Quest 44 - Can reviews be objective?

Special Guest: Raul Torres

Zach's HTC Vive joins us to explain to Tom why reviews cannot be objective...and Raul has the worst birthday ever.

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
  • 02:00 - Can reviews be objective?
  • 13:20 - Do game reviews have a strick rubric?
  • 22:15 - How do we review software?
  • 32:40 - Is it unfair to compare things in reviews?
  • 40:50 - How do we gauge talent?
  • 50:00 - Can people disagree when being objective?
  • 56:00 - Wrap up and hot seat!

Music

Quest 43 - What happens when games change genres?

Tom and Zach use their radio voices to...um...yaaaaaa...what day is, man?

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
  • 06:10 - Is going from 2D to 3D a genre change?
  • 15:15 - How many times did Metal Gear change genres?
  • 22:45 - When has new technology created a new genre?
  • 34:20 - Are RPGs puzzle games?
  • 44:25 - Is Final Fantasy about to change genres?
  • 53:50 - Why did Castlevania have to change genres again?
  • 62:20 - Wrap up!

Music

Quest 42 - What were the best things in the 90s?

Tom and Zach wax nostalgic as they discuss several top 25 lists from the 90s.

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
  • 03:00 - What were the top 25 movies of the 90s?
  • 34:30 - What were the top 25 games of the 90s?
  • 65:00 - What were the top 25 TV shows of the 90s?
  • 81:30 - Wrap up!

Music

Quest 41 - How did Star Trek storytelling change over the decades?

There are 726 Star Trek television episodes, and Zach and Tom talk about each of them for 10 seconds...yes, it IS as boring as it sounds!

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
  • 09:15 - What else can we say about The Original Series?
  • 21:00 - Could The Next Generation do no wrong?
  • 44:15 - What was Deeps Space 9's effect the franchise?
  • 63:30 - Did Seven of Nine take over Voyager?
  • 86:00 - Could Enterprise do no right?
  • 117:00 - Wrap up!

Music

Quest 40 - What should all software developers want in their applications?

Tom and Zach go all geek this week, with a conversation about software development best practices.

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
  • 03:55 - Why isn't your application logging?
  • 06:15 - Where is your configuration coming from?
  • 11:00 - Can we talk about Unit Tests for 18 minutes?
  • 29:00 - Is continuous integration necessary?
  • 30:30 - Does automated deployment speed up development?
  • 38:00 - When should you use inversion of control?
  • 49:30 - How intrusive is error reporting for end users?
  • 59:00 - Do you remove user impersonation from production builds?
  • 63:30 - Why is continuous deployment so controversial?
  • 72:15 - Wrap up!

Links

Music

Quest 39 - What is agency, and does it matter in video games?

Tom and Zach try to prove that their life has meaning by escaping into a podcast...oh, the irony, it burns!

Minutes

  • 00:00 - Mic Check and Introductions
  • 01:15 - Does agency matter in video games?
  • 11:10 - Which game genres have the most agency?
  • 23:30 - Randomization, does it reduce agency?
  • 33:00 - Does agency add to escapism?
  • 42:20 - Are binary choices cop-outs?
  • 47:20 - Why is Chrono Trigger the best fake out ever?
  • 53:30 - Wrap up

Links

Music