, you have a Macbook Pro with a Core 2 Duo processor inside. Which means, you can install Boot Camp, and reboot into Windows to play all your games.

Predition - If CheapyD buys a gamer PC, his 'Xbox bias' will be torn, as a powerful gaming PC runs FPS games far better than the Xbox 360. It won't be immediate, as Cheapy is loyal to the Xbox currently. However, PC has quite a year coming, so look for 'the betrayal' in future episodes.
 
[quote name='CantB76']Would you like to endorse a candidate for President? (If you say Ron Paul and put in the Cagcast title, I guarantee you'll get a ton more downloads. He has a huge presence on sites like digg. And he'll never vote to regulate games, he doesn't want the government to regulate much of anything.)[/QUOTE]

Yeah, he has a huge presence on Digg as King of Spam.

I think it's safe to say we'd like to leave politics out of our gaming.
 
Hey Wombat and Cheapy,

I'm liking the live episodes and the every other week format. Even when the live episodes turn into a giant cluster-shaq-fu, they're still pretty entertaining in a "Raw Danger" sort of way. I also think the recorded shows help keep the series anchored and on track.

so anyway here's the actual CAGbag question:

You guys have talked about how 3rd party developers are now trying to catch the coat-tails of the Wii's success. Do you guys think the large install bases of graphically inferior consoles such as the PS2 and Wii will eventually prevent many developers from bothering with next gen graphics engines? Lately I've been seeing some complaints that many upcoming titles are essentially games polished up from current-gen graphics engines (Beautiful Katamari, All-Pro Football 2K8, Eternal Sonata). Do you think this is because of future consideration of porting the games over to the Wii and will this become a trend that hurts the more powerful consoles?
 
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