Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Quest 18: Is there even a Quest in this Quest?

Special Guest: Sans Dan!

Quest 18 prototypes a news segment, reflects on 2013, and makes stuff up to accomplish for 2014. Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
  • 02:55 - What genre is the Wolf of Wallstreet?
  • 04:45 - Is a Link Between Worlds a perfect Zelda game?
  • 10:50 - Which is better, Disney's Frozen or The Hobbit?
  • 12:45 - Is Brothers the best game on the Steam holiday sale?
  • 17:30 - Which is worse, 47 Ronin or The Lone Ranger?
  • 22:10 - How different is it programming a client instead of a server?
  • 29:20 - Who does the Hearthstone metagame favor this week?
  • 36:30 - Will Hello Games recover from the flood?
  • 41:50 - Are the MegaMan boardgame strech goal reward tiers over priced?
  • 45:40 - Why did the new Pathfinder Dice game cancel their Kickstarter?
  • 51:00 - How much is the video game industry worth in China?
  • 52:55 - Can DDos attacks be used for good, or only to take down TwitchTV?
  • 56:50 - What is the internet troll's game of the year?
  • 59:00 - What is next for the QQ Cast in 2014?
  • 60:10 - Bonus Question: How did the QQ Cast do in 2013?

Music

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Quest 17: The Desolation of Holiday Sales?

Special Guests: Dan Bach and Lynn DeVries!

Quest 17 desolates Smaug with holiday game sales numbers! Spoiler Warning: Nintendo won, the Wii U lost, and Dan did not go the movies...because he is the Grinch!


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
  • 01:45 - What is Dan up to, or what if the cars in Forza were made of paper?
  • 03:15 - What is Lynn up to, or does Santa bring video games to adults?
  • 05:00 - What is Jordan up to, or what are some real life mobile games?
  • 10:00 - What is Tom up to, or how many QQ Reviews did he write on vacation?
  • 17:00 - Was the Desolation of Smaug better than the Hobbit?
  • 26:35 - How do the Hobbit prequels compare to the Star Wars prequels?
  • 37:45 - What did you buy on Black Friday?
  • 41:20 - Which console had the better launch, PS4 or XBox One?
  • 44:10 - What upcoming Nintendo games could sell consoles?
  • 52:30 - Hot seat and wrap up!

Music

Monday, December 2, 2013

QQ Review [3DS]: The Legend of Zelda, A Link Between Worlds

This might be my favorite Zelda game of all time.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds sends you back to the kingdom of Hyrule from the Super Nintendo's A Link to the Past. Twenty years later this world has some fresh new surprises for us. A Link Between Worlds walks a perfect balance between new and old, both in terms of content and design. Nintendo has really knocked this iteration of Zelda out of the park, giving us a masterful action adventure RPG for the blossoming 3DS.

Friday, November 29, 2013

QQ Review [Wii U]: Super Mario 3D World

Welcome to the the first written edition of the QQ Review!

Mario games have always been the flagship product for Nintendo; in my opinion no Nintendo console is worth buying until it has a true new Mario game to play on it. Regardless of my view on the New Super Mario Bros franchise, my fears concerning the Wii U's legitimacy have finally been laid to rest with the release of Super Mario 3D World. This game is a masterful followup to the portable Super Mario 3D Land, and a worthy successor to Super Mario Galaxy series.

Super Mario 3D World is platforming at its best. The game is nothing less than the polished, well rounded, and creative experience that you have come to expect from the core Mario franchise, but what keeps this series great is that it does not stop to rest on its laurels. While Super Mario 3D World may not arrive bearing the same level of innovation as some of its predecessors, it pulls together a fresh combination of ideas and tweaks the traditional formula enough to make this a unique experience all its own.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Introducing the QQ Review

Here on the QQ Cast we often review things with a score of how many Qs we would rate them. This generally translates into how many complaints we have regarding this game/movie/whatever. Here is a break down for those scores:

QQ

Below average; we do not recommend it. This just had too many problems for us to enjoy, probably to the point that we wanted our money back. Thus we can, and will, QQ!

Q

Good to average; we probably recommend it. At one Q there are things that we didn't like, but it was still enjoyable. Ask me about it next month and I'll probably say "meh."

Zero Qs

F***ing awesome; we highly recommend it! It might not be perfect, but there is nothing that we can seriously complain about. We really enjoyed it, and we think you will too!

Enjoy,
The QQ Cast

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Quest 16: What's going on for the holidays?

Special Guest: Dan Bach!

Quest 16 discloses what we have, want, and wish for in the upcoming holiday season and beyond! (...but not to infinity and beyond, as no one here has played Disney Infinity.)


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
  • 02:15 - What is Jordan up to, or what level is his wife's Panda?
  • 06:20 - What is Dan up to, or how fun is a PS4 without games?
  • 11:30 - What is Tom up to, or how super is Mario 3D World?
  • 17:00 - Is remote play a must have feature for consoles?
  • 24:15 - What is your favorite (non-birthday) holiday?
  • 29:45 - What movie will win at the box office?
  • 41:30 - What console will have the hightest sales?
  • 58:45 - What games are you excited about this holiday season?
  • 67:55 - Do you care about any games that got bumped to 2014?
  • 83:00 - What are your favorite winter holiday traditions?
  • 86:15 - Sans hot seat and wrap up!

Music

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Quest 15: Why do we love MMORPGs?

Special Guests: Dan Bach, Keith Floresca, Lynn DeVries, and Rick "Intern" Fox!

Quest 15 is all about MMORPG nostalgia: Ultima Online, Everquest, Ragnarok Online, Asheron's Call, World of WarCraft, Star Wars, and all of the things!


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 01:25 - What has everyone been geeking out on?
  • 06:35 - What MMOs have you played?
  • 12:10 - What was your favorite MMO?
  • 19:30 - Was solo play the best or worst thing to happen to MMOs?
  • 33:20 - What was your favorite boss fight?
  • 43:00 - What is your favorite MMO memory?
  • 59:50 - What was the best PVP system?
  • 65:50 - What was your favorite monument or spectacle?
  • 69:20 - Are MMOs fight in spite of their grindy mechanics?
  • 74:20 - Wrap up!
  • 75:00 - Bonus Question: What is the best toon name?

Music

Monday, November 4, 2013

Quest 14-2: "A Mic Check Reborn" (What is going on with SquareEnix?)

Special Guest: Sans Dan!

Quest 14-2: "A Mic Check Reborn" tackles recent headlines related to the hosts' once beloved SquareEnix. Where have we been for the past month? Why is this 14-2? Listen to find out!


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Mic Check & Introductions
  • 04:15 - What has Tom been up to, or should you buy Pokemon or Lego Marvel?
  • 11:00 - What has Jordan been up to, or is the new Apple line up any good?
  • 14:25 - How do you turn D&D into a great card game?
  • 22:30 - Why doesn’t Eidos like SquareEnix?
  • 26:40 - Is Dragon Quest on iOS foreshadowing a new business model?
  • 36:15 - In soviet Japan, does SquareEnix crowdfund you?
  • 42:00 - Are SquareEnix mobile game prices defensible?
  • 50:15 - Do we actually want a Final Fantasy VI remake?
  • 55:00 - Why is the Final Fantasy VII port so far away?
  • 57:55 - Is Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn successful?
  • 62:40 - Wrap up!

Music

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Quest 13: Is being a gamer different if you're female?

Special Guest: Elaine Fisher!

Quest 13 Steams through some of the challenges facing female gamers (see what I did there?). Also, Valve announced stuff; but alas, it wasn't Half-Life 3.


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 02:00 - What's Elaine up to, or what is on Google's homepage?
  • 06:00 - What's Jordan up to, or can you buy XIV in XIV clicks?
  • 09:55 - What's Tom up to, or how Legendary is Hearthstone?
  • 15:00 - Is Steam OS relevant to the casual gamer?
  • 26:55 - Are Steam Machines the next Ouya, or is Valve the next Nintendo?
  • 34:10 - What do you think of the Steam Controller?
  • 42:15 - What is it like being a girl gamer?
  • 49:25 - Is the female gender portrayed poorly in games?
  • 55:10 - Do you, Elaine, find it difficult to be a female gamer?
  • 62:05 - Is being a female gamer difficult outside of the virtual world?
  • 67:10 - Mail In Quest: What are good mail in questions for the QQ cast?
  • 70:00 - What's it like being a mother gamer?
  • 75:35 - Hot seat and wrap up!

Music

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Quest 12: What do Disney Princesses and Star Wars have in common?

Special Guest: Lynn DeVries!

Quest 12 takes us to the worlds of Disney, Star Wars, and Tom's rapping career.


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 02:50 - What is Jordan up to, or how high definition is Kingdom Hearts?
  • 06:55 - What is Tom up to, or does Mario Party 2 destroyed friendships?
  • 09:50 - What is Lynn up to, or how thrilling is Captain Laserbeam?
  • 15:35 - Why can't Disney characters leave their worlds?
  • 19:40 - What do you think about JJ Abrams doing Star Wars?
  • 26:30 - Are the main characters smothering the Star Wars universe?
  • 30:40 - What do you think of the updated Star Wars movies?
  • 38:00 - What is your favorite Star Wars game?
  • 40:25 - What were the Star Wars MMORPGs?
  • 55:55 - Films aside, is there anything Star Wars related to look forward to?
  • 60:30 - Why is being a Star Wars fan both a blessing and a curse?
  • 63:15 - Hot seat and wrap up!
  • 70:00 - Bonus Song: Fett's Vette

Music

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Quest 11: What comic book things can we talk about?

Special Guest: Adam Schrader!

Quest 11 delves into the world of comic books and their related media. We also tackle another question about programming!


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 03:50 - Who is the best batman?
  • 06:00 - What is Jordan up to, or who wrote saga?
  • 09:00 - What is Adam up to, or Candy Crush? ...really?
  • 12:30 - What is Tom up to, or why is Audible so ruthless?
  • 14:55 - What is your favorite comic series?
  • 31:25 - What are some "revolutionary" comics?
  • 38:25 - Who do we have to thank for modern mainstream comic success?
  • 42:55 - What is your favorite Shamalan movie?
  • 47:10 - What are the best comic publishers?
  • 52:40 - Mail In Quest: What are some signs that you are a good programmer?
  • 65:30 - Hot seat and wrap up!

Music

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Quest 10: What would make a good restaurant?

Special Guest: Sans Dan!

Quest 10 introduces live sound effects, an unsustainable restaurant idea, and our first question from Dear Listener about learning new programming languages!


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 03:45 - What is the QQ Cast recording with?
  • 15:20 - What was best (non-steam) video game deal you ever got?
  • 18:55 - What is Tom up to, or they made a game about balls dropping?
  • 27:15 - What is Jordan up to, or did Into Darkness hold up?
  • 33:00 - What do you think of Blizzard's new game, Hearthstone?
  • 37:15 - How is Saints Row IV, and is it challenging enough?
  • 40:15 - Meet the new Space Hulk, same as the old Space Hulk?
  • 45:50 - Would you like a tavern to play games in?
  • 53:15 - What is a good pitch for a gamer bar and grill?
  • 60:55 - Mail In Quest: What is the best way to learn something fast?
  • 77:25 - Wrap up!
  • 79:00 - Bonus Question: What was wrong with XCOM, can the expansion fix it?

Music

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Quest 9: What do Vegas, Arcades, and Microtransactions have in common?

Special Guest: Matthew Cunningham!

Quest 9 crosses the generational gap, pits traditional/free-to-play/microtransaction based gaming against each other, contains non-expert beer tasting, game reviews using QQ Scores, and even a dash of D&D Next!


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 03:30 - What is Chewie playing, or who ya gonna call?
  • 07:05 - What is Tom playing, or how do you start a good RPG?
  • 11:05 - What is Jordan playing, or how fast is faster than light?
  • 25:05 - What makes a game cross the generational gap?
  • 39:40 - Are arcade games still relavent, and still fun?
  • 49:50 - Good vs Evil: Vegas, arcades, and...micro transactions?
  • 61:30 - What are the best hidden gems in Vegas?
  • 70:20 - What RPG series need a sequel to bring it back to its roots?
  • 78:15 - Hot seat and wrap up!
  • 95:20 - Bonus Question: What's next in D&D Next?

Music

Monday, August 5, 2013

Quest 8: What is a Retro Game?

Special Guest: James Rosensteel!

Episode 8, where seasons are gone for real this time. We mostly keep focus on retro gaming related topics... mostly.


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 06:10 - What is Tom playing, or how do you play SNES games in bed?
  • 12:30 - What is James playing, or do you even eBay, bro?
  • 22:10 - What is Jordan playing, or how is the new Tomb Raider?
  • 32:25 - What makes a game retro?
  • 38:30 - What is the difference between retro and popular?
  • 43:55 - In 20 years, will the definition of a retro game change?
  • 49:10 - Will future generations of retro games have diminishing returns?
  • 55:55 - Is retro gaming popular right now, and why?
  • 70:05 - Hot seat and another really long wrap up!
  • 75:15 - Bonus: Which genre has gained the least from modern graphics?

Music

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Quest 7: What's the difference between Final Fantasy and Star Wars?

Special Guest: Michael Stum!

We kick off Season 2 with deciding not to call them seasons anymore. Star Wars and Final Fantasy conversations likely make an appearance...


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 04:55 - What makes a good Star Wars movie not a good Star Wars movie?
  • 15:30 - Can major games and movies still be stand alone pieces of art?
  • 19:25 - What would have happened if there was no Star Wars?
  • 24:35 - When does re-releasing become just a cash grab?
  • 24:45 - What did you buy on the Steam summer sale?
  • 33:40 - Do you want Square Enix to survive or fold?
  • 45:50 - What are your favorite eastern and western RPGs?
  • 52:00 - What defines an RPG?
  • 60:00 - Hot seat and very long wrap up!

Music

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Quest 6 (S1E6): What makes a good season finale?

Special Guest: Dan Bach!

Dan Bach helps us close out Season 1 with... a lot of various and random topics: Kickstarter, Final Fantasy, DLC, pre-orders, carrots, sticks, rabbits, OC Remix, graphical art vs. realism, and moar!


Direct Download

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 04:00 - Are Kickstarter strech goals bad?
  • 08:25 - How difficult is it to predict the complexity additional content?
  • 16:00 - What are your thoughts on DLC?
  • 20:10 - Are pre-orders and exculsive pre-order rewards evil?
  • 32:15 - What games have aged well, or poorly, and why?
  • 41:15 - What types of art age well?
  • 46:20 - What is special about this episode?
  • 48:25 - Which movie franchise needs a resurrection?
  • 52:45 - How much longer can super hero movies last?
  • 55:30 - What's the next big movie genre going to be?
  • 59:30 - What is your favorite animal?
  • 66:00 - What is your favorite internet show?
  • 75:30 - What is coming next season and wrap up!

Music

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Quest 5 (S1E5): What makes me play a game?

Special Guest: Dave Reed!

Dave Reed helps us drool over OC ReMix's latest album "Balance and Ruin" while discussing exactly what it is that draws us into playing a video game.


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Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions (now with music!)
  • 02:10 - What is OC ReMix?
  • 10:40 - Are old game soundtracks better than new game soundtracks?
  • 17:20 - Which was better, the original Square or the original Enix?
  • 22:50 - Which first entry was better, Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior?
  • 26:30 - What attributes do "games that matter" have?
  • 27:50 - What game had a fresh new mechanic?
  • 31:20 - What game had a fresh graphic style or perspective?
  • 36:40 - What game had a new approach to an old genre?
  • 42:00 - Are modern sequels able to live on their own merits?
  • 46:30 - What games had a stories that people cared about?
  • 64:00 - Hot seat and wrap up!

Music

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Quest 4 (S1E4): Who won the week of E3?

Special Guest: Sans Dan!

WWDC + E3 makes for a super exciting geek week!


Direct Download

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 09:45 - What did Apple announce?
  • 27:30 - What did Microsoft announce?
  • 35:00 - What did Sony announce?
  • 40:45 - What did Nintendo announce?
  • 45:00 - Where was Metroid?
  • 49:45 - Is the age of platform exclusive games dead?
  • 53:15 - What was the last game you played that mattered?
  • 59:30 - Hot seat and wrap up!

Monday, June 3, 2013

Quest 3 (S1E3): What does a console need to win the next generation market?

Special Guest: Sans Dan!

Microsoft resets the XBox, goes back to version ONE. Also, with digital streaming being the future, why can't companies get it right?


Direct Download

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 05:20 - Is all tech news time sensitive?
  • 06:20 - Is the Xbox One a good name?
  • 18:15 - What are the pros and cons of steaming video services?
  • 22:30 - Is digital distribution of games getting better?
  • 32:20 - Should we complain about not trading games on Steam?
  • 42:50 - Is there anything new in next generation consoles?
  • 51:00 - What companies do good online digital distribution?
  • 56:40 - Lightning rounds and wrap up!

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Quest 2 (S1E2): Is Kickstarter a good thing?

Special Guest: Sans Dan!

We dig into why we love and hate Kickstarter, touch base with the awesomeness of the Oculus Rift, and dabble in the future of gaming technology.


Direct Download

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 02:50 - How do you use Kickstarter?
  • 08:10 - What is the Oculus Rift?
  • 19:05 - What are some other cool Kickstarters?
  • 27:15 - What are the dangers of Kickstarter?
  • 33:45 - Are stretch goals a good thing?
  • 37:40 - Where is Jarvis for my house?
  • 47:20 - What do you want in a new game console?
  • 51:15 - Wrap up!

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Quest 1 (S1E1): What are the ingredients for a good podcast?

Special Guest: Dan Bach!

Jordan, Tom, and Dan tackle their very first Question Quest! But is it possible they are derailed by geeky tangents before they can complete the quest? Feel free to find out by listening!


Direct Download

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Introductions
  • 07:20 - What is Geek?
  • 16:15 - What are the ingredients of a good podcast?
  • 21:20 - True or false: A host should never swear.
  • 30:45 - What is geeky stuff?
  • 36:20 - Is science geeky?
  • 49:25 - Is technology getting less complex?
  • 62:50 - Wrap up!

Friday, May 10, 2013

The QQ Cast has begun!

Tom and Jordan have already recorded TWO episodes and are now syndicated through iTunes!

  1. What are the ingredients for a good podcast?
  2. Is Kickstarter a good thing?