[Rydog]

This week's episode is the last one before E3. Sorry for the recent lateness; that should clear up after E3 (I'm trying to get the podcast up on Tuesdays).

[JayZii]

I was going to say I enjoyed this episode until the end when Ryan implied that Retronauts is not worth mentioning as a long running 1UP podcast. For shame Mr. Scott, I thought I knew you .

[IcarusII]

Ryan, you don't have to defend your Mario Galaxy 2 review score and I don't know why you think you have to do so on this podcast and on The Gamespy Debriefings. I hope you're not getting a kick from all this attention you're getting, as if the nontroversy is garnering you some spotlight. I hope this attention doesn't color your reviews of future high profile games.

As for the discussion of reviewer predisposition to certain games (your ex. GTA4)... I don't think it's fair to judge them if you're in a similar position. Sometimes one can get familiar enough with a podcaster/game reviewer's tastes and biases through listening to them week after week that - no matter how they try to deflect their own statements with layered sarcasm and irony or a funny voice - a grain of salt has to be taken when reading their reviews.

It's the Shane Bettenhausen effect. After listening to him for a while you begin to question his objectivity in his reviews of games that belong to series or franchises that he kept spooging about on episodes of Retronauts or 1Up Yours. If he didn't keep referring to himself as the "number 1 MGS fan ever" prior to reviewing MGS4, I wouldn't had felt so odd reading his review.

Ryan Scott I'm sure you're a consumate professional, but I know how much you love Street Fighter...


Anyway, Gemma Arterton is hot. Prince of Persia flick was not. E3 next week, woo! It's gonna be great listening to you guys sound exasperated and tired.

[kenzo]

You're new to the forums, so there's no way you could know... but just FYI IcarusII: Ryan Scott won't read that.

Also, I'll bet you a small fortune that Shane didn't review MGS4, precisely because he felt susceptible to bias.

[Grimlock]

Episode 69, dudes.

[cool_wizard]

the persona tease?!?!? +

[Mr_eX]

Episode 69, dudes.

Well done.

[Lombaszko]

Three man reviews in EGM were the best. Does anyone know if the new EGM has those?

[IRL_Troll]

Karen, I want you to inflict code orange, red, or if you pass the color coded bitch-o-meter rubicon on to the guys every time you feel that way. Is there a GFW or Legendary Thread episode where I can get that?

I mainly need this because my ipod is powered by hate

[Bobloblaw]

Episode 69, dudes.

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.

[shadyjohnson]

Who is it that edited Gabriel Anwar's wikipedia entry to include the Gabriel Anwar scale . Also why did you link to Geekbox forums?

It is gone now, but on two occasions I have seen it appear on wikipedia.

Also, yay for liking Shadowrun! I love the table top RPG.

[leebenningfield]

I was listening to the discussion of how predictable the Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft press conferences at E3 will be, and how/why Sony fell behind in this console generation after their reign with the PS2, and all I could think about was the webcomic Castle Vidcons. It basically depicts those companies as their consoles, personified as medieval royal familes, always fighting battles against each other. It hasn't been updated in a few months, and the navigation on the site is somewhat lacking, but the comics themselves are great.

[GiantAsianMan]

Episode 69, dudes.

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.

We are in danger of failing most egregiously tomorrow.

[Mr_eX]

Table top RPG talk is the WORST

[GiantAsianMan]

Matt Nix's new show is on Fox, not USA, and its called The Good Guys. It stars Bradley Whitford (The West Wing), Colin Hanks (Tom Hanks's son), and Bradley Whitford's mustache. Its kinda a wacky, buddy cop show, much lighter than Burn Notice.

[sigh_its]

Good episode of the CrackerBox and considering the topics were a bit forced you three sure know how to ramble on!

Happy that the Sports Anomaly was mentioned and DC Online my thoughts are free to play with microtransactions but if you get the premium PSN account you get an amount of points per month free.

[jinpei05]

Also, I'll bet you a small fortune that Shane didn't review MGS4, precisely because he felt susceptible to bias.

Actually, he didn't review it because he played the entire game as part of a user feedback retreat in Japan that Konami held before the game's release.

[deadairis]

Table top RPG talk is the WORST

You're the worst!

Now to roll to see if my Social check succeeded...

[jinpei05]

I'm sorry, but did Ryan Scott profess his astonishment at how much a son resembles his father, then just compare that resemblance to two completely unrelated people (i.e., Kiera Knightly and Natalie Portman)????



News flash: It's called DNA/genetics/inheritance. That's why Chinese people only have Chinese children and fat people only have fat children, according to Troy McClure.

[Rydog]

Ryan, you don't have to defend your Mario Galaxy 2 review score and I don't know why you think you have to do so on this podcast and on The Gamespy Debriefings. I hope you're not getting a kick from all this attention you're getting, as if the nontroversy is garnering you some spotlight. I hope this attention doesn't color your reviews of future high profile games.

As for the discussion of reviewer predisposition to certain games (your ex. GTA4)... I don't think it's fair to judge them if you're in a similar position. Sometimes one can get familiar enough with a podcaster/game reviewer's tastes and biases through listening to them week after week that - no matter how they try to deflect their own statements with layered sarcasm and irony or a funny voice - a grain of salt has to be taken when reading their reviews.

It's the Shane Bettenhausen effect. After listening to him for a while you begin to question his objectivity in his reviews of games that belong to series or franchises that he kept spooging about on episodes of Retronauts or 1Up Yours. If he didn't keep referring to himself as the "number 1 MGS fan ever" prior to reviewing MGS4, I wouldn't had felt so odd reading his review.

Ryan Scott I'm sure you're a consumate professional, but I know how much you love Street Fighter...

Anyway, Gemma Arterton is hot. Prince of Persia flick was not. E3 next week, woo! It's gonna be great listening to you guys sound exasperated and tired.

No, I'm not basking in some imaginary fame. I just can't stand the illogical ways some people parse reviews and review scores, and I feel the need to speak up more often than I probably should.

And you're right in saying that one should always take a review with a grain of salt, no matter who the reviewer is. We all have our individual dispositions and biases; I happen to think it's very important for critics to present those biases in a balanced and realistic way, and resist coming to absolute conclusions before you've done their due diligence re: actually playing the game. If you followed my discussions of Street Fighter IV up to its release, you'll find I was very reserved and more than a little skeptical about it. And I do love Street Fighter -- but that doesn't mean I can't recognize its faults when I see them. I am not a blind cheerleader.

You're new to the forums, so there's no way you could know... but just FYI IcarusII: Ryan Scott won't read that.

Also, I'll bet you a small fortune that Shane didn't review MGS4, precisely because he felt susceptible to bias.

I totally just proved you wrong!

Three man reviews in EGM were the best. Does anyone know if the new EGM has those?

From an editorial perspective, as the guy who was running reviews top to bottom for both the magazine and the website, three-man reviews made me want to kill myself. If I'd had it my way, we would've eliminated them ENTIRELY. But unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on what you prefer), folks stepped in to stop my mad plan!

Actually, he didn't review it because played the entire game as part of a user feedback retreat in Japan that Konami held before the game's release.

This is correct.

I was going to say I enjoyed this episode until the end when Ryan implied that Retronauts is not worth mentioning as a long running 1UP podcast. For shame Mr. Scott, I thought I knew you .

You're absolutely right, and I retract my statement. Retronauts is and will always be awesome.

[kenzo]

You're new to the forums, so there's no way you could know... but just FYI IcarusII: Ryan Scott won't read that.

I totally just proved you wrong!

I'm always glad to be proven wrong when it comes to things like this. =)

[leebenningfield]

Also, I enjoyed the tabletop rpg discussion. I look forward to more if you ever actually get past character creation and play a game session. I know how hard it can be to wrangle a group of people together sometimes.

[jinpei05]

So Fitch doesn't find Kim Yun-Jin attractive...



I BEG to differ.

[Aeolus]

Also, I'll bet you a small fortune that Shane didn't review MGS4, precisely because he felt susceptible to bias.

Actually, he didn't review it because he played the entire game as part of a user feedback retreat in Japan that Konami held before the game's release.

You might not be able to answer this but did Ziff pay for the "junket" or Konami? I can't remember if Shane indicated one way or the other.

[ReturnOfTheOgre]

I remember that, he was very clear Konami paid for Shane's whole trip. It was brought up during one of those shoegazing "what dus it meen 2 be a video gamez jurnalist?" discussions that always seem to pop up.

Anyway, instead of all this Three Man Band stuff, how about randomly having a Geekbox listener be the fourth chair via Skype or such? Hell I'll volunteer!

[kenzo]

So Fitch doesn't find Kim Yun-Jin attractive...

I think she's attractive in a cougary kind of way... but to be honest those pictures you selected aren't really her best angles or something.

[uppi17]

Is Letters Sam on the forum? I was thinking we could give him certain phrases that we wanted Ryan to say. Stuff like:
"Gabrielle Anwar is a one on the Gabrielle Anwar scale for me"
"I don't want Fitchy to get Hitchy - I want him all to myself"
"I lied about watching Twilight with rifftrax, I just wanted to see how Team Jacob got on."

[Raine]

So Fitch doesn't find Kim Yun-Jin attractive...

Jesus Christ that chick looks way too skinny in that pic. I know Asians tend to be on the skinny side but damn.

[flufflogic]

Table top RPG talk is the WORST

You're the worst!

Now to roll to see if my Social check succeeded...

Did you remember to use your Wand of Trollbash?

[Snuggs]

Great show!

Man, it brought back memories to the time I once drove 50 miles to play Shadowrun. I had my character sheet made. I arrived, nobody had theirs done.

There was this guy in our group who was trying to make a Company Man, but wouldn't shut up about his old ultimate online character from 1997. I kept staring at his blank character sheet as he droned on and on.

I cracked open a beer, and stared down at my complete character sheet.

"So I launch this fireball and the Grand Master Mage was dead in one hit!"

Taking a swig, I began to sketch my character on the side of my sheet.

"And those hackers, I hunt- I KILL HACKERS!"

I took my lipstick out of my purse and began to color in a gown. Red.

(two hours later)

Outlining the wage mage's gown with my eyeliner, I realize I'm running out of patience, and beer. The game master's girlfriend began to break out a 40,000 piece puzzle on the floor.
I put my head down on the table and took a nap facedown on my character sheet.

"KORP POR!- Bam! DEAD!"

I woke up. The 40,000 piece puzzle was half done.

The guy's character sheet was empty- I had lipstick on my cheek.

I drew my Wage Mage holding a gun to her head.

That's the last time I table-top gamed.