Podcast Episode 29

On tonight's episode of the Distracted Gamers podcast we talk about the Lord of the Rings (briefly, so don't worry Chance), the most anticipated games of 2014, and Christmases present and past.

We start out with some interesting observations, at least interesting in my opinion, from the author of The Lord of the Rings. If you haven't read the foreword to The Lord of the Rings you should. Tolkien gives his opinion on the people who didn't like his book. He also says point blank that he dislikes allegory, for those who think that his work is an anti-war manifesto. He goes on to say that had it been his intention to base his work on WWII the story would have changed drastically and how it would have changed.

We then discuss several games that are highly anticipated, at by the writers at Gamespot.com, for 2014. The games are Watch Dogs, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Dark Souls II, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Infamous: Second Son, Mario Kart 8, The Witness, and Tom Clancy's The Division. We give you some of our thoughts on these games and whether or not we are indeed anticipating them.

From there we move on to a discussion about Christmas. We talk about some of the things that we received this Christmas and in Christmases past. We also talk about the things that we do now as opposed to what we did as kids. Rhett has several fond memories of things he got for Christmas, Jason, not so much. He has more vivid recollections of what he did with his family and his extended family.

Finally, in the Battle Royale for tonight we pit Daredevil, The Man Without Fear, against Ghost Rider, The Spirit of Vengeance. We like Daredevil, he is an interesting character. He is quick. He is agile. He senses permit him to perceive an attack and respond almost before his attacker has begun. He is also a ruthless, capable, and experienced fighter. However, his strength and speed are limited to the ordinary human level. That isn't to say that he is weak or slow, he is merely human, and is only as strong and as quick as a human can be. Ghost Rider is super-humanly strong and durable (he is described in some places as Hulk strong). He can use and control Hellfire in addition to mundane flames. His ultimate attack, the Penance Stare, while powerful enough to subdue Galactus, may be of limited use on a man who cannot see. I think you can see where this is going. However, you will find out our decision in the podcast, let us know what you think.

We postpone our top games of 2013 for next week when we will be debating who would win The Thing or The Flash (wally West).

We close out the podcast with a little history about the Dragonball series and a little Goku bashing.

If there are any topics relating to nerd culture or you have an idea for a Battle Royale match-up, let us know and we will discuss it on the podcast.

The Distracted Gamers Podcast Episode 29

Podcast Episode 28

We are back tonight on our regularly scheduled time. Last week we went to see The Hobbit, which you would know if you are up on your episodes. We realize that Tolkien may not be your bag, but we enjoy it, so I can promise at least one more episode dedicated to The Hobbit (possibly more). There's still one more movie out there.

Tonight we discuss the games chosen by Gamespot.com as the best games of 2013 and the most anticipated games of 2014. The games are broken down by console with one game being chosen as the best of the best. Some of the games on the list include Assassin's Creed IV, The Last of Us, Grand Theft Auto V, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. We kind of poke fun at the game chosen as the best for the PS4 and the Xbox One, you can tell the judges were spoiled for choices.

As far as 2014, Gamespot has only revealed two of the games on which they are waiting with barely bridled anticipation. They are Titanfall and Destiny. Truth be told we would both like to get our hands on these games. We are impressed with the visuals and the concepts behind them. We hope that they live up to their promise and potential.

Let us know what games you thought were the best of 2013 and which games you wish you could get your hands on that have been announced for 2014.

We then go back in time a few years to talk about first gaming experiences. For Rhett, his first console gaming experience was with the Super Nintendo and Super Mario. Jason's first experience was with the Atari 2600 and possibly Pong. It was a long time ago, it could have been Pacman. We remember with fondness some of our favorite games that put us on the path of distracted gaming.

In the tournament match-up for tonight we have Jean Grey versus The Hulk. We talked about and debated this bout quite a bit, not as much as the Doctor Doom/Batman match, but it wasn't easy deciding on a victor. Jean Grey is a talented psychic and telekinetic, in addition to her powers as The Phoenix (first we had to decide if she had her Phoenix powers of not), but how much would any of that help her against The Hulk. The Hulk is a being of almost pure rage. Is Jean Grey strong enough to overcome that rage? Is The Hulk simply too strong and too fast for Jean? You will find out our decision in the podcast, let us know what you think.

For next week we will try to come up with our own top 10 list of games for 2013. We will also have the next match in our Battle Royale Tournament: Daredevil,The Man Without Fear, versus Ghost Rider, The Spirit of Vengeance.

If there are any topics relating to nerd culture or you have an idea for a Battle Royale match-up, let us know and we will discuss it on the podcast.

The Distracted Gamers Podcast Episode 28

Podcast Episode 27

Tonight on the podcast, we finally do the podcast. Yes, fan we do the podcast. We have a good reason for having missed our regular time: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

First off, we answer some email and we discuss the Youtube copyright scandal that has blown up over the past few days. It is rather amazing that the video game developers are rather supportive of the video playthroughs that are posted on Youtube, but that it's the music industry that is at the bottom of the scandal.

After that we discuss the next installment in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit,(the reason the podcast is late). It is that, Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. It isn't Tolkien's The Hobbit. That doesn't make it a bad movie, nor does it mean that you shouldn't see it. However, if you are going to see this hoping that this is a great action movie you will not be disappointed. If you are hoping to see Tolkien's The Hobbit brought to the screen, you will be disappointed. We discuss what we thought worked and what we thought didn't, good points, bad points, what we liked, and what we didn't.

Finally, we end the wait and let you know who wins in the Battle Royale between Batman and Dr. Doom. Next week in our tournament is a match between Jean Grey and the Hulk.

If there are any topics relating to nerd culture or you have an idea for a Battle Royale match-up, let us know and we will discuss it on the podcast.

The Distracted Gamers Podcast Episode 27

Podcast Episode 26

We had a good time tonight on the podcast. We started a new game, Torchlight 2. You can pick up the game at GameFly for $3.99 with the coupon code: GFDDEC20. Torchlight is a beautiful dungeon crawler/rpg and it is quite entertaining. Torchlight 2 is shaping up the same way. There are a mix of character types and pets that help you along. Right now Rhett is playing as an embermage with a panda companion. Jason is playing as an outlander with a funny lizard pet. Think the frilled dinosaur that killed Newman in Jurassic Park.

We talk about the new trailer for the upcoming Spider-man movie. It is impressive, most impressive. However, as with all comic related movies we do have our reservations. Jamie Foxx seems to be playing Electro with a darker twist than his comic persona, Rhino seems more mech than he should, and the Goblin is in this one. We couldn't tell from the trailer whether the Goblin was Norman or Harry Osborn. It looks like Harry, but the shots aren't very clear. Still the trailer is impressive. If the movie lives up to the trailer it will be well worth the time to see it.

Rhett talks about the new Thor moive. His verdict is that the movie is worth seeing. He was reluctant to see the movie as Thor isn't one of his favorites. However, his opinion changed a short way into the film. His reluctance stems from the inclusion of myth and fantasy into a superhero movie, but felt that his time was rewarded in the end.

Jason brings up the Amazon plan, if you haven't yet heard, of using unmanned drones to deliver goods from its website. Amazon plans to have a network of these drones around several of their distribution hubs. Several people have been questioning the wisdom of this plan and doubting that it will actually be completed. Additionally, concerns about privacy, safety, security, and feasibility have been raise in regard to this plan. Currently, flights must be logged with the FAA to ensure safety of airborne vehicles. In addition, what is to stop enterprising criminals from intercepting the drones or the packages before deliver can be completed?

In tonight's Battle Royale we have a hard time deciding who would win between our two contestants: Batman and Doctor Doom. In terms of sheer power, Doctor Doom possess armor on par with Tony Stark's and he is also a master warlock. Batman is possibly the better fighter, but he will have to work very hard to overcome Doom's armor. In terms of intelligence, the two are perhaps even, with Doctor Doom possibly being the smarter of the two. We can see the fight going one of two ways, either Doom kills Batman despite the hero's best efforts or Batman manages to defeat Doom by exploiting his overweening pride. We have decided to let the fans decide the outcome. Let us know who you think would win in tonight's round of our Battle Royale by commenting on our Twitter account or our blog. Arguments in the vein of "He's Batman and Doom sucks", will not be accepted. So, think about it logically and let us know your conclusion.

If there are any topics relating to nerd culture or you have an idea for a Battle Royale match-up, let us know and we will discuss it on the podcast.

The Distracted Gamers Podcast Episode 26