The Interface Episode

[fishbang]

The weekend edition of In-Game Chat is up (http://ingamechat.net/audio/IGC20081114.mp3).

Apart from being hip deep in our games of choice tonight (about which there is plenty to tell) we’re particularly interested in hearing about the new XBox interface that we’ll all be subject to by the middle of next week. With only one early adopter among us, we can’t exactly claim a comprehensive understanding of all the changes in store. But Scott, in particular, has spent a significant amount of time with what turns out to be a surprisingly deep and user friendly UI.

This isn’t the first time we’ve had words about the 360’s front end, and it probably won’t be the last, but there are enough of the right kinds of changes in place that harsh words may become exceedingly rare. Now we simply need to cross our fingers and toes and hope like hell the rollout doesn’t cripple the Live service altogether. 3 days and counting...we’ll know for sure soon enough.

[Shrinn]

Another great episode. Love it, guys.

[opsin]

Aye, pretty much my favourite gaming podcast now. And the insane frequency of it is even better!

Totally with you on the 360 UI, on both fronts, new and old. I had held off getting a 360 as I wasn't big on the original Xbox, and the 360's UI didn't help matters.
But the new UI, even after about a day with it, I can safely say has changed some of how I perceive the 360, and how I use it. Not massively, but I'm more comfortable with it now.

[danielOut]

Thanks for the kind words, Shrinn and opsin! Glad you like the new format; it is so much easier on us to produce as well.

Will be very interested in seeing how the new UI update rolls out this week. Here is to hoping for a smooth launch.

[Skull3r]

I'm also amazed at the rate you guys can pump these out. Its surprising that you guys can find things to talk about to fill up the time. (I'm actually behind two episodes, so I'll be listening to them tonight while working on some homework). How are you guys producing the shows now?

[danielOut]

Studio downstairs at the station. We record using the studio equipment, then I bring the mp3 of the show home and drop in the intro/outro music in using Audacity. Compress to mp3 and upload to the file server, and James writes up the show. BLAMMO, we're in you're ear.

If you were wondering what specific equipment, it is some studio equipment that was bought in about 1420, and then brought to America by Columbus. The British captured it briefly in the War of 1812, but thankfully sustained only minor damage. Ever since it has been in the WBAM studio, home of the Hot Country Hits.

[violent]

You guys certainly set the bar.

[opsin]

The British captured it briefly in the War of 1812, but thankfully sustained only minor damage.

Well, serves you right. You still owe us a really fucking big cup of tea!

[danielOut]

what do you mean? we made you a huge cup of tea... in the ocean. however, admittedly, we did forget to add cream and sugar.

[kropotkin]

Another good show this week. Made my daily commute a little more bearable as always. I do have to take some umbridge over comments made about how Wrath of the Lich King expansion suffers from a bad case of the 'MotS' (More of the Same). To my mind the overground quests as James referred to them as, were far more imaginative than those found on the now regarded 'Classic' or even Burning Crusade WoW. By way of example there is a quest that has you taking part in a civil war between two Murloc clans. The series of quests that run through this little storyline had me chuckling as it was rife with in-jokes that only someone who has reached level 70 in the game would appreciate.

There are many other examples of how this new expansion really is something special. These include the size of the new areas, the concept of phasing in which more quests are opened up as you complete more in an area and the success it has been as a whole. My only gripe is that I have to wait 30 minutes to get onto my server. Yes THIRTY MINUTES.

Keep up the good work. If you're planning to play some Left4Dead I know a lot of us Allgames Radio folks are doing the same so we could do a CoG vs AGR match up with one side being zombies and the other survivors. Just a thought.

[Gerbs]

Great episode as always. I think it can be said without a doubt that the NXE launch will cripple Live, even if only for a day or two. Also there is a fairly decent chance I will shell out space bucks for Avatar gear. Maybe not today, but someday. I mean I bought themes and pics before so it's nothing really new.

[Straximus]

we could do a CoG vs AGR match up with one side being zombies and the other survivors. Just a thought.

I'm all for this idea. :D

[Psykoboy2]

Yeah, but don't we owe the Moofcast a match first?

[Straximus]

Yeah, but don't we owe the Moofcast a match first?

I'm all for that too. Whatever happened to that?

[danielOut]

They all went off and got married, had honeymoons, and such.

[Rilav]

I was with the nay sayers in regards to the new expansion, but then I played a Death Knight.

I love what they did with that class, the starting zone for the DK has some of the best quests and storylines in the game,

and with the instanced questing zones(much like AoC) it made me feel like I was actually making an impact on the world.

and I have always loved Warcraft's Anti-Heroes(Maiev, Illidan and others) so having a class which allows me to play an anti-hero it's all the more awesome.