Game Buoy Podcast Episode 20 – Everything Falls Apart
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Ahoy mateys and welcome to the Game Buoy podcast, your twice monthly port of call for gaming news and views that maybe aren’t on your radar, but most definitely should be! On this episode, recorded on Saturday, February 2, 2013, Captain Spike and Slagkick look at the tragic side of the games industry in the wake of THQ’s closure.
FOLLOWING UP
– The THQ bankruptcy saga has come to a close, which is the focus of this week’s discussion topic.
– A demo for Etrian Odyssey IV will be available February 7 on the 3DS eShop.
– Reddit’s “Gaymer” community will be fighting back against Chris Vizzini’s trademark claims with the help of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and San Francisco-based law firm Perkins Coie.
OMG NEWS
– Sega, Capcom, and Namco Bandai crossover Project X Zone is confirmed for North American release this summer.
– Resident Evil: Revelations is getting a HD remaster, due out in May for PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U. Its reception will shape the future of the Resident Evil franchise.
– In a thrilling Nintendo Direct, Iwata-san had some great Wii U announcements to share!
- Monolith Soft will be releasing a game currently referred to as X, which seems to be a Xenoblade successor with online gameplay in some capacity.
- Nintendo and Atlus will bring two beloved franchises together with Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem.
- A Yoshi game, perhaps called Yoshi Land, borrows the art style from Kirby’s Epic Yarn.
- Wii U Virtual Console will officially be released this spring. To celebrate the Famicom’s 30th anniversary, Nintendo is offering seven games for 30¢ for 30 days each – with Balloon Fight available right now.
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker will receive a HD remaster this fall!
- More Wii U news is on its way at E3, including the next 3D Mario platformer in a playable state.
– Namco-Bandai is bringing One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 to North America on March 20, exclusively for PS3.
– Crytek has formed Crytek USA in Austin, Texas, staffing it with 35 former Vigil employees.
– Warren Spector’s Junction Point, the studio behind Epic Mickey, has been shut down due to Disney restructuring its games division.
– GungHo, best known for Ragnarok Online, has acquired Grasshopper Manufacture!
– Killer is Dead will receive a worldwide launch this summer, with XSEED publishing it in North America.
– XSEED’s impressive 2013 release calendar will also include Vita titles – Ys: Memories of Celceta and Valhalla Knights 3 are coming this fall – as well as a PC version of Ys I & II Chronicles+ this month and Rune Factory 4 for 3Ds this summer. Not to mention the previously announced Pandora’s Tower for Wii!
– Development on the PC version of indie fighter Skullgirls will begin soon, thanks to a partnership with Japanese publisher Marvelous AQL.
– Rumble Roses costume packs and more will be available in the tri-Ace RPG Frontier Gate Boost+.
– Kojima-san has been immortalized in the form of a Play Arts figure.
– Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds, a beat ’em up in the style of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game, will hit Xbox Live arcade on February 7 for 800 Microsoft points.
– Nintendo will be helping third-party Japanese developers bring their games to North America and Europe.
– Sony will be holding a PlayStation 2013 event on February 20. All signs point to a PS4 announcement.
DISCUSSION TOPIC
Everything Falls Apart
As the dust settles on the THQ closure, Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick look back on where the company went wrong – particularly focusing on the failure of the uDraw peripheral – and discuss the fate of the publisher’s former studios and intellectual properties.
Supplemental Reading: A History of THQ, 1989-2013 (Kotaku)
Turn the Beat Around
The Podcast Pirates look at a few disasters that could have spelled certain doom for their respective companies – SEGA’s over-budgeting of games and Square’s Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within – and how they recovered. They close out the discussion by looking at the troubled history of Interplay and its current attempt to, once again, “Turn the Beat Around.”
WHAT’S UP
Captain Spike shares his experiences with DmC: Devil May Cry, and First Mate Slagkick shares the Mario Party 8 fun the two had together.
FEEDBACK
Long-time Game Buoy listener, Crystal, mentions that the Pirates forgot to talk about Dead or Alive in our previous episode, which was about mature content. They’ll be revisiting adult content in a future episode and have many things to say about the Dead or Alive franchise.
FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS
– Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast
– Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice
– Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio
– Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously
– Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO
– Video Game Outsiders, a podcast for the “average gamer”
– Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated
– Email Captain Spike and Slagkick and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter