The QQ Cast

Sunday, February 22, 2015

QQ News: February 2015

A fire hose of geeky news headlines for the weeks leading to February 22nd, 2015.

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Headlines

00:00 - Date and Introductions
01:30 - The X-Files May Return to Television (IGN)
04:30 - Final Fantasy Puzzles and Dragons (Kotaku)
06:10 - Metroid Prime Trilogy Coming to Wii U (IGN)
09:50 - New 3DS XL Coming To America In February (Kotaku)
10:45 - Nintendo's AC Adapter Policy Isn't Fair (Kotaku)
11:45 - Final Fantasy XV Is 60 Percent Finished (Kotaku)
14:30 - Blizzard Rewards Ten-Year World of Warcraft Vets With Statue (Kotaku)
15:20 - Hearthstone Master Loses To Low Rank Player w/ Starter Deck (Kotaku)
16:15 - Dota 2 Tops 1 Million Players At The Same Time (RockPaperShotgun)
18:00 - Simon Pegg Will Co-Write Star Trek 3 (EscapistMagazine)
20:00 - Transferring games to New 3DS XL needs a Screwdriver (Polygon)
20:30 - Square Enix has trademarked "Square Soft" and "Enix" (Kotaku)
22:35 - Live-Action Zelda Series May Be in the Works (EscapistMagazine)
23:55 - Big Layoffs At EverQuest Studio Today (Kotaku)
24:20 - Sony Sells Off Studio Behind Everquest, H1Z1 (Kotaku)
26:50 - Amazon In Talks To Buy Stores From RadioShack (EscapistMagazine)
29:30 - Spider-Man coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (IGN)
33:10 - YouTube now defaults to HTML5 (Youtube)
34:40 - Disney Eyeing Chris Pratt for Next Indiana Jones (EscapistMagazine)
35:15 - Jon Stewart Is Leaving The Daily Show (Kotaku)
36:15 - Sonic Boom is the Worst-Selling Sonic Title in History (IGN)
36:50 - New Alien Movie Confirmed with Director Neill Blomkamp (Variety)
38:50 - Rapid fire news reel!

Music

Donkey Kong - Swing, Monkey, Swing

QQ Recommends [eBooks]: The Game Design Forum

What makes a good game?

The game design forums have a series of great Reverse Design articles for some of the best video games ever made: Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6, and Super Mario World. If you are interested in game design, or just a fan of the aforementioned games, you really need to read these articles!

www.TheGameDesignForum.com

Enjoy,
Tom

Monday, February 16, 2015

Geek Out: February 2015

Tom and Jordan talk about what they geeked out on during the month of February, 2015.

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Minutes

00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
01:45 - It's a boy!
11:25 - Reversing the Design: Chrono Trigger
24:45 - Besiege
27:00 - Master of Orion
20:00 - Hearthstone Tournaments
33:00 - iOS Development
37:10 - Wrap up!

Music

Hyrule Party Mix

Relevant Links

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Quest 33: What is happening in Virtual Reality?

Special Guest: Zach Mayer!

Quest 33 dives into the newly revived market of virtual reality. To celebrate we bring on our first virtual guest, all the way from Seattle!

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Minutes

00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
02:00 - What is virtual reality?
07:20 - Has anything shipped from Oculus yet?
14:20 - Do you need peripherals to be engaged in VR?
20:10 - Which game genres are VR applicable to?
24:20 - What is the difference between augmented and virtual reality?
27:10 - Are there any cool AR or VR gadgets coming out soon?
33:00 - Which companies might be developing VR technologies?
38:25 - Do we have any predictions for VR in 2015?
42:05 - How long will it take to ship games for Oculus?
46:30 - Wrap up and hot seat!

Music

Mega Man 9 'Lights Out'

Relevant Links

Sunday, January 11, 2015

QQ News: January 2015

A fire hose of geeky news headlines for the weeks leading to January 11th, 2015.

Direct Download

Headlines

00:00 - Date and Introductions
03:00 - Apple, the Camera Company (PetaPixel)
05:30 - iPad Sales Slump Twelve Percent But Android Tablets Soar (Forbes)
06:40 - Samsung Shutters Flagship London Store Amid Falling Sales (TheVerge)
08:35 - Minecraft Creator Outbids Beyonce For $70 Million Mansion (IGN)
09:55 - Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition announced (Joystiq)
11:30 - Nintendo Will No Longer Sell Consoles or Games in Brazil (Kotaku)
12:40 - She Hears A Nintendo Theme Once, Makes Beautiful Music (Kotaku)
14:45 - Nintendo Shows off The Majora's Mask Skull Kid Pre-Order Statue (IGN)
15:30 - OC Remix celebrates 15 years of remixes with more music (Joystiq)
16:45 - Dragon Quest Heroes May be My Favorite Warriors-Style Game (Kotaku)
19:10 - Instagram Hits 300 Million Monthly Users (TechCrunch)
20:30 - Final Fantasy XV Features The First Female Cid (Kotaku)
22:15 - Clock Tower successor 'Project Scissors' becomes NightCry (Joystiq)
23:00 - Roberto Orci Won't Direct Star Trek 3 (IGN)
23:30 - Commander Riker Would Love to Direct Star Trek 3 (EscapistMagazine)
23:50 - Justin Lin to Direct Star Trek 3 (IGN)
25:00 - League Of Legends Is Building Its Own Network To Kill Lag (Kotaku)
26:00 - Liberal Education: At This College, Videogames Are a Varsity Sport (WSJ)
27:15 - Destiny approaching 13 million players (Joystiq)
27:30 - Sony: PS4 sales surpass 18.5 million following holiday boom (Joystiq)
28:00 - Leaked Windows 10 Reveals Xbox, Cortana(EscapistMagazine)
29:10 - Spartan Browser Features Revealed (IGN)
31:10 - Paramount Cancels Team America Screenings (EscapistMagazine)
32:15 - Experts Skeptical of Korea's Involvement in Hack (EscapistMagazine)
32:50 - How Much Money did The Interview Make Online? (EscapistMagazine)
33:35 - Related: Algebra (DaringFireball)
35:10 - Rapid fire news reel!

Music

Mega Man X - Tuck 'n Roll

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Geek Out: January 2015

For their first standalone Geek Out session, Tom and Jordan review what they geeked out on in 2014...and inexplicably cover several 2013 topics while they are at it.

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Minutes

00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
02:40 - What were the best movies of 2014?
11:10 - What were our favorite games of 2014?
25:15 - What were the best devices of 2014?
35:50 - Was anything else worth noting in 2014?
42:15 - Wrap up and predictions for 2015!

Music

The Sound of Speed

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Quest 32: How was The Hobbit Trilogy in retrospect?

We're back, baby! Quest 32 is going on an adventure where we discuss The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and the trilogy as a whole.

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Minutes

00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
03:00 - Was their finally closure for the first adventure in Middle Earth?
08:50 - What are the best and worst parts of the third Hobbit film?
16:45 - Should the previous movie have ended with the Smaug fight?
20:55 - How much screen time did the assistant really need?
25:20 - Did these movies set up the original trilogy well?
30:40 - Was the romance subplot between the Dwarf and Elf necessary?
33:55 - Why did the human characters not get a code?
35:30 - How did we like the actually ending of the movie?
39:05 - Wrap up!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

QQ Recommends [Podcast]: Transporter Room 3

If you are a Star Trek fan that listens to podcasts, then you are sure to enjoy Transporter Room 3.

Hosts Scott Collura and Phil Pirrello are ready, willing, and able to talk about anything and everything Star Trek. Topics encompass all of the shows, all of the movies, and even the conventions!

Transporter Room 3

Enjoy,
Tom

Monday, October 13, 2014

QQ News: October 5th, 2014

A fire hose of geeky news headlines for the weeks leading to October 5th, 2014.

Direct Download

Headlines

00:00 - Date and Introductions
01:15 - Mojang Joins Microsoft; Founders Leaving (EscapistMagazine)
07:15 - eSports 'Not A Sport' Says ESPN President (Kotaku)
14:15 - Forget 9: Microsoft Introduces Windows 10 (EscapistMagazine)
19:50 - iPhone 6 Sales Pass 10 Million Mark In First Weekend (IGN)
27:05 - iOS 8.0.1 Update Breaking Touch Id, Cellular Reception (IGN)
28:55 - The Potato Salad Kickstarter Festival Actually Happened (Kotaku)
29:30 - Nintendo Celebrates Its 125th Anniversary (NintendoLife)
30:00 - Smash Bros Sells One Million Copies in Two Days (EscapistMagazine)
30:40 - Sony Financials: $2.2 Billion Net Loss This Year (EscapistMagazine)
31:30 - Woman Suing Disney: Claims Frozen Is Based On Her Life Story (IGN)
32:25 - First Dragon Quest Game Heads to iOS and Android (Rpgamer)
32:50 - Destiny Ships $500 Million (Joystiq)
33:20 - League of Legends Completely Restarts its Lore (IGN)
35:00 - Final Fantasy XV Director Leaves, Focusing on Kingdom Hearts III (IGN)
36:25 - TGS 2014: Here's the new Final Fantasy 15 Trailer (IGN)
37:00 - Final Fantasy 15 Director: Gender Bias Is "Not Healthy" (IGN)
38:35 - The Man Who Saved Final Fantasy XV (Kotaku)
41:00 - Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Adds Easy Mode, Cuts Co-op (Kotaku)
42:40 - Final Fantasy 13 Trilogy To Launch On PC Starting Next Month (IGN)
44:10 - Wrap up and rapid fire news reel!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

QQ Recommends [Web Series]: SF Debris

"Just a science fiction reviewer with an opinion."

Do you enjoy Star Trek, Doctor Who, Stargate, Farscape, or science fiction movies in general? Do you like to learn about behind the scenes writing, production, and development of these franchises? If so, then all you need is a sense of humor and you'll love SF Debris video reviews!

Charles Sonnenburg creates three videos every week for various science fiction television shows and movies. His "opinionated guides" offer humorous commentary and insightful behind the scenes production information about your favorite series.

http://sfdebris.com/

Enjoy,
Tom

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Quest 31: What are enemies of productivity for a Software Engineer?

Special Guest: Sans Dan!

Quest 31 shakes out a few things that reduce the productivity of Software Engineers (and really, everyone (but mostly software engineers)).

Direct Download

Minutes

00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
02:20 - What is Tom up to, or is the Walking Dead on Patreon?
10:40 - What is Jordan up to, or is Apple his new Destiny?
20:00 - Why do programmers need to be productive?
21:45 - Are meetings really necessary?
26:15 - How long should you schedule a meeting for?
31:00 - What should be on your meeting agenda?
34:40 - Do you always take action items from meetings?
36:00 - Is it bad to read your email in real time?
41:30 - How do you not forget about follow-up emails?
45:15 - Are you sending the right emails?
50:20 - How can new hires perfect help you optimize your process?
58:20 - Why is automation the ultimate productivity tool?
67:30 - Should you be time boxing more activities?
78:15 - Wrap up!

Music

Final Fantasy VII 'A World of Piano'

Monday, September 8, 2014

QQ News: September 1st, 2014

A fire hose of geeky news headlines for the weeks leading to September 1st, 2014.

Direct Download

Headlines

00:00 - Date and Introductions
00:50 - Dragon Quest Heroes coming to Dynasty Warriors (Joystiq)
02:15 - Report: More Dragon Quest mobile ports on the way (Joystiq)
03:35 - Nintendo Just Announced a New 3DS, Has Another Analog Stick (Kotaku)
07:20 - Xenoblade Chronicles Gets A Port, But Only For The New 3DS (Kotaku)
09:00 - Who The Hell Is Watching Porn On a 3DS? (Kotaku)
10:05 - Mario Kart's Most Hated Item Is Actually Its Best (Kotaku)
11:40 - Xenoblade Protagonist Shulk Joins the Smash Bros. Roster (Kotaku)
12:30 - Amazon Buys Twitch For $970 Million (Kotaku)
13:55 - Why Google Backed Out of Buying Twitch (EscapistMagazine)
14:20 - Amazon Exec: We Don't "Want to Change" Twitch (EscapistMagazine)
15:00 - Report: 92 percent of PC game sales in 2013 were digital (Joystiq)
16:30 - Online Attacks Cripple Sony, Riot, Blizzard (Kotaku)
19:55 - Valve Taken To Court Over Its Refund Policy (Kotaku)
21:25 - Go GOG! 30 day money back guarantee (GOG)
23:45 - Around 335,000 attend Gamescom 2014 (Joystiq)
26:30 - Lohan Just Wants Publicity, Rockstar Alleges (EscapistMagazine)
27:50 - Most Pics In IKEA Catalogues Aren't Photos, They're 3D Renders (Kotaku)
31:45 - The World's Most Expensive Comic Sold For Over $3 Million (Kotaku)
32:55 - Guardians of The Galaxy Becomes #1 Film of 2014 (EscapistMagazine)
33:45 - Nintendo Reveals Pokemon Fighting Game (EscapistMagazine)
34:35 - Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Gets Its First Major Update (Kotaku)
35:30 - Zelda And Animal Crossing Mario Kart 8 DLC (EscapistMagazine)
36:45 - Wrap up and rapid fire news reel!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Quest 30: Are we finally living in the future?

Special Guest: Bobby Ross VI!

Quest 30 wonders if we're living in the future now based on our expectations of Science Fiction, dreams, and conventional media.

Direct Download

Minutes

00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
03:00 - What is Jordan up to, or what's in a presidential library?
07:30 - What is Bobby up to, or how mobile is his hot spot?
12:25 - What is Tom up to, or how fast is the FZ-09?
18:15 - Are we finally living the future?
22:45 - Is there anything that you can't just order online?
28:20 - When do we choose to not use digital distribution?
34:10 - Did any science fiction predict streaming?
38:50 - Is social media a primary means of communication?
47:15 - Are we already driving in the future?
53:15 - How amazing is modern medical technology?
64:15 - Is the future more ecologically friendly?
70:40 - Wrap up and hot seat!

Music

Super Mario Bros. 'The Life and Death of the Mario Brothers'

Recommended Links

Motorcycle Crash Rider Flips Onto Moving Car

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

QQ News: August 17th, 2014

A slightly solemn fire hose of geeky news headlines for the weeks leading to August 17th, 2014.

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Headlines

00:00 - Date and Introductions
01:15 - Robin Williams Dies at 63 (IGN)
03:35 - Fans Want A WoW Tribute To Robin Williams (Kotaku)
05:20 - Obsidian Lands Paizo's Pathfinder License (EscapistMagazine)
06:15 - Pokemon Trading Card Game Coming To iPad (Kotaku)
07:00 - XCom: The Board Game Needs You, Commander (EscapistMagazine)
08:00 - Kojima promises Silent Hills will make players ruin their pants (Joystiq)
10:40 - TMNT Remains No. 1; Expendables 3 Misfires (IGN)
13:30 - TMNT Sequel Already Confirmed For 2016 (EscapistMagazine)
15:30 - Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition hits 58GB in EU (Joystiq)
16:25 - Rise of the Tomb Raider Isn't Really An 'Xbox Exclusive' (Kotaku)
18:55 - Sierra Returns With Geometry Wars & Kings Quest (RockPaperShotgun)
21:30 - Flappy Birds is Back- But Only On Amazon (EscapistMagazine)
22:15 - Beta characters won't transfer to full version of Destiny (Joystiq)
24:15 - Square Enix Enjoys Strong Financial Results (IGN)
25:45 - Big Bang Theory Stars Gets $1 Million Per Episode(EscapistMagazine)
27:10 - Diablo 3, Reaper of Souls condemn 20 million souls (Joystiq)
27:45 - Twitch Comes Down Hard On Unlicensed Music (IGN)
31:15 - Twitch CEO Admits 'We Screwed Up' With New Policies (IGN)
33:40 - Dargon Quest 4 Launched on iOS (Kotaku)
36:00 - Wrap up and rapid fire news reel!

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Quest 29: What is some advice for aspiring programmers?

Special Guest: Sans Dan!

Quest 29 gets personal with programmer talk; advice, tips, origin stories, and mantras included! Batteries, however, are still not included.

Direct Download

Minutes

00:00 - Guardians of the Galaxy QQ Reviews and Introductions
05:00 - What is Jordan up to, or how awesome is Bioshock Infinite?
10:50 - What is Tom up to, or is who did he kill in Walking Dead Season 2?
14:10 - When did Tom first start programming?
18:45 - How did Jordan first start programming?
23:40 - Is learning to program an iteration of hitting brick walls?
30:50 - How can people start learning to program?
36:40 - Do we have any advice for parents who want their kids to code?
40:55 - Why are personal projects important?
48:00 - Are there any programming mantras that we like?
57:45 - What is the 80/20 rule?
65:20 - Can you work with software and not be a programmer?
72:50 - What is one piece of advice to give new developers?
74:00 - Wrap up!

Music

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link 'The Temple Revisited'

Recommended Links

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

QQ News: July 21st, 2014

A fire hose of geeky news headlines for the weeks leading to July 21st, 2014!

Direct Download

Headlines

00:00 - Date and Introductions
00:45 - Marvel's New Thor Is A Woman (IO9)
01:00 - Technically, Thor Is Now A Disney Princess (Kotaku)
01:30 - Marvel Announces Release Dates Through 2019 (IO9)
04:00 - The Falcon is Marvel's New Captain America (EscapistMagazine)
04:45 - Dota 2 plus ESPN2 equals televised 2014 International (Joystiq)
07:15 - Hearthstone's Naxxramas Coming Next Week (EscapistMagazine)
07:45 - Doom 4 Is A Reboot. And It's Not Called Doom 4. (Kotaku)
10:30 - Robert Orci Not Scripting Amazing Spider-Man 3 (EscapistMagazine)
11:00 - Roberto Orci to Produce Power Rangers Reboot (EscapistMagazine)
11:45 - The (48) Million Dollar Game: Star Citizen (RockPaperShotgun)
14:20 - The Wii U Will Take Digital Money in Japan (Kotaku)
15:10 - Microsoft Plans To Close Xbox TV Division (Kotaku)
16:10 - Microsoft to Lay Off 18,000 Employees (IGN)
19:20 - Murdoch Fails to Buy Time Warner for $80 Billion (EscapistMagazine)
20:15 - Dominion Creator's New Game is Temporum (EscapistMagazine)
20:50 - Three More Characters Announced For Super Smash Bros. (Kotaku)
23:30 - Ghostbusters Returns to Theaters This Labor Day (EscapistMagazine)
24:00 - RiffTrax to Take Down Godzilla '98 (IGN)
24:30 - Wrap up and rapid fire news reel!

Saturday, July 19, 2014

QQ Recommends [Presentation]: I'm Not A Real Friend, But I Play One On The Internet

Tim Hwang gives a wonderful presentation about online bots. He talks about how they are used to influence communities, how they are made to seem human, and where they might go in the future.

The presentation is informative, thought provoking, humorous, reasonably short, and even a little scary! We definitely recommend that you check it out.

YouTube Video

Enjoy
Tom

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Quest 28: What happens when we don't record for a month?

Special Guest: Sans Dan!

Quest 28 is a kitchen sink of stories, news, and rambling because it's been a month since our last recording! On the plus side, we are a lot louder this time.

Direct Download