Over the Fence

Netflix for FREE on XBoxes? Linky XBox One is NOW $400 (by dropping Kinect) to compete with PS4 Linky PS Now Closed Beta Link Steam Home Streaming PC Gaming is more profitable than Consoles (duh!) Linky Pre-E3 News Photo by JD Hancock

Cliffy B leaves Epic? Linky Irrational Games shuts down as Ken Levine leaves? Linky John Carmack leaves ID? Linky Where are we going to get our AAA titles now? PC gaming in the Living room in late 2014? Anyone ready / willing / wanting this? Linky Maybe use the nVidia Shield Linky Martin O’Donnell fired from Bungie Linky 2014 Gaming forecast, any winners you want to talk about? Borderlands 3, a sequel prequel. Link Captain America 2, perhaps recent movies in general. Captain America 3 to release the same day as Batman vs. Superman. Evolve, from Turtle Rock (L4D developer) Site Link What are you playing lately?  

In our first podcast of 2014, we discuss: Steam active user base exceeds Xbox Live Sony launches bricks at user base and the state of the Wii U as it turns 2. EA launches BF4 in what can charitably be called an ‘Alpha state’ The past Console generation that was called ‘next gen,’ the games it spawned in console-land and PC, our thoughts on it, retrospective. 2013 in gaming and tech retrospective, what mattered to us and why Valve Steam Machines announced at CES AGDQ & the world of speedrunning What we’re playing Art based on a photo by Piero Sierra  

The OTF staff fires up its warp engines and discusses: Apple news Batman Arkham City goes GFWL-less – GOTY free on Steam; GFWL shutting down Steam Universe/Machines/OS Fall / next-gen titles people are looking forward to and why? What we’re playing lately

Post E3 / next gen impressions, hopes, dreams, etc. Valve’s Pipeline to teach HS students how to get into the video game industry Steam Summer Sale

Windows 8 Failed to Boost PC Market Linky PC Market seeing a sharp decline in 2013 Linky Funny Linky Apple’s re-org suggest unification of iOS and OS X Linky Epic Games seeing an exodus of employees Linky, more than just Cliffy B Linky Ubisoft’s former creative director of Assassin’s Creed left in 2010, then joined THQ Montreal, which was later acquired by Ubisoft, at which time they fired him. Linky BioShock Infinite ‘over the top’ violent? Linky Gearbox ripped off the art style of Borderlands? Linky Proof: Linky Farcry 3 Blood Dragon DLC is 1980’s Action Sci-Fi Cartoon Come to Life! Linky MegaUpload tries to combat US government corruption (from Hollywood), will that get anywhere? Linky Lucasarts folds; Star Wars license handed over to EA, who announces no major SW releases in 2014. Linky J’nathus’s random topic  

iPad Mini – Too Mini, or just Mini enough for the 7″ crowd? Windows 8 is out… What ELSE has ‘Surfaced’??? Steven Sinovsky leaves Microsoft The Wii-U came out this ‘Wii-kend’ Hostess is out of business… anybody missing the twinkies? J’nathus’ random topic Artwork based on a photo by Joe Hagan

L4D2 Valve’s first Linux game Link Windows 8 is actually peachy – you should install it. INSTALL IT NOW!!! Steam Big Picture mode EA making more from PC rather than PS3 Link Forbes says if you don’t use Facebook, you’re suspicious Link Reddit disagrees Link Black Mesa Source is actually happening? Link Ubisoft scraps always-on DRM Link iPhone 5 announced Guild Wars 2 launch

Jonathan and Tim discuss the pros and cons of Windows 8, including practical user considerations and share predictions on hurdles for new users.

E3 post impressions Windows 8 Release Preview – It’s going to flop Valve is working on a Linux client – Escape hatch from Win8 much? Mass Effect – Most Important Sci-Fi series of our generation? Link Jonathan’s Random Topic – Let’s talk about Reddit Artwork based on a photo by Jaymar Turner

George Lucas Retires Viacom chief disappointed about mob mentality surround the SOPA defeat Megaupload shutdown did nothing to slow piracy, study finds Microsoft abandoning points by the end of 2012 Lego partially influences Minecraft…which then inspires Minecraft Legos? Notch is going to fund a Pyschonauts 2? Bethesda releases PC-only Skyrim hi-res pack and creation kit Kinect for PC now available X-Box 720 rumored to not play used games – developers love the idea What are you playing?  

Direct2Drive joins GameFly – looks like digital distribution is heating up Linky Steam sales increase 100 percent for the seventh straight year Linky Steam Winter Sale: anyone score any Phat Loot?Now that it’s 2012 – What is your game of the year for 2011? Thoughts on SWTOR – from beta to post launch model! SWTOR is the fastest-growing MMO in history? Over a million subscribers in just a couple days since launch! Linky Jonathan’s Random Topic  

Favorite games of the fall season + impressions Next WoW expansion announced – Mists of Pandaria Star Wars The Old Republic coming on the 20th EA adds WB, Capcom and THQ to Origin Shigeru Miyamoto retiring from Nintendo Or is he? Ico Creator Leaves Sony, Team Ico X-Box 360 Fall Update – Likey? No Likey? Jonathan’s random topic Artwork based on a photo by James West

Steve Jobs died Battlefield 3 isn’t slated for Steam release – will Mass Effect 3 be? [link] Why no Steam Notch? [link] Jon Carmack complains consoles aren’t as powerful as PCs [link] but then shares that consoles are ‘better business’ than PCs for games [link] Witness – peering through the ‘Myst’ [link] Nintendo Files Patent For ‘Massively Single-Playing Online Game’ [link] Why game industry talent is going indie. [link] Portal’s free DLC – how’d you like it? Jonathan was right – codes to play games on consoles – Online Passes [link] Jonathan’s random topic

Post-E3 Impressions! What looked good, what looked bad, and what this says about the game developers in question. PC exclusive gone rogue: The Witcher 2 on X-Box 360? [link] NO F’ing way… EA launching Steam competitor [link] A real-life Holodeck? Finally! [link] The Wii U, a neat new console from Nintendo with a stupid new name! [link] Torchlight pirated over 5 million times in China – developer’s fine with that  [link] LA Noire coming to PC this fall [link] PC Exclusive shooter from the makers of Witcher 2 and BulletStorm [link] Kingdom Hearts “Dream Drop Distance?” [link] Windows 8 able to play X-Box 360 games [link] The Last Airbender – the Legend of Korra trailer revealed [link] What are you playing / looking forward to

Duke Nukem has gone gold Link 12 ways consoles are hurting PC gaming Link Farewell to DirectX? Link PSN is back up Link Sony says ‘Sorry’ with Free Games. Link Sony – another Sony company hacked Link Ubisoft’s CEO lets slip that Nintendo’s Project Cafe might be powerful enough to port existing X-Box 360 and PS3 titles to Link Lots o’ big budget Superhero Movies this summer: Thor, X-Men, Captain America, Green Lantern. Microsoft buys Skype. What are the implications of this? Link Chinese prisoners are being forced to farm gold in MMOs ‘Oh the humanity!’ Link E3 primer – what have you heard, what do you know?    

In Over the Fence Episode Two, we discuss . . . Duke Nukem Coming out on-time . .. er.. Nope DELAYED Gearbox having an event on June 11th with a big announcement Straight Male Homophobic gamer told to ‘get over it’ by BioWare PSN Outage Nintendo announces new console on the way Portal 2 Impressions and Valve promises free DLC / expansion this summer Rage Ready to Mod Right out of the box

  The OTF Production team is proud to present the very first episode of Over the Fence! In this episode, Patrick, Eric, Chad, Jeff, Shaun and David discuss:   Valve more profitable than Google or Apple? Verizon iPhone is here! Telltale Games picks up lots of new franchises! Musical interlude by Jeff Wise Bulletstorm’s “Videogames cause rape” debacle! Violent videogames Promote Civic behavior? What have YOU been playing recently?