Hot Button

Who's ready to party like it's Easter Sunday, because this week we're going to get blasphemous and explore what is probably the most elaborate and insane PR campaign for a video game ever. Seven full months of religious-infused stunts destined to promote the character action title that time forgot. Ain't no sunshine into these layers of Hell!

It's an 18+ adults only Valentine's Day special today as we break out the worst console ever made, the Philips CD-i, and recount the true story of when a “sex manual” from the early 70s was bizarrely adapted into an interactive video game from the early 90s. Not even the folks responsible can hide from us!

The discussions conclude as we find our answers to the four final categories: Best Surprise, Biggest Disappointment, Worst Game, and of course a collaborative list of the ten Best Games overall!  Biggest Surprise 0:02:02  Most Disappointing 1:30:04  Worst Game 2:36:45  Best Game 3:26:21

This week begins our mission of naming the top of what gaming in 2024 had to offer. In our first half of the debates, we honor our picks for: Best Aesthetic, Best Story, Best Character, and (perhaps our personal favorite) Best Moment or Sequence. Let the arguments commence!  Best Aesthetic 0:01:02  Best Narrative 1:12:38  Best Character 2:00:31  Best Moment or Sequence 3:03:46

Woo lad! It's been a whopping six years and nearly 120 episodes! You know what that means. Today we reinvestigate the back catalog to see what's new with our topics. It's honestly surprising just how much can change in the last 12 months. Come find out!

We close out the spookiest of all holidays with the unusual tale of how a fun 80s arcade shooter came to be! That was before it killed someone, played a role in a homicide case, and found itself in the middle of multiple conspiracy theories!

Halloween season has officially started so this week we get our hands dirty with Rockstar's found footage murder simulator… classic? From its controversial portrayal of a deranged man forced into the seedy underground world of snuff film creation to its divisive launch, ensuing bans, and connection to a heinous real-life crime! We cover it all! Not to mention provide a nuanced discussion of using violence as a form of artistic expression and social commentary! Hooray!

It's our most boob-filled discussion to date as we dissect the development and release of one of the biggest box office hits to ever be based on a classic video game! A blunder filled with interesting casting choices, over the top wire work, cute snow dogs, and an eccentric soundtrack to boot.

Come join the crew in watching the 2001 action-adventure blockbuster hit starring Angelina Jolie! And trust us when I say that you won't want to take on this task alone… because this film sucks! Weak characterization, sloppy editing, and poor cinematography are only the start of this dud. But don't worry, our audio track is here to spice things up and save you from utter chaos! Then you'll have all the context ya need for when we dig into its full production on the next episode. Stay tuned!

We got a fresh batch of weird little stories for the pod this week as we discuss the tangled web of digital music licensing, interactive cures to fight real world disease, and what happens when a public wedding proposal inside of a popular video game goes awry.

And we're back with our deep dive through the Valve timeline! This week we take a step into the realm of virtual reality as well as explore the mega company's most recent success following the release of their SteamDeck handheld series!

Today we dig into Valve Software's big foray into not only developing their in house operating system, but also their very own home hardware. Everything from the Steam Link, to the Steam Controller, to the Steam Machine and everything in between!

What do you get when you combine a brand new retro-style system, a botched crowdfunding campaign, and a bunch of tricksters? Why you get the Coleco Chameleon of course! The cartridge based home console that never was, from a team now only known for their deceptive attempt to fool a demographic who was all well too informed to fall for it.

Ten years ago, the popularity and drama of the silly little mobile app Flappy Bird was inescapable. On this episode we investigate its suspicious origins, controversies, bizarre release and unrelease, the ensuing wave of copycats, as well as find out what happens when a creator is tormented by his very own invention.

It's a good ol' fashioned reality show nightmare this week as we dig into the time America's favorite soft drink sponsored a gaming television program full of popular faces and yet, production failed so hard that it never even made it to air!

This week John Romero is about to make you his bitch as we explore the troubled development and release of one of the largest high profile blunders ever to grace our industry. So join us as we hop back to the optimistic days of the mid 1990s and show you just where this epic sci-fi FPS, created by some of the biggest names in games, went horribly wrong.

We're back with our second and final part on the best (and worst) of 2023! Why not celebrate Valentine's Day by listening to us argue four more awards categories, including… Biggest Surprise, Most Disappointing, Worst Game, and of course a ranked top 10 of the Best of the Best!  Biggest Surprise - 00:01:45  Most Disappointing - 00:37:53  Worst Game - 01:47:30  Best Game - 02:03:51

With 2024 now upon us, what do you say we take a look back and discuss our top releases of last year. This week we kick it off with awards for Best Aesthetic, Best Narrative, Best Character, and Best Moment! Be sure to return for the remaining categories in Part 2 of 2 coming soon! Note - There will be story spoilers during certain conversations and we will label where to skip ahead in the time codes below.  Best Aesthetic - 00:02:10  Best Narrative - 00:53:49  Best Character - 01:52:22  Best Moment or Sequence - 02:36:08

Sometimes something happens that we just can't sit on. In perhaps what is likely THE most self-destructive move we have ever seen in almost any industry, today we buckle down and discuss the recent explosion of controversy from the folks at the Unity company. Please note that this recording is not only an expansion of the latest anniversary update, but also a follow-up to the history we covered of the game engine in episode 85!

The annual VGAs have officially concluded. This week we give a play-by-play of the night's events as well as our thoughts on every major reveal and announcement. This along with the tallying up the results of who in the podcast room made the most accurate predictions of them all!

Awards season is upon us! Today we place our bets and personal picks as we run through all the main categories set to presented at Geoff Keighley's big show. Who's chosen group of nominees will come out on top? Tune back in next time to hear which one of us is crowed the winner!

Five years! Can you believe it? Take a trip through time with us this week as we check back in with all our past episodes and update a half decade plus of some of the biggest stories in gaming!

Get over here! At long last, we cover the third great pillar of defunct American software publishers! From the arcade classics to seventh gen sleepers, we take a look at everything these dead kings of the “B” game threw at us. The hits and the misfires! These folks left quite the mark on our industry. So allow us to take you on a guided tour of their humble beginnings, rise to stardom, fall from grace, and eventual collapse.

Halloween is now upon us… therefore it's time the podcast tackles what is likely one of the most distressing stories to ever find its way into gaming history. Today we explore the tragedy and mind of an artist faced with the unimaginable. So you best be prepared for our discussion of death, conspiracies, aliens, PC adventure titles, and psychobilly rock music?

In what might be the most unusual kick-off of our Halloween season, on this episode we examine five separate instances of when developers used actual real images of the recently deceased in their video games and why.

You've seen the motion picture, now it's time for us to take a look at the video game… based off the movie… based off the video game? Today we examine the series's most forgotten entry and why it failed to connect with fans. All three versions!

This week we have returned to give a proper summary on what in the world we all just watched as well as a thorough analysis of how this wonderfully schlocky cult film made its way into theaters everywhere! For you it is the most important day of your life. But for us, it is Tuesday.

It's another Hot Button commentary track! Now with more schlock! Sit down alongside us and hear our real-time thoughts on the only 1994 kung-fu action flick to be based off of a premiere fighting game franchise from Capcom, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme! You know the one! So be properly prepared for when we will soon get into the crazy production of it all in the coming weeks!

We did it, folks! It's our 100th episode! And boy did we save one of the best topics to celebrate it, because it is time for us to remind the world of when a group of dangerous Swedish mobsters clumsily attempted to infiltrate our favorite industry with one of the absolute worst gaming handhelds ever created! There's twists, there's turns. Get ready for an exciting adventure, filled with guns, drugs, car crashes, sellout celebrities, and ofcourse… endless stupidity!

You've heard the episodes! Now we go straight to the source! On a very out of the ordinary Hot Button this week, we sit down and have a chat with writer Alyse Knorr about her GoldenEye 007 entry for the highly regarded Boss Fight line of gaming-focused books. We discuss everything from our personal experiences with the shooter that started it all, to her one-on-one talks with the Rare crew, to what it was like to collect so much hard-hitting research that made our series possible!

The thrilling conclusion to our GoldenEye trilogy is here! Today we reflect on the powerful legacy it left behind and explore the future it built for everyone involved. From Perfect Dark to TimeSplitters to full-blown remakes and remasters, oh my!

We're back to continue on with the tale of how one of your favorite childhood classics came to be! In our story's middle chapter, we'll take you through the rest of GoldenEye's fascinating development as the crew at Rare prepares for its monumental launch onto the 64 and into our hearts.

Hot Button has returned with something truly special. This week we take a trip to the mid-90s, and in what is perhaps the industry's unlikeliest success story, explore the time when a crack team of young designers turned a Hollywood spy flick into one of the most beloved and influential video games to ever grace home consoles. On this first episode of our new series, hear us cover the humble beginnings of developer studio Rare as well as their budding friendship with Nintendo and secret agent James Bond.

It's officially 2023! However before we return to our regularly scheduled programming, we're first going to take a look back at these past twelve months and decide as a group what the absolute best (as well as worst) game releases were for the whole year. So buckle down and listen to us collaboratively build our definitive top 10 list!”  Note - This episode was recorded prior to the criminal charges against High on Life creator Justin Roiland were publicly revealed.

No, we're not dead! Come hear where we've been! The hiatus may have been longer than expected, but that didn't certainly stop the world from turning. And the news from happening. In this return special we got all the latest updates on our backlog of fun stories over the past near half decade. Announcements, deaths, and everything in between. Plus some laying out of killers plans for the podcast's future too!

It's the grand finale you've all been waiting for! Our definitive ranked top 10 list of the absolute best releases of 2021 as well as a shameful crown for the crappiest game!  Timestamps:  Worst Game - 00:01:36  Game of The Year - 00:39:43

We are almost there, folks! Today's awards are a double dose of categories. What were the Biggest Disappointments and Biggest Surprises that gaming had to offer during the year? Which titles brought us up and which let us down? There's only one way to find out!  Timestamps:  Biggest Disappointment - 00:01:05  Biggest Surprise - 01:22:20

We've reached the halfway point! Hot Button's official Game of the Year deliberations continue on with Best Remake, Best Expansion, and Biggest Disaster! After we discuss what the Biggest Timesinks of 2021 were and then… Best Chelsie Game?  Timestamps:  Best Remaster, Remake or Rerelease - 00:01:35  Best Expansion or Improvement - 00:46:38  Biggest Disaster - 01:37:47  Best Chelsie Game - 02:27:02  Biggest Timesink - 03:04:08

It's the spoiler-packed second chapter of Hot Button's Game of the Year awards! On this episode we get into what we thought was the Best Moment or Sequence from a game, our favorite Best New Character, and which title featured the Best Narrative overall. This as well as finding out what was the Best Creature or Monster that we ran into in all of 2021!  Timestamps:  Best Moment or Sequence - 00:01:43  Best New Character - 02:27:50  Best Narrative - 03:48:36  Best Creature or Monster - 04:56:13

2022 is here! That must mean it's time for Hot Button to take a look back on these past 12 months of releases and host its first ever Game of the Year deliberations! In our opening batch of categories, we discuss our nominees and find winners for Best Game Pass Game, the Game We Needed most, and Best Aesthetic. These along with Best Use of Music and Best Use of Time Loop!  Timestamps:  Best Game Pass Game - 00:05:25  Game We Needed - 00:48:11  Best Aesthetic - 1:54:21  Best Use of Music - 03:02:14  Best Use of Timeloop - 03:52:06

It's time we tally up the results and see who came out on top following the airing of this year's The Game Awards! NFTs thankfully weren't welcome at the event, however it did come jam-packed with trailers, announcements, and of course those sweet trophies given to the victorious. So join in listening to us run through it all! Play by play! From Sting to the Matrix.

It's awards season y'all! In this episode, we run through every category and nomination featured in Geoff Keighley's big annual game of the year event. We then choose our picks on who we think will take home the gold and why as we play against each other in betting which title is going to come out on top in the end. Will it be Resident Evil: Village? Will it be Psychonauts 2? Is one of us upset that Returnal wasn't included? Tune in to find out just how we align! Timestamps: Best Narrative - 00:03:45, Best Art Direction - 00:11:27, Best Score and Music - 00:17:09, Best Audio Design - 00:27:22, Best Performance - 00:35:18, Games for Impact - 00:44:54, Best Ongoing Game - 00:49:19, Best Community Support - 00:52:39, Best Indie Game - 00:55:48, Best Mobile Game - 01:03:27, Best AR/VR Game - 01:10:55, Innovation in Accessibility - 01:13:40, Best Action Game - 01:23:09, Best Action Adventure - 01:27:43, Best Roleplaying Game - 01:36:00, Best Fighting Game - 01:41:29, Best Family Game - 01:44:15, Best Sim/Strategy Game - 01:52:41, Best Sports/Racing Game - 01:56:14, Best Multiplayer Game - 02:02:52, Best Debut Indie Game - 02:10:15, Content Creator of the Year - 02:15:45, eSports Awards - 02:23:08, Best Game Direction - 02:31:46, Game of the Year - 02:35:42, Most Anticipated Game - 02:52:50

It's a full house this week as we celebrate our third birthday together. So join us in going back through every topic we've ever covered from the very beginning all the way to today! A near two and half hours of updating, correcting, and reflecting on the good times. This along with poking fun at the constant strangeness this industry seems to endlessly relish in.

Our mini-stories series is back! This week we super vary it up and get into the licensing around car manufacturers in racing games, the theft of some classic internet memes, and finally which deep secrets lay hidden behind the legendary Demon's Souls door.

In what might be one of the most mysterious projects we have ever covered, this week we explore the confusing history of a social experiment who's intentions to this day are still being investigated. A supposed horror FMV title played through web cameras that also may have even shared close connections with some of the top names in the indie gaming space. Whether or not it ever was destined to see release is truly the ultimate question here in the finale of our 2021 Halloween series!

Are video games teaching your children to eat each other? This week we discuss the time that the industry became under fire in the absolute dumbest way imaginable, along with the origins of an inept advocacy group who hand-waved their way into headlines by picking a fight the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.

And we're back with the second and final part on the captivating development behind Cyberdream's playable 1995 translation of Harlan Ellison's “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream”. This week, we get deep into it's actual production, release, and legacy! Along with our personal experiences of analyzing it's intensely terrifying narrative themes.

It's finally that time of year again, everybody! And what better way to kick off the spooky scary Halloween season than by digging into the story of how one of cult gaming's most fascinating point-and-click PC adventure titles came to fruition, a direct adaptation AND expansion of Harlan Ellison's sci-fi horror masterpiece “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream”. On Part I, we break down this twisted work of fiction as well as the early days of the author and developer team who made it all possible.

Don't y'all just hate those pesky controllers? Wouldn't your body or voice make a better one? Back in 2010, Microsoft sure thought that! This week we get into life of the motion-sensing camera peripheral for the Xbox 360 known as the Kinect. Everything from its inception to its reception as well as all the tech talk and personal experiences in between.

We've watched the film, now it's time for the full breakdown. This week we get deep into the production and release of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within! A costly cinematic disaster of a computer animated sci-fi epic that for some reason shares a name with the hugely successful gaming series that inspired it. If you've also ever wanted to know how Square and Enix became Square Enix, than this is the story for you!

Our third official Hot Button commentary is here! Listen to us watch 2001's mess of a sci-fi epic, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, a film that is TOTALLY based off the popular video game franchise and not at all a bizarre fever dream of CGI and heady writing guaranteed to make your head spin. So allow us to ease the pain of your viewing experience and be sure to check in again next week when we give you the full story of how this cinematic disaster came to be!