Putting too much on my plate, time for a change of pace

I always did have eyes bigger than my belly and in the case of this blog and the Let's Multiplay plans I think I might have given myself just a bit too much to do and I need to scale back until I can get some willing help with editing and other time consuming jobs. Right now it feels like I need to focus on getting the podcast out into the world more and getting it up to a more consistently high standard so things are falling by the wayside.

Instead of just ditching the idea of working on games focused stuff  I'm intending on a change of direction instead. I don't relish writing all that much because the process takes far too long when put next to the relative speed of recording a podcast. Certainly it allows for greater focus but in that is the strong possiblity of dry, exhaustive analysis in the form of walls of text. In fact that's very hard to avoid, especially for the article ideas I have like a Mass Effect mission by mission breakdown and a discussion of Square Enix's fall from grace.

So what am I going to do instead? Well given how much I enjoy recording podcasts coupled with a good number of people I know who are into games I'm thinking a second weekly podcast might be the right move for me. For a start I'm intending to get my brother to join me for the Mass Effect and Square podcasts as we've discussed it a lot and can likely talk for hours at a time but after that I'll be throwing the doors open for others to volunteer for future podcasts.

So what will the focus be and what should you keep in mind if you want to join me for a recording?

• You have to be willing to talk freely and clearly. You might say it's obvious but it's an odd feeling forcing a conversation about a specific subject knowing that what you're saying is going out into the world where anyone can hear.
• Shyness is not an option and if you get in front of the mic and go quiet I'll attempt to jump start you but if it's not working I'll stop the recording and we'll discuss it. You've got to be ready to hear someone being critical and make an effort to change.
• If you've not listened to any podcasts and jump at this then tell me that I'll chew you out. You wouldn't try to make a movie without having at least seen one would you? I'd suggest checking out Kevin Smiths output along with some game related stuff like the IGN or Gamesradar podcasts so you get a taste of the way podcasting works.
• Keeping in mind that being informative is paramount whilst also attempting to be entertaining. If we're sat exchanging facts that's all well and good but if that's it then the result will be dry and harder to listen to unless it's genuinely fascinating new information. With the internet being the font of knowledge for most it's almost impossible to come up with a fact people wont have heard before so keep that in mind.
• Games media is pretty saturated so we will need to be entertaining in some way shape or form and finding your niche is part of that. Starting out I'm not going to be expecting much but if we decide to record on a regular basis you'll need to pay attention to what you bring to the table in terms of adding to comedy or providing interesting opinion and work on it.
• We will need to be able to talk naturally to each other. There are some people I can chat to for hours and other I struggle to keep things going with. Obviously the former option isn't going to work for a podcast so if we sit and try to record and I feel that there's no decent to and fro then I'll stop it and say.
• If your opinions only extend to "I don't like it because I don't like it" and you don't make a joke or justify yourself afterward you're taking all the steam out of the conversation so you'll need to be sharp and roll with the punches. It takes practice getting to the point where this happens naturally so I'm not going to be getting on peoples backs, but it's something to try and keep in the back of your mind if you want to get involved. Much as it can seem easy, the art of driving a podcast is something that takes effort.
• If you've listened to my current podcast then you know that if we disagree then debate will ensue. I don't mince my words or take prisoners intellectually so if you're not confident about a bit of proper debate and are likely to stumble or take offence at being told outright that you are wrong then you'll be no help. Just know that as serious as I might sound it's just passion and my debate style so you don't need to take offence and you'll be fine. Again, I'll call you out with no hesitation if you look all hurt when I tell you a game you like is crap and why.
• Keep the audience in mind. Try to remember that there are a lot of opinions and that if they're not being represented then listeners who share them might turn off. If two out of three of the group are agreeing then that's the time to throw a contrary view into the mix, provided of course it drives things forward. You've got to be ready to fight for a side you don't agree with but remember that we can and will make it clear when we're doing that.
• I am willing to research subjects I'm not all that interested in and you should be as well. If you're completely disinterested and don't think you'll be able to contribute say ahead of time. Again, if we sit down to record and you've failed to prepare I'll make sure the listners know that it's you that's derailing the podcast.
• You'll need to be willing and able to help spread the word. I am but one man and I'm often busy editing or writing so building an audience is not easy for me to do. As such you'll need to impress upon the people you know that they should listen and put the word out online through a variety of places such as Facebook and forums.
• Don't take offence if I say no to recording with you, if anything ask why and I'll be honest. Know that anything I say is not an attack, I'm just trying to make this an engaging podcast and as the guy with the equipment, experience and website what I say goes.

Still reading? Think you jib is cut in a way I'll like? Then you'll want to know what I have in mind for the show itself.

• As far as weekly subject matter goes it's very much down to the individuals involved. Ideally I'd like to get two or three people together weekly to discuss topics they're all equally passionate about. If that's not possible we'll discuss ahead of time and bring our own topics to the table on the day. This will require email/Facebook/phone communication ahead of recordings.
• Subject suggestions are open as are the people involved. If you have a subject you want to focus on and someone in particular you want to do it with then let me know and we can work toward it.
• Subjects need to be varied and wide reaching. I don't want to do week after week of the same old Final Fantasy chat or end up focusing on one console or another so think outside the box. i.e. is there a classic unsung game series you want to champion or a genre you want to discuss in broad terms? I have a few subjects in mind but I can't be the only creative force at work all the time.
• Having part of the show dedicated to a quick news breakdown is something I've got in mind. It'll be quick and snappy headline type stuff delivered by one person followed by some time for the group to give opinion before moving on to the subject of the week.
• I want to make the occasional one off podcast focusing closely on a given subject. The Mass Effect and Square Enix podcasts I have in mind should give a flavor of what I mean so once I've got a sense of the flow of recording such a thing I'll begin thinking about others and taking suggestions.

Congratulations if you've read all that, you're clearly interested in getting involved and I'm interested in hearing from you. Right now I'm in the planning stages and I intend to record the first session with my brother within the next month with a view to get others involved soon after. It's first come first serve to an extent so if you want to get involved let me know sooner rather than later.

DLC - Bioware and EA show how it's done

I've pissed and moaned about Capcoms downloadable content shenanigans a lot recently and with good reason but I've done little to say how I think DLC can be done right. This is an attempt to outline what I consider makes quality content and why Capcom is failing at every turn with their policy.

Firstly, I'm going to need an example of a company that is managing its DLC output well and seeing as they're one of my all time favorite game makers I'm focusing my attention on Bioware, and by association EA. Breaking it down further, I'm going to use Dragon Age 2 as the specific game to focus on seeing as it's current and I'm actually in the process of unlocking a huge amount of free content for the game through a variety of sources.

As I've mentioned previously in my most anticipated games of the year list, Dragon Age 2 was offering a lot in terms of free content long before it was released. EA seem rather savvy when it comes to incentivising their pre-orders of late and the selection of offers put out ahead of the games release was impressive, not least of all the free upgrade to the signature edition of the game.
The signature edition includes an entire extra team member plus the related missions for him under the title The Exiled Prince. On top of that the package contains the soundtrack as well as five unique in game items.

Even if one were to have missed this initial pre-order incentive, as I did, there was more to come in the form of two more items exclusive to pre-orders as well as another piece of content seemingly similar to Mass Effect 2s Cerberus Network called The Black Emporium and an extra in game ability allowing the summoning of a trusty war dog to lend a helping paw. That's a hell of a lot of free content.

Noticed anything missing from this equasion so far? Prices perhaps? Contrary to Capcoms insistance at consumers forking out cash for minor changes to their games EA and Bioware have sought to reward those who show faith in the company and make pre-orders well ahead of a games release.
Comparratively, the only pre-order bonuses I've heard of Capcom offering have been a variety of Marvel Vs Capcom 3 t-shirts available from a number of different retailers and whilst that's nice and all it's not quite the same as extending the playability of the game you've bought. And let's face it, most people don't want a t-shirt that basically screams "I am an uber geek" either.

So, what if I decided to buy the vanilla version of Dragon Age 2 but wanted some of that content. Well, for a start that Black Emporium stuff is in the case when you pick the game up brand new, a nice little pat on the back from EA for not having bought it second hand and jipped them out of money.
Sure it could be argued that the content was made and ought to be on the disc but given the money lost on second hand sales for publishers and developers it's fair that they lock some of it away to ensure consumers are buying the game in a way they benefit from. Offering the content at a price is simply a way of recovering the lost income from the lost sale, not a money grabbing opportunity.
Next up is the Exiled Prince content, priced at a mere 560ms points (£4.80). Given the content was meant to be an incentive for spending more on the signature edition that costs around £7-8 more than the basic game this price is incredibly reasonable, hours of gameplay added for very little cost. This seems all the more reasonable, especially considering what Capcom offers for a near equivalent price.

And what does Capcom offer? A quick look back at my previous posts about Capcoms DLC releases will answer that question for you but for the sake of the lazy I'll repeat myself - costumes and characters. The costumes are running at 400ms for five costumes and the characters are 400ms each. I've done my griping about these but let's just take a moment to look at what one of these price points equates to.
Taking into account that there are 36 characters in the game (or 38 if you buy the other two) that's a total cost for future costume packs coming to more than 2800ms. That's £24 for costumes that add no gameplay at all. Full retail games mere months after their release cost £25. Hell, I bought GTAIV for £15 and that's a huge game with a lot of content. The mind boggles that Capcom thinks it's offering anything of value and more so at those who are willing to buy it. The difference in quality DLC offers between these two companies is huge, the relative worth of Capcoms offers being near negligable in comparison.

We're in a new age as far as the business of the games industry goes and DLC is a part of it whether we as consumers like it or not. However, this being business, it's profit that drives companies to offer less than stellar products for less than descerning customers and it's up to us as gamers to put our collective feet down and not buy into deals like the ones Capcom offers for the sake of our own futures lest we end up with companies locking even more content away for the sake of spinning a little more cash.

Marvel Vs Capcom 3 - A new age of DLC

Capcom officially unveil Shuma Gorath and Jill Valentine for Marvel Vs Capcom 3.
Oh look, a story about Capcoms DLC policy, I wonder whether it's the usual crap?
Oh look, it is.
Breaking down the cost of buying the game on a per character basis using RRP as the base for the product cost works out to a less than £1 per character ratio, even less when you take into account the cost of the packaging, disc and the rest of the content. The characters are available from March 15th for 400 Microsoft ponts each. That's £3.43 per character. And most of the character data is on the disc. What a ripoff.

And hot on the heels of that is a new rumor concerning the arrival of more DLC -



Frank West and Strider are on the way if this pic can be trusted.

 It's not really much of a surprise to see West crop up, Capcom having alreay gone on record saying he was in the game and almost finished before the game went into production. And it's probably not a surprise for anyone reading this to see me say it's not on for Capcom to expect us to pay for content originally budgeted for and almost completed during development.
Strider is a genuine unknown quantity in this by comparison. Capcom have made no mention of him at all with reference to MvC3, though the sheer weight of the fans complaining about him being left out might have woken them up a bit. Personally I could care less about his inclusion, his broken infinite combos in MvC2 ruining th eonline experience for me as they did.
If they are on the way that means two more Marvel characters are likely to turn up too so odds on for Doc Oc if previous news of his name alongside Wests in the coding means anything. As for the second character, I wouldn't be surprised to see another X-Man make it back into the game, perhaps Cyclops or Iceman.
Ultimately, will I pay 400ms per character though? Hell no.

Marvel Vs Capcom 3 - close but not quite

The first of my most anticipated games of the year has arrived and after a week or so of play I think it's about time for me to follow up on my initial thoughts. Firstly the positives.

Ho-ly crap does this game look stunning. Initially the move to 3D models on a 2D plain was one that I felt left behind the classic Capcom fighter aesthetic, still preview images doing little to spark my interest, but having now seen the game in full swing I can most definitely say that it's got the right look about it. The level of detail put into making the 3D animations closely resemble the original sprites is staggering at times. Iconic characters like Wolverine, one of Capcoms most used sprites of yesteryear, move in a familiar way, little things like his bouncing stance really hit the nostalgia button for me. In addition new faces fit in with the old beautifully and there hasn't been a moment of play yet where I've found myself thinking that there was something off visually.

Another of the welcome changes to the game is the control system, or at least part of the new control system. The new basic layout has done away with the three punch/three kick setup and simplified things down to light, medium and hard attacks. It took a while getting my head around having moves like Akumas hodoken and hurricane kick attached to the same button but after a few matches it felt very natural. Alongside the three main attack buttons is a "launcher" move, one that will shoot your opponent into the air for further combo-ing.
The flipside of the control scheme is Simple mode. It simplifies the game further to the point where pressing forward and your "special button" will perform a super move. Basically it's MvC3 for toddlers. And I have no problem with that for the most part, it makes sense for Capcom to make sure as many people as possible can get a kick out of the game, but when it comes to its use online...well you might be able to imagine why having all the skill drained from play makes playing Ranked Matches feel a tad redundant.

Speaking of online play, it's time for major gripe number one (I have dubbed myself the Jaded Geek of course). The online play is a mess and for a few reasons.
Firstly, when you fail to connect to an opponent you get kicked back a menu screen. Having to reselect things over and over whilst listening to the first three seconds of a piece of music is mind numbing.
Secondly, there's no ranked match or player match lobby system meaning you have to join whatever game the system forces you into with no thought given to connection quality. Anyone who plays fighting games knows that changes to game speed make a huge difference and in a high paced game like this all the more so. What I've experienced more than anything else is matches so incredibly slow that they are unplayable, the frame rate reduced to four or five per second to make up for the terrible connection between the players.
And finally for the online play, Simple mode. With the speed issues I just mentioned button inputs become very hard to perform - slowing down the input for a hodoken is not easy when you can't judge whether what you're pressing is even going through but pressing forward and special isn't. So Simple mode offers bad players the opportunity to exploit the horrible online setup to their hearts content while player who actually want to learn and compete on an even field are left in the cold.
All of these factors combine to create a situation that will quickly kill off any online population the game might have and stop people playing it much past the first few months of ownership. Fingers crossed for a patch to sort this situation out.

On to gripe number two and it's a lack of modes that's got me irritated. Fighting games used to come with standard modes that very rarely got left out. Simple things like Survival, Time Attack and Tournament mode all used to be in just about every game you might care to mention from the 90's right through to the 00's and yet Marvel Versus Capcom 3 has none of them. At all. These are phenominially basic modes to implement yet they're not here so what's Capcom up to?

D L-fucking-C. I've already taken my swipes at this game before its release for having Capcoms now typical DLC reek about it but it seems the company has been up to its old tricks. Y'know Shuma Gorath and Jill Valentine are going to be downloadable characters? Well did you know that they're also on the disc? Yup, good old Capcom locking content you've already got in your hands. Next up of Capcoms terrible DLC policy spawned atrocities is costumes. Again with the minor graphical changes with a pricetag attached big enough to pay for the purchase of another game.
What more have they got to offer? Well how does a developer shadow mode sound? Don't know what this is? Well, in days gone by it was often possible to unlock secret developer ghosts to play against in some games. Often getting them unlocked was a case of being incredibly skilled and getting fast times or high scores, the shadows representing a bonus challenge. They were minor bonuses for the hardcore to enjoy. So now Capcom is going to charge for them. And they can fuck right off with that attitude.

So, am I happy with my purchase at the end of all of that. Yes and no. Yes the game itself is fantastic and is a worthy successor to Marvel Vs Capcom 2. And no because for what you get the game is not worth the full price tag and I could have waited for a month or two and spent £25 instead of £35 then bought the rest of the content that was on the disc with the money I'd saved. I'm just hoping Capcom are at least a little kinder with some free content updates soon because now this game has arrived I've got almost no reason to ever pay attention to them or buy their products again after getting so sick of their backwards steps.

EDIT: The first of Capcoms Shadow Battle packs is out and it's free. So I'll eat my words for having complained about it but what remains to be seen is whether they charge for the next bunch. I'm leaning towards "yes" as the most likely answer.