Conference Call

GWJ Conference Call Episode 202

Lara Croft: Guardian of Light, Recettear, Minecraft, iPad Games, Surviving Conventions, Your Emails and more!

This week Shawn, Julian, Cory and Jonathan talk about surviving conventions. Cory also gripes about his needs. He is met with stony silence.

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. You can also submit a question or comment call in to our voicemail line at (612) 284-4563!

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Show credits

Music credits: 

Intro/Outtro Music - Ian Dorsch, Willowtree Audioworks

de la terre a la cime - (zoo) - workbench-music.com - 0:35:30

equinox - (b-sides) - workbench-music.com - 0:50:55

Comments

I wish to conventioneer myself one day. Sadly being on the other side of the planet is an issue, but I too look forward to conventioneering with those hot tips.

Taking things in a different direction.. what would be the worst IP to make into a game?

My vote is for the Star Wars Holiday Special

Tanglebones wrote:

Taking things in a different direction.. what would be the worst IP to make into a game?

My vote is for the Star Wars Holiday Special :evil:

Any of the Twilight movies

FYI for the podcast crew (and everyone else), Zombie Infection is actually just the kind of tweaked iDevice shooter you were talking about likely working better than a regular FPS. It's basically a Resident Evil clone made by Gameloft. It's currently on sale for $.99 and it's well worth checking out.

Gennataos wrote:

FYI for the podcast crew (and everyone else), Zombie Infection is actually just the kind of tweaked iDevice shooter you were talking about likely working better than a regular FPS. It's basically a Resident Evil clone made by Gameloft. It's currently on sale for $.99 and it's well worth checking out.

Just to clarify: Zombie Infection for the iPhone is $.99. For iPad it's $6.99.

So conventioneers: Is that the movie about love at the Republican National Convention, or is it the BNL song?

F*ck it rabbit, let's play Wii bowling.

Edit: And great job on the musical history, Jonathan, it was a pleasure taking that journey with you. Could you use that voice all the time?

Gravey wrote:

And great job on the musical history, Jonathan, it was a pleasure taking that journey with you. Could you use that voice all the time? :)

Oh yes, that was funny.

'No matter how many times the theme may change, in this case once...'

PS: I'm still smiling about that "middle way" pun, Certis.

Can a man with the nickname "Rabbit" be considered an elder statesman? That seems wrong.

It saddens me that the term "Doom-a-likes" was actually used at some point in human history.

Woah, woah, woah... strategery? Dictionary.com says NAY! You lose. Good day sir.

"Lara Crigger always smells like scotch." Yeah, I know, right?

Thanks for answering my email about the DS. I like the idea of buying a used DS now and upgrading it later to a 3DS.

And yes, pork chops taste good.

Does Dwayne Johnson hang out at the Rock Bottom Brewery?

burntham77 wrote:

Thanks for answering my email about the DS. I like the idea of buying a used DS now and upgrading it later to a 3DS.

Ha, I've always been pronouncing your name in my head as Burn-tham (a la Jeremy Bentham).

Of course, now all I can see is Jeremy Bent Ham.

burntham77 wrote:

Thanks for answering my email

I can't believe you jerks had the gall to answer my brother's email the week I'm off the podcast. But maybe it's better this way. After all, wouldn't want the podcast to become the Lara & Rob show. The vastness of the Internet just wouldn't be enough to contain all the awesome.

A Big Lebowski game would be aaaaaamazing. That was easily the most intelligent thing I've ever heard from Rabbit.

Listening to your lack of Minecraft knowledge drove me nuts!

It's cheap and one of the greatest/different gaming experiences you'll ever have.

Survival Mode!

Gravey wrote:

Ha, I've always been pronouncing your name in my head as Burn-tham (a la Jeremy Bentham). :oops:

It is "burnt ham" like what happens to ham that sits in the oven too long. The "77" is just my year of birth.

KaterinLHC wrote:

I can't believe you jerks had the gall to answer my brother's email the week I'm off the podcast. But maybe it's better this way. After all, wouldn't want the podcast to become the Lara & Rob show. The vastness of the Internet just wouldn't be enough to contain all the awesome.

Nor could it contain the vitriol.

Two things concerning t-shirts and jeans that I've said to rabbit before and I think wordsmythe said something at GenCon.

1) Wear a belt if you're gonna tuck. Really, just wear a belt.
2) Don't tuck t-shirts into your pants. Despite being observant people, many of us nerds have failed to notice that no one else does this.
3) I said two, but this one is a bonus: In general, though, anything goes if you can pull it off. And you probably can't.

For the comic & apple guys: I just discovered the comixology app. Since I'm more into indy comics than into the usual superhero-marvel stuff I like this one. Give it a try if you're looking for a broader variety.

burntham77 wrote:

It is "burnt ham" like what happens to ham that sits in the oven too long. The "77" is just my year of birth.

Ah, so it didn't mean there were already 76 of you. Makes sense, there weren't 908 of me already when I picked my handle.

I wasn't born on 909 CE though.

BCE, then?

McChuck wrote:

Two things concerning t-shirts and jeans that I've said to rabbit before and I think wordsmythe said something at GenCon.

1) Wear a belt if you're gonna tuck. Really, just wear a belt.
2) Don't tuck t-shirts into your pants. Despite being observant people, many of us nerds have failed to notice that no one else does this.
3) I said two, but this one is a bonus: In general, though, anything goes if you can pull it off. And you probably can't.

Yeah. I mean, I'm not pointing fingers, but I could.

lostlobster wrote:
Gennataos wrote:

FYI for the podcast crew (and everyone else), Zombie Infection is actually just the kind of tweaked iDevice shooter you were talking about likely working better than a regular FPS. It's basically a Resident Evil clone made by Gameloft. It's currently on sale for $.99 and it's well worth checking out.

Just to clarify: Zombie Infection for the iPhone is $.99. For iPad it's $6.99.

This iPad version has dropped to $.99. GOGOGO!

I'd love to see Telltale tackle Twin Peaks - that series finished off with a sort of cliffhanger ending but never got a third season. There is so much they, or another developer, could do with that?

Despite Andrich's throwaway comment of Short Circuit - I could totally see that as a platformer where you have to collect Input to keep him alive.

Gennataos wrote:
lostlobster wrote:
Gennataos wrote:

FYI for the podcast crew (and everyone else), Zombie Infection is actually just the kind of tweaked iDevice shooter you were talking about likely working better than a regular FPS. It's basically a Resident Evil clone made by Gameloft. It's currently on sale for $.99 and it's well worth checking out.

Just to clarify: Zombie Infection for the iPhone is $.99. For iPad it's $6.99.

This iPad version has dropped to $.99. GOGOGO!

Came in here to post this very thing. Just bought ZI myself.

I just played the first level of Zombie Infection HD. It's pretty good, especially for a buck.

re: Conventioneering, Gabe from Penny Arcade just tweeted this app:

http://proximalabs.com/projects/conv...

Like others have mentioned, try the paid survival mode for Minecraft. Creative mode, especially multiplayer, can be a great time sink, but it is a completely different experience to Survival.

Since the game is in Alpha still and under production by 1 guy, Notch, there isnt a lot of ingame information to help new players out. So I would suggest having the crafting wiki page open in the background for a while until you get used to the recipe list. It can be found here:
http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Cr...

Best part of paying for it in alpha, beside supporting its continued production, is its 5 euroes cheaper than it will be in beta and you recieve every update to the game as it progresses to full release.

I love the idea of Brazil as a game--if only Michael Kamen were still alive to provide the score!--and it occurs to me that there are other Terry Gilliam films that might benefit from the right sort of video game treatment. The obvious one is Time Bandits, but a more controversial choice would be 12 Monkeys.

Also, thanks for all the stroking at the end of the show. That was a pleasant surprise.

Minecraft is awesome. That is all.

Ok not really sound like Jonathan played the first edition of the game there is a newer Alpha that has monsters animals crafting of tools exploring generated caves. Fightings monsters with bows and arrows and swords. Don't judge by graphics, check out YouTube under "Minecraft Alpha".

There is so much more than what Jonathan has seen, what he played is the first version, and not the alpha. You have to pay to play the Alpha, only 10 euros or about $13 if you are Canadian.