Conference Call

GWJ Conference Call Episode 65

Sexy New Hardware, Finishing Games, Windows Vista, Predictions and Wishes For 2008, Your Emails and more!

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor holiday exhaustion will prevent us from bringing you a new show to usher in 2008! We look ahead to some games slated for the year, make some predictions and take shots every time Rob complains about Rock Band. Ok, I only wish we were doing that last one.

To contact us, email [email protected]! Send us your thoughts on the show, pressing issues you want to talk about or whatever else is on your mind. You can even send a 30 second audio question or comment (MP3 format please) if you're so inclined.

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Show credits

Music credits: 

Intro/Outro Music - Ian Dorsch, Willowtree
Audioworks

"Cosmos" - (Workbench) - www.workbench-music.com - 0:25:47
"Crocodile Tears" - Zoo (Workbench) - www.workbench-music.com 1:07:56

Comments

You know, I teased asking for some 2008 feedback on the show and I totally forgot to mention it again. It's a new year and as good a time as any to have your say on how we're doing with the show. Do you want more of something? Less of something? Radio Plays? Interviews? Guest Co-Hosts? Do let us know!

Yes, yes, we need to mention the game we're talking about in the moment more. I know, we suck.

2007's Bold Predictions Thread

It's a good thing you guys weren't drinking to Rob's Female Doggoing - I'm only about 1/3 through and I'm not sure you guys would have the constitution to drink that much. Except Rabbit.

Scaphism wrote:

2007's Bold Predictions Thread

It's a good thing you guys weren't drinking to Rob's Female Doggoing - I'm only about 1/3 through and I'm not sure you guys would have the constitution to drink that much. Except Rabbit.

I always forget something, dammit. Nice catch!

Elysium, as for Wrath of the Lich King, I'd bet on it in 2008. They don't have enough content to tide people over til 2009. There is only one more major content patch that'll be coming out for Burning Crusade (patch 2.4) and with their PTR process and everything, I would expect that to come out on the live realms around April/May. If it does land around then, it'll probably be about 4-6 months they give it to brew before Wrath of the Lich King, making WotLK land around October/November, right in time for the holiday rush. They could even delay it a little to make it land on WoW's anniversary in November. Who knows, but Oct/Nov is the most feasable launch time.

Certis wrote:
Scaphism wrote:

2007's Bold Predictions Thread

It's a good thing you guys weren't drinking to Rob's Female Doggoing - I'm only about 1/3 through and I'm not sure you guys would have the constitution to drink that much. Except Rabbit.

I always forget something, dammit. Nice catch!

No problem. You are overworked already. And ze others? Zey do nuthing!

As for guests...I vote for Shawn Elliott. We managed to summon him here once already. I bet he'd be a great guest, especially if he wasn't carrying the bulk of the show.
Plus, you know, three Sean/Shawns.

It would be shawn-riffic!

As for the future of the PS3, Gametrailers brought up some interesting points in their 'Bonus Round' vids over the past month. They gave their viewpoints on the console wars and it was a little something like this:

Before this next gen happened, everyone saw the two big competitors as Sony and Microsoft and didn't see the Wii as competition. It has not changed in any way. The Wii is obviously making the best sales, but it is still very much Sony vs Microsoft. Most people will buy either a 360 or a PS3 and then they'll buy a Wii in addition to those. Most people think that 2008 will be the deciding year for MANY people. There are still VERY many people like me that are old PS2 owners that only maybe own a Wii and still havn't bought into a 360 or a PS3. This year will be the year many people leave the fence.

As for me, I havn't bought a PS3 because there havn't been enough games I care about to carry the system (see Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy 13 as 'do wants' for me) and as for the 360... well, one of the major genres on the system is FPS games and I don't play console FPS games. I don't play rhythm games either so I couldn't care for Guitar Hero or Rock Band and majority of the other games I do care about on the 360 are on the PC as well. I never really felt like I was missing much.

So my prediction for this year is: While last year was an amazing year for gamers with all the great games, this year will be a defining year for consoles. This will be the year we finally see what the future for the PS3 is. If they don't turn things around by the end of the year, it most likely won't ever turn around. This year the PS2 reached 120 MILLION consoles sole. Sure, many of those are repeat sales (I think I've personally owned 3, though 2 of them reside at my folks' house now), but that's still a massive amount of people that havn't bought into the next gen yet. If anything, 2008 is the year for that to happen.

One of these days I'm going to add subtle sounds of a cracking fireplace, people shifting in chairs, rain behind window, things like that, into one of these podcasts, just to confirm my suspicion that it will be cool.

shihonage wrote:

One of these days I'm going to add subtle sounds of a cracking fireplace, people shifting in chairs, rain behind window, things like that, into one of these podcasts, just to confirm my suspicion that it will be cool.

No all we need to make this more cool is to have everyone get a PS3 and when Playstation Home comes out is dare I say... Live Podcasts?

Ok I have 2 things I want to mention about how the shows going.

1. Do you guys just take Certis's sh*t all the time? He makes fun of you guys all the time yet he is rarely made fun of. Its funny as sh*t but if I were one of you I wouldn't let him get away so easily.

2. Whatever happened to Shawn vs Sean? You only had that segment once and then never mentioned it again.

shihonage wrote:

One of these days I'm going to add subtle sounds of a cracking fireplace, people shifting in chairs, rain behind window, things like that, into one of these podcasts, just to confirm my suspicion that it will be cool.

Can you also add a blackout, a scream, and "My God -- he's been murdered!"

Scaphism wrote:

I'm only about 1/3 through and I'm not sure you guys would have the constitution to drink that much. Except Rabbit.

And my reputation lives on. My parents must be so proud.

Scaphism wrote:

As for guests...I vote for Shawn Elliott. We managed to summon him here once already. I bet he'd be a great guest, especially if he wasn't carrying the bulk of the show.
Plus, you know, three Sean/Shawns.

I agree with that. Jeff Green was a great guest as well and was a good show. Bill Harris? I don't think you need a guest host every week, but maybe once a month at least.

Mordiceius wrote:
shihonage wrote:

One of these days I'm going to add subtle sounds of a cracking fireplace, people shifting in chairs, rain behind window, things like that, into one of these podcasts, just to confirm my suspicion that it will be cool.

No all we need to make this more cool is to have everyone get a PS3 and when Playstation Home comes out is dare I say... Live Podcasts?

Live Podcasts seem like a great idea until you actually hear one. Trust me, you don't want to give up the Conference Call's polish.

Certis wrote:

Do you want more of something? Less of something? Radio Plays? Interviews? Guest Co-Hosts? Do let us know!

I think you guys have a good formula going, but the guest hosts are always fun (and fit better with the show than the traditional interviews). So yeah, more guest hosts, both new and old. More Jeff Green, more Fletcher, more Slashdot guy. Oh, and it would be awesome if you could get Shawn Elliot. As I said in the thread that summoned him to our boards previously, a "Shawncast" (or "Seancast," if you prefer) would be quite interesting.

Gaald wrote:

Catastrof*ck

No, Rob, tell us what you really feel.

Certis wrote:

You know, I teased asking for some 2008 feedback on the show and I totally forgot to mention it again. It's a new year and as good a time as any to have your say on how we're doing with the show. Do you want more of something? Less of something? Radio Plays? Interviews? Guest Co-Hosts? Do let us know!

Yes, yes, we need to mention the game we're talking about in the moment more. I know, we suck. ;)

More me?

I harass bill harris about being on at least twice a month. I swear he's actually a hermit.

More me?

That's easy, just send in an audio email

Certis wrote:
More me?

That's easy, just send in an audio email ;)

If you knew me, you'd know I can't condense my thoughts into thirty second snippets.

IMAGE(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/2341/ratchickenfullsize2ka8.gif)

Stackitis!

I now have a name to my current disorder. I have just came back from a two week stint at home as well, Rabbit. Very similar to yours, with the kids driving me crazy, playing LEGO with my daughter on the floor, and not being able to put any significant time into any one of the many unfinished games on the pile.

Ok, back to the show...

Yep I too was amused by the mention of stackitis in the podcast. It applies to my DS collection, and also I tip my hat to Far Cry and Greed(sp?) that still remain unopened within hidden depths of giant black bags I used for moving.

These podcasts probably should be a lot longer. Honestly, if I don't have to pause the podcast for bio breaks at least twice before it's over, then it's too short.

wordsmythe wrote:

These podcasts probably should be a lot longer. Honestly, if I don't have to pause the podcast for bio breaks at least twice before it's over, then it's too short. ;)

There's an easy way to solve that problem. Drink beer as you listen.

wordsmythe wrote:

These podcasts probably should be a lot longer. Honestly, if I don't have to pause the podcast for bio breaks at least twice before it's over, then it's too short. ;)

I do agree that every podcast should be at least 3-4 hours long.

Mordiceius wrote:

I do agree that every podcast should be at least 3-4 hours long.

Just play it at 1/3 speed.

Gaald wrote:

Catastrof*ck

Best word ever.

Yeah 2k8 will definitely be the defining year for the Wii, 360 and PS3. It will answer the is the Wii a gimmick question. If the PS3 is going to make a move then it will happen in 2k8. And for the 360 the question is can it have appeal outside of the hardcore audience? That too will be answered in 2k8.

My prediction is the wii continues to sell like hotcakes. The PS3 picks up steam and steals market share from the 360.

I totally agree about the open world thing as far it being in too many dam games now. IT's a virus. I don't mind those games per se, but it seems like it's the flavor of the moment and the buzzword of today rather than being essential to gaming enjoyment and yet designers treat it as the latter. The suits now must have it in every game. I think it just makes designers lazier. They just build big worlds and give you a thousand items in the hopes that a few of those items and a few places in the world will be fun. And if you can't find the fun then you must not be fun is their battlecry.

IT's no wonder the Wii is quite popular.

Certis wrote:

IMAGE(http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/2341/ratchickenfullsize2ka8.gif)

Jesus. Twist my friggin' arm, why don't you?

UPDATE! I finally got Rockband today. I was actually very surprised I got it this soon. When I didn't get a copy on the shipment last week I figured it would probably be another week before my EB games saw another shipment, but low and behold they apparently got enough versions of the 360 Special Editions to fill the remainder of there 360 preorders.

Just a note, if anyone remembers the initial reason Canadians were given for not being able to ship to Canada on day one was that they needed to print boxes with French and English on them. Well I got my copy and not one fracking French word on the box, manual or DVD box. So like we all thought, that was an outright lie.

The bonus however was that I got the Special Edition for the same price it was being sold for in the states. YAY! I tried out the Guitar, Mic and Drums and they all seem to be working properly. Yay! I do prefer the Guitar Hero guitars strum bar, and the drums are fun but hard!

The game is everything I had hoped for and more, I am having a blast! It's amazing.

I'm Rockband whore!