PAX East 2014: Initial thoughts and impressions of The Evil Within

ne of the floor spaces particularly bustling with a bevy of attendees was Bethesda as attendees eagerly trafficked into line to see two games showcased, one being a playable demo, and the other; a presentation demo.

While I covered both, I figured I’d start off the pair with the game that’ll would be the most exhausting to express in my impressions; The Evil Within makes its first showing at PAX East since E3 of last year, and if the demo is any indication of the direction that will lead to the final product then it’s with a heavy heart that I foresee it being a memorable disappointment at best for the year of 2014.

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GDC 14: Exposing who the Character is, instead of what they do

he art of weaving an engaging fiction for the most interactive media in existence pens out like one of the easiest tasks in game development. The reality, however, is far from it. As we’re entering into the eighth generation of video games, an age where the latest foundation of tech at hand can simulate the most realistic of atmospheres and imagery, games still struggle to escape the trappings of the self-derived conceit that is ludonarrative dissonance, among other shortcomings -- Why?

The journey to fix these flaws and expand storytelling into new, more refined territories is a challenge that several developers attempt to tackle during every Game Developers Conference. While last year’s efforts focused on what could improve the writing that composes these tales, this year tackles the art of direction and engagement, and factors that motivate the gamer to emotionally invest into the narrative.

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PPR Presents Now Showing: 01/24/14

hat’s that? You say you demand squeaky new footage on upcoming video games do you? Why of course you do, and we’re not pulling any punches in this latest Now Showing. 2014 may have started with a slight lull in releases (giving plenty of indies the opportunity to shine) but that’s soon coming to an end.

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PPR 81

t’s here everyone, and no, we’re not talking about Gamestick. The next generation has finally dawned upon the gaming community in its entirety and we’re here give impressions and chew bubble gum (but we’re all out of bubble gum and us chewing that shit would make for horrible radio anyway.)

We cover everything about Sony and Microsoft’s new machines in every imaginable detail in this special episode. We make predictions, Andrew hates on the Ouya, and James isn’t a fan of Killer Instinct with some Xbox Bing on top—Listen to all thoughts here and stand by as we prepare our annual Game of year award show, The Golden Zonkeys; Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Rate and subscribe to us iTunes today, follow us on our new Twitch page, mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, and be sure to stop by at our Forums and register as well!

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PPR 80

ven though we are approaching the launch of new hardware to kick us off into a new generation of video games, there’s still going to be a lot of familiar franchises getting new entries with the same old gameplay in the years to follow whether we like it or not. IS that a good thing though, isn’t the idea of annual sequel to your favorite video game like the best thing ever? We talk about how it could be a good thing and spoilers; why it mostly isn’t.

The Wolf among Us, Sonic Lost World, Batman Arkham Origins, Next-generation talk, The Guided Fate Paradox, Corbin Bernsen, Quidditch, and so many other topics fly out of lips this week so enjoy it folks as we prep for the next episode—Next Generation launch impressions.

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PPR 79

t’s that time again, and speaking of time, it’s a merciless beast to us all. We gather around the podcasting table to discuss the inevitable cross-dressing, uhhh, cross-streaming, ummm cross-crissing? Well, what we mean to say is that the next generation of gaming isn’t manning the ship on it’s own for some time, because the older siblings of the Ps4 and Xbox One aren’t shoving off just yet; it may seem like a small thing, but it’s going to affect us in a number of ways.

Aside from all that talk, we dive into your emails on Select Feedback, get nuts with Pokémon X/Y, gab on Final Fantasy XIV, and much more—it’s Press Pause Radio folks, did you miss us?

Rate and subscribe to us iTunes today, follow us on our new Twitch page, mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, and be sure to stop by at our Forums and register as well!

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PAX Prime 2013: PPR TALKS PAX

fter our amazing meet and greet at GameWorks last night, we decided to record the official PAX podcast of Press Pause Radio, and it’s a doozy. We were humbled by our friends and special guests joining the record, The Sunken Treasures crew, Aaron and Sara, and another close friend of the show, and 1UP alumni, Ben Bizzle. This show includes Sexy talk, Seagrams, indie games galore, and irrational hatred for Rare.

Rate and subscribe to us iTunes today, follow us on our new Twitch page, mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, and be sure to stop by at our Forums and register as well! Also, if you guys have any specific requests or feedback, be sure to email us at mailbag@presspauseradio.com, and if you guys are going to be there then don't be shy -- come say hello!

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PAX Prime 2013: Hands-on with Ryse

ack in 2011 during Microsoft’s E3 Keynote, The people behind the color green were desperately pushing support for their new peripheral: Kinect. Ryse, a Roman gladiator action game was one of the promotions for that hands-free hotness Microsoft wanted to jazz everyone up about.

Flash forward to 2013, where all of Microsoft’s previous enthusiasm for the Kinect is significantly reduced, Ryse reemerges as an Xbox One launch title with Kinect support being wildly scaled back, so naturally, I found the development intriguing and decided to scope out just how well Crytek transitioned that shift in development, and finishing the nearly finished build the floor didn’t exactly project any positive prospect for the finished product come launch day.

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