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

I eagerly anticipate Gaald's seething anger after he discovers his strum bar has broken. Actually, if you have GH guitars it takes some of the sting out of it, so maybe it won't be seething anger. Welcome to RMA land, Gaald! Glad you could join us.

Gaald wrote:

UPDATE! I finally got Rockband today. I was actually very surprised I got it this soon.

On behalf of our listeners, I'd just like to say THANK GOD.

trip1eX wrote:

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.

Man, I loved the Ultima games.

On AC's Flags and Crackdown's Orbs:

For one, Crackdown used Achievements in a way no other game did, and that was to hit you with XP every time you unlocked an achievement. Each hidden orb was a cache of random XP for each skill, and each agility orb boosted your agility XP. Finishing collecting the orbs would reward you with achievements that would hit you with more XP, and so on. Orbs are not only gameplay elements in their placement, like a challenge of agility to get to a high point in the game (I REALLY had fun climbing the Agency tower), but they were rewards in and of themselves. They were also MUCH easier to find, being more visible, and having audible indicators.

AC's flags and Templars are just a collection fest, and the flags shared way too much in common with the color palette of the rest of the world, making them nearly impossible to spot, save for that slight "glitching" around them. Of course, that didn't stop me from getting every single one in the game.

Actually, flags in AC did have audible indicators... although the sound is so low that the only way to hear it, is to stand right next to one. Which, unfortunately, render it useless.

Gaald: Did your box have a sticker on the bottom that said "release November 20, 2007" or something to that effect? Mine did, so I have to wonder if the shipment we've gotten ours from is stock from the states?

Elysium: Tick Tock Ya Don't Stop

Did your box have a sticker on the bottom that said "release November 20, 2007" or something to that effect? Mine did, so I have to wonder if the shipment we've gotten ours from is stock from the states?

You think they're bootlegging, Trach?

Certis wrote:
Gaald wrote:

UPDATE! I finally got Rockband today. I was actually very surprised I got it this soon.

On behalf of our listeners, I'd just like to say THANK GOD. ;)

Looks like you just cut out 20 minutes of all future shows. Or maybe that time will will spent gushing over Rock Band instead.

Finally, I think Stackitis is related to adult ADD.

buzzvang wrote:
Did your box have a sticker on the bottom that said "release November 20, 2007" or something to that effect? Mine did, so I have to wonder if the shipment we've gotten ours from is stock from the states?

You think they're bootlegging, Trach?

Not so much "bootlegging" as "we never had a legitimate reason for not releasing in Canada in November".

Why else would my box have a November 20th release date sticker?

Kolbo wrote:
Certis wrote:
Gaald wrote:

UPDATE! I finally got Rockband today. I was actually very surprised I got it this soon.

On behalf of our listeners, I'd just like to say THANK GOD. ;)

Looks like you just cut out 20 minutes of all future shows. Or maybe that time will will spent gushing over instead.

Finally, I think Stackitis is related to adult ADD.

I'm coming down with some stackitis over christmas break.

Nei wrote:

Actually, flags in AC did have audible indicators... although the sound is so low that the only way to hear it, is to stand right next to one. Which, unfortunately, render it useless.

Flags in Assassin's Creed are made of Nirnroot.

Nyles wrote:
Nei wrote:

Actually, flags in AC did have audible indicators... although the sound is so low that the only way to hear it, is to stand right next to one. Which, unfortunately, render it useless.

Flags in Assassin's Creed are made of Nirnroot.

Don't remind me of nirnroot.

My box had a sticker that said November 23, 2007 but that's it. I don't know if that was a release date sticker (because it doesn't say that) or if it is a manufacturing date. Either way I am glad I finally have it and everything seems to work fine (knock on wood) for now. Been having a blast singing through the songs on hard!

boogle wrote:
Nyles wrote:
Nei wrote:

Actually, flags in AC did have audible indicators... although the sound is so low that the only way to hear it, is to stand right next to one. Which, unfortunately, render it useless.

Flags in Assassin's Creed are made of Nirnroot.

Don't remind me of nirnroot.

They were pretty easy to find... even without the sound.

Gaald wrote:

My box had a sticker that said November 23, 2007 but that's it. I don't know if that was a release date sticker (because it doesn't say that) or if it is a manufacturing date. Either way I am glad I finally have it and everything seems to work fine (knock on wood) for now. Been having a blast singing through the songs on hard!

After hearing the GWJ Christmas song, I am wondering how long Certis would last on the hard (let alone easy) difficulty of Rock Band singing.

Gaald wrote:

Been having a blast singing through the songs on hard!

I'm far to scared to try vocals on easy, let alone hard! I know how... not so in tune... my voice is.

Nei wrote:
boogle wrote:

Don't remind me of nirnroot.

They were pretty easy to find... even without the sound.

Did you find them all? Wow. I didn't, but when I found out what the reward was, it was hilarious.

Nyles wrote:
Nei wrote:
boogle wrote:

Don't remind me of nirnroot.

They were pretty easy to find... even without the sound.

Did you find them all? Wow. I didn't, but when I found out what the reward was, it was hilarious.

I would not say all, there is a lot more Nirnroot than what is actually needed for the completion of the quest. Even after I completed the quest, I was able to find more... later on, I pretty much didn't bother picking them up.

I'll load my last save to see how many I had.

Great show, more Jeff Green in the future as a guest!

Get all the guys from GFW and GWJ together.

Adam wrote:

Get all the guys from GFW and GWJ together.

That many people on one show? Nightmare!

Gaald wrote:
Adam wrote:

Get all the guys from GFW and GWJ together.

That many people on one show? Nightmare!

Editing nightmare.