That Gaming Podcast.com

Another week,  with lots of Sony news; However, listening to this podcast will NOT unlock a trophy. We’ve also got news on Gears 2, a 360 price cut, Super smash bros brawl and Diablo 3.

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Download Episode 17 (55mb)

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Have you heard that gaming podcast?

COD 5, MGS4, Resi 5, PSP developers quitting and lots more feature in this week’s show. Plus, we’ve got our own personal gaming news. A look back at a classic racer and some interesting stuff we’ve found on the web

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Download Episode 14 (72mb)

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5 weeks, it’s really been 5 whole weeks that we’ve been doing this podcast for now and to prove it you can download episode number 5 right here (or from the podcast page, or better yet by subscribing to it in iTunes).

Some of the things we discuss this week include; PSP outselling everything in Japan, GTA IV running out at UK retailers, Rockband’s European release and BBC on Wii!!

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Download Episode 5 (80mb)

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Get each new episode automatically in iTunes for free as they become available. Subscribe by clicking on the iTunes graphic below.

I’m fully aware that the site hasn’t been updated as much these past few days and for this I must apologise, there have been other things that have taken up my time.

However, I’ve now finished with them and should be able to update the site more regularly again.

To begin with here’s a rundown (in bullet-point form only) of the major news topics so far this week:

• PS3 - GT5 breaks UK PS3 sales records
• Tanya Byron’s report is done and she’s tidy
• GTA4 has been classified as ‘18′ - thanks Tanya
• Sony reckons the episodic content in GTA 4 for the 360 isn’t important (yeah, right!)
• Lots of April Fools stuff going on with various companies including a mock up of Altiar running around in Metal Gear Solid 4
• New PS3 store on the way in April, no content updates till then
• Microsoft should hit 2 million 360’s sold in the UK by next week
• 50 cent 2 actually looks pretty good
• Rainbow Six Vegas 2 sells 2 million worldwide
• PS3 COD4 DLC to arrive 3 weeks after the 360’s
• Mr Driller on XBLA today
• Capcom bags the rights to Moto GP
• Capcom buys Tenchu developer (WHY?)

Phew! Quite a bit of stuff there.

In addition to that news stream we’ll also be producing episode 4 of our podcast tonight - well, it’s almost certain it will be tonight, if it’s not then it will be done tomorrow, and that’s GUARANTEED!

Word!

Posted by Ian

Well, it’s been on the cards for a while now, and slowly, bit by bit I’ve got together the stuff for my new gaming room.

I’m happy to report tonight that the room is now fully carpeted, my new home gym will be finished by tomorrow and I’ve moved the PS3 and Wii upstairs and set them up on my brand new TV.

It’s all looking rather spiffing, though it will look (and sound) a whole lot better when my surround sound system arrives from Amazon. However, there’s been a delay on that front. Apparently Amazon are having trouble processing my payment, though god knows why - I know I’ve entered my details correctly and I know I have the funds to pay for the item.

Anyway, I will getting my nice new sofa bed on Tuesday and then all I will need is a new tv stand. I’ve abandoned my original idea of wall-mouting the TV as I prefer it on a nice stand.

I’ll upload some pictures of the room once the gym is built and upload them.

Word!

Posted by Rob

Eagerly awaiting the impending release of GTA IV I started to question just how “sandbox” is sandbox gaming. Im beginning to question the limited nature of some open world environments, this type of gaming is hitting us from all directions now starting with on foot rpgs and rpg-alike gaming and more recently fully fledged driving titles. All of these games are extremely linear in design albeit with a very roundabout way of approaching tasks, don’t get me wrong im a massive fan of open world titles and snap them up when available but these games do just…….well……..end. Its great to be given a task and then left to approach it in any way that feels right the buzz you get from being given a smash and grab mission that ends in a botched assassination attempt followed by a messy car chase then a painful limp out of harms way to lose the police and get back to the safe house, a second attempt at this sees you mastermind a daring scheme filled with award winning headshots a heart stopping car chase through cross town traffic making the police look like fools as you slide unseen into your safe house. However my problem is this these games still have a goal you have five missions that can be done in any order until then you are invited to the wondrous pleasure of having nothing else to do when will developers take advantage of randomly generated events also having a game continue to let you explore the city after the final mission is sometimes wasted as THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO DO OR SEE.
My life is sandbox I have to get up, go to work fulfil all tasks given to me in any order I decide best then go home after all this my time is my own but if I have nothing left to do I may as well go back to my safe house go to sleep and start the next days missions. This has all been a petty little rant I suppose but until single player titles take a leaf from the “BIG BOOK OF MMO BUILDING” they will always be an open world that you can complete.

Posted by Ian

I was just trawling through the fine website that is Kotaku and noticed they had a picture up of Tanya Byron, the lady commissioned by Gordon Brown to produce a report detailing a new age rating scheme (amongst other things for games) - you can read more about that issue here

Anyway, I noticed that Kotaku actually had a picture of Ms. Byron. She’s actually pretty tidy. So tidy in fact that I decided to post the exact same picture of her here on our website.

So maybe this is the government’s new strategy to get us minions to sit up and take notice. Get your reports written by a hottie, that’ll get people interested in what you have to say. Just ask Ubisoft about that and Assassin’s Creed!

Posted by Ian 

There I was minding my own business, sitting in a northerly direction when all of a sudden there was a knock at the door!

Who could that be? I pondered as I made my way through the living room and into the hallway. As I approached the shining silver handle of our new UPVC door (white on the inside, brown on the outside - y’know like wood) a thousand thoughts raced through my mind, would it be something good, or would it be a middle aged woman asking for her Kleeneze kit back that she’s shoved through my letterbox the previous monday? This was all too much to take, so I just bit the bullet and opened the door.

Well blow me (no, not that way) it was only a UPS guy bravely battling the elements in order to return my repaired 360. What a man. Like an excited child who has just learned to write I scribbled my signature across the screen of his PDA delivery system thingy and snatched the box from his rain soaked mits.

As I opened the box I dared imagine the feelings I would soon experience if, instead of simply repairing my broken unit Microsoft had seen fit to raise me above the masses and elevate my status to ‘important’ by giving me an updated brand new 360 with a HDMI port.

Nope - it was my exact same 360 which, according to the enclosed documentation had had a new motherboard fitted.

So there you have it, I’m just run-of-the-mill scum to Microsoft and got my 360 repaired just like anyone else.

And irony of ironies I don’t even know if it works (and probably won’t find out till the weekend) cos I’ve just had GT5 Prologue drop through the door too. PS3 all the way for me later today.

WOOOO!

Following the request from british Prime Minister Gordon Brown to address the use of ‘innapropriate interactive content’ by children, a report will be published today calling for movie style ratings for games. In addition, retailers selling games to underage children will face stiffer penalties; a large fine and up to 4 years in jail.

The report, written by Dr Tanya Byron recommends that a new 12 rating (just like they give to movies) be used on games and that the current PEGI system of rating be abandonded as it uses confusing age rating symbols and the rules for deciding on the age rating a game should receive are not strict enough. A single statutory regulation has been recommended.

In her report Dr Bryon says: “We have to make child digital safety a priority. If you are under 18, you should not be able to buy an ‘18′ game and if you are under 12, you should not be able to buy a ‘12′ game.”

The BBC already have posted some extra details about the report on their website. According to them Byron recommends:

You can read the BBC article in full here

Posted by Ian 

We took a break from updating the site over the bank holiday weekend, but for everyone returning to work on Tuesday here’s a brief round-up of the gaming news for the past few days.

• Rainbow Six Vegas 2 launched
• Rainbow Six Vegas 2 multiplayer is broke on PS3
• Pain was released on PSN in Europe
• the CFO of EA has quit
• the CEO of Midway has quit
• Gran Turismo 5 Prologue adverts have started showing up on TV
• Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack announced for April - will cost 800 points

There you go, everything you need to know in 2 minutes worth of reading.

Nice