The Wii U is set to launch by the end of 2012… but is it really? We’ve been seeing the same tech demo since E3 2011, but no actual titles running on Wii U hardware. Will Nintendo make the projected launch date, or is it all smoke and mirrors? Sean and Vinnk disagree about what this means, encourage Sony to get out of the hardware market since the PS3 has never gotten above third place in North America, the PS Vita’s launch has been a larger thud than the one for 3DS, and rumors that the Next Xbox from Microsoft will somehow ban used games. RAMPANT SPECULATION!
Does allowing gamers to create their own worlds within a game make that game better, or does it just excuse the developers from having to create any content themselves? Vinnk and Sean discuss their first experiences with user-generated content (on the NES!), the wonders of the Famicom Data Recorder, and which games they thought were helped or hampered by being able to draw dongs on the sides of racecars.
It seems like it’s getting harder to play video games all the time: an especially embarrassing realization when you’ve gone halfway across the country to attend the tenth annual Music and Gaming Festival aka MAGFest, Sean is joined by guest panelists Justin "JewWario" Carmichael, Brenna "Sindra" Wilkes, and Zac Shipley discuss the potentials and pitfalls of the Wii U, the events of the first day of MAGFest, ruminations on the seeming necessity of the waiver policy in light of ninja refrigerator attacks, and the importance of personal hygiene — even if in Pikachu form. Also, Vinnk (unable to attend due to living on the other side of the planet) regales is with HIS version of a fun convention!
What a year! 2011 brought its share of good games, bad weather (including a tsunami that devastated parts of Japan), and lots of changes for Famicom Dojo. Sean and Vinnk discuss what games they’re looking forward to in 2012, if the PS Vita is already a failure before it’s even been released in the US, and if the Wii U will be making its appearance before the end of the year.
Is the Wii U touch controller a naked attempt to try and compete with the iPad, and if so does it stand a chance to succeed? Sean and Vinnk go through a brief history of touch panels in consumer devices, from the Apple Newton to the Tiger Game.com, the Nintendo DS, and — of course — Apple”s iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.
In a word, no, but don’t worry: we’ll totally qualify that position. Nintendo’s financial troubles in 2011, and initially slow sales of the 3DS, followed by its steep price cut have renewed perennial calls for the company to forego the hardware market and release its titles on other platforms. SeanOrange and Vinnk discuss whether or not such a move would be vialbe for Nintendo, and if the company is leaving a lot of money on the table by not embracing the iOS market.
Region locking is nothing new. It hasn’t taken many different forms, but wasn’t always deliberate either. Many handhelds were exempt from this scheme for the longest time (including the Game Boy and DS series), but with time all things change. SeanOrange and Vinnk discuss the very state of affairs that necessitates the existence of organizations like Operation Rainfall, how they came to be, and where they might go from here.
With a lot of developments from the video game world to cover, the Powetcast enlists returning champions Zac, aDam, and Captain Genius with the long awaited return of Sindra and guest starring Famicom Dojo’s Vinnk!
The show rolls on 55 minutes in and shifts gear to talk about X-Men: First Class with Zac, aDam, and Crazy Jaco!
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