EPISODE 51 coming this thursday night!

EPISODE 51 is coming this Thursday night, 5/19/11, at 11pm ET. This is, of course, the first "post-AntiThinker" episode and will debut - among other fun new things - our new Opening Credits... with temporary music, as that's still being worked on.

To tide you over, here's a trio of still images - all from the episode itself. Enjoy!



I'm thinking some version of this "desk set" might become a semi-

permanent fixture of the show, as it was very convenient to use.

Two more pix after the jump...

Fairchild Channel F: The first cartridge-based game console EVER.

You May recall it being mentioned a bit last month when it's creator

Gerald Lawson, the inventor of the Game Cartridge, passed away.

 

....?

Kourtney Kardashian Bikini Pics, Spring 2011!

Latest evidence...

...as to why Extra Credits is the best gaming show on the web.

Kim and Kourtney throw on bikini's in Mexico!

MovieBob's Disturbingly Not-As-Insane-Sounding Wii2 Theory: Revisited

(reposted from the other blog, as it's mutually-relevant)

Being right about something in the realm of technology-speculation happens to me so rarely I'm actually a little scared when it looks like it might... happen, I mean. So right now... I'm actually a little alarmed...

Awhile back, when we first got word that Nintendo's yet-unamed, supposedly E3-bound Wii successor was going to have an iPad-esque touchscreen incorporated into it's controller, I was struck by a crazy notion: What if the touchscreen IS the controller - as in, the WHOLE controller?

The "big idea," as I imagined it, was that instead of having one controller with a pre-set arrangement of buttons that each game needed to be mapped to, it'd just be a blank touchscreen upon which each individual game would generate it's own specific, tailor-made set of "virtual buttons." Think about it: A six-button arcade setup for Street Fighter, SNES-style setup for platformers or retrogames, etc.

One HUGE problem with that idea: "Virtual buttons" SUCK, and for a very specific reason: You can't feel them. There's no texture, no tacticle-resistance, no "feedback." At least, not on any of the virtual-buttons we've used so far...

Check out this story from The Escapist, which details some new Wii2 rumors including a Swedish site's report that the controller's touchscreen - whatever else it is - is utilizing a form of HAPTIC TECHNOLOGY, which basically means "artificial feedback." Haptic Touchscreens, something Apple and Toshiba have been experimenting with and/or demonstrating, use an electrically-charged "film" on the screen surface to make different areas of the display "feel" noticeably different to the user's fingertips. The practical application is obvious: You can make the "clickable" parts of a website, options-menu or even a virtual keypad feel distinguishable to the touch. Theoretically, that could ELIMINATE the one drawback to virtual-button game-controls.

Now, realistically, it'd probably still have physical analogue sticks and shoulder-buttons, but otherwise... yeah, until proven wrong (which is probably what'll happen) I'm stickin' with this insane theory: Wii2's controller, to some degree, will be built around virtual-buttons on a touchscreen, and that aspect - "one controller that becomes ALL CONTROLLERS!" - will be central to the marketing.

CLOSURE

Osama bin Laden is dead.

FUCK YEAH!

Extra Credits does Other M

Yes, I've seen it - we work for the same bloody website ;)



Why is "Extra Credits" the best gaming show on the web? Because when THEY make the Other M episode, they spend 99% of it on things like narrative mechanics and localization, maybe 1% or less on percieved socio/political "messages"/issues that simply aren't really there and ZERO percent of it on dime-store analysis of the alleged "cultural misogyny" of a foriegn culture they don't belong to.

Armchair Thinkers podcast

Below (and at THIS LINK) my most-recent appearance on the Armchair Thinkers Podcast. Check them out.

looking for electronic musicians

Hey guys.

So... looking to talk to/with any fans who happen to be electronic musicians, specifically (but not exclusively) people with experience in retrogaming "chiptune"-style stuff, about a possible opportunity. Interested parties can send me a message via Facebook, or post whatever contact-info you're comfortable with (or other questions) in the comments section of this post.

EPISODE 50: "War of The Thinkers" (UPDATED!)

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video is now at THIS LINK

The AntiThinker Saga comes to an end. I hope people enjoyed this as much as we enjoyed making it.



More stuff after the jump...


So... there it is, have at it. In addition to further episodes of the regular series, I'm planning to have some making-of, retrospective stuff up in the near future to elaborate on certain points; but just a few things real quick while we're all here:

If some of the post-transformation looks oddly-sped-up, there is nothing wrong with your computer or ScrewAttack's player (at least not in regards to this.) What you're seeing is mostly an attempt to artficially replicate a high shutter-speed with video, coupled with some "OMG a whole fucking day of shooting captured all wiggy for some reason!!!"

My favorite joke in the whole bloody enterprise is at 10:21.

Credit where credit is due: My best friend Tim Luz and my brother Chris did not only 99% of the cinematography on this, but they've done 99% of the "when you see me" shooting on the entire series up to this point - the unsung heroes of The Game OverThinker. In addition, that's Chris in the AntiThinker "true form" costume, and doubling me in the over-the-shoulder "Fake Shemp" shots.

The fake blood you see in the "splatter" shots is store-brand vegetable juice, and the "chest-punch" torrent is a mix of tomato soup, water and cherry gelatin-mix - every single drop of "prop gore" spilled was not only nontoxic and biodegradable, but edible. The "chopped" tree limb was an unrelated (to the tree) piece of debris being held up offscreen. NO portion of all that beautiful forest land that provided such a nice backdrop for this whole production was polluted, despoiled or otherwise harmed by our filmming; a commitment we all made and stuck to.

Looking back now, I kinda want to go back and stick the "Rise From Your Grave!!!" sound from Altered Beast over the "ressurection;" but nah - I'm DONE editing this bloody thing ;)

The "origin story" alluded to be The OverThinker is more-or-less "true," and will probably be elaborated upon in the future. (I'm only making MOST of this up as we go along.)

"Cloaked Figure" aka "Monster-Voice Guy" DOES already have an identity, I already know who/what he is, what his "deal" is, etc; and you'll hopefully find out exactly what that is in the near(ish) future.

Yes, that last bit is referencing Rev Rants' video. NO, I'm not "calling him out," looking to start shit, or even outright wholesale disagreeing with him; my position is more on the lines of "except when it is." I see the "Fun is Not Enough" thing quoted around a lot, often used (incorrectly, unless I misunderstood Rev's initial point) as a "takedown" of smaller titles and casual/retro stuff... and yeah, I'm on the other side of that. But otherwise? Rev is alright with me ;)

Final Preview Image for Episode 50

One more preview image for EPISODE 50 - still set to go live at 11pm ET tonight. (Yes, the visual reference is intentional.)

It's Real

Nintendo announces a "Wii Successor" for 2012... in a pdf.

We'll all find out how much money it's going to cost to play the next Mario, Zelda, etc. at E3.

I did an interview with PixelJumpers

...and here it is. Enjoy!

The OverThinker's insane Wii2 theory

(posted to both blogs, because it's relevant)

Okay. By now, everyone is reasonably-certain that "Wii2" gets revealed at E3. And slightly-less-than-everyone is reasonably-certain that it's mystery-controller A.) isn't a Wii-Remote successor but rather can interface with one or something like one (knowing Nintendo this means peripheral backwards-compatibility, which they'd be INSANE not to do after selling everyone's mom a fortune in Wii Sports toolkits) and B.) incorporates a camera and mini-LCD touch screen into it's design - with most rumors suggesting the screen is roughly the size of an iPhone's, which would be HUGE for something that most are assuming is going to be "built-in" to a conventional dual-stick/buttons controller.

I've got a different theory...

I'll say upfront that I'm almost-certainly 100% off-base about this; largely because I have no talent or skillset for engineering. But on the off chance I'm right (or that it's not Nintendo's idea but not a bad one either...) here we go:

What if the touch-screen is an "everycontroller?"

Here's the idea: The screen will "fit" because it isn't there in-addition to action-buttons, but INSTEAD of action buttons. Basically, instead of dedicated action-buttons that every game has to be engineered for, the controller is just one or two analog sticks with NO dedicated action-buttons - instead, the touch-screen generates a set of "buttons" the arrangement and "form" of which are SPECIFIC to each individual game. Arcade-style buttons for a fighter, NES/SNES setup for a platformer, a PC-style stylus-oriented inventory menu for a sim (or an MMO?), something else for whole other genres I'm not thinking of or haven't been invented yet?

So, yeah. Crazy, probably not even close. But I don't think anyone could deny that this sounds EXACTLY like something Nintendo would do, right? Attention-getting, table-upturning, callous disregard for how 3rd party developers will feel about having to be controller-builders as well as game-designers and - this is the important part - it would LOOK ultra-revolutionary and cutting edge but can actually be built entirely out of decades-old technology their tech-teams are already well-versed in from the DS line. (Hmm... slightly-less insane theory: The controler will look like the bottom half of a 3DS, and a 3DS could be used in-place of one.)

So... uh-huh, that's kind of it: A controller that can turn into "any" controller - at least, that's how they'd sell it.

Episode 50 ScrewAttack exclusive trailer

The exclusive screwattack-only trailer for Episode 50, which will be especially noteworthy to those of you who aren't already burned-out on "Dead Island" spoofs....

Episode 50 EXCLUSIVE YouTube trailer

Below, the exclusive YouTube-exclusive trailer for "War of The Thinkers." A longer ScrewAttack-exclusive trailer will (probably) debut later this evening.

Episode 50 Premiere Date Set!

FYI folks, the premiere date for Episode 50 has been set for Monday, April 25th at 10pm CST (11pm ET) exclusively at ScrewAttack.com. The AntiThinker saga ends with bullets, blood and gratuitous video game in-jokes; and I hope people enjoy seeing it as much as we enjoyed putting it all together.

There will probably be at least one or two more trailers in-between now and then, and I'm thinking of putting a wrapup/production special together afterwards... but let's see how this goes for now.

In addition, while at one point I was considering using the "50th Anniversary" landmark as an opportunity for a brief sabbatical... I've decided against that. Barring any unforseen issues, the series will pick right back up on schedule not long after this has aired.

First trailer for "War of The Thinkers!"

Crisis on Infinite Zones?

Below, the trailer for - amazingly - ANOTHER next-gen "Sonic the Hedgehog" game. No title, no indication of gameplay, but it's got quite a hook: "2000s Sonic" is joined midway through his run by... "Original 90s Sonic." O... kay?



Two things are immediately apparent: That Sonic Team continues to know more about "pitching" Sonic games than MAKING them, and that you have to be really into Sonic to immediately discern the actual difference between the two Sonics.

It's probably a coincidence, but part of me REALLY wants to think that the side-by-side run, along with the whole (implied) premise, is an intentional shout-out to "Flash Of Two Worlds."

Also, Sonic Team? Free note: If you actually are going to pull some kind of "Sonic Multiverse" stuff, you might as well have the SatAm cast show up. The fans will lose their shit.

Good vs Evil

"War of The Thinkers" is coming along, eh... steadily. Until I have more concrete things to show off, here's a sample - the first still from the production, and (for those keeping track) the first time OverThinker and AntiThinker have appeared onscreen "together" (excluding the video monitors from Episode 47.)

kabooms

(NOTE: this is a straight-ahead shout-out, NOT an advertisement - no one has "asked" me to reccomend this site, no compensation has changed hands, etc.)

Most people on the indie/amateur movie circuit probably already know about Detonation Films, but in case you're in that group and you don't know them you really need to: Basically a whole site of professional-grade stock footage for explosions, fire, debris, bullet-hits, flares, etc. shot against key-ready greenscreen, bluescreen or oldschool black; most of sold for VERY reasonable prices and a TON of good stuff that's straight-up FREE for download.

Pretty much all the fire/explosion FX you've seen in the recent "OverThinker" videos came from their freebie stock, as it happens, so I figured I owed them a shout-out: Keep an eye on this site, it's a GREAT resource.

Episode 49: "Retro A-Go-Go"

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video is now at THIS LINK

Is the Retro-Gaming craze helping or hurting us?



The Quest of The OverThinker comes to a close. Stay tuned for Episode 50 for the conclusion of the AntiThinker Saga!

The End Is Near...

MONDAY MARCH 28 2011

THE ENEMY RETURNS

THE TRUE FACE IS REVEALED

THE QUEST ENDS...

...THE WAR BEGINS

3 quick things

...about the "Eastern vs. Western Game Stories" thing, which apparently everyone finds vastly more fascinating than the rest of the episode...


1.) Good Story is not the same thing as Good Writing. It's entirely plausible that Western game-writers write better screenplays - I wouldn't know, because I can neither read speak Japanese fluently nor read Kanji, and it's unfair to critique writing based on (usually poor) translation. So, yes, I'll take "every gonzo thing we can think of regardless of genre of aesthetic plus maybe somebody is a giant walrus just because" (Japan) over "Tom Clancy but shot like Black Hawk Down - unless it's period, in which case shot like Private Ryan, unless it's medieval in which case copypaste LOTR, unless it's scifi in which case Star Wars" (West.)

2.) With rare exception, I will take "characters who emote too much" over "characters who do not emote at all, or only emote flippantly." Also, I am neither an insecure 13 year-old nor a bitter 90 year-old - thusly, male characters who display quasi "feminine" traits, grow out and/or color their hair are not innately infuriating to me.

3.) Just a thought: If HUNDREDS of people rushing in to "disprove" the opinion in question keep citing as evidence, independently of one another, the SAME five or six titles - two or three of which are from the same company running on a VERY similar story engine... that MIGHT kinda be making the point for me. Just sayin.

PAX East 2011 Wrapup

Short version: It was a BLAST! Long version, after the jump...



BEST PART:
Finally meeting my editor Susan Arendt, the Loading Ready Run crew, Shamus and all the other Escapist peeps in person, plus doing the movie-night panel that went KICKASS.

WORST PART:
Ah, cons - where $5 for a slice of pizza somehow sounds briefly reasonable...

3DS:
For the first half-second of picking it up, my heart-sank: "Oh no... the 3D doesn't work." But once your eyes find "dead center" magic-eye style a half-second later... damn, that's a nifty effect - it really does look like the screen is a "portal" reaching much deeper into the background than possible in your hand, which is freaky as hell at first - and I'll bet it'll be even more impressive when not under harsh convention lightning (i.e. when the screen is the brightest thing in your field of vision.) I'm still not 100% sure if the effect has a practical application outside of looking cool, and I can see myself switching the 3D off for longer sessions, but it works and even absent 3D the graphics/controls are - as expected - terrific.

"FIREFALL"
Hadn't been following development on this, but evidently an online/co-op 3rd-person shooter that looks like "Gears of War" with a stylized, cartoon/comic inspired design aesthetic. They were putting on quite a show.

"MORTAL KOMBAT" REBOOT:
It's "Mortal Kombat 2" gone 2.5D in High-Definition and with tag-team play... and there isn't a DAMN THING wrong with that! They had it set up in oldschool arcade-style cabinets complete with "fighter stick" controls; played a match against a friendly stranger and suddenly it was the tolerable part of the 90s again - sooo satisfying to hear "Finish Him!" again. This thing will be HUGE.

TGO Special Message re: Japanese Earthquake

(UPDATED TO FIX FACTUAL ERROR.) Please consider making a donation to the charity or relief-organization of your choice to aid in the ongoing tragedy in Japan.

PAX schedule stuff PLUS "big" announcement

Okay folks, things have been and will be "sparse-ish" in the daytime 'round here for the weekend, as I'll be at PAX East for most of it. I'll probably turn up at the con itself around 4pm or so tommorow (got some business first) and be around for most of the evening after that... Saturday and Sunday? We'll see what happens, but I'm planning to be at as much as possible.

So... since I can't really blog from the con; I've gone and done the unthinkable... and signed up for Twitter. Yes, I'll be tweeting from PAX - follow me @the_moviebob. Let me know in the comments if that hyperlink works or not - Twitter's urls are weird, and I don't know if it "takes" like that. If it doesn't, just look up "the_moviebob" on Twitter itself - the other ones just called "moviebob" AREN'T me.

self-promotion

The OverThinker WILL be at PAX East 2011

Title kinda says it all. TGO, aka MovieBob, aka ME will be out and about at PAX East this year, so if you see me feel free to say hello ;) Can't say at this time exactly what days/times or in what capacity, but I'll be around.

Postscript for smart-aleck's: Astral-projection, that's how.

Unbeatable

Everything at once maddening yet undeniable about Nintendo's dual-existence as a corporate entity and Colonial Governor of a generation's memories; summarized in a single image:

Giving the keynote at GDC, President Satoru Iwata focused heavily on the upcoming 3DS handheld and dropped the customary not-in-any-way-shocking announcement that a new Mario title was in-production for the system. No screenshots or even title were given, save for the detail that it's being developed by the "Galaxy" team. Oh, and the "Super Mario" logo's shadow... has a familiar-looking TAIL.

And... there you have it. Waaaay more than half of any fans "on the fence" about the 3DS just made up their mind. That's another several-million systems presold, regardless of price or availability. Not because of a feature, or because of a full-lineup, or even because of a tangible game... but because they've vaguely intimated that we might at some point see Tanooki (re: Raccoon) Mario again after a 22 year absence.

THIS is why everyone else whose ever tried to sell a handheld console went bald early.

"Extra Consideration"

The Escapist decided to let Your's Truly, Zero Punctation's Yahtzee and Extra Credits' James Portnow have a lil' email debate and assemble the result into a column. In other words: Two of the most important voices in the gaming world... and, for some reason, also me ;)

Here we are, debating the state of console gaming: Take a look.

Episode 48: "The Zen of Grind"

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video is at THIS LINK

"We Dare" - Ubisoft's latest crime against humanity

hat-tip: Devin

Ugh.

Everyone knows I'm a big defender of The Wii - not just in terms of "there ARE actually good games on it" but also of so-called Wii "waggle game" titles themselves. Greater varieties of people gaming is a GOOD thing, and well-done motion-control party games are fun to play. BADLY done ones - or ones cashing in on the craze with minimal effort and a superficial "hook" on the other hand... no thanks.

With that in mind, behold "We Dare" - a "naughty adult party game" from Ubisoft...



Here's what I want to know: How did this get "ok'd" by Nintendo? Granted, the "Seal of Quality" isn't exactly what it used to be, but their still notorious for micromanaging third-parties and for guarding their family-friendly image like a Samurai Walt-Disney... so how exactly did they NOT have an issue with Ubi producing a Wii game where "shove Wii-remote down girlfriend's pants" is part of the control scheme, with an advertisement that - depending on your point of view - either looks like an Ashley Madisson spot or the lead-in to a deleted scene from "American Psycho?"

Amazing

You've GOT to be able to laugh at yourself

I'll confess to not having been previously aware of "The Game Boob," but evidently he's a clever kid on YouTube whose "schtick" is parodying the subgenre of YouTube-based game-reviewers (aka The Bastard Stepchildren of The AVGN.) In his most recent (?) episode, it's my turn on the spoofing-block:



After watching that, and a few of the other episodes... I've gotta say: The kid has talent. I'm a bit envious of his obvious skill as an editor - he's got killer comic-timing, a sharp eye for the rythym of recurring YouTube memes, and he's certainly jumping into the "bit" with both feet. And good call on the "Amok Time" music - wish I'd thought of that.

Smithsonian's GODAWFUL game-voting thing

I'm on my way to bed (early-ass screening tomorrow - ugh!), but rest assured that I WILL have more to say when time avails itself about the ungodly, horrible way the Smithsonian is going about the "public voting" aspect of it's "Art of Videogames" exhibit. Don't get me wrong: The effort is appreciated, but everything from the selections to the categorizations on this thing are so wrongheaded, slapdash and uninformed as to make me honestly think it'd be better if they didn't do it at all.

For example: The voting (which seems to ignore Arcades ENTIRELY, btw) divides the history of the medium into five "eras," with options to vote for which of three games will be each console/eras "representative" title in each of four genres. Only FOUR? Yes: Action, Adventure, Target and Combat/Strategy. That's right: No platformer, no puzzle, no RPG - in the 8-bit/NES/Adventure category, it's Final Fantasy vs. Zelda vs. Shadowgate... and only ONE can "win."

This. Is. FUCKING. ASININE.

Where did they get this system? Did they just make it up without consulting anyone who knows thing-ONE about the medium? Gaming is young, but there's NO shortage of historians and credited experts out there who could've given them a better outline. This isn't a matter of nerd-nitpickery... obviously not every game can get in there... but trying to tell the "history" of the form and classifying Zelda and Final Fantasy as the same thing? That's like if I opened up a Bird Museum and added an Octopus on the basis that it has a BEAK.

I imagine others will want to weigh in on this, but instead of just griping along with me why not gripe directly to them instead: Here's the exhibit/voting's comment section.

And here's the email address associated with the page: AmericanArtGames@si.edu BE RESPECTFUL if you do write in, regardless of what you have to say. We gain nothing by being crass.

sellout

Yes, there are now ads on both of these blogs. I'm trying it out, seeing how it goes, etc; hoping it won't be some kind of "issue."

Episode 47: "Farm Team"

update: as of 9/13/11 this video is at THIS LINK

The "Quest of The OverThinker" arc begins!



In all seriousness, I'm incredibly psyched at how well this one came out.

Armchair Thinkers podcast

Quick head's-up: The Armchair Thinkers podcast has yours truly as a guest for the most recent episode (Feb 3 2011) and we get pretty into depth on stuff like The AntiThinker, Other M, etc. Check it out HERE:

ANTITHINKER: Legend of Zelda

UPDATE: This video as of 9/13/11 is at THIS LINK

MobileDev.1.upload.@utopost.security.128.v.ep45.

EVERY ENDING

A BEGINNING

1.24.11

MobileDev.1.upload.@utopost.security.127.v.ep45.

HERO RETURNS.

QUEST BEGINS.

1.24.11

Adam sez: "Go get in a catfight, lady."

This preview thing looks like it's teasing at the girl from Metroid being a guest-star in the 3DS version of that one fighting game where the chicks have the big boobs:



I don't really care cuz game what need two screens is lame, but if The OverThinker was here he'd be excited to see how much everyone freaks the hell out about her being in a "sexist" franchise when it's not all that different from her being in "Smash Bros."

ANTITHINKER: Mega Man

update: as of 9/13/11 this video is at THIS LINK

I review a bunch of shitty old games about a blue robot.



Um... everybody else saw that shit at the end, right? Cuz that wasn't on there when I recorded it. That shit's fucked up right there.

Conventional

FYI bros, my goody-good counterpart is apparently gonna be visiting some big nerd party, Arisia, in Boston this weekend. Not sure how that works with him being stuck in my forest and all, but whatever. So... if anyone reading this site is also attending that, maybe you'll see him wandering around and you can ask him. Or not.

ScrewAttack Royal Rumble

Heh. That's kinda funny, I guess.

Hey, OverThinker! Can you see this on your little phone thingee? They gave you way more awesome entrance music than you should get, bro!

weird-ass game with dumb angel guy

Here's a video of one of the games on that 3D thingee what's comin' out next year, "Kid Icarus: Uprising." It's a remake of, like, a game from the olden days. If The OverThinker wuz here, I bet he'd say it looked like a Sega arcade game... like, a today-days remake of Space Harriet. That game used to mess me up, because Harriet totally looked like a dude in it. They should've called it Space Harry, that'd make more sense...



Wait a minute... I only seen Kid Icarus this one time at my Anti-Cousin's house and it was totally lame, but... didn't the little Cupid guy used to have a bow and arrow? He had it in that one Smash Brawl game... What for he's got like a GUN now? That actually kinda pisses me off - I mean, guns rule and all but like this guy was like one of the only guys in video games what had a bow instead... he was, like The Nuge of angels or whatever! That's weird... I mean, I'M probably not gonna buy it anyway but if I was I'd totally be hoping you could still use a bow sometimes. Like... you remember in "Gladiator" when that African chick had like the machine-gun-crossbow? That was awesome.

Mobile.Dev.Upload v.329 // - OVERTHINKER: Dispatch From Wario's Woods - //

Got Signal

Hope Works



EDIT: WTF!? He's still alive? Heh. Persistent little dorkwad, I guess. Y'know what, I'm gonna leave this up - fun to watch you fanboys get all hopeful and shit ;)

ANTITHINKER: History of Video Games

update: as of 9/13/11 this video is at THIS LINK

Happy New Year, losers! Here's my first FULL episode in my tenure as the NEW host of this lame-ass show! Enjoy it, nerds!

MobileDev.1.upload.@utopost.security.653.v.ep44.

How long been here?

Stirring in woods

Strange energy

He's up something