CAGcast #147: The Airing of the Grievances

You guys talked about the PS3 having a 10 year lifespan, but why do you assume there wont be another Sony system before the PS3 dies? The PS1 had a lifespan of around 10 years ('95-'06) and the PS2 is reaching its 10 year anniversary soon. Each of these systems had their replacements arrive within the normal console lifespan period.

Now thats out of the way; awesome show guys. Been listening for a few years now but just recently got on the boards.
 
Although the content on Stern may be more original, funnier (to some) and thought provoking, Wombat is right in saying that Leno is more relevant to the world at large today.

Leno has a larger audience and reaches more people, either through direct viewings or second hand exposure, than other media that cover the same subjects. This is mostly through the lack of effort required to watch it and its social safety when talking about it in mixed company (even my mother knows who John Melendez is now). In the same way, more people will know what Charlie Sheen is up to in Two and A Half Men then will know the latest fate of Don Draper. Lowest common denominator wins again.
 
Wombat made some good points today.

1.) Wii is like ATari 2600. And kind of like the NES. And that was Nintendo's goal. To bring games to the days when they were more mainstream like when the arcades were full of Pac-Man and Asteroids and Space Invaders. And yep my Dad bought us an Atari 2600 (w/Combat included) and he played it even though he was in his 30s and didn't grow up with games.

2.) Wii consumers have higher IQs than previously thought. Yep the ignorant Wii consumer was always a myth. The "core" gaming media had to make up something to rationalize Wii sales and this was one of those lies that got them sleep at night. I actually think "core" gamers are often the least picky. They may know the good games, but they seem to purchase most everything anyway and pre-order games months before they come out after blowing their load over a single screenshot.

3.) Sony marketing is atrocious. Great examples and so very true. Sony should be hammering home the benefits of their console. Reliability. Sexiness. Free online play. BR. Internet. Wi-fi. Quiet operation. ability to add extra hard drive. home media benefits. etc. I haven't seen one commerical hammering these points home.

4.) Howard Stern is irrelevant. I hate to say it, but I have to agree with Wombat. Stern may do a great show, but if a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it then did it fall? Stern should put his show on iTunes. Sirius could be for those wanting to hear it live.

5) Games journalism is Consumer journalism. Another good point.

What I disagree with is that the Wii is any danger of crashing like the 2600 did and that's because, as Cheapy pointed out, Nintendo is also a software developer. And one of the biggest if not the biggest software developer/publisher in the world. They also, in general, put out high quality product. 8 of the top 13 best selling games in December were developed by Nintendo. I think for this reason the Wii isn't in danger of crashing like the 2600 did. Nintendo does enough to support their console no matter how many crappy 3rd party releases see the light of day.
 
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As a listener implied, show length is more irrelevant in the podcast era. One can skip any portion of a podcast they don't want to listen to and one can pause it and listen to it anytime they want.

btw, for podcast listening the skip to the next song button should be a 30-second skip and the skip to the last song button should take you backward 8 seconds ala Tivo. A simple software fix that recognizes when you are in the podcast folder and changes the function of those 2 buttons is all Apple would have to do to make this happen.
 
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Please Wombat, don't knock Howard Stern on the CAGcast. i love his show and it's still hilarious. ex: his Paul Mcartney interview last week was fantastic. as for relevance, the media still pulls clips from his interviews and mentions him all the time. btw, his show helped Artie get his book to #1. as for Jay Leno, he may be more relevant but that doesn't mean he's good. Letterman and Conan are so much more funnier and they have lower ratings. anyways, i gotta have my Stern! :)

as for the show length discussion, i understand. but i like this week's length, 2 hours is just about right. ^_^

btw Cheapy, i beta tested Amplitude at Harmonix way back. ;)
 
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I just registered to say a few things.

For a site that works hard to provide the best deals for users, it sure takes alot of heat. Cheapy and Wombat are under constant fire from angry, demanding and ungrateful babies. I enjoy the podcast and respect how Cheapy and Wombat both seem to have endless patience for the idiotic people that blame them for things that aren't even under their control. Seriously, Cheapy you rival Job in the way you can keep calm and explain things to people that hit the roof over the smallest things. Keep it up, your both doing a fantastic job.

- SOG Hollywood
 
I have to say it, the Howard Stern thing has gone too far now. Truth be told I could care less about the topic, but Cheapy loves Stern so much I just had to bring it up. He gets so worked up about it, it cracks me up. He gets all flustered and defensive as if I was insulting him personally, it really is comedy gold.
 
[quote name='Wombat']I have to say it, the Howard Stern thing has gone too far now. Truth be told I could care less about the topic, but Cheapy loves Stern so much I just had to bring it up. He gets so worked up about it, it cracks me up. He gets all flustered and defensive as if I was insulting him personally, it really is comedy gold.[/quote]

we're just passionate about the show. hell, i'll defend a podcast that i love if someone craps on that too. you have no idea how often i would defend the CAGcast in other forums. ;)
 
[quote name='oscillate']You guys talked about the PS3 having a 10 year lifespan, but why do you assume there wont be another Sony system before the PS3 dies? The PS1 had a lifespan of around 10 years ('95-'06) and the PS2 is reaching its 10 year anniversary soon. Each of these systems had their replacements arrive within the normal console lifespan period.[/quote]

Good point. Also, it's worth adding that, even though SONY launches new consoles that overlap with the lifespan of previous ones, they continue to maintain support for the old ones. Heck, look at the demand for PSOne titles to appear on PSN! Meanwhile, Microsoft dropped the XBox like a bad habit, despite the fact that lots of people had no intention of shelving theirs.

I felt pretty burned when Microsoft jumped ship from the original XBox, and then hastily launched the 360 despite the massive hardware issues; and this is the main reason why the PS3 was the safest purchase for me, even at the higher price point.
 
I like the temporary blue laser light trail in Dead Space more than the golden crumb trail in Fable2 because you could easily call it up with a button press whenever you got lost. It lasted a few seconds and then it was gone until you called it up again. It didn't hang around and it didn't require a pause the game/menu function to get rid of it.

btw, isn't this "trail" stuff in open world games an oxymoron.

And what did you guys (Wombat and Cheapie) do in Fallout 3? I havne't played that, but I did play Oblivion some. There's no bread trail there is there? You have the map warping. Was that enough?
 
[quote name='trip1eX']I like the temporary blue laser light trail in Dead Space more than the golden crumb trail in Fable2 because you could easily call it up with a button press whenever you got lost. It lasted a few seconds and then it was gone until you called it up again. It didn't hang around and it didn't require a pause the game/menu function to get rid of it.

btw, isn't this "trail" stuff in open world games an oxymoron.

And what did you guys (Wombat and Cheapie) do in Fallout 3? I havne't played that, but I did play Oblivion some. There's no bread trail there is there? You have the map warping. Was that enough?[/quote]

i agree, i like the way Dead Space used the trail. it was really well done and i liked how they auto centered you towards the location as well.

in F3, they have a marker in the compass that directs you where to go. just like Oblivion, the map warping only works if you discovered previous locations and many ground level locations force you to go through very long maze-like subway tunnels to reach your destination.

Wombat, you're right, Alex Navarro works at Harmonix now. and GiantBomb was actually created by Jeff and Ryan themselves. I'm sure another company is helping them financially but from what i read and heard, it was created by them. they had a short-lived podcast to air their opinions which transformed to the GB podcast later. Brad and Vinny left GS much later to join GB when it was finally established. correct me if i'm wrong.
 
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howard stern hasnt been interesting or relevant since the 90s and why anyone would pay to hear him say and do the same shit over and over is unbelivable.


im not surprised more people arent interested in the gta4 360 dlc. why would you want to play as a biker gang you spend a piece of the game kicking around like bitches? if anything they should have done something with a character from a past gta game or have dlc of past gta areas ( like vice city or san andreas) all redone with gta 4 graphics. more weapons and vehicles would have been nice especialy if they were usable in multiplayer. of course me personaly a zombie game would have been a must but if i had a 360. it be nice to see some dlc for the ps3 version.
 
Great podcast this week guys.

Wombat brought up some great points about how the Wii and the Atari 2600 share a number of similarities.

It was nice to hear Wombat so fired up - in recent weeks he has been less vocal, so hearing him challenge CheapyD's Howard Stern obsession was nice to hear, regardless of one's opinion.
 
It seems like the Sony "10 year cycle" was misunderstood. This doesn't mean that there will be a 10 year gap before we see the PS4. It simply means that the PS3 won't be immediately retired upon the release of the PS4. Just like how the PS2 keeps hanging around even though the PS3 is out (and doesn't appear to be done anytime soon).

Side note: Nintendo has released a new console in the U.S. every 5 years without fail: NES 1986, SNES 1991, N64 1996, GC 2001, Wii 2006. I have to imagine we see the Wii HD in 2011. Will the xbox3 and PS4 also come out in 2011?
 
Great show.

On Pachter, even though its not his job re: accurate sales predictions, would being publicly wrong affect his credibility to his customers? I mean, if I were a potential customer and I read that he was wrong in a number of predictions, why would I bother paying for other advice from him in the videogame market? While there is an argument that "there's no such thing as bad publicity" it is also true that what someone says can affect the perception of credibility.

I guess Wedbush Morgan is not hurting so bad from his comments, otherwise they probably would have put the clamps down.
 
[quote name='Wombat']I have to say it, the Howard Stern thing has gone too far now. Truth be told I could care less about the topic, but Cheapy loves Stern so much I just had to bring it up. He gets so worked up about it, it cracks me up. He gets all flustered and defensive as if I was insulting him personally, it really is comedy gold.[/quote]

Cheapy has a huge man-crush on Stern.
 
Great show as always, Cheapy and Wombat. About the game download discussion, how about using this system for game rentals? That way instead of being suscribed to Gamefly or other outlet, you could download the game for a week (or a time you specify) and play with it. At least this would help most of us gamers who don't have a rental system available in our countries (Avatar achievements - here I come!).

As for the nominations, Cheapy, I won't put you on the Villain list, but I'm concerned about your latest choices:

* an expensive headphone for playing?? (I have the same one as you, Wombat, and I agree with you - it's great, even with the cable following me around)
* Paying a monthly fee for Sirius just to hear Howard Stern?? (c'mon buddy we're talking more than a hundred bucks a year)

Now I understand some of the messages from Cags somehow putting a doubt on their Cag master. You will have a mutiny in your hands soon and Wombat will be named Captain!!

Take care both of you.
 
I disagree with Wombat on Sony's marketing being the reason for the PS3 being where it is. Be honest with me and tell me how you're supposed to sell a $500 game console to anyone, let alone the mass market? There hasn't ever been a $500 home gaming console that became a mass market sales success. It's really the fault of whatever group of execs thought that they could sell a $500 home entertainment system based primarily on the goodwill of the PlayStation brand. Sony gambled that the PlayStation name alone would corner the existing gaming market, thought their large media arm and consumer electronics position could force BluRay into every home, and sorely underestimated the wide appeal and demand for the Wii. I'd put those factors above some lame commercials.

And as far as Kaz's cryptic 360 comment, you need to remember that from Sony's perspective and it's business goals they want and need to make a longer term investment in technology overall. PS3/BluRay was an enormous investment that has huge implications on the company as a whole. The 360 does not have this same kind of leverage on Microsoft, which is still supported heavily by the Windows product. Microsoft can bleed money on 360, release a new system every 5 or 6 years, and still make money and survive as a business. I don't think Sony can do same with PlayStation. So when you hear Kaz or any Sony exec make what most of us see as a head-scratching statement, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
 
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I enjoyed Cheapy's attempts to defend Howard Stern's relevance. It was like someone 5 years ago trying to say cassette tapes were relevant. Cheapy is the only person I've heard of that still listens to him since the mid to late 90s.
 
wtf was Wombat trying to say about digital downloads? A game is longer than a movie so digital downloads aren't viable or not coming soon or ??!?!?! Wombat you were on a roll until then!!!!

All I can say is wake up. Full-sized pc games are being paid for online and downloaded onto pcs as we speak. There's Steam. There's Direct-2-Download and a few other sites including Gamestop's own site. You don't have to go to retail (B&M) to play any pc game nowadays.

Another example? The App Store and the iPhone/Touch.

Look at the direction Nintendo is preparing for with the DSi?

And of course you know about WiiWare, XBLA, and PSN. etc.

Games are going to be download-only next-gen or the gen after. The economics are just too good to pass up. Retailers don't do alot to advertise games. I go into a Target and I just see games locked behind glass cabinets. It's not like any gaming nerd, aka a CAG, needs a retailer to sell them games.

You guys are asleep at the wheel on this issue.

The only thing holding back the transition at this point in time is the percentage of consumers with a broadband connection. If these companies knew that 90% of their audience had broadband you'd see them ditch retailers quickly. IN the meantime they are forced (perhaps happily) to price digital downloads at the same price as retail less they anger the B&M retail gods which will only extend the transition period.
 
[quote name='trip1eX']wtf was Wombat trying to say about digital downloads? A game is longer than a movie so digital downloads aren't viable or not coming soon or ??!?!?! Wombat you were on a roll until then!!!!
QUOTE]

you misheard me, i was referring to me personally, I don't "need" to own a movie which is why I like on-demand services. Games I want to own. My problem mostly would be storage. And the broadband issue is a good arguement. Oh and the retail lobby. Steam works because it is PC where storage is cheap and the audience is targeted. But right now you have EB refusing to stock games that require a Steam download http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3172408. So it the real question is who is more powerful, the stores or the digital clients. So a complete digital marketplace is far far off. Mostly becuase the Big Box stores won't allow it. Its about business not technology. Can do and will do are two different things
 
Very interesting show as usual. I enjoy the fact that wombat makes conjectures in industries that aren't his forte. I agree that he has a firm grasp on the demands of marketing, but he likes to dabble in topics he isn't necessarily educated in. This gives him the propensity to be incorrect every now and then, but more importantly, I think it gives us a fresh look on whatever it is he's dabbling in at the moment.

Cheapy helps keep the show flowing and has valuable opinions, but some of the topics I find really interesting are brought up by wombat. The conversations about the wii audience consumer education level and sony's marketing strategy being two from this podcast.

That leads me to my comment: My personal impression of Sony is that they're are a company that continues to rely on brand name rather than product development. They've had little impetus to shorten product development cycles and really develop a better product. Their Bravia line of LCD TVs are technologically competitive with Sharp, but Sharp and Samsung make comparable products that are frequently available at lower prices. My wife has a Vaio laptop, and my personal experience with Vaios is that they are pretty but not really reliable products.

Samsung has actually taken a large market segment in an array of Sony's product lines due to the fact that they are now manufacturing competive products at a lower pricepoint.

The end. Sorry this was so long.
 
[quote name='trip1eX']I like the temporary blue laser light trail in Dead Space more than the golden crumb trail in Fable2 because you could easily call it up with a button press whenever you got lost. It lasted a few seconds and then it was gone until you called it up again. It didn't hang around and it didn't require a pause the game/menu function to get rid of it.quote]

I would have to agree also. When this topic first came up, I was like "what about the way Deadspace does things?!" Is simple, it doesn’t interfere with the game, and its temporary.


As for Sony picking on the XBOX, I'm just surprised that they failed to notice that the same reason they are NOT on top this time is the same reason XBOX wasn’t last time... I remember people bashing the XBOX because it was big, black and ugly... while i have to admit, the PS3 is "purrty", its friggn HUGE!

Sony and MS have swapped places this gen... Last gen, the XBOX had the best graphics, but the games weren’t there to back it up. PS2's graphics weren’t up to par, but the games where awesome!

When both neighbors look over the fence and both say "your grass is greener, lets swap places", someone always looses.

I'm not sure if people remember the vaporware called "phantom" that was unveiled at the 2004 E3, that promised 100% digital distribution. Others are right, no way is a completely digital distribution model going to thrive with the bandwidth the US has (collectively), and the bandwidth caps the ISP are looking at enforcing. What might work is a model after iTunes, where people can purchase cards at a retailer; the cards come with the code to download the game, and might include the artwork and instructions for the games. This way the retailers can still "sell" the games, and the games would take up less space. Unfortunately, GameStop might disappear, along with services like GameFly. I also agree that after buying a movie, it is rare that I ever really watch it again, unless I have a guest over who hasnt seen it (or if its porn, and i need a little "skin time").


As for the show overall, I think this was one of the best shows so far; It was great listening to the both of you bicker about the relevance of Howard Stern and Jay Leno, I personally cant stomach either of them vary much (though I do like leno's bike collection), and think arguing who is better is like arguing weather SPAM is better than Marmite.

Also, any tips for a first time dad who needs more gaming time, who is a full time employee and a full time student? BTW, my kid is 9 months old, and listening to you guys talking about your kids helps me relate, even if it is just about baby poop.

Keep it up guys.



Sunbound
 
Sunbound makes a good point, but I actually turned onto Xbox late; and at the end of last generation it was largely my console of choice. This is almost solely due to the existence of Xbox Live. My PS2 was more comfortable and cheaper, but as soon as enough of my friends could play on live with me, I played my Xbox the majority of the time.

I also wanted to comment that perhaps Nintendo DS sales continue to be strong because console owners are actually purchasing new "copies" of the DS. I've considered replacing my DS just because of cosmetic wear. Owners of the original DS can justify purchasing the DS Lite, and casual gamers might find the as the battery slowly dies they can buy a fresh DS. Battery failure was a driving cause of early generation Ipod sales.
 
I purchased my original xbox AFTER I had already purchased a PS2 and a gamecube (still have them). I actually bought the xbox to play splintercell because it looked the best on xbox. Once I started playing it, I barely ever picked my PS2 up, and the gamecube didn’t get any play till RE4 came out. (I also favored my xbox because of the legitimate joys modification can bring. I haven’t modified my 360 because everything I want comes with it, out of the box)




I also feel that one of the reasons Nintendo has been successful with both their newest home and portable consoles is because they are "multipurpose" in the sense that they don’t only have games... they have "applications". Wii fit, the language games, and the like aren’t really games, they strive to teach you something and help you improve in a practical way. Why the other console manufacturers haven’t noticed this is beyond me... it seems to be a lucrative niche.
 
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Ok so what's with all this commotion about Bluray being replaced by digital downloads. Well of course it's going to eventually happen, but not any time soon. I think Bluray and DVD make a great couple, for those epic movies I tend to go towards Bluray and for all others I tend to just take DVD so I can take it between houses ect.

And you know if you have a console that's entirely "digital download" you are going to be set with a limit of downloads (like the PS3's gameshare), that's going to be annoying when I just want to watch a movie I purchased at my place at my friends place.

I mean, I enjoy having a big digital collection on my PS3 and all... but until human interaction ends or if they figure away that makes "borrowing" and trading easy than it will never be the main format choice for people. (I mean Cheapy you are living in Japan, of course you'd prefer Digital downloads; the nearest person you'd trade with is like a bajillion miles away.)
 
[quote name='Wombat'][quote name='trip1eX']wtf was Wombat trying to say about digital downloads? A game is longer than a movie so digital downloads aren't viable or not coming soon or ??!?!?! Wombat you were on a roll until then!!!!
QUOTE]

you misheard me, i was referring to me personally, I don't "need" to own a movie which is why I like on-demand services. Games I want to own. My problem mostly would be storage. And the broadband issue is a good arguement. Oh and the retail lobby. Steam works because it is PC where storage is cheap and the audience is targeted. But right now you have EB refusing to stock games that require a Steam download http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3172408. So it the real question is who is more powerful, the stores or the digital clients. So a complete digital marketplace is far far off. Mostly becuase the Big Box stores won't allow it. Its about business not technology. Can do and will do are two different things[/QUOTE]


Ok first you were on a roll and made some great observations during the show. Impressive as I pointed out earlier.

... but i didn't mishear you. Sure you answered the question with your own personal situation, but that was the problem with your answer. :) It didn't take into account the many developments (and variables) going on in the digital download marketplace outside of Wombat's home. ;)

On STeam you can re-download games anytime you want so the storage issue is a fairly mute issue as is ownership. It's not like you need anything more than a 250gb drive or so to keep a good number of games on hand either. Just because the 360 doesn't let you purchase an off-the-shelf hard drive like the Ps3 does doesn't mean storage will be a roadblock next-gen.

And bandwidth and time to download isn't even much of a big deal since Steam has shown it is possible to pre-download most of a game before the release date so then one has very little of the game left to download by the time the game is released.

The App store seems to showing us that an entire digital download marketplace is very viable. Nintendo was scared enough to release the DSi. Music amongst the kids is all digital downloads now too. Movies are just beginning to go there as well although the device to play them in the living room haven't exploded in popularity yet.

Ultimately the digital clients and game publishers (and really the consumers) have the power. The retailers can only hope to delay the inevitability of an all digital download marketplace. GS is taking that stand on Dawn of War 2 because they have their own download service. It's not like their B&M business makes any money selling brand new pc games and there is no used pc game business for them to profit from either.

But at least we agree big box stores are a big hindrance to digital downloads because digital downloads become much more attractive when some of the cost savings is passed onto customers which won't happen with the same product in big box stores.

I say there is a big reward waiting for the first home platform to jump into a totally digital download marketplace. Perhaps it will be the pc even. Here's how you need to think of it. Remember the PS1 and the N64 and one of the big reasons Sony was able to come out on top and end Nintendo domination? IT was because they offered a cheaper format to publish games on. Don't think digital downloads are any different.
 
Since I heard about Nick Sutner (RockSolidAudio) asking CheapyD about making reviews for CAG, I started thinking about reviews on this site again.

Cheapy, is it that you dont want reviews on the site or that you dont want to hire people because the site wont be profitable anymore ?

How about making a review crew with community members that would do it for fun/free ? I would be the first to register and could probably produce a decent sized post about a game each week, maybe even more. If we got 5 to 10 CAGs into this, we would have a lot of review in no time !

Think about the cagcast where you and wombat talked about using different scales to report on games, like evaluating what a game is worth, which kinda goes hand in hand with the deals posted on this site.
All this stuff could be linked together with the new CAG 2.0

Simply adding a reviews section here could bring more traffic around here !
 
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Second subject: Having a 3rd guy on the show: Shipwreck !

Cheapy said that he thought it wasnt worth the trouble and lag to have a 3rd person in the cagcast. Since Im pretty sure you guys use skype to record it, didn't you know that you could use Skype and have everyone record their audio from their computer and then have Wombat and Shipwreck send you the audio files and all you have to do is mix the 3 files into one .....

This also helps, apparently, when you need to bleep something or erase a nasty cough because you can edit the audi from one person and not cut off the next guy...
 
[quote name='charleytony']How about making a review crew with community members that would do it for fun/free ?

Simply adding a reviews section here could bring more traffic around here![/quote] It's coming Feb 1 (beta).

[quote name='charleytony']didn't you know that you could use Skype and have everyone record their audio from their computer and then have Wombat and Shipwreck send you the audio files and all you have to do is mix the 3 files into one ..... [/quote]Yeah, this is what we do. The problem is the latency that occurs when you are actually trying to talk to each other during the show. It results in people talking over each other.
 
I think I'm the one who accidentally started all this GameTZ vs CAG non-sense when I posted the link to that Forbes article.
Personally I thought it was a good article and wanted to share it with the GameTZ community because we were also mentioned (which hardly happens around GTZ).

Within hours, it became a flamefest that was totally unintended for on my part.

As far as those pictures are concerned, I wouldn't take it for too much.
Some members of the GameTZ community (at least in the forums) have a pretty warped sense of humour
If you were a regular user of the site, you would get used to it like me and many others have

Either way, sorry about all the crap from GameTZ

Edit: By the way, kudos to Bill for apologizing too :)
 
As usual another great show ... Also liking what I am hearing about CAG 2.0, but damn Cheapy, seems like you've been talking about this upgrade for the longest ... At this rate I'd expect to be playing the next Duke Nukem before CAG 2.0 hits.
 
I have to agree with the whole discussion regarding the 30 Live cards that have been popping up. I strongly believe that Microsoft is testing the waters regarding the possible price drop of the PS3. As an alternative to dropping the XBOX price to counter-act a PS3 drop, I see Microsoft focussing on dropping the prices of their accessories and Live membership as well as offering another bundle or two.
 
Good show as usual. I have a problem though with the NPD's (not picking on Cheapy and Wombat discussing them, just the NPD's in general). I don't think it's fair to compare Wii's NPD numbers to the other two, as it seems it is more of a jump-on-the-bandwagon fad rather than a serious video game console. I think it only sells well because it is the current "it item", as can be seen by high console selling rates yet low attach rate. Many get it home, play with it for a week, then it sits in the corner with the Nordictracks and Total Gyms. I believe there will come a time when the sales will just drop off because people will see it for what it is.


*Obviously all of them don't go unused and are played regularly, but many are dust bunny homes.*
 
Pretty good show guys, not quite as laugh out loud funny as always but still a real good listen. Plus I was featured on the show for the first time in the CAG bag. Happiest day of my life!
 
This one is for Wombat.

What is your view on the recently announced Killzone 2 PS3 Bundle? (ps3fanboydotcom has it up if confirmation is needed) Is Killzone 2 a popular enough title/series to be put in a bundle? Is the Killzone 2 the "hot title" needed to sell units? Also, do you think the Killzone 2 will match or possibly outsell the MGS4 bundle? Thanks for your time.
 
I liked the discussion about digital downloads and heres what I think. Movies works perfectly for downloads, like Wombat said most people only need to see a movie once and they're done. But rewatching them will also be fine i.e. when kids watch the same movie everyday. All you do is boot up the 360/PS3 etc and bam you're in business.

The main problem with downloading movies and or game is: Storage file sizes from them aren't that small and you'll find your hdd full in no time. Also internet speed too, if the only method of buying movies/games were by downloading alot of people would be pissed if their internet isn't great.

But my main problem is I don't really like downloading stuff like movies/games because I don't really own it. If I get a movie or game on disc it's mine, I have a solid copy.
 
I really like how you two dove into what company's (Hem! PS3) marketing should be doing and how other company's made a whole new name for it self. i really enjoyed how you guys talk in which way the industry is going and said a lot of smart stuff. by the way i hope you get your 900 bucks back soon. Remember 1/2 ounce of prune juice.
 
[quote name='Wombat']
you misheard me, i was referring to me personally, I don't "need" to own a movie which is why I like on-demand services. Games I want to own. My problem mostly would be storage. And the broadband issue is a good arguement. Oh and the retail lobby. Steam works because it is PC where storage is cheap and the audience is targeted. But right now you have EB refusing to stock games that require a Steam download http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3172408. So it the real question is who is more powerful, the stores or the digital clients. So a complete digital marketplace is far far off. Mostly becuase the Big Box stores won't allow it. Its about business not technology. Can do and will do are two different things[/quote]

the stores are definitely way more powerful. we need more AO games! ;)
 
That song at the beginning is made of awesome :D Brings back many memories!

Great show as always, keep up the great work!
 
[quote name='PhaperPlane']That song at the beginning is made of awesome :D Brings back many memories!

Great show as always, keep up the great work![/quote]

[quote name='StinkyCheese']You make me mad Cheapy. when I started listening to the start, I heard the Inspector Gadget theme song sirens, and I got my hopes up. I like My Milkshake Brings all the Boys to the Yard, but that was a horrible amalgamation.

 
Wombat makes several cogent hypotheses, interpretations, and conclusions concerning the success of any particular console or game, and I despair at such conjecture; not because I suspect Wombat of being an idiot (though being an alumnus of UPitt, one does wonder. Tessaro's and Church Brew Works are the only real saving grace of the city.), but because of the "truthiness" behind them. The fact that so many consumers are prone to agree, myself included, with Wombat just furthers this conclusion. The very idea that non-industry people perceive and large disconnect to what should be marketing aimed to them is a troubling sign that something is wrong. And since marketing is about promises and perceptions, if the public perceives something wrong, something is wrong. In a time when adds are trying to be "hip" weird", or "avant-garde", they often miss the point of showcasing the actual product. When the product is... something like tampons, showing the product in use is obviously not going to work; so you need "clever" marketing. But games have flashing graphics. Show them off. There really isn't a need to wrap them in shiny wrappings. To Sony, if Nintendo really isn't your competition, and the Wii is clearly a "family-room-kid-friendly-casual-gamer-machine" then any attempt to poorly market your products to a "mainstream" audience just contradicts you and makes you look both hypocritical and foolish to the more niche (though growing) gamer demograph, and confusing and ineffectual to the "mainstream" demograph. You can't have your cake and eat it too; if you do, you need much better marketing.
 
[quote name='Daze311']I really like how you two dove into what company's (Hem! PS3) marketing should be doing and how other company's made a whole new name for it self. i really enjoyed how you guys talk in which way the industry is going and said a lot of smart stuff. by the way i hope you get your 900 bucks back soon. Remember 1/2 ounce of prune juice.[/QUOTE]

Hey Daze, your sig is kinda of really big. Please remove it or I will be forced to report you. Thanks.
 
Cheapy,

I disagree about a few comments that you had regarding Kaz's comments the the Playstation Magazine, I believe when he talks about life cycles how the PS3 will last 10 years, he is NOT saying that the PS3 will be the flagship console for Sony for 10 years, but, much like the PS2, it will have full Sony support for ten years. There very well could be a new Sony Console in 2014 or whenever, but PS3 owners can expect to have great content coming for it for years to come, where as we have see with Microsoft when the switch to a new console, the old console is put to death immediately.

Question: Dont you think it is an appealing prospect for someone looking to buy a console to see Kaz talking about 10 year lifecycles when MS and NIntendo will likely only have a 5-6 year lifecycle?

I agree with Wombats assessment of the PS3's marketing as an embarresment, Kaz should be talking to Vareity or Entertainment Weekly to try to broden their horizons then talking about this in Playstation magazine
 
[quote name='acolon']I have to agree with the whole discussion regarding the 30 Live cards that have been popping up. I strongly believe that Microsoft is testing the waters regarding the possible price drop of the PS3. As an alternative to dropping the XBOX price to counter-act a PS3 drop, I see Microsoft focussing on dropping the prices of their accessories and Live membership as well as offering another bundle or two.[/quote]
That's kind of the sign I got from the rash of $30 sales, as well. It seems like they're trying to gauge the response of new subscribers due to the lower cost of entry, which would probably be a good idea if they wish to get more people to go gold.
 
I really enjoyed the show this week, it was a good blend of gaming talk and..well, life talk. Lots of little talking points this week:

*To me, 4 hours would be a looong podcast. By the time I got to the end of it, I probably wouldn't remember what was said at the beginning. ;) And, the way my workdays have been going, there'd be no way for me to get through an episode in one
day. But as others have mentioned, in this day and age of mp3s, size doesn't matter.

*I disagree with Wombat, Mario Kart Wii IS a bad game. I think Nintendo went too far with the entire "anybody can win" idea to the detriment of a series I really enjoyed. I never had a N64, so the SNES version is still my favorite.

*I think that The Office can be hit or miss. I think the episodes are either downright funny, or they make you want to cringe. I too enjoy 30 Rock, but I wonder if I'll like it as much as I do now in another season or so.

*I commented on Twitter about this, but you guys talked a bit about which console had better graphics, 360 or PS3. I agree with you guys, for games that are released at the same time for both, I think it's pretty equal. However, for games that have more dev time on one console or the other, the graphics usually get better. Take Oblivion. It's a great game with gorgeous graphics on both consoles, but it does look better on my PS3 than my 360. Of course, it came out about a year later...

*I agree with whoever said Rusty would be a good interview. He seems like a decent guy, and maybe that would show others that he's not the root of all UGO evil.

And that's that. Thanks for the entertainment this week, guys, it was a particularly long and frustrating week.

/tk
 
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