I didn’t manage to get a post up about this in time for the live stream, but in case you missed it, the first time, you have another chance, right now!
This morning at 10AM PST, Graham and Paul dove into the world of Legaia 2 in order to bring you the very first Unskippable Let’s Play!
They spent several hours playing and riffed the game unmercifully from start to finish (of the event, not the game). Now you have a chance to relive the experience!
Check it out, right here!
As part of their fifth anniversary issue, the Escapist posted a bio piece on LoadingReadyRun. Nick Halme of the Big E spent the last weekend with us observing our creative process–mostly a lot of meetings, actually–and watching us film this week’s video. It’s a nice piece, especially in pdf form, and worth a read.
Perusing the comments on the article may have made me tear up like the old softy I am–did I mention we love you guys?
(click to link through to The Escapist)
So, in my blog post yesterday I mentioned the fact that I’d have a substantial announcement to make today. Well, that has quickly turned into three announcements, so I may as well throw them all in here.
First off, here’s the thing I had planned to announce: LRR will be at w00tstock in Seattle and Portland in May. If you’re active on the forums, or noticed our little Twitter widget in the sidebar there, or follow Paul & Storm, you probably already know this, but the announcement had to be made official. Now it is.
While the crew was at PAX East, we had a very nice chat with Wil Wheaton and Misters Paul and Storm, and they invited us to be a part of this awesome show. Since we’d pretty much planned to attend as audience members anyhow, we jumped at this opportunity. We haven’t hammered out full details yet, but we’ll be showing a couple of videos and hanging around in person. Other guests and performers at the shows include Paul & Storm, Wil Wheaton, Adam Savage, Molly Lewis, John Roderick, Stephen “Stepto” Toulouse (who just got the cutest damned puppy I’ve ever seen), and Frayn Masters. This should be one hell of a show, so if you can make it to one, don’t miss out. (And buy your tickets soon! They WILL sell out.)
Secondly, you may have noticed our very special stinger after the video yesterday. Well, she said yes. Congratulations to forum members Wraith and TheRocketSiobhan on your engagement!
Our final news item of the day is one you’re probably aware of if you’ve been on our forums or are a frequent user of The Escapist. As of this morning, the big E has rolled out a new subscription program called “The Escapist Publisher’s Club”. For $20 a year, you can now subscribe to The Escapist and gain access to special perks and premium content, including high quality and mobile video playback, behind-the-scenes features, and ad-free browsing. If you’re not interested in subscribing, don’t worry: none of The Escapist’s free content has been rolled into this program, only bonus features. If you’re on the fence, though, just remember that your support of The Escapist benefits us and our content in a very real and effective way.
That’s all for this week!
Every week, Paul, Graham, Kathleen and I get together to write ENN. Over the week, each of us actually writes stories separately, then we get together on Fridays to choose what to use, what to revise, etc. Sometimes the stories we throw out aren’t very good; other times, they are too obscure for a wider audience. Even so, sometimes very good stories have to be thrown out because there is just not enough space for them in the episode. Here are several such stories from this week’s episode:
Expressing Amusement
During his talk at GDC, EA’s John Schappert tried to say the Activision/Infinity Ward legal brouhaha was a disappointment to gamers, but couldn’t make it the whole way through the sentence: instead bursting into delighted giggles and doing a version of Snoopy’s happy dance onstage.
Sex Sells
Tecmo has released an ad for its upcoming Dead or Alive Paradise that is simply a video of a man spanking a stuffed monkey, seeming to acknowledge that the game’s only draw is the scantily clad female characters. In other news, the sun is hot, bears are scary, and the moon continues to orbit the earth.
King Kong
Plastic Surgeon Han Chien has been crowned the new world Donkey Kong champion after achieving a high score of 1,061,700. Chien attributed his success to determination, skill, and a fortuitously shaped blemish on the chest of a plastic surgery patient.
Cutaway: a guy’s chest imprinted with a donkey kong level
Every week, Paul, Graham, Kathleen and I get together to write ENN. Over the week, each of us actually writes stories separately, then we get together on Fridays to choose what to use, what to revise, etc. Sometimes the stories we throw out aren’t very good; other times, they are too obscure for a wider audience. Even so, sometimes very good stories have to be thrown out because there is just not enough space for them in the episode. Here are some of those stories for this week’s episode:
Mega Man 10
Japanese magazine CoroCoro has revealed the names and abilities of the evil robots in Capcom’s upcoming Mega Man 10. While the roster mostly consists of predictable entries, like Blade Man and Chill Man, a few, like the “Thunder Wool”” wielding Sheep Man have Mega Man enthusiasts scratching their heads. Capcom Character Designer Keiji Inafune defended the choice saying, “What? Sheep are scary! With their big horns and magical lightening powers, who knows what they’re up to?”
Coming this Fall!
While many developers are working on Project Natal games, a feature by developer trade publication Develop, has revealed that many companies are concerned Natal will need a “killer game” to ensure market success. According the feature, only one company has shown extreme enthusiasm for Natal — NBC-Comcast, who are looking to premiere “Naltarded!” a hidden camera show of gamers using the Natal in its 10pm weeknight timeslot this fall as a replacement for the Jay Leno Show.
Halotar
Director James Cameron has rebutted allegations that his hugely successful film ‘Avatar’ references the visual style and technology of Halo, noting that Halo itself draws heavy inspiration from his own properties, most notabily Aliens. Reports as of today place Cameron at a playground near Bungie Studios’ Kirkland, Washington offices, in an attempt to confront founder Jason Jones on so-called neutral ground. “My daddy” noted Cameron “Could totally beat up his daddy”, as he put down his backpack and ET thermos in preparation for the altercation.