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The very first episode of the Girls on Games Podcast! We talk 1st anniversary of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, the issues with recent AAA game releases and the games we plan on playing over the holidays.

If you have any questions, comments, ideas or thoughts, write it in the comments below or tweet us @thegirlsongames!

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Leah Jewer
Host, Co-founder of Girls on Games

Leah is a Newfie-transplant who obtained her B.F.A and M.F.A. in graphic design from Concordia University and Savannah College of Art and Design. A true gamer from early on, she hasn't stop playing since the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System. She's a hardcore geek, a Trekker (as in Star Trek, not the 'walking over long distance' thing) and lover of rock and roll.

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3 Responses

  1. Devin Reply

    Well it’s taken me some time to um… Get the time… To respond… Yeah.

    Found myself agreeing with quite a few things on the cast, and just wanted to give my two cents as well on a few matters.

    #1: Things I’ve noticed in gaming: Destiny’s music.

     It’s not terribly okay to point this out as a “Next-Gen” Thing while taking into consideration that it’s one company that’s made this step, but it’s a step in the right direction and I love it.

    The first game in which I ever particularly noticed the music was Halo, because of course it was. Halo had the kind of music that made you stop in the middle of a fight and just start getting into the tunes. Yes, a game that made you FORGET THE GAME because the music was so good, and Destiny is the only game in so many years that’s had the same effect. I get into games, I drown out my parents and friends yelling in my ears when I game, so what makes you think anything less than brilliant will get my attention? 

    Yes, it was bungie in both cases that did this, but it’s sorely needed in this industry much more than 1080p or 60fps (but I’ll get to that in a second). I feel a video game should try and captivate you with more than just visuals, and getting a decent score that doesn’t include “Generic Rock Riff #83” could definitely be a nice step.

    #2: The Graphics Debate

    The dreaded question: Is 1080p or 60fps really necessary? No. What IS important? Marketing and displaying your product in an honest way.

    I’m currently running through Wild Arms 2 (well I was until Far Cry 4 came out). I like new games and old game sand everything in between. The classics are classics for a reason, and graphics are not an excuse not to play them anymore. I can find myself getting just as immersed in a blocky Final Fantasy as I can in stunning Far Cry 4’s Kyrat, so the number of dots on my screen isn’t essential to immersion.

    That being said, publishers need to tell us what the game will be. Don’t show me a 1080p trailer if your game won’t be supported in 1080p. If it’s 900p, tell me, I’ll make the decision to buy your game or not, but that will be MY choice, and I won’t be able to blame you for misleading me, as I knew what the resolution would be. It’s that simple.

    #3: Halo – MCC Multi-player

    Pardon the word, but I can’t help but feel like the whole multi-player issue smacks of hubris. A bunch of people got together, tossed 100 maps together and thought “We’re only touching up the textures right? We don’t need to test this!” without thinking that these textures interact with everything in the world, and YES! You need to test them.

    The match making creating unfair teams is inexcusable by far and a game like halo is certainly going to be played for its multiplayer. I see this case as being no different than Assassin’s Creed: Unity. Someone took an easy route to throw the game out faster.

    I agree immensely that a Beta would have worked out great to get these issues off the ground, especially as they are still persisting after so long. Rushing a game is never a good idea, especially when that game exists on the scope of Halo. Speaking of Rushing things…

    #4: Assassin’s Creed

    This is a painful topic. I love Assassin’s Creed. It was my favorite game for so long. I have played AC, AC2, Brotherhood, Revelations, AC3, Liberation, AC4, Freedom Cry and Rogue on launch day. Not the day after. AC3 and liberation were disappointing, and the story has declined greatly, but I’ve stayed to loyal to this IP that it’s physically painful to say I’m disappointed in Ubisoft for Rogue and Unity. 

    Those following me on Twitter notice my short rants about AC Rogue. The Grenade launcher isn’t a new item, it throws grenades just as far as Ezio in Revelations, only you get 3 generic kinds of bomb. The Air Rifle replaced the blow dart. You play with two swords like in AC 4. The Morrigan feels just like the Aquila and the Jackdaw, only you farm resources via naval combat slower, so it encourages you to sack warehouses instead (you’re no pirate after all). It’s a copy-paste with a new character and a fancy accent. The stalker mechanic is neat, but you find yourself facing peasant stalkers sometimes for the sake of making the game harder, which kills the flavor.

    I used to strive for 100% synchronization and now I just don’t care. I’ve played this game 3 times already in AC3, AC4, and Freedom Cry. I don’t need to play it again.

    Ubisoft needs to stop tossing out a game every year, sit down, and make a new game that feels like a new game and doesn’t look like a rehash. I’ve lost a lot of faith in the AC name, and I hate that I had to type that because I want them to be fund so bad.

    That’ll be my little rant for now. I feel I’ve written a storm of words and need to try and limit myself for the moment

    • Catherine Smith-Desbiens Reply

      I agree with a lot of what you wrote, especially the note about graphics. I don’t think 60fps is necessary however, I would love for games AT LEAST stay in the 24-30fps range. I’m fine playing ACU in a stable 900p with 30fps if it means avoiding a massive frame rate drop each time I approach a large crowd or synch a viewpoint.

      As you said, a lot of it is tied to how games are marketed, which is my gripe with overhyped games. Destiny promised more than it was able to deliver. Even if that game had great mechanics, awesome graphics, stable gameplay (for the most part) and captivating music, our expectations of that game were so high that I feel that Bungie would never be able to live up to them. We need more honest advertising in games. Yes the next gen consoles have great potential, but that doesn’t mean we’re able to tap into just yet and maybe it’ll take a few game cycles for the devs to get it right.

      As a massive AC fan, I’m also pained to say that Ubisoft is watering down the series by pumping out releases too quickly. I don’t even have time to anticipate the new one as I know it’ll come out in November like clockwork. It is definitely time for Ubi to rethink their strategies to keep their long standing series alive and well.

      • Devin Reply

        Even more fair points. Honestly, I don’t want less over hyping, I just want less marketing. I want a chance to breathe in between games. 4 AAA games just came out on the 18th. We had Farcry 4, Little Big Planet 3, Shadows of Morder, and Dragon Age. Now the next list of games will be shoved down our throat to the point that I won’t be able to enjoy my current game cause I’ll be made anxious for the next.

        Ali said it very well. AAA is disappointing, and it very quickly offering little of what I want in my gaming experience

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