The Billy Goat Episode

[fishbang]

We're all quite gruff at the following link (http://ingamechat.net/audio/IGC20100412.mp3).

I'd like to say we've come back from our break invigorated and flush with tales of the games we played while on hiatus. The fact is we needed a break more than any of us knew, and not just a break from the studio. There's been no strenuous gaming activity, and a few of us have avoided even a casual sit-down in front of the consoles. We've always worked hard to play as many games as possible between episodes, and even harder to make sure that we're all on the same page. This is a ridiculous pace to maintain for anyone with a full-time job who isn't payed to play. Honestly, it's done us a bit of damage.

We really are happy to be recording again, though you might not think so from the first hour or more of this show. For a moment, in fact, I swear we all genuinely hated gaming. We hadn't aimed to be so maudlin, but we were just then realizing we shared the same feelings about our past habits, and that we should come up with something a little different. I think we shed our funk by the end of the program, but we intend to adjust ourselves away from the inevitable burnout pattern in the future.

[Iron Past]

we intend to adjust ourselves away from the inevitable burnout pattern in the future

I support this. I've missed out on some games recently mostly because of a conscious effort to spend less money (they all go on sale at some point), but also because I just don't have the time or energy to devote to playing everything that comes out. I missed some good ones, but it lets me be choosy.

You guys have been going full steam for a while, and I've seen that hurting some experiences, so I'd be all on board for you just playing what you think you'll really enjoy. There's enough folks on the show that we listeners can still get a variety of talk, and it's likely to be more passionate and in depth that way anyhow.

I look foward to listening to the show to hear how that talk shook out, and what to expect in the future.

[kyrieee]

Not to be rude, but I think you needed a break too :-P

Looking forward to listening though, but where did the intro music go? You used to play random game music

[Calgar99]

I think everyone has gone through a phase of just being jaded. Ive hit a wall now myself. Was hyped for Conviction but that turned out be a bitter disappointment for me. Its a good game but not a good splinter cell game. If it was a 24 or "bourne" game i'd probably enjoy it more.

Maybe we are at that stage of this generation where it gets harder and harder to rise above expectations.

[kyrieee]

I feel like I've been in the state you're describing for probably the past 3 years. I don't get super into games to the point where I want to go play them as soon as I come home, it's become more of a habit than a desire. I've gotten much, much more cynical and critical of games and generally have less patience with them (stupid levels of impatience; when I first heard the narrator in Trine I immediately hit Alt-F4 because I thought he sounded stupid).

However, I recently had my mid term exams and I had kind of been neglecting my studies which left me in a position where I basically had to study every waking moment for a very extended period of time. That was quite draining so I squeezed in a few hours of Mass Effect 1 every night and I enjoyed it way more than I had a few months back when I first started playing it. Then after I finished all my exams I thought about buying ME2 but I figured I'd wait until the weekend to see if there was a Steam deal. That plan, however, only lasted a few hours. Just to put it in perspective I haven't bought a game at 50€ since the Orange Box because, well, I haven't been enjoying games enough to justify it.

In the first 24 hours after the download completing I had already gotten 12 hours into it. I honestly got high on that game; I haven't been in such a great mood in forever. Part of it has to do with it being a great game and the aesthetics clicking perfectly with me, but part of it is the context too. I was convinced that I was too old to ever enjoy a game (or anything else) so intensely ever again and I'm so glad I was proven wrong. I wouldn't argue that Mass Effect 2 is an order of magnitude better than any other game I've played, I just know that my experience of playing it was, and I don't feel like I need to justify it. When I played that game I was the happiest guy on the planet and I mostly feel grateful for it. I don't know if this will cure my game apathy though, it might just have made me even more cynical towards the average game.

Not to get too personal but I've traveled quite a lot and have had a similar apathy towards it. I've always thought traveling is alright but I don't get as excited about it as other people do. A few years back though I went on a long trip I really didn't want to go on and it turned out to be an extremely revelatory experience. ME2 is the only time since then I've gotten close to feeling like that. It seems utterly pathetic to put playing a video game as one of the best moments you've experienced but what can you do?

I'm sorry, this probably belongs in a blog!

[CappinCanuck]

Perfect timing!

I needed something to listen to while I did a big backlog of dishes. Lots of baking happened here yesterday.

[Arjay]

This episode shows that no matter how much you love doing something, do it too much and you'll burn yourself out.

I think it's safe to say that everyone involved with In-Game Chat has been playing video games for at least 20 - 25 years. No doubt there have been some incidents in our lives, and maybe you the listeners as well, where video gaming was one of the furthest things from our minds. One incident I can remember in my life was when I first bought a Playstation 2. Prior to doing so, I was playing my DreamCast and Saturn at a steady pace. A few hours here and there, with the bulk of my playtime coming on off days from work.

When I bought my first PS2, it had already been on the market for 2 years. I don't know if there's an official name for it, but I went through a sort of "Title Overload". Suddenly, I had access to a ton of titles I wanted to play, some or which I still haven't been able to get a hold of to this day (Parasite Eve and Fear Effect come to mind). Along with the games I borrowed from family, friends, Blockbuster Video and Movie Gallery, there were demos of titles that had peaked my interest, and an import market full of games that I knew wasn't coming to the states anytime soon, or at all for that matter. It took about 4 months to get that drive to play out of my system. After that, I was spent. I was literally tired of playing video games and I needed a vacation from it, funny as that sounds. Fortunately, I had PC building, comics, anime and some general "get out of the house" moments to keep myself occupied. It's all about balance in life, and focusing too much on one thing can put your mind in a place you don't want it to be.

[nabokovfan87]

Call it burnout, but it happens to me just about every 6 months. I get stuck in a place where I am playing the same game, stuck at the same part, and just pissed because I can't beat it. Go to the next game, and I get stuck as well, then the next and the next. It usually results me in buying something to get past it that is out of my original concept of "the list of shit I play". Maybe give that a try?

RJ, have you plaid Lair before and do you enjoy metal slug/battletoads (old school brawler) type of games?

I need an address to send a care package, pm me.

Listening to the Recon bitch fest, just have to say, WTF!? I would be one of those, and I was one of those snipe on the hill peoples, but you have to think of things from that players perspective. If someone has a gigantic ass distance to shoot then things go well, but 9 times out of 10 you don't, and I would either have to switch classes, use mortar when I finally unlocked it, or just rely on weird ass grenade kills. Not to mention the fact that the sniper rifles available are shit until the 5th one.

EDIT: Speaking of deus x, its 5 bucks for all of them in the series on steam this week, and RJ, if you didn't see it (I just did) HOLY FUCK YES YES YES YES MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.destructoid.com/marvel-vs-capcom-3-fate-of-two-worlds-revealed-with-marvelous-trailer-171309.phtml

All we really know right now is that the game will feature 3-on-3 tag team battles, aerial combos, hyper combos, and "other original systems." Killian even says that things like final controls are "still in flux," with about a year of development left before the game ships, and that they have some "very smart ideas floating around right now." It was repeatedly mentioned that the goal for the game is to create an accessible yet deep experience for comic fans and fighting game veterans alike. Niitsuma adds, however, that they're not looking to reinvent to the wheel, and that fan's expectations on the controls front will more than likely be met.

[Woggy]

Hey guys, just wanted to say that I genuinely appreciate all the time and effort you all put into the podcast, and it really brightens up my work day, thank you very much.

[Straximus]

Hey guys, just wanted to say that I genuinely appreciate all the time and effort you all put into the podcast, and it really brightens up my work day, thank you very much.

Thanks for listening! We appreciate the kind words. :)

[Wayward_Son]

Nice to have you guys back! I was jonesing for you guys like a heroin addict, probably because I've spent every waking moment of free time playing Battlefield and wondering what James thought of this, or what Jeremy thought of that.

I agree with the line of thought that the first's maps were far superior, although I have the ones I like in 2, my favorite probably being White Pass (the snow-covered map). Kinda sucks though, you can almost feel pieces of Call of Duty in some of the design choices, I miss the humor behind it all. I really liked the singleplayer bit in the first one, for what it was; but the SP for BC2 was just kind of a "meh" thing, did it just for the trophies.

By the way, I heard Scott say that he hadn't seen many people on his friends list playing Battlefield; I'm playing it on PSN, and I also notice that on weekends, late especially, I kept leaving a game, I'd come back, and damn if it doesn't not only put me in the same game, but back on the same squad of halfassed snipers. It strikes me as very very strange since everyone I know jumped IMMEDIATELY from Modern Warfare to Battlefield when it came out... Now I notice more people going back and playing older titles.

Just for the sake of curiosity, I put Bad Company 1 in (also PS3) to see who all was playing, went into and left some games, etc... Call me nuts but it seems like people are going back to the first game, and I can't say I necessarily blame them. But that's not to discredit 2, I think 2 is awesome, but I keep getting a feeling that 1 was superior in many ways; I do like the unlocks in this game, at least better than the first, mainly because there's more class diversification which leads to a much more interesting Full Metal Jacket experience.

I was gonna put this in my email, but holy Christ, I send some LONG emails, so I thought I'd spare Scott some effort :cool:

[Psykoboy2]

Hey guys, just wanted to say that I genuinely appreciate all the time and effort you all put into the podcast, and it really brightens up my work day, thank you very much.

You've been registered since we started this place and waited over a year to make your first post and that was it.

That...really means a lot, actually. Thanks!

[Woggy]

You've been registered since we started this place and waited over a year to make your first post and that was it.

That...really means a lot, actually. Thanks!

I've lurked a bit but never really dived into any conversations until now, I just wanted to let you know that what you do is appreciated.

[Arjay]

HOLY FUCK YES YES YES YES MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.destructoid.com/marvel-vs-capcom-3-fate-of-two-worlds-revealed-with-marvelous-trailer-171309.phtml

While I am genuinely happy that a third installment is coming out, a part of me is concerned about some stories I'm seeing about the producer wanting to use a simple control scheme like the one in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. I would prefer to see MvC2 controls for MvC3, but it's still early. Maybe some things will change, maybe they'll stay the same. Hopefully when E3 rolls around, we'll find out.

RJ, have you plaid Lair before and do you enjoy metal slug/battletoads (old school brawler) type of games?

I kept hearing that the game was really low quality when it first came out, but ever since a patch was made for it, the issues were cut down significantly. Saw some YouTube videos of it as well, and it's worth a look. I also very much appreciate the offer of you sending a care package to us, but since this is a domestic title, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find a copy to play. Thanks again, though.

[Mung Beans]

Welcome back guys!

Good to hear you guys again, its good to get another episode of my favourite podcast :). Really appreciate that you guys take the time to read our long e-mails. Hopefully they are as interesting for you guys to read as well as for us to write.

There is one thing I need to get off my chest, and hopefully you guys will discuss in the next podcast, and that is the next X-COM game......

WTF!!! Its going to be a FPS! :mad: Man they took my nerd rage meter off the charts! Why oh why did they have to drive another great franchise down the drain?

Who knows!? The game may turn out to be good, but what is making me really angry, is that I know in my gut, that the decision to make the game a FPS, has nothing to do with game design, or bringing the franchise to a new light, or trying something different with the franchise, it is all because of some bull shit marketing statistic that told the company that they can make more money if they made the game into a FPS.

And I believe this is the reason why we are getting these really stale games that seem to be playing the same tune, game developers out there are scared of trying new things, or heading towards a weird direction because they are afraid of not making the best profit.

[nabokovfan87]

While I am genuinely happy that a third installment is coming out, a part of me is concerned about some stories I'm seeing about the producer wanting to use a simple control scheme like the one in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. I would prefer to see MvC2 controls for MvC3, but it's still early. Maybe some things will change, maybe they'll stay the same. Hopefully when E3 rolls around, we'll find out.



I kept hearing that the game was really low quality when it first came out, but ever since a patch was made for it, the issues were cut down significantly. Saw some YouTube videos of it as well, and it's worth a look. I also very much appreciate the offer of you sending a care package to us, but since this is a domestic title, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find a copy to play. Thanks again, though.

Lol, oh the care package has other things... the more I ponder what to send, the funnier it all becomes. I bought mvc2 on the psn, after about an hour I realized it was only two buttons, pissed me off. I have it on PS2, and am going to try to get my fightstick working on PC with an emulator or something. I love that game way to much to play a gimped version of it.

So yeah... address somebody?

There is one thing I need to get off my chest, and hopefully you guys will discuss in the next podcast, and that is the next X-COM game......

Let me give you a glimmer of hope, from what I heard, think fps in VATS mode from fallout. so a turn-based strategy game from first person perspective, which, would be fricking awesome.

[Mung Beans]

Let me give you a glimmer of hope, from what I heard, think fps in VATS mode from fallout. so a turn-based strategy game from first person perspective, which, would be fricking awesome.

Yeah, I can see how that could work, it might have more atmopshere in FPS, but one of the many things I enjoyed about the original was waiting for the enemy round, and just sitting there hoping the bullets miss your men, and wondering where it came from.

I just get the funny feeling (After reading the approach that 2K marin is going). It sounds like its going to be a linear game following the protagonist who is an FBI agent or some sort. Which sounds like, no world mode with base management, and no customisation of squads either. They said there is still going to be the research, but why do I get the feeling it will be the Bioshock research system.

One thing I am looking forward is the designs for the alien weapons and when the humans try to reverse engineer them, I can imagine a steam punk look to them like the weapons in bioshock.

[nabokovfan87]

So, just wondering (not that I wan't everything I send to you all read on the show), did you get my email about getting robbed?

And... Send me address someone...

[CappinCanuck]

Hehe, strangest episode in a while :D Not bad, I liked it, just strange. How could anyone not like the episode after hearing James's comical evisceration of Avatar. You could tell towards the end when Scott was just reading emails and there was just silence after a significant number of emails. It was funny to hear James comment on it though.

[Limee]

Wait all that time for an episode and then get a bunch of miserable gits complaining about not liking video games. :D

I went through a spell in the late 90s when I fell out of love with gaming so I understand where you are coming from. I am personally finding games more and more enjoyable. It is clearly not flawless, but Mass Effect 2 has been one of my favourite ever gaming experiences. It provoked some real emotional reactions that, similar to kyrieee, I wondered if they were any longer possible. It is films that I find disappointing more often than not these days and has been for some time. Anyway glad that your back and try to cheer up. ;)

[Doogie2K]

The one (major) complaint I had about Avatar that James didn't touch on/glossed over is the fact that I knew exactly how the movie was going to go, excepting only a couple of small details, fifteen minutes in. (And once I saw the consciousness-transferring ritual the first time, I knew that was going to be the final scene.) Quite possibly the most predictable movie I've ever seen. Maybe part of that's due to how disgustingly one-dimensional nearly every character was, but it just seemed like the equivalent of reading someone's fanfic and realizing after six paragraphs that it's going to be a Wrath of Khan knockoff because this kid wants to show that he can write drama and death and shit like that (no, wait, that was actually my experience watching Nemesis, my bad).

Also sent in a large-ish email with a few thoughts on the current malaise. Me, I've been too busy with school to play much, never mind get tired of what I'm doing, plus I'm almost never playing the latest and greatest, so I've got that going for me.

Edit: Speaking of Mass Effect 2, I played the doctor's loyalty quest yesterday.

The first time I played it, I was slow on the Paragon action because I wanted to see how it played out. Holy shit, he fucking shot the kid. But I knew I had to go back and redo it, because of I had listened to all of our conversations about his motivations for the genophage, and his attempts to reconcile logic with guilt, and how he was trying to repent for past actions, and I felt like "my" Shepard would have processed that information then stepped in and reminded Solus of the same: she can be a remorseless killer when necessary, applying Spock logic to it after the fact ("the needs of the many..."), but if the same outcome can be achieved without bloodshed, she's still going to do that instead. Sure enough, that's precisely what happened when I pulled the trigger. But even though I didn't go with that initial ending to the mission, it was a really cool moment, seeing them go through with it, and having it make an impact like that. Seriously well-written game.

[lucklesswonder]

I never really understood the amount of hate that Avatar garners. I've heard the complaints, and I acknowledge that many of them are valid. Ultimately, though, they don't matter to me. I saw the movie six times in theaters, each time with the same idiot grin--admittedly, I say this with a mix of pride and shame. I long ago took to calling myself an Avatard.

I don't know. The Going Native story has always been one of my favorite archetypes. The visuals blow me away. The musical score gets my blood going. Maybe I'm just weird, but the movie hits all the right buttons with me.

The only thing I really contest is that the characters are one-dimensional. I don't agree (though, as a four-year veteran of corporate retail, I feel confident in asserting that ALL people are one-dimensional). Each character fits a role, true, but it's appropriate. The movie plays out like a fairy-tale epic. You are bound to have character archetypes. Star Wars did the same. Scoundrel with a Heart of Gold. The Wise Mentor. The Evil Wizard. The Plucky Young Hero. All movies do it.

But to be fair, I've seen the movie seven times. Maybe I've had more opportunities to analyze the characters and see multiple motives guiding them through the story. Or maybe I'm just trying to justify my own unreasoning love for the movie. I'll let you guys decide. I'm gonna go watch some Battlestar.

[Limee]

I watched Avatar on Blu-ray and I don't think that it lost anything compared to the 3D showing I saw at the cinema. Would certainly be interested on where you see 3D going from both a film and gaming perspective. I am still to be convinced of it's value, but concede that I may well end up being one of those people who thought films didn't need to be shown in colour. Avatar is certainly a great looking film, but I found the audio to be a bit more of a mixed bag. I really don't like Horner's re-using of cues. Everytime I heard one of them I kept expecting to see Vassili Zaitsev pop out and snipe a couple of Germans. I still didn't love it or hate it after the second watch.

[Count Elmdor]

I meant to post this as soon as the episode went up, but it's good to have you guys back! See you in the next thread...