Game Buoy Podcast Episode 21 - D.I.C.E. 2013

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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 9, 2013, Captain Spike and Slagkick discuss the highlights of the D.I.C.E. 2013 Summit and Awards.

FOLLOWING UP

– Captain Spike and Slagkick take a look at the general state of the industry based on fiscal year reports:

– Epic Games has closed its Impossible Games studio, which consisted of former Big Huge Games employees. They will have the opportunity to keep the studio name and logo.

– Markus “Notch” Persson of Minecraft fame is no longer involved in the funding of Psychonauts 2.

– OUYA will be available at Target, Best Buy, Amazon, and GameStop starting in June. Extra controllers will cost $49.99.

– Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is coming to PS3 and Xbox 360.

– As the THQ saga wraps up, the company has formally terminated its executive staff.

– Crytek is not interested in having Crytek USA work on a Darksiders game.

– Capcom acknowledges Resident Evil 6‘s low sales and inability to appeal to consumers.

– Wii U gets a ZombiU bundle for $390! It comes with a deluxe console, a pro controller, a game disc of ZombiU, and a digital copy of NintendoLand. As of recording it was a few days away from release but it is available now!

– Bobby Kotick, Activision CEO ~~and offspring of Gollum and Frodo~~, is disappointed with the Wii U’s launch because he is concerned about its install base with children ages 6-11.

OMG NEWS

– Sony has cut ties with SuperBot, developer of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and all future DLC will be handled by Sony’s own Santa Monica Studio.

– In similar news, minions and a Heavenly Sword DLC is coming to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

– PlayStation Home Arcade will bring classic arcade games to the Vita.

– The PS3 version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance will get an exclusive DLC pack of 30 exclusive VR missions.

– Rayman Legends is no longer a Wii U exclusive, and it will be delayed until September so it can release with the PS3 and Xbox 360 ports.

– Kamiya-san says that Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101 appearing on other consoles is up to the publisher, Nintendo.

– In response to the Rayman Legends drama, Ubisoft is giving Wii U owners…an exclusive demo. Oh.

– Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate‘s online mulitplayer will be region locked.

– Fire Emblem: Awakening DLC pricing details have been revealed.

– Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity will have free launch DLC.

– Square Enix is teasing a game called Murdered: Soul Suspect for PC, PS3, and 360.

– A new Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey trailer is available. Support the Kickstarter today!

– Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed that the next Assassin’s Creed game will feature a new time period and protagonist.

RUMOUR HAS IT

On this new recurring segment of the Game Buoy podcast, Captain Spike and Slagkick take a look at hearsay that’s grown too big to ignore.

– A Redditor claims to have seen an Ubisoft employee working on a presentation for a game called Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flags. Given that this was posted shortly before Yves Guillemot made his aforementioned announcement, there is some validity to this rumor.

– This leads Kotaku to speculate wildly about the future of the series..

– The next Xbox is rumored to use Blu-Ray discs and have an “always-on” internet connection. This could have an impact on the secondhand games market, to the point where rumors like these negatively impact GameStop’s stock.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, Captain Spike and Slagkick discuss the D.I.C.E. 2013 Summit – short for “Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain.” Each year, gaming industry professionals meet in Las Vegas to discuss game design and philosophy and celebrate outstanding achievements in gaming over the past year.

This year’s D.I.C.E. Summit kicked off with a great keynote by J.J. Abrams and Gabe Newell, discussing the concept of storytelling across platforms, and how movies and games can learn from each other. They also teased a future collaboration.

Two similar presentations examined age and maturity in the games industry. The first, by Warren Spector, had some valid points about the gaming audience as it grows up, but some of his points rubbed Kotaku (and Game Buoy) the wrong way. David Cage, CEO of Quantic Dreams, covered similar ground in his presentation. Both men argue that we need more mature, human experiences in games along the lines of Heavy Rain and The Walking Dead – but does this mean that the games industry as a whole should shift towards this direction?

Captain Spike and Slagkick briefly mention some other presentations given, but we wrap up the discussion by sharing the results of the D.I.C.E. 2013 Awards – which are significant because they are overall in line with the achievements in gaming that Game Buoy has celebrated over the past year.

If you are interested in watching either highlights or full videos from D.I.C.E. 2013, Variety has compiled a complete playlist for your viewing pleasure. Last year’s sessions from the 2012 Summit are available on the D.I.C.E. website.

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike talks about sinking over 23 hours into Fire Emblem: Awakening, while First Mate Slagkick discusses why Pokémon Conquest doesn’t quite reach the heights of the Fire Emblem: Awakening demo. He also shares his extreme disappointment with Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion, which relies too much on touchscreen gimmicks rather than being an homage to the classic Mickey Mouse Illusion series from SEGA or the Magical Quest series by Capcom.

SOCIAL LINKS

Each week, Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick will be asking you a Question of the Week. This week’s question was:

During his DICE 2013 session this week on the maturation of the games industry, games luminary Warren Spector gave Kotaku cause for running a chillingly accurate sensationalist headline by stating outright that “There are some games that should just not be made” while an image of Lollipop Chainsaw was projected behind him. Capt. Spike and his trusted First Mate Slagkick will be discussing this this weekend, but we’d like to hear from YOU, what did you think about Spector’s suggestion?

Join in the discussion over at Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Google+!

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

– Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

– Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

– Reading is Fundamental, our seasonal side project with Rob Roberts where we dish on RuPaul’s Drag Race

– 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

Game Buoy Podcast Episode 21 – D.I.C.E. 2013