Podcast 10-6: Of Zombies and Zelda Proposals

This week DesertEagle, SeanNOLA, BlueSwim, and Jeremy “The Lawman” LaMont take on the undead (as well as Telltale’s history) with an in-depth discussion of The Walking Dead: Episode 1: A New Day. Later, they discuss StarDrone Extreme’s voyage onto the Vita’s OLED screen as well as revisit the pixelated realms of the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft. Beyond a heaping dose of gaming trivia and a marriage proposal via a hacked The Legend of Zelda ROM, the crew answers responds to subjects ranging from the sluggish 360 dashboard to Polygon’s business model.

Don’t forget to send your questions for our next mailbag, and subscribe to the Tech-Gaming Podcast on iTunes. Leaving a review would be an awesome thing to do and keep us from begging for feedback every show.

Download: Podcast 10-6: Of Zombies and Zelda Proposals
RSS Feed: The Tech-Gaming Podcast

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

87 comments

  1. Legendary Lance

    The Lawman is back? Looking forward to listening.

    BTW- What’s the official schedule now? Biweekly?

    • Whenever the hell they see fit, it seems.

    • Hope you enjoyed the show, Lance! Thanks everyone for being patient.

      A few people in the comments have asked about interviews, show schedule, etc. DEagle hasn’t said so, but let it be known that technical issues struck during a previous recording. It was sad. But we bounced back!

      I imagine things will be back to normal soon!

  2. I like the super funky intro. But the sound level is a bit low this week.

  3. Hoorah for a new show. and a secound hoo-rah for bringing the Lawman back.

  4. Deagle, there’s dust storms that you have to beat in Need for Speed: The Run. You forgot to mention those!

  5. Samurage: Actress, Lawyer, Gamer, Deagle Bully. Goddamn, the girl does it all.

  6. Sean, I’m glad you’re back. It’s been to long and the show needed someone to keep DEagle’s NIS loving in check.

    Lawman, glad to hear you’re back. Can’t wait to hear you and Sean shoot the shit.

    Blue and DEagle, rock on you crazy JRPG nuts!

  7. SeanNOLA, did you still stand by your Vita marketing campaign ideas?

    What do you think Sony will do about the system at E3? Tons of games, price drop, bundle?

    Do you think the 3G model is going to be dropped?

    • I still think launch should have been handled very differently, but now that it’s over, all eyes really are on E3.

      I don’t think they’ll announce a price drop, but I do think they’ll announce that all vita units moving forward will be bundled with the starter set (4GB mem card, case and headphones) and at least 1 game.

      You might have heard some murmurs that companies are trying to slow the process of price drops, and I think that’s true. If people know that the opportunity cost of getting a system on launch day or waiting 4 months is, say, $100 then it becomes really difficult to sell anything at full price. I don’t think they can combat price drops all together, but if they can at least keep that price at $250 long enough for something enticing to come out, then they’ll be a lot better off. Their best bet is to sweeten the pot by bundling with chachkies that cost them next to nothing to manufacture, and download vouchers that cost them literally nothing to distribute. If that ends up being the strategy, I wouldn’t expect a true price drop until next year.

      As for the 3G model, I don’t see it going away. If anything, I see it becoming the “subscription unit” similar to the rumored $99 XBox – Pay $30 a month for a 2 year AT&T contract, get a Vita for little or no money down.

      • I do think that the lose money on the hardware, make up for it on software licensing fees model can still work, though as long as the cuts aren’t too deep.

        I think the Vita really needs to cut it’s price. $250 is still a lot of money for people. I know a lot of people who haven’t purchased the system (or similar tech) because of the cost.

      • I hope they do more than 4GB card. That can barely hold one game.

        Oh, and glad you’re back NOLA. The four guys make up quite a team.

      • Sean, off topic but you ever watch Swamp People?

        • I’ve seen it. Didn’t really get into it. I can really only tolerate about 2 hours of TV a day before I smash the screen with my fist, and that 2 hours is pretty much already booked 7 days a week.

          • By that you mean time that has to spent with the GF? I can only handle about an hour of TV myself. Who are these people who get in 6-8 hours a day?

          • Yea, I let the girlfriend pick the lineup. If it were up to me, we’d just end up watching Avengers: EMH and then go to bed.

          • Yeah, I’m forced to watch sitcoms with the GF, which is a payment for not being alone on life. So I guess it’s not sooo bad.

            Really liked this week’s show. Everyone was “on” this week (after the intro) which really helped.

  8. CrocodileSmile

    Lies. Sage is playing Diablo 3 like a crazy woman right now. You guys might need to save her and send a Domino’s pizza her way.

  9. Nice FFT art this week.

    I’m think, I like Desert at host a bit more. Sean, I love your discussions but he’s a better MC. Jeremy is all around greatness though.

    • D’aww. Thanks Whitemage. I find that my best moments are the ones where I shut up for a moment and let everyone else talk. 😉

      • I like when you drill the guys. Is there lava? Are there laser guided missiles? Dinosaurs?

  10. I’ll be the first to ask– no interview this week?

    Deagle, you are slacking. 😉

    Thanks for the Sniper Elite V2 info! I want to hear more.

    • Keep the field reports coming. I missed getting this for $39.99 and now am on the verge for getting this for $49.99.

  11. How the hell was “exploding testicles” not the title? C’mon guys.

    • Someone decided to go classy this week. Let me know how that works for your numbers… hahaha

      So is Jeremy the official 4th chair now? Can I vote for him? Can I go to his house, sleep on his couch, and play games with the guy during my upcoming 2 week vacation?

      • Haha, Y2Killer, I would probably not be too pleasant right now. One thing I didn’t get to talk about on the show was how I’m playing Demon’s Souls right now, before the servers go dark. I am finding it… taxing.

        But otherwise, you’re welcome to stop in for a visit! 😀

        • The game will still be playable after the servers go dark, right? Just no help from previous player.

          Yep, Sean always mentions how Des and Shipwreck are wussies for throwing in the towel on the game.

          • Yeah, and no ghost data (player deaths) or messages, I guess. Not sure how world tendency works, but that will have to go all local too.

  12. Thanks for including my question! The lag bugs the hell out of me.

  13. I can’t help but feel because you guys each own a PS Vita that you are a bit too optimistic for it. It’s stillborn at retail and has no software coming out for it. Sony did a awful job of launching this one.

    If the hardware wasn’t as good, this one would have been dead already.

    • I’m optimistic because I learned my lesson with the 3DS. I was pessimistic about the 3DS after launch, and that turned out just fine. The problem on both accounts is that launches are almost always shitty, but we didn’t used to have as many outlets to pass snap judgement. Remember the PS2 launch? Fantavision, Dark Cloud and Kessen? Or the 360 with King Kong and Perfect Dark Zero? Even the DS had a pretty lackluster first year, but those went on to be some of the best selling systems ever.
      I’m not saying Sony will knock it out of the park, but I am saying that in almost 40 years of console launches, the only one I can think of that was strong right out of the gate was the GBA. We just weren’t as quick to pass judgement on the Sega Genesis when it launched with Altered Beast.

      • Wait, you didn’t like Dark Cloud? It’s probably doesn’t hold up today, but during the PS2’s life it wasn’t exactly shovelware.

        • I’m sure Sean meant Summoner, Orphen: Scion of Sorcery, or Evergrace, not Dark Cloud which was released a few years after the PS2 launch.

          He might be still experiencing some post-traumatic stress after that trio of turds. 😉

      • Actually the PS2 launch was good. TTT, SSX… I enjoyed it at least.

  14. No, Sage this week. 🙁

    Rehab joke wasn’t funny!

    • Thanks Sektor for missing me 🙂
      I agree that the rehab joke wasn’t funny, psh I’d run my own rehab if I needed it.
      Sean–there was no press release because I wasn’t sent one either and you didnt ask for info! ;-P
      I missed podcasting, and I missed my co-hosts, so for anyone else who has missed me I’ll be back around for the next one for sure!

      • Eyes like Fire

        Maybe Deagle meant game rehab. He might need to go in for a week or two.

      • You know it wasn’t funny but it wasn’t nearly as mean as the host of another popular podcast that rhymes with LAGcast. Said host was pretty much a dick this week.

        Speaking of, the show also mentioned a E3 fight that HipHopGamer go into. Now, Ive heard Deagle mention this a few times. Is this something you actually saw or heard about second hand?

  15. So what games are each of you looking forward to playing at E3?

    • To be perfectly honest, nothing that’s been confirmed to be there has me terribly excited. I was looking forward to seeing the retooled Dark Millennium, but that’s not going to be there. I’m interested in seeing The Avengers, but I’m not exactly getting my hopes up. I guess I’m most excited to see the unannounced titles. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll get a non-Mario Camelot game this year, but I’m not holding my breath. I think they have to put in another 3 years of Mario Sports before they’ll be allowed to make another Golden Sun.

      Also, I’m looking forward to the part where we walk between halls, and are stopped by the PR guy from XSeed wearing a trenchcoat saying “you look like a smart guy. A guy smart enough to know a good Ys game when you see it? A guy smart enough to know that he might find something like that in the ood-fay ourt-cay. You get my jive?”

      I’ll go ahead an answer for Sage: “I’m looking forward to Dishonored! Have you guys heard of Dishonored? Oh my GAWD! DISHONORED! ITS LIKE IT HAD HONOR, BUT THEN IT LOST IT! STEAMPUNK! MOHAWK!”

      • Wait, is that Xseed story true?

        I believe the Sage part, though?

        • XSeed didn’t have a booth last year, so they did their meetings in the foodcourt. That’s when they showed us Solatorobo and some other game that I’m not sure ever came out. It really was one of the highlights of last year – mostly because I was really excited for Solatorobo at the time. This time, it will be even more so if they bust out New Ys for the Vita.

      • Sounds like a lot of people in the industry aren’t really that hyped for E3 this year. What you think it is ? Too many sequels, too much casual?

        Deagle, Blue- any picks from you?

        • I’m not going to be at E3. I’d either have to do a cross-country road trip or fly to get there and neither is something I’m down with. 🙁

          As for what I’d like to see come out of E3, I’d love for some new info of the next Smash Bros. game. Last year’s reveal of it screamed “desperation announcement”. This year, Nintendo needs to deliver the goods. A trailer is a borderline must.

          I wouldn’t mind a Virtua Fighter 6 announcement from Sega, either. With Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown coming out early next month, the timing of a VF6 announcement would be perfect.

      • Oh hahaha very funny. You bet I’m looking forward to dishonored. if the box had a mohawk on it, I’d like it even better. Mohawk packaging…..sounds like a Mr. T kind of idea.
        Im also looking forward to colonial marines, hoping that Nintendo will have ANYTHING of worth, and will be checking out a lot of smaller indie things to report back on.

        • Yeah, I’m pulling for Nintendo to deliver a Wii U line-up that will make everyone believers and a ton of 3DS games.

  16. You notice the sound of Deagle’s voice when he talked about ‘the effect of small arms fire on the body’?

    The other podcasters need to watch out for this guy.

    • Tumbling M-16 rounds are an old USMC myth started around the Vietman era, when grunts would say that heads, chests, and legs where blown apart by a single round.

      With the force of a bullet today and maybe back in WWII, a bullet would flip maybe once or twice, making a larger entry wound, but kinetic energy is the big thing. There’s no denying a .50 cal to any part of the body could ruin your day. So half right about smaller rounds.

      • Wow.

        And here I thought it was bad getting pegged with a BB gun…

        • Hell I still have a scar on my leg from when my best friend shot me. The BB may be underneath the skin for all I know. It’s still kinda sore when I press on it, 7 years later.

  17. FreddieFingers

    Deagle you really are disturbed if you remember both City Crisis and Fuel’s logo being upside down.

  18. The “you play the whole game with half a heart” comment was sooo cute.

  19. awesome podcast you guys! Glad to see Sean back 🙂

  20. Great show this week. Jeremy really add to the chemistry that’s already there.

    • Thanks xevious50! It’s nice to have a discussion with people who know what they’re talking about and listen to what others say. Hopefully you feel like part of the conversation when you listen. <3

  21. Not a bad show at all, even if it took a bit to get going. I really like Jeremy.

  22. Thanks for taking the time to comment. You just might show Deagle and Blue a thing or two…

  23. Ok, and Sage too. Where is she these days?

    • Unfortunately, what with finals and movie premiers and scheduling, I had to miss this recording. Plus we’re doing bi-monthly now, so it seems like longer if I miss one. I’ll be back soon though–and if anyone has an interest in what I’m doing just ask and I’ll tell ya.

      • What was the name of the movie?

        • And more importantly how much nudity will there be?

        • nah, Sektor is too classy for that.
          No Nudity–but my character is being sexually taken advantage of by the big boss man of the lab where I’m a test subject.
          Called The Babel Project, and it’s prolly going to the indie film festivals but they don’t know when. You know how it is. But it did look good so woo!

          • Very cool. Congrats, Sage. Will it go on demand?

          • That’s cool that you act. I’m sure that will help when you have to laugh at Deagle’s lame jokes. 🙂

            How many movies have you done? Any favorites?

  24. The right thing to do would be have TideGear on the show to talk about his proposal AND indie games.

  25. When TideGear getting hitched? Are you guys going to his wedding? Is it cosplay?