Escapist Podcast: 082: Microtransactions and Tomb Raider

The Escapist Staff

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082: Microtransactions and Tomb Raider

This week, we discuss the comedian/tv show host Conan O'Brien and his attempt to Tomb Raider, Electronic Arts and their push for more microtransactions, and the pet hates we've developed with modern gaming.

Attention Podcat listeners! We're experimenting with live-action video in our podcasts, and want to know what you think! Watch a video-filled version of today's podcast here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-escapist-presents/6954-Video-Podcast-082-Microtransactions-and-Tomb-Raider]!

Watch Video
 

Blunderboy

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Apr 26, 2011
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Emerghard! I can see faces!
Also, you don't have a table? And you wear pants?! I've been picturing this all wrong!

EDIT - Before anyone asks. This is how. With less pants.

 

Frezzato

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Oct 17, 2012
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For anyone with eye allergies in general (especially with a bad reaction to cats), I recommend something called Opcon-A. It works for contact lens irritation, pet allergies, just about anything that turns your eyes red. It's available at drug stores/some grocery stores, and IT WORKS! At first, Opcon-A might burn your eyes a little, but it takes away any itching and will clear your eyes up to the point where they're so white they look bluish.

There's no reason to buy Visine ever again.

Also, I always imagined the Podcast took place around a table for some reason.
 

yunabomb

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Nov 29, 2011
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You people actually exist in physical form?! I just thought you were mysterious voices created by the internet.
 
Aug 31, 2012
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Well, I usually use podcasts as a sort of radio while I'm doing other things so I find the video distracting, but good to see who's speaking. Sometimes I find distinguishing who's talking to be difficult.

Also, Picasso did do the painting of the Guernica bombing. Surrealism, I believe, although his styles and influences varied.
 

Agayek

Ravenous Gormandizer
Oct 23, 2008
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One thing that I noticed here during the discussion on microtransactions is that a lot of guys missed the primary point people are annoyed with them.

Most (reasonable) people aren't upset because microtransactions are somehow inherently bad. They're upset because they're being nickel and dimed after paying full price for the game already.

The reason this is a problem is that people have already paid for the game. There is absolutely no reason for publishing companies to be charging full price, then charging more for something that should be part of the game already.

Microtransactions are fine, and work great, in F2P games, but they should not be present in a $60+ game.


Edit: Well that's what I get for posting before I listened to it entirely.

Also, see the Jimquisition for why "they need to make money" should not be a valid excuse for anti-consumer practices.
 

cynicalsaint1

Salvation a la Mode
Apr 1, 2010
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Strange I never realized Susan was actually a talking anthropomorphic mic-stand XD
Still having the video is cool.
I like having a face to go with a voice, makes it easier to keep track of who's who and all that. For some reason I've always had trouble keeping Paul and Greg straight going by voice alone.
 

Eric the Orange

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Apr 29, 2008
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A suggestion about the video.

I understand with the size of the room this may not be possible, but I suggest you place the camera somewhere that will let you see everyone clearly. As it is those of you in the back (Susan and Paul), are hard to see.

If possible try and get a set up like LRR has on there podcasts these days.
 

Phlakes

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Mar 25, 2010
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Art history time.

Whoever said Picasso was cubist is right.

Impressionism puts emphasis on the flow of brush strokes (with Starry Night being one of the best examples of that) and how light and color interact, basically being embellished realism. It's sort of the same principle that games use, if you look at the characters in Uncharted they look really good, and feel like real people, but the closer you look the more cartoony they seem.

Cubism is post-impressionist abstraction that focuses on sort of taking apart shapes and putting them back together. It's inspired by older tribal art in how they represent things with simple exaggerated shapes, sort of like caricatures. The one about the bombing of Spain that someone brought up is a good example, showing people suffering with exaggerated injuries and expressions rather than burning buildings and things.

Impressionism



Cubism



They're both interpretations of realism but cubism is more symbolic and impressionism is more technical.
 

blackdwarf

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Jun 7, 2010
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Funny you are talking about the relationship between reading skills an games, because I read today an about how Action games can help people who have dyslexia. It was a Italian research and they found that people who play Action games often gain an increase in reading speed without more read mistakes. The theory so far is that action require you to focus more, and that dyslexia is a issue with your attention. But this doesn't mean that people who suffer of Dyslexia have to play action games now, because they still don't know how Dyslexia itself works. It was also stated that there should be more research done in another country, because Italian language is kind of unique in the way that most words are written as they are spoken.
 

OManoghue

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Dec 12, 2008
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I certainly prefer the video version, it's nice to see you all chatting. This however, is an atrocious angle.
 

Fiz_The_Toaster

books, Books, BOOKS
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Jan 19, 2011
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I've never heard of the goat version of songs until now, and I think I just about died laughing from the Whitney Houston one.

WHY CAN'T I STOP WATCHING IT?!

I really enjoyed the video version of the podcat too.
 

Itdoesthatsometimes

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Aug 6, 2012
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I liked this weeks podcast.

I may sound like an asshole, but I feel like I am listening to the Podcast again. Just in case I did not sound like an asshole enough. It is not because Paul is back.

No offense Paul.

Good job, you all.
 

SadisticFire

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Oct 1, 2012
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Well I feel I don't like Micro-transactions because I worry where it's going to go if it goes unchecked, it would go into something like, War Z where you die, and have to sit around for an hour, or pay money. Where it makes it pushy, where it makes it difficult to play the game in general unless you paid money. There's also the Pay to Win system, where the issue would be players pay money for power. i.e weapons that you can't/or takes too long/difficult to get to. So it means players that shelled out money would win more often, so others had to.
But as is, Micro-transactions seem to be fine in EA, I just hate it cause I worry where it will go to.
...
Note to self, listen to more before posting. :c

At any rate, yay, podcasts!
 

puff ball

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Mar 14, 2011
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ive thought up a simple funny solution to the camera angle problem. just do this


first video ive posted hope it works.