Daily Arcade Gaming Podcast

Waiting a whole week for the next episode of your favorite podcast is for the birds. Daily Arcade is LIVE every week day at 12pm EST from Brooklyn New York. Every day when Matt Baca, Alec Lawless, and Pat O'Brien get into the office, they go live and discuss their favorite article from the website posted that day. Topics include anything gaming and/or news related, opinions, and general video game trivia. Special guests include anyone who happens to be in the office that day and have included some pretty big names in the industry in the past. So stick around and join us every day for your daily gaming discussion fix.

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VR Dating Sims are NOT Weird??? 09/21/2016

Pokemon Go is DEAD??? 09/16/2016

11 Games That Were Alluded To But Ended Up Fading Away 08/17/2016

Daily Arcade - Your Guide To Soliciting Video Games For Review 08/10/2016

Daily Arcade - Early Game Copies Should Be Played And Not Reviewed 08/09/2016

Daily Arcade - How Can A Voice Actor Break Into The Gaming Industry? 08/04/2016

Daily Arcade - Rumor Has It Niantic Slated To Develop Harry Potter Go 08/02/2016

Daily Arcade - Nintendo Reports Hefty Operating Loss for Q1 2016 08/01/2016

Daily Arcade - Video Gaming Is Now A Mature Entertainment Business 07/28/2016

Who are the TOP 3 Developers in the World - Daily Arcade 07.21.16 07/25/2016

Who are the TOP 3 Developers in the World - Daily Arcade 07.21.16 Who do you believe are the top three developers in the world right now? Not just from a subjective viewpoint, but also an objective one? Well, if you ask Marcin Iwinski, CEO of CD Projekt RED, he might be able to tell ya. About a month ago, , he named the world’s top three game developers… and whatdya know, he didn’t bellow CDPR at the top of his lungs; the developers were Blizzard, Bethesda, and Rockstar Games. Yes, he might have been extremely critical of his company, but his reasons for the top three were actually quite justified. Anyway, here was his response: “Yeah, I actually think I said the best. The goal for the last five years was to be among the best three roleplaying game developers and I think we got there. The Witcher 3 is the proof. For the top three, this is our perception: I’d definitely put there Blizzard, I’d definitely put there Rockstar, and I think I would put them at number one, and probably Bethesda as well. We want to get there, so one will have to go.” Oh, dem’s fighting words right thar. But is his statement true? Well, thanks to a little analysis and speculation, I would have to say yes, these three developer giants are certainly top in the world, but that’s only if we’re excluding Sony Computer Entertainment, Nintendo, and Microsoft as developers (, but do note that the link provide is from the end of 2014). Seriously, I’m sure Nintendo has been lately duking it out for the top spot thanks to the advent of Pokemon GO! and several other clever business strategies. Then again, Nintendo didn’t exactly develop Pokemon GO!, only published it. Anyyyyywaaaaaay… the reasons as to why these three developers might have earned the crown? Well, let’s check it out: Blizzard Entertainment It’s probably important to first note that as of the 2015 fiscal year ending March 31, Blizzard raked in $1.1 billion USD in revenue. Yes, that’s a gargantuan amount of revenue right there! How does Blizzard continuously rake in the riches? Two words: quality games. Not to mention it often boasts a very clever and accurate business model for its titles. It seems that every game released by Blizzard thus has been eaten up by gamers worldwide. In fact, I can’t think of a game that hasn’t been popular with the crowd! To drive the point home, every game and DLC scored at least a 73 on Metacritic, with the overall average being 87. That’s pretty damn good for Blizzard’s career. Not to mention, this year, one Blizzard game managed to win the hearts of gamers everywhere. Which game? Overwatch, duh! Just recently,Overwatch was home to over 7 million players within just a week. A WEEK. That makes the game one of the most successful global game launches of all time. Holy shit, that’s a lot of players. So now, you see exactly why Blizzard would be a prime candidate of “the top three devs.” Not one game of theirshasn’t been popular. Rockstar Games Net revenue of $1.083 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015. But it was down $2.351 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014. I mean, look at freakin’ Grand Theft Auto V! As of May 18, 2016, the game shipped over 65 million copies across all platforms and it’s still chugging along. It doesn’t need to release a lot of games, and it will continue raking in the moolah. Sure, it’s Metacritic score chart isn’t as flashy as Blizzard’s, but it’s still pretty high. 75 games have positive ratings, with 21 games wielding mixed, and finally, two being completely negative. Overall, the average Metascore for Rockstar Games’ profile is 81, with the highest rating going to Grand Theft Auto IV (98). Yet, Grand Theft Auto V, being only one point lower, obliterated Grand Theft Auto IV’s sales. Hell, Grand Theft Auto V’s online mode, Grand Theft Auto Online, generated well over $500 million, when it was reported back in April of 2016. The studio is pretty much set money-wise until the release of Grand Theft Auto VI… whenever that will be! Bethesda I don’t know how much revenue Bethesda pulled from its games for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015, but Zenimax Media managed to rake in $86.565611 billion for that year. But for now, we’re going to focus on two particular hits of this year and late last year: DOOM and Fallout 4. On May 31, 2016, 500,000 copies were sold just on the PC. It was also considered the second best-selling retail game in its week of release in the UK, right behind Uncharted 4. By late June of 2016, it took the number one spot on the UK charts, ahead ofUncharted 4 and Overwatch. Not too bad! Of course, its sales didn’t exactly hold a candle to one of the most highly anticipated games of 2015: Fallout 4, which manage to turn people away from porn the day of its release. Within the first 12 hours alone, the game shipped over 12 million copies worldwide. And as of February of 2016? Well, according to SteamSpy, the Steam PC sales alone crossed the 3 million mark. Just on Steam. STEAM. Never mind the other PC platforms, physical copies, etc. Really amazing, isn’t it? Still, I’m excited as to how the newest Quake will play out in terms of sales. So you see why these three developers/publishers are top-tier? I mean, again, it’s partially subjective and new competitors are fighting for the tiers; again, just look at Pokemon GO! and Nintendo. I still can’t believe . Anyway, this is just from Iwinski’s viewpoint, but I believe that from a financial point of few, if we’re not counting the big three companies: Sony Computer Entertainment, Microsoft, and Nintendo as developers, that Blizzard, Bethesda, and Rockstar would certainly indeed be the top especially thanks to its successes over the past year. But the real question is: could CDPR catch up to the developing behemoths? It will honestly depend on how Cyberpunk 2077 plays out, but for now, I think the giants will stay where they are. Check out the article being discussed on the live streaming podcast Daily Arcade: /episode/index/show/dailyarcade/id/4541160

AMAZING FEATS IN VIDEO GAMES - Daily Arcade 05/17/2016

ARE YOU ADDICTED TO VIDEO GAMES? - Daily Arcade 009 05/17/2016

ARE YOU ADDICTED TO VIDEO GAMES? - Daily Arcade 009 I can still recall the time, at the ripe and impressionable age of 13, I pulled my first-ever all-nighter with my older cousin to beat Diddy Kong Racing on his Nintendo 64. No, it wasn’t the greatest game ever made for the N64 (though I’ll still argue that it was criminally underrated), but it didn’t need to be. The thrill resided in simply staying up all night, hanging with my older cousin, and finally beating Wizpig as the sun was coming up. Fortunately for me, relatively strict parenting and a knack for socializing prevented these all-nighters from becoming a regular occurrence (I will admit that later on in college I had a couple more restless nights when Skyrim was released). But still, some diehard gamers go down into this sleepless rabbit hole of video game addiction and are unable to pull themselves out. Now, we all probably have our stories about staying up late on a school night to beat that last mission, but for some, this has led to an unhealthy and potentially dangerous lifestyle. A new study conducted by the Hamilton, Ontario-based McMaster University took an in-depth look at how video game addiction is a proponent of sleep deprivation, which in and of itself can bring about a number of health-related issues. The research, which was recently published in the academic journal PLOS One, was pioneered by Dr. Katherine Morrison, an associative professor at McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. The case study, which was a collaborative effort by researchers from both McMaster and California State University, Fullerton, featured data analyzed from a group of 94 children and teens between the ages of 10 to 17. These young subjects all played video games and were enrolled in lifestyle management programs for either obesity or lipid disorders. The focus of the study was to research the extent that the video game habits of the group had impacted their sleep habits, obesity risks, and cardio-metabolic health. The research team used fitness trackers to monitor the sleep habits of the participants, which was then compared to their video game usage. What the research showed, unfortunately and— in my opinion— unsurprisingly, was that video game addiction habits did indeed result in a shorter amount sleep, which in turn increased chances of having elevated blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high insulin resistance. Still, as Dr. Morrison acknowledges, this sample set of kids was both specific and quite small, it’s uncertain how these numbers would relate to the general population. But that didn’t prevent Dr. Morrison from finding strong evidence in her research. “That said, we were amazed that amongst gamers, video game addiction scores explained one-third of the differences in sleep duration,” Dr. Morrison said. “Sleep is emerging as a critical behavior for cardio-metabolic health, and this data shows that gaming addictions can cause numerous health issues in at least a segment of the population.” The research team plans to expand their study further, looking to study the effects of video game addiction in more general populations, while also analyzing video game usage and addiction tendencies of gamers over a longer period of time. But what can we, as gamers, do to prevent ourselves, our friends, and our family from falling into the rabbit hole of addiction? As someone with quite the addictive personality, I can sympathize with those who have fully replaced a bulk of their sleep schedule with gaming, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a viable lifestyle alternative. According to Dr. Morrison, those avid and sleepless gamers who are dealing with obesity or some type of lipid disorder should take part in some type of intervention, for their cardio-metabolic health is vital to their long-term well-being. It’s something that some of us, as major video game advocates, hate to admit or deal with as a real issue. Although Dr. Morrison’s study does cast gaming under a relatively negative light, I think it’s important to note that addiction comes in all types of forms, and indulging too much in anything will lead to negative side effects. So, next time I power up my PS4 to get my Phantom Pain on, I’ll try and keep the words my Grandfather has said to me so much, that it’s basically become his motto at this point. “Everything in moderation my boy, everything in moderation.” FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://equityarcade.com/2016/05/14/study-on-video-game-addiction-hints-at-harmful-and-sleepless-consequences/ /episode/index/show/dailyarcade/id/4375609

DOOM BRANDING IS STRONG - Daily Arcade 009 05/13/2016

DOOM BRANDING IS STRONG - Daily Arcade 009 Doom’s back. Again. Last week, players had the opportunity to try out a multiplayer beta for the upcoming reboot of the Doom franchise – a game that’s been in the works for many years now after an initial sequel, titled Doom 4, was unceremoniously cancelled late into development. In spite of the fact that over ten years have passed since the launch of the last main title Doom game, gamers eagerly rushed back to the series, thrilled at the chance to play the latest reimagining of the series. Yet while the new Doom definitely draws inspiration from its predecessors, it’s clear that the upcoming game takes a very different direction in terms of style and tone than previous installments within the series. The violence, monsters, and gore of the upcoming game are rounded, colorful and cartoonish, in spite of the gratuitous use of blood. While this doesn’t necessarily make for a bad game, there’s not much to differentiate the Doom reboot as being distinct and stylistically connected to the games that have come before. Part of the problem that id Software faces in making their newest Doom game feel like previous games in the series is that there’s not much iconography throughout the series that comfortably sums up the Doom experience. While the Super Mario series sticks mostly to a few reoccurring enemy design choices and the Street Fighter roster features the same costumes in every new game, Doom doesn’t have a powerful, standout set of images that connects its games and clearly lays out the style of the series (except possibly for the severed head of John Romero). This lack of unique, identifiable imagery that spans all Doom games isn’t actually because of a failure on the part of former teams at id Software – in fact, if anything, it’s a testament to the cultural impact of the series as a whole. The original Doom, and to a lesser extent many of its sequels, has influenced gaming culture so thoroughly that every visual from the game has been replicated, expanded upon and lampooned by generations of game designers. To this day, first-person shooters set on blood-soaked science fiction space stations are among the most common genres of AAA gaming. Everything that made the original Doom unique has been explored in wave after wave of games that continue to saturate the market, to the point that upon returning to the world of Doom, nothing from the original formula stands out as anything more than a generic space shooter. It’s possible that this problem – the overabundance of Doom tribute acts – is what led to the cancellation of the original version of Doom 4. Long before the upcoming game was in development, id Software worked on a numbered sequel to the series, which was brought nearly to completion before the project was ultimately scrapped and work began on a series reboot. In speaking about why Doom 4 was cancelled, id Software’s director, Tim Willits, explained that the series was having an ‘identity crisis’, stating that ‘everyone knows the feeling of Doom, but it’s very hard to articulate’. Speaking about the cancelled Doom 4, he said, ‘It wasn’t like the art was bad, or the programming was bad. Every game has a soul. Every game has a spirit… [Doom 4] did not have the spirit, it did not have the soul, it didn’t have a personality’. It’s likely that this desire to push to create a unique personality for the Doom franchise that has led the developers to focus so heavily on a colorful lighting system and stylized visual which, while paying tribute the Doom games of the past, look very different to anything that’s come before. The horned skull monsters of the new game are clearly inspired by the classic Doom aesthetic, but the specific approach that id Software have chosen to take involves a Wind Waker-esque method of distilling the core essence of the franchise and then wrapping it in a brightly colored, tonally distinct shell that can’t be mistaken for any other space shooter. So why use the Doom name at all? If id Software is moving this far away from the Doom series aesthetic with their new game, and if the gameplay and visual style have been built from the ground up, why not create a new intellectual property and avoid potentially upsetting fans of the original series? If there’s one thing from the original Doom series that’s not been watered down by hundreds of imitators in the years since its initial release, it’s the name of the series itself. The Doom brand is powerful – strong enough not just to inspire a movie starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, but also capable of withstanding the negative press that the movie generated. Doom’s impact on gaming is so significant that even over twenty years since the original game’s release, players still trust the name to stand for well-built, engaging gameplay. READ FULL ARTICLE BY Matthew Loffhagen HERE: /episode/index/show/dailyarcade/id/4367448

UNAPPRECIATED GAMES FROM THE 90's - Daily Arcade 008 05/11/2016

UNAPPRECIATED GAMES FROM THE 90's - Daily Arcade 008 We’re about three years into eighth generation consoles and the landscape for our gaming future seems to grow wilder and wilder by the minute. But on enigmatic, foggy nights, my mind is sent into a haze where I long for games of yore and wonder why they’ve yet to appear in my hands once again. So I’ve decided to compile a list of 10 franchises that for one reason or another, haven’t joined us on this new frontier. When considering candidates for this list, I thought about a few things: how much fun I had playing it, how the game would translate over time, how underrated it was (in the grand scheme of things), and I also disregarded any sequel they may have produced thereafter. What I’m envisioning are remakes of these games influenced heavily by the original with a few tweaks and next gen charm sprinkled in. The most wonderful thing about Crazy Taxi is the pure joy that comes from doing a mundane job like dropping people off at their destinations. Something about the simplicity of whisking people off whilst trying to avoid pedestrians and objects, all while racing against the clock. It makes you feel like the most important person on earth. The creator, Kenji Kanno, hinted a few years ago that he would be rather open to bringing Crazy Taxi to next gen consoles, and was surprisingly candid in his thought process and why he hasn’t done so yet: “There are two things I want to achieve but I haven’t yet. The first is time changing in the game, but it’s more than a simple day/night cycle. Passengers attitudes, the environments, the whole atmosphere of the game needs to change. I really want how you play the game to transition as time does. I haven’t managed to achieve that to a level I’m happy with yet, but I hope to in future.” So here it is, a completely non-subjective list of unappreciated franchises from the 90’s and early 2000’s that I would love to see return to the present day — and by completely non-subjective, I mean it’s subjective as hell. You’ve been warned. READ FULL ARTICLE BY Nick Zappulla HERE: http://equityarcade.com/2016/05/09/10-unappreciated-9000s-franchises-wed-love-to-see-revived-for-the-next-gen/ CHECK OUT http://equityarcade.com /episode/index/show/dailyarcade/id/4361727

OVERWATCH PORN 05/11/2016

Why Does Activision Want to Ruin Call of Duty? - Daily Arcade 006 05/09/2016

Why Does Activision Want to Ruin Call of Duty? - Daily Arcade 006 Just a few days ago, Activision unveiled Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. And the reception for Infinite Warfare, at least according to the number of upvotes compared to downvotes on YouTube, is extremely far from warm. In fact, the video was met with a good portion of unadulterated gamer rage. Though the reasons for the reception of the video differ from today’s gripe, it’s still important to note that people aren’t happy with the unveiling for more than one reason. But one of the reasons why people dislike the overall announcement doesn’t relate to the video at all. In fact, it has to do with, what I would call, a genius yet cruel marketing ploy. So my friends, what exactly is the issue here? I’ll give you a hint: there’s no standalone edition for Modern Warfare Remastered whatsoever listed on the site. In other words, Activision’s basically telling fans that if they want Modern Warfare Remastered, they better cough up at least $80 to own both Modern Warfare Remastered and Infinite Warfare, which they may not want in the first place. This is a move that’s just downright appalling for many and thus is worth the gripe. Unless Activision suddenly throws out a standalone version, people are more-than-likely going to remain quite irritated with the marketing act. Why? I mean, there’s always that chance fans are going to grab Infinite Warfare nevertheless, so why does it matter? This is true, and many people are going to enjoy Infinite Warfare in the same manner that they are enjoying Black Ops III. Call of Duty is like the World of Warcraft of FPS; despite any hate towards the game, and even if lots of people are going to drop from the franchise, the series is still going to garner a large fanbase and rake in a ton of moolah for the developers and the publisher. But at the same time, there are plenty who crave for the olden days of Modern Warfare Remastered. But some people have quit the series for some time now, hating the direction the franchise is headed in, so to create a remastered version of a beloved game by many is toying with nostalgia and locking it behind a newer game that may serve no interest. For example, I know of a friend who loved Modern Warfare, but he stopped playing the franchise after the introduction of Black Ops. Since the announcement of the Modern Warfare Remastered, he’s been not only excited over the emergence of a remaster, but quite irked over the fact that the remaster is bundled with a game he’s not even interested in. READ FULL ARTICLE BY MICHELLE McLEAN HERE! : http://equityarcade.com/2016/05/08/gamer-gripe-infinite-warfares-brilliant-but-coy-marketing-ploy/ /episode/index/show/dailyarcade/id/4356349

OVERWATCH BETA BAD FOR SALES? - Daily Arcade 005 05/08/2016

OVERWATCH BETA BAD FOR SALES? - Daily Arcade 005 In early May, gamers across the world will get the opportunity to dig into Overwatch a few weeks ahead of its official release. The will ostensibly be for the purpose of stress-testing the game’s online systems, but considering how close the release date for the full game, there isn’t much time after the beta for Blizzard to implement any changes before the game goes public. Plenty of beta tests have been performed throughout theOverwatch’s development in order to ensure that things run smoothly for the game’s full release. Watch: Equity Arcade discuss this article Instead, Overwatch’s open beta serves primarily as a marketing opportunity: a small piece of free content to hook players into the game, drum up discussion in online communities, and cement a fanbase for the product in anticipation of later sales. This tactic is being used increasingly often by developers looking to build up interest around their projects and is commonly accepted as fairly standard practice for modern development of AAA games. Earlier this year took place in an open beta for The Division, many of whom went on to purchase the full game upon its release. The practice of throwing open the doors to allow widespread access to an unreleased game isn’t always well received, though – the recent beta for the upcoming Doom reboot left a bad taste in many players’ mouths, many of whom at the direction the game is taking. Similarly, while The Division has certainly proved a popular title, a small but vocal minority of gamers who took part in the game’s beta were of the experience afterwards. While it’s difficult to tell whether these dissenters have had even a small impact on the sales of the game, it’s important to note that an open beta immediately preceding a game’s launch doesn’t always lead to a positive public reception. Part of this is to do with the of the games that players are getting their hands on. Modern cynicism means that people will always be wary of a freebie, and it’s difficult to take a free trial for a game as seriously as one might take the full release. Players who make the conscious financial decision to purchase a game are more likely to be invested in the title, to give it the time it needs to shine and to learn ways around its flaws rather than throwing their hands up at the first sign of imperfection. On the other hand, by presenting game content for free, developers are to a certain extent undervaluing their creations. When it’s easier for a player to gain access to a game, it’s also easier to nit-pick or find fault, as players feel more entitled to the content they’re being provided with and are more likely to reject it if it doesn’t instantly live up to their initial expectations. Any game that requires an investment of time and patience to learn playstyles will be instantly dismissed by gamers who expect betas to provide instant gratification. Many gamers found this to be the case when playing the open beta for Star Wars Battlefront – the game’s progression system meant that many players , and were duly punished for treating the beta as a throwaway experience rather than a game with rules that need to be learned. Of course, the Battlefronts beta also had other issues – the beta gameplay was if anything a little too indicative of the full experience, and many players, having played the game for a couple of days, than the duration of the initial beta. The problem that many betas face is in the execution: as an extension of a video game demo, betas should be deliberately designed to draw in the player’s interest, quickly teach them the mechanics of the game, and tease them with just enough content to leave them wanting more without making them feel like they’re already seen the majority of what the game has to offer. When developers simply carve off a few multiplayer levels from their game to allow players to run amok in, they’re not always delivering the kind of experience that works to increase players’ anticipation. A poorly arranged beta can fail to grab the player’s attention and empty out any of the excitement that they might have had for the game. This failing will undoubtedly lead to more lost sales than it will to an increase in users who get hooked on their initial taste. As the open beta for Overwatch draws near, it’ll be interesting to see whether Blizzard works to create a unique, tailored beta experience that functions like a playable trailer for the game, or whether the studio will simply release a rough chunk of the game and let players provide their own interpretation. The game is likely to be an enormous hit either way, but a strong beta offering could significantly increase the popularity of Blizzard’s latest masterpiece while an uneven experience might potentially influence some players’ decision to pick up the game immediately at launch. /episode/index/show/dailyarcade/id/4352742

THE BEST GAMES FROM THE 90'S!!! - Daily Arcade 004 05/08/2016

BEST GAMES TO RELIEVE STRESS - Daily Arcade 003 05/08/2016

CELEBRITY GAMES ARE STUPID CASH GRABS - Daily Arcade 002 05/08/2016

IS THERE A MID GEN XBOX ON IT'S WAY??? - Daily Arcade 001 05/07/2016

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