PixelCast

So much love went into the sixty-first PixelCast that we actually did a full dress rehearsal first. This, of course, is a fancy way of saying that some pretty major technical issues resulted in us having to record the entire show twice over. This is a shame, as it happens, that original recording equated to the single greatest slice of podcasting known to man – and you will never get to hear it. What you will get, however, is Tim (who doesn't know what year it is, apparently), Matt and Jess talking about whatever it is they've been playing, mostly ignoring e3, and then rabbiting on about gamer entitlement sans the guy who wrote the book (re: article) on the subject. Ah, well. PixelCast 61 – at least it actually exists! ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:02:25 – Binary Domain, all of the Mass Effect and Lumines Vita 0:16:18 – Music – Shinin' (by Mondo Grosso) 0:20:08 – Gamer Entitlement 0:45:53 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) Ken and James deleted by stupid software Helpful Links: Yup, EA is just *that* bad Please Buy Binary Domain Not gamer entitlement, but a bloody good rant regardless

Get ready for some James on James action in this week's PixelCast. You'll feel the sexual tension between our own James O'Connor and James Pinnell. Joining them this week is Dylan Burns and Tim Henderson. And to round out this emotionally balanced crew is our super special guest, David Rayfield. You'll know him from such publications like Destructoid and Gameranx. You'll also know him for TALKING LIKE THIS. The crew tackles the Electronic Entertainment Expo, with predictions, gripes, and rants. But before that, they spend time talking about games, and bagging on Diablo 3.  They also expand on the tradition of bagging on the person who wasn't on this week's episode. Yea, I like MechWarrior. Big woop. Wanna fight about it? ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:01:17 – Intro 0:04:50 – Max Payne 3, Gravity Rush, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Diablo 3 0:32:44 – Music – Child of the Murder God (Baldur's Gate) (by Christian Pacaud) 0:36:08 – E3! 0:57:31 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc)

This episode sees Tim Schafer drop in to chat about Grim Fandango, which is a fancy (and only slightly misleading) way of saying that we do have an interview with the man, but he didn't exactly swing by for tea and biscuits. Nonetheless, this episode's highlight certainly consists of the extended Grim Fandango chat that Tim (err, our Tim) recorded with Tim (the famous one) for an article in the UK's Retro Gamer magazine almost a full year ago now. Not that skeleton noir should overshadow everything else. The front end of the show brings some punch of its own, in the form of two special guests (Two! That's not only more than one, it's also more than one-and-a-half!) including Kotaku AU's Mark Serrels, as well as Lizzie dominator Tracey Lien, who could also be associated with the Australian Kotakus (and roughly seventy three thousand other places). Oh, and Jickle and Nathan join Tim, too. They even bring their potty mouths along for the outing. ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:03:51 – Trials Evo, Shadowloo Showdown, Endless Space and Resistance 3 0:22:07 – Music – Baba Yetu (guitar) (by Sandra Bae) 0:25:20 – Tim Schafer talks Grim Fandango 1:13:33 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) Mark's Pepsi Max supplied by the Devil himself Helpful Links: Shadowloo Showdown. It's about fighting games and stuff. Sandra Bae's Youtube page. You should probably click this. Tim Schafer's Grim Fandango design diary

Well, I'm back and things have switched up again. Matt leads the discussion this episode, while Tim takes up back seat driving duties. We chat about Botanicula, Diablo 3 Open Beta and Trials Evolution, before we dive into sequels, remakes, reboots and rehashing IP. You might be a little surprised about how the discussion develops. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:02:07 – Botanicula, Diablo 3, Trials Evolution 0:20:01 – Music – Skrillex vs Sonic the Hedgehog (by Lazy Eye) 0:23:31 – Sequelitis and tonsillitis (?) 0:46:00 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc)

Holidays are done with, and some regulars are back. Well, at least one regular is back – Ken's still off gallivanting on the moon (don't tell his wife, but apparently the moon's low gravity has been doing amazing things with the boobs of the women he's been gallivanting with) , leaving us without even his ghost to fill a fourth seat. So, it's all about Tim, Matt West and Jimmy P this episode. Can we call him Jimmy P? Apparently so! - clearly he's not the one who has to punch out this nonsense. Speaking of nonsense, we all take some time to assume that we know how to fix Japan this episode, assuming that Japan is indeed of fixing. And, if it is, assuming that this fix should come from three Australian gamers on a podcast. Perhaps this was an odd fortnight for it, but then, it was an odd time for many things. Tim (and, it turns out, Matt) was playing The Void... which is probably odder than Godzilla wearing pink pantihose while paying a visit to the Dogo Bathhouse. ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:03:23 – SSX, Arkham City, Tera beta and The Void 0:31:13 – Music – Rising Sun (by CarboHydroM) 0:33:35 – Hey there, Japan! 0:54:57 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) James... what a dick! Helpful Links: Man, SSX got cheap FAST The Void is really, really odd A thing that Tim wrote once

If you have a slightly dirty mind, this episode will tickle your fancy and tingle your loins. Sex in games gets the tee-hee treatment, but we also manage to stifle the giggles for long enough to offer some interesting opinions on this rather sticky subject. Our special guest is Bajo from ABC's Good Game, although Dylan seems unaware of this for the entire show. We have spoken to him quietly and he promises to do his research next time. Also joining us is PCPowerPlay's Nathan Cocks, Pixel Hunt contributor Matt West and our magazine editor Patrick "radio voice" Lang. Whether it's enjoying the soothing melody of Bajo's phone ring tone or pausing the show in awe of Dylan's impressive hosting skills, PixelCast 56 is sure to have something for everyone! ____________________________________________________ You can listen through the player below or download the podcast directly (.mp3 file), but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:03:45 - I Am Alive, Guild Wars 2, Tribes Ascend 0:18:45 - Game of the moment: Draw Something 0:24:40 – Music – Tarot (by Dylan Burns) 0:30:00 – Sex in games 0:51:51 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) No bags of rice were harmed in the making of this podcast.

A lot of not-things are not-discussed this episode, least among them a slew of-not negatives. The crew even found some time to not-play some not-games (what, Heavy Rain you say? How very not-witty of you!) since the previous show. They talk about them too, clever chaps that they are. Tim is back at the helm for number fifty-five, and it only takes moments for him to start some rather freakish speculation about absent panellists. This is made pretty clear as stalwarts Ken and Dylan are there to point it out. Big games get talked about this week and, boy, you should have seen the look on Tim's face when he realised that Mass Effect 2, and not Journey, really had to be the banner title. It was like Photoshop was stabbing him in the face. Fortunately for his sanity, he did get a good amount of spooging into the show, especially with regard to the game's unique approach to player connectedness, which happened to lead quite smoothly into the back-end topic. ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:03:04 – I Am Alive, Journey, and Mass Effect 3 0:27:58 – Music – Positive Force (by SoulEye) 0:30:47 – not-Multiplayer 0:52:50 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) Tim in a good mood because of Journey. Aww. Helpful Links: Mass Effect fans are entitled pricks VVVVVV? PPPPPP!

Well now! Not a whisper about Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, Christmas Nights or the dismal DreamCast launch in Australia. The sky must be falling! Either that, or Tim's taking a rare break from PixelCasting duties, leaving Ken at the helm. Joined by Dylan, James and Matt, the crew spend far too much time heckling Tim, and continually meandering off-topic. Ken also finally gets a chance to talk about his beloved MechWarrior series in the end topic, as the crew discusses games that make you feel both big AND powerful. __________________________________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:58 – Intro 0:02:44 – Syndicate, Alan Wake: American Nightware, PS Vita and assorted games 0:34:22 – Music – Goodbye, Thinker (by Jillian Aversa and Mattias Häggström Gerdt) 0:37:51 – Feeling BIG 0:56:29 – Wrap up

Dedication, ho! You can feel the love this episode, even if our husband & wife duo decided to record in separate rooms. Apparently Jess finds it a little weird when her husband's voice lags on itself, or something like that. Whatever. Video games made everything better! What video games, I hear you ask? New and old video games, we say! Tim's been busy clearing his steam list, but Mass and Jess bring things up to speed with tales of newer 360 experiences. The soul still burns, apparently. And then there's our topic – a topical one, for a change. With Double Fine kicking arse and taking names with regard to sourcing funds from its fans, we take a moment to spend a while chatting about... well, exactly that, mostly. There's also some stuff about funding in general, and at some point Jess makes a poop joke. So, win all around, then. ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:03:11 – KoA: Reckoning, Soul Calibur 5, and L.A. Noire 0:19:58 – Music – Smooth Unatco (by Gario) 0:22:59 – Kickstarter Kickstarter Kickstarter 0:45:02 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) Ghost of Ken Lee... wholly abscent :( Helpful Links: Double Fine Has Money Hats Console Patches Are Expensive

Listeners beware – Tim has been playing a Sonic game that he actually (mostly) likes! In this respect, we may as well have given control of the show to a 12-year-old. Luckily, there is a supporting cast who have showed up in, erm... support. The cast in question includes Ken, Dylan, and (hopefully) new regular, Matt West. Also, there are a couple of very special appearances by the Ghost of Ken Lee. What do they talk about, you ask? Well, there's a bit about that new Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning thing (which probably should be in the title graphic, but, well... 12-year-old), some other games (Sonic!) and then spend the back end trying to make some predictions about what might happen in the coming year in gaming. It's like a podcast time-capsule that we'll be digging up when we (presumably) try this again in 2013! ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:02:32 – Cave Story 3D, Shadows of the Damned, and Sonic Generations 0:18:13 – Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning 0:26:16 – Music – Flying Battery Remaster (by mikeblastdude) 0:28:47 – 2012 Predictions 0:46:10 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) Matt forced to wear cuffs by... yeaaaaah... Helpful Links: Kingdoms of Amalur Buy me!

Like a Katamari that has expanded in size after an arduous battle to roll up a hill, the PixelHunt podcast has since reached the top and, with just a gentle push, is beginning the freefall tumble down the back half of the race to triple didgits. To celebrate we've... um, continued to slim down the show and... erm, sworn a bit. Take heed listeners – the swear filter is gone! Why? Honestly, largely because editing four-lettered fiends out simply takes a surprising amount of time and effort. So, keep that in mind if you're listening with kids (or parents, you rebellious teen youth, you) around. As for the show itself, what we've been playing has taken a turn to the portable with Ken's fatherly duties forcing him to spend more time with iOS titles, and Tim's winter travels around Japan ensuring that his Vita has remained pleasantly dust free. And then James wakes from a nap and joins the second half of the show. ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:01:45 – Super Crate Box, and Touch My Katamari 0:14:47 – Music – The Sound of the Galaxy (by Mattias Häggström Gerdt) 0:18:10 – Predicting our own 2012 GotYs 0:41:32 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) Ken's poopy wrists by an unnamed pterodactyl Helpful Links: Super Crate Box All Things Katamari

Another year, another milestone. That's just how the PixelCast rolls. Somehow, we've taken this formerly formless entity and whipped it up to a good half-century worth of numerical content. Will it continue on to a full three-digit number? We'll have to wait and see, but for now we're pushing forward with as much gaming talk as ever. This fortnight sees Tim joined by James 'Jickle' O'Connor, Sir Nathan Cocks and the lovely Lady Jessica West. Surprisingly, despite the dearth of new releases, none of the four have had any trouble in finding things to play. Actually, that's not a surprise at all – the world of today as flooded with games, to the point where we're always playing catch-up. Or, in Tim's case, playing HD remakes of old favourites and struggling to articulate the brilliance of the dis-congruity between pure, love-driven motivation and the evil deeds that this sews that Shadow of the Colossus portrays with such a deft hand, instead falling down on nonsense words such as grey. Oh, and everyone talks about their personal favourite games, too. ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:02:44 – Magic: Online, To The Moon, SotC, and The Blackwell Legacy 0:21:27 – Ramen Christmas 0:23:00 – Music – Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) 0:27:55 – Justifying our favourite games 0:55:10 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) James' bruises courtesy of Nathan's mother Helpful Links: To The Moon The Blackwell Legacy

Wait... it's Christmas? Well, still a few days to go, but whatever – everything's been released and we're all fretting over our holiday plans. Recording a new podcast during this time probably didn't help there. Still, we did, and now you can download it should you need something to distract you from loud siblings. Tim, Jimmy P and a newly-wed (after only around 10, 000 years of being engaged) Dylan helm the last show before the fat man in the red suit does that whole chimney thing that he does, and they do their best to keep it fresh and focused. Well, James does what he can to keep it fresh while Tim struggles to keep it focused. Somehow, the crew did find some new games to discuss (viva la Vita!) when not getting into sidetracked arguments about smartphones, and there's a topic too. We talk about bringing out your dead and how to cook sweet potatoes. So, there's that. Oh, and mad props to that Mattvideo guy from whom we stole our re-coloured banner pic. It's pretty sweet. ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:02:50 – Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Skyward Sword and Old Republic 0:28:23 – Potatoes! 0:29:10 – Music – Slumber on a City Corner (by Josh Dunlap, Eric Griffin and Ben Charles) 0:33:47 – Fantasy franchise rebirths 0:45:02 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) The Ghost of Ken Lee sponsored by board games

If you're wondering just why this latest PixelCast seems so bats**t crazy, then it may have something to do with the return appearance of ABC TV's Good Game's Bajo... or Steven, as his mother called him. It's even possible that he made out with one Nathan Cocks at some point during the recording. It's the end of the year and Ken is off making a new baby each day while Dylan experiences a Groundhog Day wedding scenario, and so Tim is also joined by James Pinnell in his attempt to get the 'cast back on track. But mostly, it just boils down to games and anecdotes. So... back on track, then. The four panel members also take it upon themselves to decide the PixelHunt Game of the Year on behalf of everyone else, a noteworthy award that we totally expect to see on the back of a certain game's case any day now. Also, we forget stuff, most notably in the 'stuff we forgot about' category. So, here's looking at you, Stacking and Shogun 2. ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:03:10 – Saints Row 3, Star Wars: Galaxies, and Xenoblade Chronicles 0:25:30 – A spoilerish sentence about Gurren Lagann 0:26:09 – Music – Mimiga Town (by Pixel) 0:28:25 – PixelHunt's Game of the Year, bitches! 0:50:12 – Wrap up Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) Bajo's sanity drained by kittens

Ever wanted to hear what three people playing through the beta of Trine 2 sounds like? No? Are you sure? Because, you know, maybe you, in fact, do want to know what three people playing through the beta of Trine 2 sounds like but you just don't know it yet. It could be true. Either way, this is very much what this week's podcast sounds like. We've taken a break from the regular format in the wake of three beta keys, and so Tim is joined by Nathan Cocks and James Pinnell for a half-hour-ish romp through a land of lush visuals (complete with a failed attempt at video capture) and an absolute craptonne of penis jokes, some of which our panel members don't even realise they're making. Yeah, it's totally crazy, man. ____________________________________________________ You can listen and download the podcast directly (.mp3 file) through the player below, but please also subscribe to the Cast on iTunes! That way, you will automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re live on the site. Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams (by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc) Cocks' cocks by the muffin man