Episode 30: "A Tale of Two Games"

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video can be seen at THIS LINK

Ladies and gentlemen, the FIRST "Game OverThinker" installment created fully for the NEW ScrewAttack.com!


http://screwattack.com/videos/TGO-A-Tale-of-Two-Games

"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" and "New Super Mario Bros. Wii." The two biggest games of the Holiday 2009 Gaming Season. Side-by-side, point-by-point... and they might have more in common than you think!

The Game Underthinker

They say you haven't "made it" until you've been parodied. In which case, I might as well break out the bubbly. "The Game UnderThinker," it strikes me, is spoofing my 'name' less than my style, but I think it's pretty damn funny ;)

Check it out over at the new ScrewAttack:
http://screwattack.com/videos/The-Game-Underthinker-New-Super-Mario-Brothers-Wii

WATCH/READ THIS: "Ode to Minions"

I dunno how many people remember to check it out here and there, but Matthew Taranto and Chris Seward's "Brawl in The Family" is consistently one of the better webcomics out there; especially considering it's working from a premise - goofing mainly on Super Smash Bros.-related franchises - that you'd think wouldn't have much room for growth.

To celebrate "strip #200," they've pulled out the stops for a musical episode. It's pretty damn great (the last three panels just SLAY ME), you can check it out HERE (make sure you enable the music): http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/?p=938

And, since this is the Internet, here's a youtube of the panels "cut" to the song:

Episode 29: "Continuum"

update: as of 9/13/11 this video is found at THIS LINK

Episode 29 is now up at ScrewAttack...


http://www.screwattack.com/TGO/Continum

Internet Hall of Fame

Web personality "That Dude in The Shades" has, quite graciously, featured me in his ongoing series "The Internet Hall of Fame." The induction/interview is embedded here:

Episode 28: "Complex Issues"

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11, this video can be found at THIS LINK

With appologies for the wait, a new episode has debuted on ScrewAttack:



Basic subject this time: The somewhat non-started boycott movement that arose around the XBLA title "Shadow Complex," which I SWEAR was still new news when I started this ;)

Episode 27: "Who Will Be Remembered?"

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video can be viewed at THIS LINK

http://www.screwattack.com/TGO/WhoWillBeRemembered
New today at ScrewAttack. Enjoy!

Episode 26: "Button, Button, Who's Got The Button?"

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11, this video can be seen on the NEW screwattack at THIS LINK

Miss me?

Well, it's come to this: I'm now a part of the ScrewAttack family. Enjoy Episode 26, and make sure to click over to the rest of SA's content, too. More to come!

WINNER

Obviously, I'll have more to say about this as I, um... am told more about this... but for now - as some of you may already have heard - "The Game OverThinker" WON the Screwattack.com "myvidsdontsuck" contest; officially confirmed by Stuttering Craig on this week's "Sidescrollers" podcast: http://www.screwattack.com/SideScrollers/071509

My endless thanks, of course, go out to all the fans who voted for me this time, who supported the show in the "playoffs" and who've been there all along. You're the reason I "won" anything, all I did was show up. Thank you.

About the Finals...

Guys, listen up.

Yes, I posted links to my ScrewAttack entry and the place you could vote for it if you so chose.

What I DID NOT ask or encourage anyone to do was flame the SA forums, double-post, get into cut-and-paste arguments or otherwise cause trouble on that site. The enthusiasm is appreciated, bad behavior is not. Be better than that.

FINALS: Episode 25 - "Violence is Golden"

UPDATE! As of 9/13/11, this episode can be found on the NEW ScrewAttack at THIS LINK.

Here it is, folks. Episode 25, in which I finally get around to The Big One: Video game violence. I could think of no place more appropriate to do this than in my Finals entry in the ScrewAttack contest...



If you enjoy it, why not go HERE and vote for me in the contest itself?
http://screwattack.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=48749

However it goes down, I appreciate every vote I've gotten and will get. None of this is possible without the fans, and I don't plan on forgetting that.

Game OverThinker in the finals

So... I'm going to be in the finals of the ScrewAttack myvidsdontsuck contest. That's pretty awesome.

The voting for the finals will occur on (I believe) the 25th of June, with the actual match being me against either the very funny Taco-Man or the very funny Psychotaku - who are competing in their semi-final matchup right now. For those who asked, unless plans have to change I'm aiming for my Finals entry to be a full episode about video-game violence that so many have been asking me to do for so long. That's the plan, anyway.

In any case, IF you want to vote for me or anyone else, you HAVE to register at the ScrewAttack message-board forums. It is free, and you can do it here: http://screwattack.com/forum/ucp.php?mode=login

So... yeah, keep an eye out for the 25th, and thanks to everyone who already voted ;)

ScrewAttack Finals

So, according to the vote-tallies on ScrewAttack, I won my round of the myvidsdontsuck contest and will be one of the two competitors to advance to the Finals. Kickass, thanks to everyone who voted!

The second semifinals are underway now, which will essentially decide my Finals "opponent." This one is between two of the BEST indie gaming shows on the web: "Psychotaku," who does reviews of semi-obscure import games in the style of a Japanese pirate-signal TV broadcast; and "Taco Man," an insanely geek-tastic parody of "Captain N: The Game Master." Take a look:
http://www.screwattack.com/myvidsdontsuck/Semi2

EPISODE TWENTY-FOUR: "Reality Sucks" aka "VOTE FOR ME!"

As I had hoped, HERE is the newest full-episode, on the subject of overly-realistic graphics and why I think I find them so tiresome lately. Short-version: Uncanny Valley. Long-version? See below:


HARD LINK: http://www.screwattack.com/myvidsdontsuck/Semi1/OverThinker

I hope you liked it. If you did and/or are a fan otherwise, here's your latest chance to show it: This video is here as an entry in ScrewAttack.com's semifinal round of their "myvidsdontsuck" contest to elect a new contributor. I'm up against the very worthy competitor Director Toby this time, so your votes are more important than ever!

To cast your vote, go HERE to the ScrewAttack forums (you have to register to post to vote): http://screwattack.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=47970 Official voting will begin sometime on Friday, June 12 (you can only vote once) and will run until June 19.

So... yeah, I'd appreciate every bit of support I could get. And I sincerely thank everyone who votes AND everyone who's already helped me get here. You're the best.

SUPPLEMENTAL EPISODE - E3 2009

So, if all goes well you'll most-likely get a big NEW episode on Friday the 12th in my semi-final ScrewAttack matchup. (I'll put up the link when it's put-up-able) Until then, here's a short-ish bit mostly about this year's E3.

Victory

Wow.

So... I "won" my first round in the semifinals of Screw Attack's "My Vids Don't Suck" contest. I... really did not see that coming. Holy shit. Thanks to EVERYONE who voted.

http://www.screwattack.com/HardNews/051809

Yeah. Anyway, the way this works (apparently) is that there's another few semifinals head-to-heads to go, and then (I gather) myself and the other winners go into the finals. Something like that. In any case, I'll be sure to put another "vote for me" link here if and when that time comes. Thanks again ;)

VOTE FOR GAME OVERTHINKER (once again)

Okay, so... for various reasons I couldn't talk about this until now, but now I can, so... Yeah.

Here's how it works: I'm part of a running contest at ScrewAttack.com called "myvidsdontsuck." It's a poll in their forums, pitting various vids against one-another by vote. Mine is competing from today until the 19th agains the very, very funny "Rockumentary" HERE: http://www.screwattack.com/myvidsdontsuck/Quarter2

Here's the thing, though: IF you want to vote (for either of us) you have to register to post in their forums and then do the voting in THIS poll-thread:
http://screwattack.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=46348

I'll be honest: I'm VERY surprised to be "in this" at all... these other shows are remarkably well-made and funny. But, y'never know, right?

EPISODE TWENTY-THREE: "Mississippi Pwning 2"

The trailer for "Resident Evil 5" caused a fervor over scenes of a white uniformed hero battling waves of poor Africans infected with animalistic feral rage. The actual RELEASE of the full game was supposed to calm the tensions and mitigate the loaded imagery. THEN we found out about Sheva's "tribal" costume, and the Native Village. Why is this still a problem, and what does it say about this business?



Y'know what I don't like about this issue? The fact that people insist on being "offended" by OTHER PEOPLE'S OFFENSE. The same (mostly) white gamers who go - justifiably - insane when a TV show or a book portrays gamers as stereotypical lazy manchildren somehow can't imagine why other people MIGHT take offense at being stereotyped - even if unintentionally - by a Resident Evil game.

EPISODE TWENTY-TWO: "SONIC IN CRISIS - PART II"

An optimistic conclusion to our two-part peek at the ailing "Sonic The Hedgehog" franchise...



I'll be honest, I'm a little concerned that what amounts to proposing a "what I'd do" reboot of the whole bloody franchise strikes me as alarmingly close to the kind of myopic arrogance that tends to inform "fan fiction"... but I think I found a decent balance here. Or maybe not, you tell me.

EPISODE TWENTY-ONE: "Sonic in Crisis - Part I"

Part The First of a two-part examination of what's gone wrong with a gaming icon who's seen better days. PLUS awesome fan-art!



Part 2 in-production right now, stay tuned!

WATCHMEN VIDEO REVIEW

Because YOU demanded it, because YOU wanted it, because... eh... THEY were willing to put it up, here's my full video review of the movie everyone will be lying about having seen in theatres and knowing was a classic "the whole time" about a year from now, once again courtesy of the fine folks over at The Escapist:



Once again, PLEASE visit The Escapist's actual site after watching the video. These guys are fighting the good fight, bringing REAL intellectual debate to the geek universe, and they deserve your support: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-escapist-presents/622-MovieBob-Reviews-Watchmen

EPISODE TWENTY: "An Open Letter to Nintendo"

MOVIEBOB OSCAR SHOW @ "The Escapist!" GO WATCH NOW

No, not technically a "Game OverThinker" ep, but it's related and dammit I wanna share this with as many as possible! I'm SO psyched...

After featuring several reviews from me as stingers on "The Escapist Show," The Escapist has given me a featured spot as part of "The Escapist Presents" for my very own OSCAR SHOW! Watch here, as I attempt a thorough examination of the nominated films, a breakdown of the nomination process, a dissection of Academy Awards history but MOSTLY rant and rage about the still mega-annoying snub of "The Dark Knight."

Check me out:

Oh, and PLEASE click this link to the main page even if the player works fine, Escapist has stuff worth your attention: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/the-escapist-presents/561-MovieBob-Oscar-Show

I'll be frank with you guys: It's been a REALLY rough two weeks for me recently. I've got two jobs outside of all the video work - and without getting into big "poor me" details ONE of them I just got laid off from and the second is soon set to close altogether. Not a great situation. But seeing this go up, and seeing the pretty positive reaction to it so far... WOW, what a ray of sunshine. Thank you ALL, seriously. And especially Russ Pitts, the video content head cheese at Escapist who reached out to me for the reviews and continues to be a great guy to do business with.

Wow.

EPISODE NINETEEN: A Third Way?

In which we speak on the mysterious Miyamoto patent...

EPISODE EIGHTEEN: Obligatory New Year's Wish Episode!

Because this is what you do in January. And you're looking for a slim justification for doing another "random funny clippy" show. Enjoy!

ScrewAttack 1337 Awards

Well, we didn't take it. But it was a HUGE honor to be nominated (seriously, I'll be bragging about this for at least a year) alongside titans like Unforgotten Realms and the actual winner, Mega64. Congratulations to all the winners and fellow nominees. Check out the full roster below: