Nicole, Simone, Linda, and Courtney talk about all the video game news. Then we get into what we played. Hey, Overcast listeners! Recommend us if you have a minute, would you? Thanks, everyone, we love you! Please send in questions!
Listen to the podcast in the player above, download it here, or…
News
- ESPN has an esports division.
- Disney and Maker Studios are partnering with YouTube star PewDiePie to start a YouTube network called Revelmode.
- Twitch Plays is a phenomenon and Twitch has given it its own directory. Twitch Plays has people playing games in huge groups by typing in commands. Simone and Courtney compare it to the Bob Ross stream:
- Omikron, a video game featuring David Bowie, is free until January 22. (You need Windows 8 or older to play this PC game; it won’t work on Windows 10.)
- The popular dinosaur-filled simulator ARK: Survival Evolved is sponsoring a mod contest that sounds pretty cool.
- Brian Horton, the director of Rise of the Tomb Raider, has left Crystal Dynamics.
- The Supreme Court has decided to hear the Xbox 360 disc-scratching lawsuit. John Oliver wants people to make videos with audio from the Supreme Court matched to video of dogs. Nicole likes a video of a talking dog who really wants maple bacon. Simone likes videos of cats speaking French.
- EA Access is offering a pretty cool free trial.
- Martin Sahlin made a video to teach people how to make the cute character, Yarnie, from his video game Unvraveled.
- Simone is worried that the Assassin’s Creed movie in production right now won’t do the game franchise proud.
- Microsoft has purchased MinecraftEdu.
- There’s a new Xbox One dashboard.
- A GDC report says there are now 18% women in game development, and there’s a lot of interest in VR but not a lot of interest in the Nintendo Wii U. Here’s more research and information about gender bias in media.
What We Played
- Linda played Rise of the Tomb Raider.
- Courtney played Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Gone Home, and Picross on the Nintendo 3DS.
- Simone played the Dead Kings DLC for Assassin’s Creed Unity, Two Dots, and Pigment.
- Nicole played Hearthstone, Game of Thrones, and Harvest Moon on the iPad.
A Letter!
Listener Swedish Matilda is looking for couch co-op recommendations:
“So, my boyfriend and I bought a Wii U during the holidays. We have been playing Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros with friends and it’s super fun, but now I’m looking for co-op games just the two of us can play. I was kind of devastated when I realized that Splatoon hade no “real” local multiplayer. We already got Super Mario World 3D and it’s great (the cat suits are adorable!). Do you have any other suggestions? We play Helldivers on the PS4, so PS4 suggestions are also welcome. ”
Matilda, thanks for your question! Here are some recommendations:
- Kirby (maybe, maybe not)
- Super Mario Galaxy
- Until Dawn and other story games (not technically a co-op game, but a crowd favorite)
- Chariot on PS4 and Wii U
- Runbow
- Amplitude on PS4
- Borderlands the Pre-Sequel
- Jackbox Party Pack (for larger groups)
- Nintendo Land
Credits
This podcast was recorded in the studios of the Jack Straw Cultural Center in Seattle. The music is by Pat Goodwin at Novelty Shop Creative. Participating in this podcast were Nicole Tanner, Linda Breneman, Simone de Rochefort, and Courtney Holmes.
Thanks for listening and, if you liked this episode, please rate us on iTunes and find us on BlogTalkRadio!
