BigCast 008 -- Eternally Childish

Posted Aug 18th 2008 12:00PM by Xav de Matos
Filed under: Podcasts

After a few tech hiccups, some of which are still obvious in the show, we finally got down to recording an epic and emotional edition of The BigCast. From our thoughts on the logistics of a Star Trek MMO to the quick exit of an Indie developer the crew throws it all on the table. This week Xav is joined by Akela and James (Kyle's connection kept dropping the call -- check out the outtakes for more!) and a special new segment we've teased in the past. Our resident Hardware Guru, Rafe Brox, jumps in with his own quick segment touching on AMD's 790GX chipset. We're changing the format around just to keep you on your toes -- like a Gnome at a urinal. Jump in and be counted ... this is the BigCast!

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Hosts: Xav de Matos, Akela Talamasca, James Murff and Rafe Brox (Special Segment)

Produced by Xav de Matos

Music: Intro/Outro: "Am I Awake" by They Might Be Giants. Bridge: "Keep On" by MC Statistics

Downloads
Download: Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People: Homestar Ruiner Demo
Star Trek Online trailer sets up the final frontier

Features
Review: Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1

Hardware
Big Iron Archives

Round-Table
Indie Devs versus the Big Dogs... who has the freedom to be more creative?

News
NPD: gamers use PCs more than consoles
Will Wright: "Militant atheists" against Spore
Bionic Commando Rearmed PC gets extra content after all
AMD, Blizzard join forces
Eternity Child designer quits game industry

Note: After the recording of this episode it was revealed by Luc Bernard on his blog that his decision to quit the industry was also financially motivated.

Tags: big-download-podcast, bigcast, featured, features, joystiqfeatures, podcast

4 Comments

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Good show.

Xav: I actually couldn't hear your keyboard clicks, I don't think. May be the bitrate :)

I bought Eternity's Child the day it came out on Steam because of the art style and, well, it was only $5. It's hard to say no to anything for $5. I still haven't played it, though, because a few days after I bought it I started seeing the fallout. Thinking of asking Steam for a refund as I've never even launched it once.

Did the logistics of a live show at PAX prove to be too much? Will be great if you guys have a show next week. If not, I'll be reading my RSS either way =)Posted at 8:51PM on Aug 18th 2008 by Sokkratez

Hey Sokk,
Thanks for the comment.

This Friday is actually not PAX, that's next week! This week I'm out of town doing some investigative journalism! Wooooo!

However, on Thursday Microsoft is holding an X08 event and I'll be recording some interviews and some impressions from fellow industry writers for a "Special Edition" of the BigCast (This plan came up after we recorded this episode).

The week after we're in PAX and we have a few shows planned! Check your iTunes feed daily during PAX for multiple BigCast Specials!Posted at 3:52AM on Aug 19th 2008 by Xav de Matos

Another great podcast guys. I couldn't agree more on Eternities Child. The game has a great look but plays like crap. I died 10 times in my first 2 minutes of play and just gave up. I feel for the guy, he spent a lot of time and effort to produce the game but the harsh reality is that it isn't fun. I'm actually glad to see he's moving off to graphic novels where his talents will be properly showcased without the wrapper of frustration that his game has.

Also, thanks for the discussion on adventures. I do agree that TellTale has been a bit of catalyst but I also think that the maturing of the industry along with a resurgence of 90s nostalgia are driving demand for adventures too. In any event things seem to be on the upswing for the genre. I've had lots of fun with plenty of adventure games in recent years, Scratches, Still Life, Syberia 1 & 2, Anhk, and of course Sam & Max come to mind off the bat. If you want some upcoming adventures to look forward though:

A Vampyre Story (former LA adventure developers)
http://www.adventuregamers.com/gameinfo.php?id=395

Grey Matter (by Jane Jenson of Gabriel Knight fame)
http://www.adventuregamers.com/gameinfo.php?id=163

Still Life 2 (sequel to one of the best adventures in years)
http://www.adventuregamers.com/gameinfo.php?id=1245

So Blond (from Steve Ince of Broken Sword 1-3 fame)
" "/gameinfo.php?id=938

Whispered Word (no explanation, just view the screenies)
" "/gameinfo.php?id=740

Machinarium (check out screens, from the Samorost team)
" "/gameinfo.php?id=1003

Sorry for having to fudge the links. 3 URL limit apparently.

...bysmittyPosted at 11:01AM on Aug 19th 2008 by bysmitty

Probably one of the best adventure games to come out recently is Grand Theft Auto IV. Think about it. You go from place to place running errands, you keep a small inventory, and most talk sequences go nowhere really fast. It's an adventure game with lots of violence.Posted at 7:30PM on Aug 19th 2008 by Steven Wong