Jake Posted September 19, 2013 Idle Thumbs 124:Blockbuster Black CaseNick falls into a created world - a world both more real and more horrible than our own - from which he may not return. He is lost to us now, reachable only from within the rift, in his virtual dream state. Chris is lost as well, but it's in the intricate workings of an iPad app about Beethoven.Games Discussed: Oculus Rift, Polo, Soccer, Burn:Cycle, Godus, Where is my Heart?, Superhot, Beethoven's 9th Listen on the Episode Page Listen in iTunes Subscribe to the RSS Feed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coods Posted September 19, 2013 I feel like Nick was actually not a huge asshole, but constant Nick-bashing for 4 years as a joke has made him legitimately just the weirdest dude who dreams of argodale. Also is Chris' bostonfig keynote available anywhere? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Codicier Posted September 19, 2013 Alternate episode title: Bend it Like Breckon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Niyeaux Posted September 19, 2013 I'm not sure where you were looking on the internet, but "the sport of kings" is not polo, it's thoroughbred horse racing. is the sport of kings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Codicier Posted September 19, 2013 also the TF2 map that got mentioned http://youtu.be/JM1Ay85de3U Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
melmer Posted September 19, 2013 No, this is the sport of kings! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Astromarine Posted September 19, 2013 think Sean sold card Hunter a bit short. There's no actual energy mechanic in the game. The weapons that needed "energy" actually need Power Tokens, which you get when you level up. It's a mechanic to force you to choose which and how many awesome items you want to have, not to make you pay to use the weapons. The only thing you *need* to buy with real money are the 11 new adventures, but I look at that more as DLC than F2P, really. The treasure chests and club memberships are completely skippable, and IMHO actually ruin the game for you if you go for them. Less loot hunting. The costumes are meh. cosmetics Promising he's not a shill for the gamely yours Astro Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
osmosisch Posted September 19, 2013 Well said Astromarine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SecretAsianMan Posted September 19, 2013 Like Chris, I had also never heard of Maniac Mansion as a kid and thus had no idea Day of the Tentacle was a sequel. As a side note to that, I recently replayed DotT. Still a really good game. In regard to the Gone Home era, the narrative would have been very different if it had taken place in the present. The relative social isolation of Sam and Lonnie in Gone Home plays a big part in their story and relationship, something that would have taken a different form if they had access to Facebook, Twitter, cell phones, etc. I think Steve said one of the reasons the game takes place when it does is the lack of cell phones because then Sam could have simply called Katie instead of leaving the much more intimate journal entries. Also, did you guys get the replacement candy? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Leego Posted September 19, 2013 Greatly enjoyed the background "Ford Force" as Nick uttered "Blockbuster Black Case". Was that added in post or was it an instinctive Snooglebum reference for the second episode in a row? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Salacious Snake Posted September 19, 2013 I haven't listened yet, but based on the description, I think it's worth posting this Burn:Cycle promo for everyone's enjoyment: I got stuck pretty early on not knowing what I was supposed to be doing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thecounselor Posted September 19, 2013 I love the Beethoven's 9th App. I also found an interesting article written by one of the developers. As a side note, their The Waste Land App is also excellent. http://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2013/sep/06/how-we-made-beethoven-ninth-app Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baladec Posted September 19, 2013 I loved the Monty Python-level of randomness in this episode. It's something I loved from the earlier 'casts. This is an odd sidebar: has Chris played Dota 2? I can't see him getting into the game with Sean, because the second they try to play against people, the matchmaking will probably rocket to a level that would make the game very unfulfilling for a new player. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dez Posted September 19, 2013 Alternate episode title: Bend it Like Breckon Aww man, this is going to be the new "Bogost in the Shell" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Breckon Posted September 19, 2013 I loved the Monty Python-level of randomness in this episode. It's something I loved from the earlier 'casts. This is an odd sidebar: has Chris played Dota 2? I can't see him getting into the game with Sean, because the second they try to play against people, the matchmaking will probably rocket to a level that would make the game very unfulfilling for a new player. Chris always says he doesn't want to devote the time it'd take to get good. But then he goes and plays 600 hours of Spelunky, so I think he's basically just a baby. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sclpls Posted September 19, 2013 I feel like the learning curve distribution for a game like Spelunky is way better than DOTA2. Just sayin' Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Breckon Posted September 20, 2013 I feel like the learning curve distribution for a game like Spelunky is way better than DOTA2. Just sayin' 50 hours is 50 hours. BABY. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flynn Posted September 20, 2013 Both Spelunky and Dota have a reputation that they require a huge 100 hour committment or you shouldn't bother with them. It's silly. I enjoyed both from minute one and am not particularly good at either. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Problem Machine Posted September 20, 2013 I am super surprised that none of you guys have heard of Ursula Leguin. Pretty important science fiction writer. Some really incisive stuff about cultural power dynamics, gender and sexual identity, etc. Basically science fiction written from an anthropologist, rather than technologist, perspective. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gormongous Posted September 20, 2013 I am super surprised that none of you guys have heard of Ursula Leguin. Pretty important science fiction writer. Some really incisive stuff about cultural power dynamics, gender and sexual identity, etc. Basically science fiction written from an anthropologist, rather than technologist, perspective. I don't think any of the Thumbs are really into genre stuff, even super-smart genre stuff like LeGuin or the like. It bums me out, sometimes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lu Posted September 20, 2013 Studio Ghibli also made a movie based on a series she wrote, Tales from Earthsea. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gormongous Posted September 20, 2013 Studio Ghibli also made a movie based on a series she wrote, Tales from Earthsea. And it is incredibly, unwatchably boring. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tegan Posted September 20, 2013 The first like 30% of this episode is just everyone interrupting each other. It's great. Unrelated to virtually anything in the podcast: those Blockbuster cases are sort of seen as collector's items now. I know the Virtual Boy ones pop up on ebay from time to time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Argobot Posted September 20, 2013 The first like 30% of this episode is just everyone interrupting each other. It's great. Unrelated to virtually anything in the podcast: those Blockbuster cases are sort of seen as collector's items now. I know the Virtual Boy ones pop up on ebay from time to time. The beginning 30% of this podcast is pretty great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gormongous Posted September 20, 2013 Nick's MMOGG ("massively multiplayer online god game," just say "mog" really slowly for full effect) already exists. It's called Archlord and it came out in 2006. I know this because it had maybe my favorite tagline for a review: "You probably shouldn't play Archlord." Suffice to say, it wasn't very good. Becoming the archlord required the backing of at least one of the huge guilds in the game and tons of grinding, so the joy of being a supreme being was undermined by the incredible fear that anyone could take it away if you upset or bored them. And wow, it's still going on, I guess? Free to play, of course. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites