Nation of Gamers

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NOG 09: ha ha ha ha Mar 23, 2010

Show notes

Look baby, you knew what you were getting into when we started this thing. I'm a plumber. That means I travel through pipes to a magical mushroom kingdom where I fight a race of evil anthropomorphic turtles. It's long hours and low pay. Sure, I pick up coins all the time, but they're only legal tender in the mushroom kingdom and they're only redeemable for green mushrooms. What the hell do you expect from me? It's hard work, but do you seem to care? No! Over there, they treat me like a hero. A hero! And I come home after a long day on the damn desert level, still shaking sand out of my frickin' overalls, and all you can do is complain about how I'm never home, how I don't spend enough time with you and the kids, how we can't afford to pay the gas bill. I saved you from a gorilla! A GORILLA! The least you could do is give me a little shred of RESPECT!
Speaking of respect do you think games get enough? That's the question with which the four hosts grapple this episode, although the discussion morphs into something else part of the way through. Guest starring in this episode is a sound effects board that is not at all annoying and doesn't get old fast at all.
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NoG Blog: The Respect that Games Deserve

Listen for details on how to win a StarCraft2 beta key. It's a contest, and it's really easy!

[SONG] Autotune the NoG #2 by Ash Williams

[VIDEO] Video Games and Facing Controversy

[GAME] Edmund (not-fun game about rape, consider yourself warned)

[GAME] The Path (pc/mac)

[GAME] God of War III (ps3)

[GAME] Chalkboard Stunts (ipod/iphone)

[GAME] Tower Madness (ipod/iphone)

[GAME] Chop Chop Ninja (ipod/iphone)

Episode graphic by Robotpencil

NOG 08: Bucket of DRM Mar 16, 2010

Show notes

By opening this bag of NoGgits NoG Brand Corn Chips, you agree to the terms and conditions of the EULA. All NoGgits are protected by state of the art Digital Rights Management even though the chips are a physical product. The bag must be connected to the Internet at all times while the chips are being consumed so that you may enjoy entertaining NoGgits infomercials. In addition, a series of unique product ID codes are printed inside every bag. Before eating a chip, first input the chip's ID code. Failure to do so is a violation of the EULA and may result in less than satisfactory flavor. Sharing NoGgits is specifically prohibited by the EULA; tell your friends to buy their own bags. Uploading NoGgits to the Internet is also strictly prohibited, in addition to impossible due to our amazing NoGgits Cloud Service, to which you must be connected at all times while enjoying NoGgits. Disconnection from the NoGgits Cloud Service will interrupt munching and may cause stomach cancer. Rumors that NoGgits have already been cracked and are available on pirate torrent trackers are completely false. Enjoy your NoGgits!
The four hosts just won't shut the crap up! Is there a perfect DRM? Does it involve prairie dogs? Find out on this week's exciting episode of NoG!
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NoG Blog: The Perfect DRM?

Ubisoft's new DRM

TickTechBoom's Youtube channel

[GAME] Robot Unicorn Attack

[GAME] GeoDefense Swarm

[GAME] Warstorm

[GAME] Blur

Episode graphic by defectivebydesign.org

NOG 07: It's No Ninja Blade... Mar 02, 2010

Show notes

It's a fact: Ninja Blade is the finest game to grace the Xbox 360. In fact, it's the second best console game ever. The first best was of course The Fist of the North Star on the NES. That game was amazing, exhibiting game play of such sublime quality that it will likely never be matched. But anyway, back to Ninja Blade. Do you like ninjas? What about blades? This game has them both, and tons of quick time events to boot! It's like playing pure awesome with a side order of phenomenal. And the story? People who say gaming hasn't had its Citizen Kane need to shut the crap up, because this game makes Citizen Cane look like The Godfather Part II. I give Ninja Blade a 17 out of 10, and that's only because if it went any higher it would rank better than The Fist of the North Star.
Join Brent, Wes, Eric and Spencer as they explore.... Are they really just games? Do they mean something more to us? Are they good or bad? Other questions as well!
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My Guardian Angel

Dear Gamers, Stop Blaming Videogames For Your Problems...

[SONG] Autotune the NoG #1 by Ash Williams

[GAME] Ninja Blade

[GAME] Heavy Rain

[GAME] Allods

Game Salad (game creator)

Vote for Spike's Shirt Design! BROC LEE!

NOG 06: Where Did My Money Go? Feb 23, 2010

Show notes

Dear Diary,
Well, it happened again. For financial reasons, I'm forced to once again choose between my two greatest needs; either I can buy Final Fantasy XIII or I can pay rent. Why does this always happen to me? Maybe it's because I only make $200 a week fetching snacks for George Broussard, but hey, at least I'm working in the industry. Maybe I shouldn't spend all $200 a week on games and gaming accoutrement, but come on, how am I supposed to not buy games? That $100 super collector's version of God of War III isn't going to buy itself, you know! I have to buy it. WITH REAL MONEY. I guess I'll go sell plasma again. That's got to be worth at least the cost of a strategy guide! I'd try prostitution, but that didn't work out so well last time. Oh, that reminds me, I TOTALLY got Trisha's number! Now I just have to buy a phone and then I can call her!
Eric is mysteriously absent this week. Perhaps he was abducted by dingos? I hear that's happening a lot these days. At any rate, the other three "hosts" yak it up about the cost of gaming. Did you know that Spencer spent approximately 6.2 million dollars on games last year?
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Factory sealed Stadium Events selling for thousands!

Valve report on Steam sales

How much it costs to make a modern video game

Looking at the real cost of your game

NOG 05: Enough Handholding, Already! Feb 16, 2010

Show notes

It happens to everyone. One minute you're enjoying a hardcore game of Donkey Kong Jr., and the next you're breezing through Mass Effect 2 on the hardest difficulty. It's not you're fault; games are getting easier. If you've got a hankering for some serious difficulty in all your favorite games, have we got a product for you! It's called Tape (TM)! Tape (TM) is simple and inexpensive. Simply apply Tape (TM) to any part of the body that you use for gaming, and the experience automatically gets harder than galvanized steel! Tape (TM) can be applied to the eyes or used to tie your hands behind your back. How 1337 can you get? Use Tape (TM) to secure yourself to your chair, and you can finally play Bioshock 2 in Iron Bladder mode! Win while using Tape (TM) to prove once and for all how hardcore you really are!
All four hosts are finally back together again as we tackle our first community suggested topic. Are games getting easier? Is that a bad thing? Where and how did Brent lose his underpants? Were they boxers or briefs? Download and listen today to find out!
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