New Episode Coming January 3rd!

Head's up! EPISODE 63 will debut for all-audiences this coming Monday, January 3rd, at 11pm EST. ScrewAttack Advantage members can get a special early look tonight (Friday) at the same time.

American Classic Arcade Museum Seeks Your Help!

hat-tip: Kotaku.
The American Classic Arcade Museum is seeking donations to aquire several rare classic arcade machines - including Discs of Tron! - from a private collector. I've made a donation, and I encourage any readers who are able/willing to do the same. Read on past the jump for details.

The ENTIRE "AntiThinker Saga" is Now On YouTube!

Episodes 43 through 50 - which encompasses the entirety of the "AntiThinker" framing-story - are now up on YouTube. Some loved it, some hated it, now everyone can see it (or revisit it) and decide for themselves...

Have Six More

Happy Holidays! SIX more "new classic" episodes are now viewable on YouTube: #38: The SGC Panel Part I and Part II, #39: The Emporer Has No Clothes, #40: Heavens to Metroid, #41: The Revolution and #42: Worst Person. Enjoy!

Seeking PAXEast Peeps

Okay, so... I went and submitted a "Game OverThinker" panel pitch to PAXEast (which I'll be at this year, in one capacity or another) and since I know some of my fellow games-industry-affiliated folks check these blogs I figured it'd be as good a place as any to see if anyone would be interested in possibly taking part as well, as it's my experience that an interesting group of potential panelists can help a panel get "picked up" (though either way, no real garauntee it actually happens as TGO is still a growing show and this is a huge convention.)

Four More For The Tubes

Four more "new classics" have made the pilgrimage to YouTube: #34: Waggle War, #35: A Response to Roger Ebert, #36: Who's Your Daddy, Mega Man? and #37: In Which I Defend Kinect. Go see!

Three More Make The Jump

Three more "New Classic" older-episodes have made the jump to YouTube - #31: "What's The Difference?", #32: "I Heart Bayonetta" and #33: "Building a Better Gamer." Go have a look :)

Episode 62: "Seeing Red"

The International Red Cross raises concerns about military games and The Geneva Convention. The OverThinker responds.

First Three "New To YouTube" TGO Episodes Now Playing

Previously ScrewAttack-Exclusive "older" episodes of the show are now beginning to be posted to YouTube. The first wave, available for viewing NOW, are #28: COMPLEX ISSUES, #29: CONTINUUM and #30: A Tale of Two Games. Go take a look (#30 may still be processing, keep refreshing)

ANNOUNCEMENT: Full Episodes of "The Game OverThinker" Returning to YouTube!

Yes, for real.

First things first: NO, this doesn't mean that the show is leaving ScrewAttack or that my relationship with them has changed in any way - it hasn't. This is all about promoting the show: Making sure that the widest possible audience can A.) see the episodes and B.) learn where/how they can see them early and show their support if they so choose.

Big Picture: "If The Oscars Were The VGAs"

What if Hollywood's big award show sucked as much as gaming's?

Only YOU Can Rescue The 1% in "Rainbow Six: Patriots"

I have my well-documented "issues" with the mega-popularity of the First-Person Shooter genre, but for the most part it's centered around their part in the blanding-up of the medium and the devaluation of the single-player experience. But there's a darker side to the whole phenomenon - namely, that it's helped to make the gaming medium a favorite new roost for the more despicable elements of America's political "right-wing."

Fortune Street

From now on, whenever I'm feeling down in the dumps about the future of the gaming medium, I'll just try and remember that there's a game where the Mario and DragonQuest characters can play a version of Monopoly against one another... and that someone at Nintendo decided "what the hell, let's bring it Stateside!"

EPISODE 61: "Bells & Whistles"

UPDATE (AGAIN!) As it turns out, Shigeru Miyamoto is NOT retiring and may not even be changing his "official" title within the Nintendo corporation. They are now calling the Wired article that began this (apparently false) reporting - which is now being blamed for Nintendo's stock price taking a two-point hit today - the result of bad translation.

Think of this as a brief respite between "big stuff," as the very NEXT episode (next Friday!) features both a controversial topic and the introduction of a new character. Technically, this week has the "live" debut of Jack Lieberson: Ninja Senator, though he's been seen and heard before. Enjoy!

Scheduling!

Reminder: EPISODE 61 will be viewable by ALL AUDIENCES tonight at 11pm EST!

In addition, EPISODE 62 will run MUCH earlier than usual (next Friday, the 16th - time not yet confirmed) owing to the topical nature of it's main discussion subject (to be revealed soon enough.) ADVANTAGE members will be able to get an early look on the 13th.

ALSO: I am schedule to appear at the Boston-Area scifi/fantasy/etc convention "ARISIA" on all three days (January 13th-16th.) While I'm not yet able to divulge which panels and/or events I'll be appearing at, I'll also be up and around the area so any fans attending feel free to say hello.

Project Rainfall Wins One

After much fan outcry, Nintendo WILL bring "Xenoblade Chronicles" to the U.S... as a GameStop exclusive.

Now, will fans actually BUY IT; or will this be like every other 'hardcore' Wii title where everyone says they DESPERATELY want it and then it sits on the shelves (No More Heroes, Madworld, need I go on?)

"Skyrim" Fans, This is Your New Favorite Thing Today

I'm inclined to think that Nintendo may have made a substantial mistake in releasing "Skyward Sword" (which I'm loving, don't get me wrong) opposite "Skyrim" - but then, who could've realistically predicted that a new "Elder Scrolls" game would be THIS big of a hit (which is in itself good news) in age of COD?

Anyway, here's a cartoon from Harry Partridge:

I've Been Waiting Fourteen Years For THIS South Park Game

A little late to this news - found it while reading the "bigger" news about the South Park RPG...

I sometimes feel like 'genre' is an unappreciated thing in game design, particularly when it comes to licensed properties. How many times have you seen a movie/TV/comic tie-in game turn out shit because it's been saddled with some half-baked "innovative" design build when a perfectly serviceable title could've been had by dropping the characters/setting into a "basic" genre setup? The NES "Batman" is still the best Batman game (Arkham 1 comes close, Arkham 2 is NOT as good as Arkham 1); and it doesn't really re-invent the wheel - it's just a VERY well-polished NES-era platformer... BUT WITH BATMAN! The SNES "Star Wars" games were, when you get right down to it, "Contra with Star Wars characters"... and they were AWESOME!

So why, then, has it taken 14 fucking years for someone to put the "South Park" kids exactly where they've always belonged? Namely, a South Park side-scroller!?

Hulk (Incredibly) Smash Modern Warfare!

There's something pointedly "now" about the idea that FilmCritHulk - the eccentric movie-blogger who pens lengthy, deeply-academic yet immensely readable articles on film and film criticism in the "voice" of The Incredible Hulk - got probably his biggest "boost" in terms of internet publicity for a piece not on films but on video games.

In the wake of said piece, Hulk has scored a (well-deserved) high-profile gig on Devin Faraci's (must-bookmark) site BadassDigest. Now, Hulk once again turns his eyes toward gaming with an AMAZING piece breaking down the (de)evolution of the "Call of Duty" games and, in doing so, making a dozen or so absolutely vital points about problems (but also high-points) of the modern games industry as a whole. It's a MUST READ - and no, NOT (only) because he gives your's truly an extremely gracious shoutout.

Episode 61 COMING SOON (UPDATED!)

UPDATE! Episode 61 will debut for all audiences NEXT WEDNESDAY 12/7 at 10pmCST/11pmEST. ScrewAttack ADVANTAGE subscribers can get an early look TOMORROW at the same time. Remember, if you sign up for ADVANTAGE select "The Game OverThinker" as your show of choice so that your subscription supports THIS show :)

I don't have an exact date/time for Episode 61 yet (other than to say YES, this one will be available one week early for Advantage subscribers) but it's coming very soon. Until then, here's a new trailer currently running on YouTube that contains a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery teeny-tiny tease at upcoming episodes:

Is "GameGadget" The OPEN-SOURCE Platform We've Been Waiting For?

...Probably not, but I like the idea.

"Blaze" is a Europe-based gaming outfit that mostly specializes in making gaming peripherals and those dedicated all-in-one consoles and handhelds pre-loaded with retrogames that you see on mall kiosks around the Holidays. Now, they've thrown their weight behind a still-somewhat-mysterious concept called "GameGadget" that seems like the logical next-step from that particular business model: An open-source, Linux-based handheld (it looks like a plus-sized GameBoy Micro) that aims to be the "iPod of games."

Desert Bus Has Begun!

The great folks at LoadingReadyRun have begun their yearly "Child's Play" charity drive, wherein they play Desert Bus - one of the worst games ever made - for your amusement. You can watch the live feed and donate HERE.

I'm scheduled to call in and shoot the breeze with them LIVE at 11am PST (2pm EST) on Monday the 21st, so tune in for that as well.

Happy Birthday to Shigeru Miyamoto

The greatest video-game designer of all time was born today in 1952. Bow your heads and take notice.

EPISODE 60: "NINJAMAGEDDON" (aka "The Mailbag Show")

Episode 60 can now be viewed by EVERYONE here! Did you're questions make the cut? Watch it and find out!

NINJAMAGEDDON: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH!

PLEASE NOTE: This is all coming together fairly quickly, so do not be surprised if these details change.

Episode 60: NINJAMAGEDDON (aka "The Mailbag Show") is all about acknowledging OverThinker fans, and as part of that "thanks guys" we've elected to dramatically shorten (for this episode only) the now-customary one-week "split" between when Advantage users and everyone else gets to see it.

Instead, NINJAMAGEDDON will debut for all audiences tomorrow - Monday, November 14th - at 11pm EST (10pm CST) - on ScrewAttack.com; while Advantage users will have the opportunity of seeing it 24 hours ahead of time tonight at the same 11pm EST time-frame.

MAILBAG Entries CLOSED

It's 11/12, which means the Mailbag submissions are now closed. With luck, I'm hoping to have the episode ready for air sometime this coming week, hopefully before the weekend. Stay tuned.

NINJAMAGEDDON

As you may have inferred from the banner, Episode 60 - aka "The Mailbag Show" - now has a title. More news including airdates and schedules coming soon, and remember to ask you question 3 posts down BEFORE the 12th (this Saturday) if you want it to be considered for the episode.

Has The First Truly Great Video Game Movie Been Made?

Below, the trailer for "Gyakuten Saiban" - known to Western gamers as "Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney" - directed by the legendary Takeshi Miike...

EPISODE 59: "Bat-Slap" (UPDATED!)

11/08/11 UPDATE: URL of video has changed, links and embeds updated accordingly. If you've tweeted this page before, please consider doing so again for the newness.

Episode 59, which was inspired by the Film Critic Hulk/Arkham City blowup but heads off into MUCH bigger territory than just that one incident, is now available to be viewed by ALL audiences HERE. (embedded after the jump)

MAILBAG ANNOUNCEMENT!

Game OverThinker: Episode 60 is now in production. Fans and viewers already know that this episode will feature the the big battle between OverThinker, CryoThinker and PyroThinker; but the important part - the topic - hasn't been revealed until now:

It's MAILBAG time!

EPISODE 59 now viewable for ADVANTAGE subscribers (UPDATED!)

UPDATE: Okay, now that I'm no longer posting this in-between reel changes at an all-night film festival...

EPISODE 59, "Bat-Slap," will debute wide NEXT Saturday November 5th at 11pm EST; but ScrewAttack Advantage members can get an early look as of now RIGHT HERE.

Just to clarify, as I'm seeing some misunderstanding circulating about this one: It's NOT a review of the game (I really, really like the game so far - though I wish more of the missions/challenges weren't essentially "follow the Bat-GPS to [blank]"), nor is it a follow-up to the previous episode (re: this has NOTHING to do with "Other M," Japan, etc.)

In fact, it's primarily about the way online gaming culture reacts to criticism and/or negative observations about the medium (re: like a bunch of infants, too much of the time) with the Arkham City mini-blowup as a jumping-off point. In this respect, it's more of a "sequel" to 'Supreme Responsibility' than anything else.

Episode 59 ANNOUNCEMENT

Head's up: EPISODE 59 - which deals with the "sexism in Arkham City" controversy - will debut WIDE a week from today EXCLUSIVELY on ScrewAttack.com Saturday, November 5 at 11pm EST.

As with before, ScrewAttack Advantage members have the option of seeing it early beginning TONIGHT at 11pm! Remember: A portion of the Advantage membership fee goes toward the favorite show of your choice.

Let's See More of THIS, Huh?

Below, the trailer for the downloadable XBLA/PSN title "War of The Worlds" - which adapts H.G. Wells' original version of the story into the format of a 2D sidescoller leaning heavily on the "alien lights in pitch-darkness" visual scheme. Yes, please.

EPISODE 58: "Heavens To Metroid - Revisited"

Head's-up, folks: Episode 58 is now viewable by EVERYONE at ScrewAttack. Go watch HERE!

Will "Arkham City" Be This Year's "Other M?"

REMINDER: "Game OverThinker's" new episode about "Other M" will be viewable by EVERYONE tomorrow on ScrewAttack.

Short answer: Probably not, as it's a much bigger/more-anticipated game of the "we will riot if insert-reviewer-here gives it below a 9" variety and because I don't think anyone is as protective of Harley Quinn and Catwoman as gamers are of Samus Aran. Still, it's an intriguing prospect to see this play out...

"Velayutham" - the 'Assassin's Creed' Cosplay Superhero from India

Below, the trailer for "Velayutham," an upcoming Indian action film about a rural guy who adopts a costumed vigilante identity to battle corporate corruption in the big city. His costume, weaponry and fighting style might look a little familiar to fans of "Assassin's Creed;" to the point that Ubisoft is apparently considering a lawsuit.

Fun fact: What you're looking at is NOT a "Bollywood" film - the Bollywood nickname technically only refers to the Hindi-language film industry, which is India's largest; but many of the recent "big" Indian films to hit International theaters ("Endhiran," for example) are actually Tamil-language features produced in a wholly different region.

Can "Infinity Blade" Save Arcades?

You may recall me suggesting that a "partnership" between standup public machines and the ubiquity of mobile/smartphone gaming would be one thing that might help keep the American arcade scene going. In at least one respect, that "partnership" is now getting a shot at reality: An arcade-sized version of the iPhone hit "Infinity Blade" is coming to Dave & Busters - with plans to expand further if it works.

This has already been tried, with some success, with "Flight Control" and "Fruit Ninja;" but what's notable is that "Blade" is regarded as the "gamer's game" on the iOS scene. I'd like to see this catch on - though one imagines we won't know that it has until "Angry Birds" gets similarly ported...

Episode 58 is Now Viewable for ADVANTAGE Users

Episode 58, "Heavens to Metroid: Revisited" is now available to be viewed by ScrewAttack Advantage members HERE. It will be viewable by everyone one week from today on 10/20.

Folks who're interested in giving Advantage a shot (a portion of the subscription fee goes directly to support your show of choice) can check it out HERE.

Is "Act of Valor" the Movie the "Call of Duty" Generation Has Been Waiting For?

Here's a production-backstory that will make some people kinda queasy and others kinda thrilled:

"Act of Valor" supposedly began life as a bigger-budget-than-usual, up-to-date Navy SEAL recruitment film; but was reworked into a "traditional" feature film (one has to assume public-interest in the SEALs following the killing of bin Laden played a part, yes?) and is now being released in February by Relativity Media. The Navy still seems to have "signed off" on the project, though - so all the gear, tech and tactics are as authentic as possible and (most interestingly of all) the main hero-cast are played by actual SEAL members.

Episode 58 DATED

Alright. In related news to the prior announcements that TGO has become part of the ScrewAttack Advantage program, I can now confirm the debut dates for Episode 58: "Heavens to Metroid - Revisited." Yes, dates. Plural.

Here's how it's going to work: ScrewAttack users ("G1's") who have subscribed to the Advantage Program will be able to see the episode EARLY on October 13th; while everyone else will be able to view it starting October 20th.

Once again, if you'd like to give Advantage a shot (it's available in both monthly and yearly flavors) you can do so by going HERE (you'll have to register for ScrewAttack first, which is free.) If you do, make sure you pick "The Game OverThinker" from the drop-down menu asking which show you were "referred" by; which ensures that a cut of your subscription fee goes directly to supporting your show of choice.

TGO ScrewAttack ADVANTAGE How-To-Sign-Up Promo

Regarding our previous news that the show will be part of ScrewAttack ADVANTAGE, here is a new video up on YouTube explaining how that's going to work and what those who wish to sign up need to do to make that happen...

GAME OVERTHINKER is now part of SCREWATTACK ADVANTAGE!

SHORT VERSION: Please consider going here and signing up, if so inclined.

Full disclosure: Yes, this is basically an advertisement. I don't love doing that, but I love being broke even less. Also, I'm no-bullshit very enthusiastic about "special benefit" subscriptions like this as the proper path for professional websites. So, here's the deal:

Is This the Best Game Console Commercial of This Generation?

I think it may be, and not just because of the irony of how awful the PS3's advertising was in the beginning...

Episode 60 Production Stills

Episode 58, the "Other M" revisitation, is currently near the end of it's post-production (aka editing); and Episode 59 is about to wrap pre-production (aka "writing the script.") No confirmed airdate for either yet, but I'll definitely let you all known when I have them.

Until then, please enjoy some largely spoiler-free stills taken "on-location" from the first day of live-action shooting for Episode 60 by friend-of-the-show Sarah...

Once More Into The Breach

I've decided - probably against my better judgement - that since it's been a year, Episode 58 will involve a look back at "Metroid: Other M." Since it's been awhile, please feel free and encouraged to post anything in particular you believe I need to re-think, or other opinions I should be reading, or thoughts in general in the talkbacks. Yes, that includes all those YouTube "takedowns;" and by all means don't forget to include some tacky cheesecake advertising that "proves" the "Handmaid's Tale"-level anti-woman agenda the Sinister Japanese are responsible for inserting into gaming - gotta cover all the bases ;)

Here is a LINK to the original Episode 40, "Heavens To Metroid!" Have at it, kiddies...

EPISODE 57: "Supreme Responsibility" (3rd UPDATED)

3RD UPDATE: The link at ScrewAttack seems to be working again, and for obvious reasons I encourage fans to visit THAT LINK. The YouTube link version has been removed, not out of disrespect to YouTube fans, but out of respect to ScrewAttack.com which is the primary host of the series.

Beautiful Mario 30th Anniversary Video

There are no words...

The TGO Section of ScrewAttack is Back Up!

GOOD NEWS! The original ScrewAttack episodes of the show are back up on the site after being unavailable for a short while during their upgrade to the new, improved site. SEE THEM HERE.

I'll be going back through the archive and changing the embed codes when I get a free moment, and probably tweeting the new links as well. For right now, I want to just very quickly touch on a way that show fans who are also ScrewAttack fans can, if they so choose, "help out" in support of both entities...

EXCLUSIVE Episode 57 Preview

Here's a small taste of Episode 57 - an itty-bitty little parody of "G4" that I'm kinda considering spinning-off into it's own thing. Have a look:

Episode 57 Coming WEDNESDAY SEPT. 14!!!

I know that, as of this writing, you still cannot see the 25 screwattack-exclusive episodes of "The Game OverThinker" on ScrewAttack's new site. I am sorry about that, it's being worked on and will hopefully be fixed by early next week. For now... GOOD NEWS! Episode 57, the much-demanded "Supreme Court" episode, will (if all goes correctly) premiere on Wednesday, September 14th. So keep an eye out for it.

Here's an announcement trailer...

About Screwattack

Hey guys, quick thing:

Yes, I'm aware that you cannot currently access the show on ScrewAttack. No, I am not leaving the site - FAR from it - this is, as far as I am aware, a temporary issue as they transition to their spiffy-looking new site and should be resolved shortly.

On a related note, I am hoping to have a definitve date for Episode 57 soon. Stay tuned.

Is This Racist?

Below, the latest facepalm-inducing example of tone-deafness to ethnic-caricature in the video games industry, courtest "Deus Ex: Human Revolution."

Episode 57 Coming... At Some Point...

At this time, I can't give a precise answer as to what the airdate will be for the (still in-production) Episode 57 will air. However, I CAN divulge these three tease-ish facts:

1.) It will cover the Supreme Court Games Decision.

2.) It will touch on the Oslo Massacre perpetrator's "Call of Duty"/training-simulation comments.

3.) The real identities (which NO ONE has correctly guessed yet) of PyroThinker and CryoThinker will be revealed.

Also, since people were asking about an Animated GIF of the two Ninjas dancing from the last episode, here it is (click it for motion.)

"NeverDead" Brings Face-Butt Monsters, MegaDeth

Pre-"Tokyo Games Show" trailer for Konami's "NeverDead;" a Japan/US collaboration featuring crazy monsters, ranting demons, people using medieval weaponry in what looks like the modern world and little creature-guys with human faces where their bumholes should be. Also: MegaDeth, who I'll just assume are still popular in Japan, yes?

These days, that's refreshing - once upon a time, this is what "looks like a video game" meant...

EPISODE 56: "Setting Sun"

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

The Japanese games-industry is on the wane... but it's Western fans who're paying the price.

REMINDER! New Episode TONIGHT at 11pm ET

Quick reminder, folks: The all-new EPISODE 56 debuts TONIGHT at 11pm ET on ScrewAttack. TGO fans and readers in general are, as always, humbly asked to - if they find it to their liking - tweet, plusone, facebook, hashtag and otherwise spread the HELL out of it :)

Is It Time For "Girl Link?"

I was checking out these excellent "Mario Gender Swap" fanart pix (hat-tip to BAD) from Beth Rolling of RollingRabbit, and it occurs to me that while an actual "Mario Sisters" game would probably be just a little bit too "twee" (or verging on parody) to be taken seriously... any time I've been to a gaming con I see a TON of women cosplaying as Link (from Zelda) and it always looks, well... "right?"

Serious question: Since all the Links are supposed to be reincarnations or inheritors or whatnot, would it not be both perfectly reasonable and even WELCOME for Nintendo to make one of the "next" ones "Female Link?" I'm talking same basic character, same basic additude (or lack thereof,) same general "look," but female?

GOP Candidate Quotes "Pokemon" Lyrics During Debate

Pizza-chain mogul turned Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain cited the following as an inspirational quote from "a poet" at Friday night's Iowa Straw Poll debate:

"A poet once said, 'life can be a challenge, life can seem impossible, but it's never easy when there's so much on the line.'"

Just one problem, though: that's not from any poem, or even any poet - it's a line of lyrics from "The Power of One," a track recorded by Donna Summer as the theme song to "Pokemon: 2000."

To be fair, Cain is a grandfather; so there are likely a dozen perfectly-reasonable ways that he could've come by this particular song and internalized the lyrics. Still, sort of funny I guess. Do people remember that it was briefly treated as some kind of "big deal" for some reason that President Obama used the score to "The Patriot" as the accompaniment to his victory speech?

Episode 56 COMING SOON!!!

Head's up: Episode 56 is set to debut on MONDAY, AUGUST 22nd at 11pm EST. Mark your calendars and arranged your lives accordingly.

It's a little early to start getting into specifics, but as a small preview I'll say that the topic at hand has been requested for a LONG time and that in a sense it's a kind of "thematic-sequel" to Episode 54. I'll also say upfront that it is not the Supreme Court episode. Not yet. OH! And there will probably not be many preview images, as any interesting visual elements from this one would qualify as spoilers.

STAY TUNED!

EPISODE 55: "What We Lost In The Fire"

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video is now at THIS LINK

The OverThinker finally confronts PyroThinker - and, more importantly, confronts the decline of the American Arcade...

Episode 55 COMING SOON!

Head's up, folks: EPISODE 55 will debut Wednesday 8/3/11 at 11pm EST on ScrewAttack.com.

As many smarties already guessed, this episode focuses on the sad loss of the American Arcade. Here's a preview-image, in which The OverThinker surveys the ruins of "The Sharkcade" - the grim fate of which was witnessed at the end of our last episode...

Oslo Terrorist calls 'Modern Warfare' "Part of [his] training-simulation" (UPDATED)

 Source: KOTAKU

Okay, first things first: I want to be crystal-clear that, while ancillary issues of gaming, media, censorship etc., along with other things I plan to speak on in a moment are always extremely important - at this time they are a very, VERY small issue next to the immediate bigger picture of the moment: Yesterday, a Norwegian man named Anders Behring Breivik is alleged to have bombed the headquarters of Norway's Prime Minister, then disguised himself as a police officer and embarked on an hourlong shooting rampage at a Youth Camp containing the children of Norway's ruling Labour Party - ultimately taking close to 100 innocent lives before being taken into police custody. It is the worst act of domestic terrorism in Norway's modern history, and is being called the most devastating violence to occur in the nation since the Second World War. I know that there are Norwegian fans and readers of this and the other blog, plus others with friends/family in Norway, and I ask that everyone responding to this post keep their feelings in mind - ANY responses, comments, posts etc. of a hurtful, confrontational and/or insensitive nature directed at the victims of this terrible tragedy or the people of Norway will be summarily DELETED.

Also, if anyone reading this is in or near Oslo, I am told that Ullevaal Hospital - where some victims are being treated - is in need of TYPE O BLOOD DONATIONS. Thank you. The remainder of this post continues after the jump...

EPISODE 54 (UPDATED!!!)

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video is now at THIS LINK



UPDATED WITH NEW DETAILS AFTER THE JUMP!

Episode 54 COMING SOON

I have it on good authority that GAME OVERTHINKER: EPISODE 54 is coming this Thursday at 11pm EST exclusively on ScrewAttack.com. In this thrilling episode, you will...

Dragon's Crown

Dear VanillaWare - please put this onto XBLA.

Weekend Catch-Up

I think I've mentioned this around a few times, but just in case: I'll be hobnobbing with game designers and journalists as the IGDA Summit in Seattle on Monday and Tuesday - participating in at least two panels - so if you're going too feel free to say hi.

In any case, here's everything you might have missed this past week...

Voting Ends Friday

Alright, so... at this point it looks like we have a pretty clear winner as to whether or not Episode 54 will be about Operation Rainfall or the Supreme Court, but just in case let's put THIS FRIDAY as the date at which the voting "closes." So if you haven't made your pick yet, do so in the comments or on The Twitter.

Everybody Watch "Jimquisition." NOW.

Jim Sterling is easily one of the most divisive voices in games journalism, but underneath the exaggerated persona is usually a pretty salient point. This week's episode is one of them, and you should totally give it a watch.

DISCLAIMER: Jim Sterling and I are both employed by The Escapist. However, I have not been asked or otherwise compelled to promote his show - this is a free plug, because I like the episode and think it deserves to be heard from.

NEW FEATURE! Weekend Catch-Up

It's the weekend! Here's some of the stuff you may have missed on the MovieBob Blogs this week!

Show Format FAQ

...FYI, everything after the jump is going to be the last time I get into production/background stuff of this nature outside of a commentary or major shakeup for a good long time; so folks are humbly asked to read it and file the answers therein away for future reference. TL;DR: I don't plan on continuing to answer the same questions over and over ;)

ALSO: THE VOTE on Episode 54 is till ongoing, so go ahead and cast. Now, then...

DEMOCRACY!!!

Alright, folks - let's get some audience-participation on! Should Episode 54 focus on:

A.) "Operation Rainfall"?

or

B.) The Supreme Court?

Start voting now in the comments or on Twitter (please RETWEET this page if you do.)

NOTICE: Any and all write-in votes for "turn series back into a generic slideshow" will almost-certainly produce the opposite of the desired effect ;)

Have at it!

Examiner Interview

Awhile back I did an interview with Charles Huang of The Examiner, the text of which is now online for everyone to bask in. ENJOY!

Episode 53: "Things Learned In The Dark"

UPDATE: as of 9/13/11 this video is now at THIS LINK

The Playstation Network Blackout should teach gamers and the games industry a hard lesson. (Busy night, more written thoughts later, for now... enjoy!)

Episode 53 Mini-Preview (UPDATED!)

UPDATE! Episode 53 will debut this Wednesday, 7/6, at 11pm EST on ScrewAttack.com! As a little tease, here's a trio of screencaps from the episode itself. Those looking to remain 100% spoiler-free are advised not to click through and/or scroll all the way down, though since the visuals can't "spoil" what the actual topic is it's mostly about visual gags. Just so no one is dissapointed, though, I will say in advance that this is not the innevitable Supreme Court episode, but that said episode is coming in the near future...

The South Rises Again... As XBox Live DLC

Oh, dear... This will not end well.

As seen on KOTAKU, XBox Live Marketplace is now selling a collection of history-based doll clothes for Avatars. One of which, pictured, is a Confederate Civil War uniform.

"War of the Thinkers" Commentary

A little treat between shows.

We Won

The Supreme Court of the United States in a 7 to 2 decision - has struck-down California's violent video-games ban, and in doing so has ruled that restricting the sale of violent games to minors by force of law is unconstitutional. This is, without question, the biggest and most important American legal decision in video game history.

"Anarchy Reigns"

Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about. Far too long since a decent brawler.

Eddie Lebron's "Sonic FanFilm" Has a Trailer

Eddie Lebron, who did that not-bad-at-all "Mega Man FanFilm" a year or so back, is hard at work on a follow-up project based on "Sonic the Hedgehog." The big news thus far has been that he scored a fairly cool piece of casting: Sonic will be voiced by Jaleel White - who famously provided the character's voice on the American cartoons in the 1990s. Now it has a teaser trailer, with your first look at their CGI-Sonic...

Regarding the "Tip Jar"

Alright, so... as you can probably tell, there is now a PayPal "Tip Jar" button on the sidebar of both blogs. I just wanted to clarify a few things about that after the jump.

EPISODE 52: "Dark Days"

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video is at THIS LINK

NEW EPISODE INCOMING THURSDAY NIGHT! (updated, my bad)

Oops, jumped the gun a bit there: EPISODE 52 will debut Thursday evening, June 16th, at 11pm ET.

Also, you may wish to check out my new independently-produced political-comedy show, "American Bob," now LIVE on YouTube.

Blackwater: The Game

There are no words for how despicable this is. Congratulations, Japan - "Rapelay" is no longer the most vile premise ever concieved for a video game.

TANOOKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Been a long time, old friend...

Konami's Pre-E3 Teaser

One of those only-in-gaming (or comics) teasers that is either IMMEDIATELY identifiable or utterly meaningless from person-to-person - no middle ground can exist:

Plugged

This week's (excellent) Extra Credits threw a plug to one of my personal favorite old(er) Game OverThinker episodes. Here's the EC (though you should already be watching this every Thursday anyway...)



And here's the episode they were referencing, if you've come here looking:



Many thanks, as always, to James, Dan, Allison etc.

Modern War 3 Trailer Teases World War III

A new trailer reveals that the new story "Call of Duty" fans will be skipping entirely on their way to engage in online deathmatches with Ritalin-addled 12 year-olds involves a world-wide conflict.



As the previous game involved full-scale military operations underway in North America, the Middle East and Europe I'm not 100% clear why this is a "new" development; but whatever.

EPISODE 51: "Putting The Cart Before The Cloud"

UPDATE: as of 9/13/11 this video is now at THIS LINK



Behold our magnificient new opening-credits... with their retro-tastic temporary "theme music" courtest the mighty Mega Man 2!

The "Lost" Mario Bros. Anime

Over at The Escapist, I fill you in on the "lost" Super Mario Bros. anime movie. Yes, it exists.

EPISODE 51 coming this thursday night!

EPISODE 51 is coming this Thursday night, 5/19/11, at 11pm ET. This is, of course, the first "post-AntiThinker" episode and will debut - among other fun new things - our new Opening Credits... with temporary music, as that's still being worked on.

To tide you over, here's a trio of still images - all from the episode itself. Enjoy!



I'm thinking some version of this "desk set" might become a semi-

permanent fixture of the show, as it was very convenient to use.

Two more pix after the jump...

Latest evidence...

...as to why Extra Credits is the best gaming show on the web.

MovieBob's Disturbingly Not-As-Insane-Sounding Wii2 Theory: Revisited

(reposted from the other blog, as it's mutually-relevant)

Being right about something in the realm of technology-speculation happens to me so rarely I'm actually a little scared when it looks like it might... happen, I mean. So right now... I'm actually a little alarmed...

Awhile back, when we first got word that Nintendo's yet-unamed, supposedly E3-bound Wii successor was going to have an iPad-esque touchscreen incorporated into it's controller, I was struck by a crazy notion: What if the touchscreen IS the controller - as in, the WHOLE controller?

CLOSURE

Osama bin Laden is dead.

FUCK YEAH!

Extra Credits does Other M

Yes, I've seen it - we work for the same bloody website ;)

Armchair Thinkers podcast

Below (and at THIS LINK) my most-recent appearance on the Armchair Thinkers Podcast. Check them out.

looking for electronic musicians

Hey guys.

So... looking to talk to/with any fans who happen to be electronic musicians, specifically (but not exclusively) people with experience in retrogaming "chiptune"-style stuff, about a possible opportunity. Interested parties can send me a message via Facebook, or post whatever contact-info you're comfortable with (or other questions) in the comments section of this post.

EPISODE 50: "War of The Thinkers" (UPDATED!)

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video is now at THIS LINK

The AntiThinker Saga comes to an end. I hope people enjoyed this as much as we enjoyed making it.



More stuff after the jump...

Final Preview Image for Episode 50

One more preview image for EPISODE 50 - still set to go live at 11pm ET tonight. (Yes, the visual reference is intentional.)

It's Real

Nintendo announces a "Wii Successor" for 2012... in a pdf.

We'll all find out how much money it's going to cost to play the next Mario, Zelda, etc. at E3.

I did an interview with PixelJumpers

...and here it is. Enjoy!

The OverThinker's insane Wii2 theory

(posted to both blogs, because it's relevant)

Okay. By now, everyone is reasonably-certain that "Wii2" gets revealed at E3. And slightly-less-than-everyone is reasonably-certain that it's mystery-controller A.) isn't a Wii-Remote successor but rather can interface with one or something like one (knowing Nintendo this means peripheral backwards-compatibility, which they'd be INSANE not to do after selling everyone's mom a fortune in Wii Sports toolkits) and B.) incorporates a camera and mini-LCD touch screen into it's design - with most rumors suggesting the screen is roughly the size of an iPhone's, which would be HUGE for something that most are assuming is going to be "built-in" to a conventional dual-stick/buttons controller.

I've got a different theory...

Episode 50 ScrewAttack exclusive trailer

The exclusive screwattack-only trailer for Episode 50, which will be especially noteworthy to those of you who aren't already burned-out on "Dead Island" spoofs....

Episode 50 EXCLUSIVE YouTube trailer

Below, the exclusive YouTube-exclusive trailer for "War of The Thinkers." A longer ScrewAttack-exclusive trailer will (probably) debut later this evening.

Episode 50 Premiere Date Set!

FYI folks, the premiere date for Episode 50 has been set for Monday, April 25th at 10pm CST (11pm ET) exclusively at ScrewAttack.com. The AntiThinker saga ends with bullets, blood and gratuitous video game in-jokes; and I hope people enjoy seeing it as much as we enjoyed putting it all together.

There will probably be at least one or two more trailers in-between now and then, and I'm thinking of putting a wrapup/production special together afterwards... but let's see how this goes for now.

In addition, while at one point I was considering using the "50th Anniversary" landmark as an opportunity for a brief sabbatical... I've decided against that. Barring any unforseen issues, the series will pick right back up on schedule not long after this has aired.

First trailer for "War of The Thinkers!"

Crisis on Infinite Zones?

Below, the trailer for - amazingly - ANOTHER next-gen "Sonic the Hedgehog" game. No title, no indication of gameplay, but it's got quite a hook: "2000s Sonic" is joined midway through his run by... "Original 90s Sonic." O... kay?

Good vs Evil

"War of The Thinkers" is coming along, eh... steadily. Until I have more concrete things to show off, here's a sample - the first still from the production, and (for those keeping track) the first time OverThinker and AntiThinker have appeared onscreen "together" (excluding the video monitors from Episode 47.)

kabooms

(NOTE: this is a straight-ahead shout-out, NOT an advertisement - no one has "asked" me to reccomend this site, no compensation has changed hands, etc.)

Most people on the indie/amateur movie circuit probably already know about Detonation Films, but in case you're in that group and you don't know them you really need to: Basically a whole site of professional-grade stock footage for explosions, fire, debris, bullet-hits, flares, etc. shot against key-ready greenscreen, bluescreen or oldschool black; most of sold for VERY reasonable prices and a TON of good stuff that's straight-up FREE for download.

Pretty much all the fire/explosion FX you've seen in the recent "OverThinker" videos came from their freebie stock, as it happens, so I figured I owed them a shout-out: Keep an eye on this site, it's a GREAT resource.

Episode 49: "Retro A-Go-Go"

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video is now at THIS LINK

Is the Retro-Gaming craze helping or hurting us?



The Quest of The OverThinker comes to a close. Stay tuned for Episode 50 for the conclusion of the AntiThinker Saga!

The End Is Near...

MONDAY MARCH 28 2011

THE ENEMY RETURNS

THE TRUE FACE IS REVEALED

THE QUEST ENDS...

...THE WAR BEGINS

3 quick things

...about the "Eastern vs. Western Game Stories" thing, which apparently everyone finds vastly more fascinating than the rest of the episode...

PAX East 2011 Wrapup

Short version: It was a BLAST! Long version, after the jump...

TGO Special Message re: Japanese Earthquake

(UPDATED TO FIX FACTUAL ERROR.) Please consider making a donation to the charity or relief-organization of your choice to aid in the ongoing tragedy in Japan.

PAX schedule stuff PLUS "big" announcement

Okay folks, things have been and will be "sparse-ish" in the daytime 'round here for the weekend, as I'll be at PAX East for most of it. I'll probably turn up at the con itself around 4pm or so tommorow (got some business first) and be around for most of the evening after that... Saturday and Sunday? We'll see what happens, but I'm planning to be at as much as possible.

So... since I can't really blog from the con; I've gone and done the unthinkable... and signed up for Twitter. Yes, I'll be tweeting from PAX - follow me @the_moviebob. Let me know in the comments if that hyperlink works or not - Twitter's urls are weird, and I don't know if it "takes" like that. If it doesn't, just look up "the_moviebob" on Twitter itself - the other ones just called "moviebob" AREN'T me.

self-promotion

The OverThinker WILL be at PAX East 2011

Title kinda says it all. TGO, aka MovieBob, aka ME will be out and about at PAX East this year, so if you see me feel free to say hello ;) Can't say at this time exactly what days/times or in what capacity, but I'll be around.

Postscript for smart-aleck's: Astral-projection, that's how.

Unbeatable

Everything at once maddening yet undeniable about Nintendo's dual-existence as a corporate entity and Colonial Governor of a generation's memories; summarized in a single image:

"Extra Consideration"

The Escapist decided to let Your's Truly, Zero Punctation's Yahtzee and Extra Credits' James Portnow have a lil' email debate and assemble the result into a column. In other words: Two of the most important voices in the gaming world... and, for some reason, also me ;)

Here we are, debating the state of console gaming: Take a look.

Episode 48: "The Zen of Grind"

UPDATE: As of 9/13/11 this video is at THIS LINK

"We Dare" - Ubisoft's latest crime against humanity

hat-tip: Devin

Ugh.

Everyone knows I'm a big defender of The Wii - not just in terms of "there ARE actually good games on it" but also of so-called Wii "waggle game" titles themselves. Greater varieties of people gaming is a GOOD thing, and well-done motion-control party games are fun to play. BADLY done ones - or ones cashing in on the craze with minimal effort and a superficial "hook" on the other hand... no thanks.

With that in mind, behold "We Dare" - a "naughty adult party game" from Ubisoft...

Amazing

You've GOT to be able to laugh at yourself

I'll confess to not having been previously aware of "The Game Boob," but evidently he's a clever kid on YouTube whose "schtick" is parodying the subgenre of YouTube-based game-reviewers (aka The Bastard Stepchildren of The AVGN.) In his most recent (?) episode, it's my turn on the spoofing-block:



After watching that, and a few of the other episodes... I've gotta say: The kid has talent. I'm a bit envious of his obvious skill as an editor - he's got killer comic-timing, a sharp eye for the rythym of recurring YouTube memes, and he's certainly jumping into the "bit" with both feet. And good call on the "Amok Time" music - wish I'd thought of that.

Smithsonian's GODAWFUL game-voting thing

I'm on my way to bed (early-ass screening tomorrow - ugh!), but rest assured that I WILL have more to say when time avails itself about the ungodly, horrible way the Smithsonian is going about the "public voting" aspect of it's "Art of Videogames" exhibit. Don't get me wrong: The effort is appreciated, but everything from the selections to the categorizations on this thing are so wrongheaded, slapdash and uninformed as to make me honestly think it'd be better if they didn't do it at all.

sellout

Yes, there are now ads on both of these blogs. I'm trying it out, seeing how it goes, etc; hoping it won't be some kind of "issue."

Episode 47: "Farm Team"

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

The "Quest of The OverThinker" arc begins!



In all seriousness, I'm incredibly psyched at how well this one came out.

Armchair Thinkers podcast

Quick head's-up: The Armchair Thinkers podcast has yours truly as a guest for the most recent episode (Feb 3 2011) and we get pretty into depth on stuff like The AntiThinker, Other M, etc. Check it out HERE:

ANTITHINKER: Legend of Zelda

UPDATE: This video as of 9/13/11 is at THIS LINK

MobileDev.1.upload.@utopost.security.128.v.ep45.

EVERY ENDING

A BEGINNING

1.24.11

MobileDev.1.upload.@utopost.security.127.v.ep45.

HERO RETURNS.

QUEST BEGINS.

1.24.11

Adam sez: "Go get in a catfight, lady."

This preview thing looks like it's teasing at the girl from Metroid being a guest-star in the 3DS version of that one fighting game where the chicks have the big boobs:



I don't really care cuz game what need two screens is lame, but if The OverThinker was here he'd be excited to see how much everyone freaks the hell out about her being in a "sexist" franchise when it's not all that different from her being in "Smash Bros."

ANTITHINKER: Mega Man

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

I review a bunch of shitty old games about a blue robot.



Um... everybody else saw that shit at the end, right? Cuz that wasn't on there when I recorded it. That shit's fucked up right there.

Conventional

FYI bros, my goody-good counterpart is apparently gonna be visiting some big nerd party, Arisia, in Boston this weekend. Not sure how that works with him being stuck in my forest and all, but whatever. So... if anyone reading this site is also attending that, maybe you'll see him wandering around and you can ask him. Or not.

ScrewAttack Royal Rumble

Heh. That's kinda funny, I guess.

Hey, OverThinker! Can you see this on your little phone thingee? They gave you way more awesome entrance music than you should get, bro!

weird-ass game with dumb angel guy

Here's a video of one of the games on that 3D thingee what's comin' out next year, "Kid Icarus: Uprising." It's a remake of, like, a game from the olden days. If The OverThinker wuz here, I bet he'd say it looked like a Sega arcade game... like, a today-days remake of Space Harriet. That game used to mess me up, because Harriet totally looked like a dude in it. They should've called it Space Harry, that'd make more sense...



Wait a minute... I only seen Kid Icarus this one time at my Anti-Cousin's house and it was totally lame, but... didn't the little Cupid guy used to have a bow and arrow? He had it in that one Smash Brawl game... What for he's got like a GUN now? That actually kinda pisses me off - I mean, guns rule and all but like this guy was like one of the only guys in video games what had a bow instead... he was, like The Nuge of angels or whatever! That's weird... I mean, I'M probably not gonna buy it anyway but if I was I'd totally be hoping you could still use a bow sometimes. Like... you remember in "Gladiator" when that African chick had like the machine-gun-crossbow? That was awesome.

Mobile.Dev.Upload v.329 // - OVERTHINKER: Dispatch From Wario's Woods - //

Got Signal

Hope Works



EDIT: WTF!? He's still alive? Heh. Persistent little dorkwad, I guess. Y'know what, I'm gonna leave this up - fun to watch you fanboys get all hopeful and shit ;)

ANTITHINKER: History of Video Games

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

Happy New Year, losers! Here's my first FULL episode in my tenure as the NEW host of this lame-ass show! Enjoy it, nerds!

MobileDev.1.upload.@utopost.security.653.v.ep44.

How long been here?

Stirring in woods

Strange energy

He's up something