Fairly Awesome Podcast

Topics in this episode: Google has made it easier to find help with difficult gaming puzzles, has this discouraged game developers from trying as hard with making difficult puzzle games? Twitch TV has taken off with the advent of next-gen consoles. Does this present a viable occupation to gamers, or is the game streaming market already closed? With a new release date, has the Oculus Rift gotten us interested in getting back into PC gaming?

With special guests Staughton and Kyle, topics in this episode: With Playstation Now's requirement for always on gaming, how is this acceptable when Xbox One was vilified for requiring it, and how are franchises like CoD berated for being the same while Mario Kart doesn't face the same issue? Some franchises are timeless, like Zelda and MegaMan, but are there any out now that we see lasting 10+ years from now? Guardians of the Galaxy was hyped by Marvel as the best Marvel movie to date. Does it live up to that hype?

Topics in this episode: Recently the Destiny Beta dropped. We played the Xbox One version both individually and together and share some of our likes, dislikes, and overall impressions of the game. There's been some grumblings about Peter Dinklage's voice acting in Destiny; do we have higher expectations for voice acting in modern games than older games? Usually we avoid spoilers, but are there times when you're so interested in something that you are OK with, and actually seek out, spoilers?

Topics in this episode: Video games would be nothing without their soundtracks; we discuss great game soundtracks that stick with you. BP says there are 53.3 years of oil left, should we be concerned or is this another has the impending exhaustion of oil been greatly exaggerated? A guy in Ohio Kickstarts potato salad and over 6000 people throw in...Internet, you crazy. Spotify is playing the clean version of songs instead of their original versions, why doesn't Spotify have a way to distinguish/control this censoring?

Topics in this episode: What tactics should modern game developers deploy to get us to buy into their games? Hatt Mallam approved topic: Why do game movies always suck? Is it the director/writer or just bad budgeting? Is piracy decreasing due to streaming services like Netflix?

Topics in this episode: With the most recent Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes being a "demo" of the upcoming The Phantom Pain, should we rethink the way game demos are made? After the recent X-Men: Days Of Future Past and Star Trek reboots, is re-writing canon ever acceptable? With the ability to more easily shift the time and place you watch them, how does this impact workplace/friendplace discussions?

Topics in this episode: What aspects of smartphone OSes, from iOS to Android, influence buyers and the choices they make? Is Reading Rainbow's Kickstarter a good example of how a popular brand from the past can start their own? With Blizzard suing a maphack developer, what role do game developers have as far as defeating hacks and cheats? Why won't Nintendo release Mario Kart 8 on other platforms when there's obviously a market?

[BAD AUDIO PROBLEM: New recording equipment wasn't set up right, so the podcast may be a bit rough to listen to] Topics in this episode: The Xbox One has announced some new changes, how will these impact sales and the continuing console wars? Can a fan of video games or movies be an objective reviewer of material in that field? What do we think of the newly released image of Ben Affleck as Batman from the still in production Batman vs. Superman film?

Topics in this episode: HBO and Amazon have reached a deal to stream HBO's back catalog. Is this good for consumers and HBO going forward? Aliens Isolation comes out soon, is this just the first of a good year for survival horror games? Fox's new series Gotham focuses on Jim Gordon pre-Batman. Will this show be something new and different, or just another plain old cop drama?

Topics in this episode: Is there a secret formula for viewers to figure out what blockbuster movies are worth watching? What is the current state of game streaming and what challenges will it face in the market? What TV shows have been spawned by movies and are they any good? As console gaming becomes more mainstream, what are the options for avoiding being strapped to a desk while gaming?

Topics in this episode: Is Project Morpheus, the new VR offering from Sony, a competitor for Oculus? What's next for video game graphics engines given the advance in technology? How useful is crowdsourcing given alpha/beta testing and world events? Without the same character build up The Avengers had, are you still excitied for Guardians of the Galaxy?

Topics in this episode: Why do gamers so often contradict themselves in the demands they make of game producers?; Is a resurgence of science upon us, and is it needed thanks to attacks to science on several fronts?; Why has Microsoft/343 Studios not developed a Halo movie, even after the aborted attempt that lead to District 9?; Star Trek has been seen as a major component in pushing sci-fi on TV, but TV has been Trek-less since Enterprise: what's next for Star Trek on TV?

Nate hosts the thirteenth episode of the podcast, co-hosted by Chris, Josh, and Ryan. Topics in this episode: Amazon has started a new Pilot Season: will this change the way new shows get made now that more and more people are cord cutting; Google now provides gigabit internet in some parts of the country, how will this impact current broadband offerings elsewhere; and is there any silver lining to the Comcast/Time Warner Cable merger or the Netflix/Comcast deal?

Ryan hosts the twelfth episode of the podcast, co-hosted by Nate, Chris, and Josh. Topics in this episode: Though it's always existed, the new generations of consoles have made it more apparent that gamers are slowly being treated as beta testers; Some games offer DLC, some are subscription based, and some go with the freemium model: which works best; and with the poor showing of the Wii U, what can Nintendo do to get back into a market they seem to be losing ground in?

Josh hosts the eleventh episode of the podcast, co-hosted by Ryan, Nate, and Chris. Topics in this episode: Some games are critically panned, but turn out to actually be decent games. Here are a few we've played; with the recent net neutrality rulings and some Netflix related news, what does the future hold for streaming video; 2014 promises some big game launches, what games are we excited for; and with the glut of first person shooters, sports games, and third person puzzlers, what genres in gaming aren't getting the game coverage they deserve?

Ryan hosts the tenth episode of the podcast, co-hosted by Chris, Josh, Nate, and Staughton. This Christmas-y episode presents the top 10 things we at FAPCast are excited about in the coming year, along with a few dishonorable mentions from the 2013.

Chris hosts the ninth episode of the podcast, co-hosted by Josh, Ryan, and Nate. Topics in this episode: how will next-gen games be impacted by integration of second screen functionality beyond just inventory management systems; do game developers and games in general expect a common set of skills from their players; are the new streaming and sharing features of next-gen consoles a much missed new feature or a flash in the pan; and are recent TV show endings becoming less satisfying for the viewers [SPOILER NOTES: 48:40 to 58:05 contains spoilers for Lost, Dexter, Sopranos, and Heroes; 1:03:04 to 1:03:30 contains spoilers for Farscape].

Staughton hosts the eighth episode of the podcast, co-hosted by Chris, Josh, and Ryan. Topics in this episode include: with the new generation of consoles hitting gamers, how important are graphics in video games really; should our future missions to Mars be round trip exploration missions or one-way colonization outings; is waiting in line for a release, movie tickets, Black Friday, or any other big event really worth the hassle; and has the stream of military tech advancements to consumers dwindled and possible even reversed, so that military now relies on consumer tech more heavily?

Nate hosts the seventh episode of the podcast, co-hosted by Staughton, Chris, and Josh. Topics this go round include: are we so inundated with games and movies and other media that they've all become throw away experiences; what games have we lost interest in, but slogged through to the end anyway; has consumer rage now become what all the cool kids are doing; and with the promise of a return to its original trilogy roots, will a darker, grittier Star Wars Episode 7 revitalize the franchise?

Ryan hosts the sixth episode of the podcast, co-hosted by Nate, Staughton, and Chris. On the table for discussion: are movie release windows broken in the digital distribution age? Violence in media is at an all time high, yet previously dangerous sports are becoming sterile. Has trolling gone too far? Cloud / service based games...are we likely to see it as a new standard or just a fad?

Josh hosts the fifth podcast episode, joined by Ryan, Nate, and Staughton. They discuss backwards compatibility in modern gaming, both console and PC; how video game value per dollar compares to other forms of entertainment and the associated costs; achievements, trophies, and "achievement hunting" and how these impact game play; and how 3D printing advancements are pushing us closer to a build-your-own world.

Chris hosts the fourth podcast episode, joined by Josh, Ryan, and Nate. They explore MMOs, their declining subscription numbers, and the push for free-to-play gaming; the lack of space flight simulation games like Tie Fighter and Wing Commander; à la carte TV offerings like Netflix and Hulu and how these new players are affecting peoples' choices regarding cable TV; and will the new iOS7-ready Game Case controller for the iPad mini change mobile gaming.

Staughton hosts the third podcast episode, joined by Chris, Josh, and Ryan. They explore Kickstart and crowd funding, Hollywood's obsession with reboots, what next-gen phones need to do to truly innovate, and the non-necessity that is the 2DS, as well as Vita TV.

Nate hosts the second podcast episode, joined by Chris, Ryan, and Staughton. They explore just how bad Ben Affleck as Batman will be, the existence of sophomore slumps, whether Sony's snark marketing is helping them, and opinions on linear and open worlds in gaming.

Ryan hosts the first podcast episode, joined by Chris, Nate, and Staughton. They discuss the upcoming release of the Oculus Rift, the potential downfall of Nintendo's flagship console, and debate whether the serious tone in comic book movies is good or bad