GWJ Conference Call Episode 592

Civilization 6: Rise and Fall, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Celeste, Checking in With Soren Johnson and 10 Crowns, Your Emails and More!

Click here to download!

This week Shawn, Allen and Sean Sands welcome Mohawk Games' Soren Johnson to dance around their 10 Crowns announcement, Offword Trading Company, launching a game and more!

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.

  • Subscribe with iTunes
  • Subscribe with RSS
  • Subscribe with Yahoo!
Download the official apps
  • Download the GWJ Conference Call app for Android
  • Download the GWJ Conference Call app for Android

Comments

00:01:30 Civilization 6: Rise and Fall
00:18:34 Celeste
00:21:57 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
00:35:13 Soren Johnson and 10 Crowns
01:01:47 Your Emails

I've been really enjoying Uncharted's multiplayer and have put a ton of time into it (I daren't look at exactly how much time.) The multiplayer has a loot box system and, like any self respecting system of that type, it is designed to keep the few costumes you want way out of reach. You can though, to their credit, buy the cosmetic stuff you want outright.

There was a sale on recently including a 50% discount on two outfits I really wanted. The total cost of the two outfits was going to be something like £2.50 but I was determined not to give in to the blatant manipulation and pay for them.

A few days into the sale I heard a story (possibly on this podcast) of someone who had spend two or three hundred dollars on loot boxes in order to get one skin they wanted in Overwatch and was were being reassured by others that what they had paid wasn't really that much. I looked again at my £2.50 price tag and bought the outfits.

I wouldn't have paid £5 for them.

I think Ameobic stumbled across something: 10 Crowns is about a brothel and 10 crowns is the price to get in!

If anyone wants to learn more about the Kingdom Come: Deliverance dev's ties to gamergate, here's an article.

I definitely appreciate Certis mentioning the gamergate connection, but I think people should be aware that this guy isn't just in it for "free speech." Frankly, anyone who says games shouldn't "be political" is against free speech, because part of free speech is the freedom to make political statements or to engage with a created work through a political lens. There are more articles about the guy out there, and they are worth exploring IMO.

As interesting as the game looks, I'm going to have to pass. Everyone should, of course, draw their own lines, but I'd urge looking into what he's said and done so you can make an informed purchase decision.

I really liked the discussion on the price of games and how that compares to the price of other things. I find myself constantly making that comparison and it alters my buying habits.

For instance, I enjoy playing golf, but a round of golf around here is usually around $30. I paid $30 for the Witcher 3. I find it hard to justify spending $30 on a couple hours of fun (golf) when I can spend $30 for hundreds of hours of fun (Witcher 3). I've found myself playing fewer and fewer rounds of golf because there's this little internal economist in my head doing a cost benefit analysis of my purchases, and comparing them to the value I get from games.

I always like the behind the scenes talk with devs like Soren. One question I was hoping to be asked during the early access discussion was what percentage of sales came from early access vs actual release.

TheHarpoMarxist wrote:

If anyone wants to learn more about the Kingdom Come: Deliverance dev's ties to gamergate, here's an article.

I definitely appreciate Certis mentioning the gamergate connection, but I think people should be aware that this guy isn't just in it for "free speech." Frankly, anyone who says games shouldn't "be political" is against free speech, because part of free speech is the freedom to make political statements or to engage with a created work through a political lens. There are more articles about the guy out there, and they are worth exploring IMO.

As interesting as the game looks, I'm going to have to pass. Everyone should, of course, draw their own lines, but I'd urge looking into what he's said and done so you can make an informed purchase decision.

Yeah, the rather weak sauce comments about the straight up racist dev being some sort of imaginary 'free speech' gammer gorper was seriously disappointing. We can draw our lines where we want, but minimising the truth does everyone a disservice.

Since it's coming up here a bit, I'll link to some of my comments in other threads. At the time we recorded the podcast I didn't feel informed enough to do more than make sure to mention it and point people to the thread so people could educate themselves.

Waypoint has a great conversation about the question of whether or not to cover K:CD. Worth a listen no matter where you land - it’s incredibly nuanced and thoughtful.

https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/arti...

TheHarpoMarxist wrote:

Waypoint has a great conversation about the question of whether or not to cover K:CD. Worth a listen no matter where you land - it’s incredibly nuanced and thoughtful.

https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/arti...

I have a new favorite word this week: "eurojank."

That is a really great podcast. The coolest thing is that there is no real conclusion, just a super deep dive on all their thoughts, touching on every issue imaginable related to communicating the value of and context surrounding the game.

On a topic related to Racist Skyrim, but kind of better news. I'm so happy 10 Crowns isn't being published by Stardock. After being quiet for a while Brad Wardell is once again reminding me why I haven't been able to buy Offworld.

I will admit that reading that other thread and seeing the vitrol actually inspired me to buy Kingdom Come. It's buggy for sure, but also really ambitious. So I guess, thanks?