Insert Coins!

In today's episode we look back at the pros and cons of owning the PS5 and what the first 90 days with the system have been like from a gamer's perspective! Are there enough games? Has the system lived up to its hype? Is the controller holding up? Hear all about the good, bad and the ugly on today's show!

Today it's a listener request topic as we answer Isaiah Rivers question from Twitter where he asked "What would you do for a sequel to Mario Strikers Charged?" Thanks for the question and today we dive into things you should consider for a sequel and what I would do for the third installment in the Strikers series if I were to work on the game!

On this week's show we sit down with Kaue Rosa of Game Worthy Studios in Part 2 of a two part mini series on his venture into being a solo game developer in the mobile games industry. Kaue has been on an incredible 15 months journey developing over 30 games as he takes on the competitive hyper casual genre as a one man shop. If you are looking to go solo or wanting to break into the gaming industry you won't want to miss this mini series!

On this week's show we sit down with Kaue Rosa of Game Worthy Studios in Part 1 of a two part mini series on his venture into being a solo game developer in the mobile games industry.  Kaue has been on an incredible 15 months journey developing over 30 games as he takes on the competitive hyper casual genre as a one man shop.  If you are looking to go solo or wanting to break into the gaming industry you won't want to miss this mini series!

Another week, another next gen console set of impressions and today we dive into that first time user experience on the Series X.  How did it stack up to the PS5?  Grab a cold beverage and listen in as I walk through all the details from the hardware to the set up and initial walkthrough of the console from the dashboard to the store! 

On today's show we talk early impressions of the PS5, the set up process, looks and the experience getting to know the new system.  We then jump into NBA2K21 and Bugsnax as the first two games as the first two next gen games in my PS5 library.  Let's just say sports games have never looked so awesome! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

On today's show we talk the games I am most looking forward to on PS5 and Series X. With every launch I look to for things that stand out from the crowd and are different, unique and offer something new. While I undoubtedly will buy NBA and COD these most wanted games actually are driving more intrigue and excitement. I also give a quick update on the continued exploration of my Arcade Cabinet from Extreme Home Arcades. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This week we chat about the arrival of my new Mario Strikers Charged custom arcade cabinet as the long six month wait is over.

After a short break we are back with a look at a couple of games. We step into the ring with WWE 2K Battlegrounds and then head into the Mushroom Kingdom for a battle royale platform experience with Super Mario 35!

This week we head into the mailbag and respond to a listener's question about the path than helped me get into gaming and some of the key aspects that are valuable when chasing a career in the game design field.  

On this week's show we discuss the ever chaotic pre order adventure in trying to get your hands on a next gen system, I was lucky enough to get a PS5 and a Series X!  And the Microsoft acquisition of Bethesda and their continuing push to become the Netflix of gaming!

This week with the big Sony announcement on the horizon we go through my Top 5 predictions ahead of the Sony announcement and how I see them positioning themselves against the Microsoft launch strategy.

On today's episode we welcome back Quincy Roach to discuss the launch details for the Microsoft next gen consoles including some great consumer choices and pricing strategies that could tilt the war in their favour!

This week on Insert Coins we discuss the troubling release of Madden 21 and the football community pushing back asking the NFL to drop EA from the license due to poor quality.  And I head in from a week with PGA2K21 and give my review on this new licensed golf offering from 2K and HB Studios!

It is time for the world to change and get the world to understand that racial injustice is a problem we need to fix, I did not see it fit to talk gaming this week but offer my voice towards this cause.  I want to express my support to the actions and messages made by the athletes tonight and hope that people start listening so we can create some much needed change.  There is no place for racial injustice in our world. 

This week we touch on a really interesting documentary called "The Fall of EA Sports" which has surfaced just a week ahead of Madden 21's release!  We then look at the balanced approach of 2K Sports with entries in both the SIM and ARCADE sports genre filling out their release schedule.  Is the sports genre about to get a second life and more competition and quality?

In this episode we sit down with Joel Deyoung founder and former Director of Technology of Hothead Games and discuss the infamous Soccergeddon days we shared developing and launching Big Win Soccer.  Join us on this look back at our first ride running a game as a service, enduring the challenges and growing from the failures we ultimately experienced in this success!

On the first episode of season 2 we take a look at the Intellivision Amico as the new kid on the block in the gaming world.  The company held an event today and viewers got a deeper look at some of the games coming for the system as well as the new release date and we go in-depth on impressions of both the potential for this new hardware and the games & licenses that are confirmed for this new kid on the block. 

In today's episode straight from the listener mailbox we dive into the differences between developing and publishing before venturing into some of the differences between working in console versus the mobile games market.  

With the Series X reveal in the books and still at a stand off with dates and prices in the console wars we focus in on the ever changing situation around Live Gold subscriptions possibly being included for free after November and Game Pass staying exclusively Microsoft for what could be a disruptive and ingenious strategy to win the console wars. 

Episode 8 is all next generation console focused as we discuss the posturing of both Sony and Microsoft as they continue to play cat and mouse in their positioning heading towards pricing, release and pre-order dates.  Then it's Digital versus Physical as gamers will have choice in terms of the type of console they want this time around right at launch.  Do you care about physical media anymore? As always you can reach us with your thoughts at insertcoinstalk@gmail.com

Happy National Video Game Day, today we celebrate gaming and what better way that diving into the memory banks and ten of the most memorable gaming moments throughout my life.  With so many to choose from it was hard to just settle on ten but take a trip back in time and relive some of my happy gaming moments through the age of the video game. 

In today's show we head back down memory lane to the creation of Punch Out on the Wii.  We discuss how the opportunity came around, the vision for the product and some of the creative inspirations for the modern version in the series.  A truly amazing privilege it was to work on this game, and an experience that still seems surreal today, including being the voice of Super Macho Man. 

Today we welcome special guest Quincy Roach to the show to discuss the exclusive licensing deals in the sports genre.  From the end of Madden being the only NFL licensed football game to the back and forth licensing war between Konami and EA in the soccer genre.  We also stop on the ice to talk hockey, the hardwood to discuss the latest with the NBA and finally on the diamond to talk the baseball genre. Quincy has years of experience in game development with stints at Jaleco, Gameloft and Gametek before it become Rockstar Toronto.  He is also a passionate gamer and continue to work in development creating media applications. 

A quick look at the upcoming PGA2K21 and the successful evolution of the Golf Club series made by HB Studios which has taken advantage of a wide open golf genre with no competition.

It's always fun to reflect on the best experiences over the journey through a career and today I look back at some memories and takeaways from working with Nintendo of Japan and Kensuke Tanabe on the Mario Strikers Series on Gamecube and the Wii.  It was a pivotal experience in my career where I learned so much and will always be grateful for the incredible experience. 

On today's show we take a look at the newest entrant in the retro gaming market with the Evercade and some thoughts on this pricy trip down the nostalgia road.   Then we shift gears and talk about one of the best alternative sports series in the market with Super Mega Baseball and how the sports genre in general could use some additional fresh games with this type of quality. 

The first ever episode of Insert Coins!  Today we talk about The PS5 Details that surfaced this week as Sony brings E3 into your living room!  And we also discuss the Summer of Gaming at IGN and their exclusive story on Arcade 1UP's new cabinets and their continued success! Enjoy the show and thanks for listening! If you have any comments, suggestions or show topics feel free to let us know in the comments! Mike