Our show hasn't done a video game episode in a while, so I thought I'd post about some of the interesting news that is going on in the video game world.
(The opinions written in this blog are of Rob Potchak, and not even the Turd. They do not express the opinions of any company he may have, does or will work for in the future. He may credit sources like IGN, Famitsu or Kotaku throughout this article. If someone is not credited for their information, it is purely on accident and not intentional.)
Nintendo reported this week that the quarter results on WiiU sales are at 610K, which may not sound exactly stellar when Microsoft and Sony are talking millions, but it's much higher than the last quarter, and can be attributed to the sale of MarioKart 8, and the upcoming hit, Super Smash Bros. U. They also announced that the 3DS had a down quarter comparable to last year, even with the launch of Smash Bros for it, and the anticipated launches of Pokemon in November. This was on the heels of the news that a NEW 3DS (and XL) were on their way, with no stateside date attached, as they obviously want to get through this holiday selling as many as they can. Expect the new system stateside in April (maybe even late March), as that's when the fiscal year for Nintendo closes.
Microsoft announced that effective November 2nd, all new Xbox One bundles will be $50 off for the holidays as a way to jump out in front of the holiday season and really try to grab consumers that thought the PS4 was still going to be the best "value" of new gen systems. Some retailers are sticking firm to the 11/2 dating on that, and others may honor it already. Did anyone else notice that this was just in time for a little title starring Kevin Spacey? That's no accident, and the $50 savings perfectly allows folks that fully paid off any of these systems the ability to get the Season Pass of Call of Duty at no more cost than what they originally intended to spend.
Finally, not to be left out in the cold, Sony dropped PS4 update 2.0 on us, and have you checked out some of the features it entails? You can now determine when the USB ports turn off on the system when it hibernates. Oh, that's not a big deal, right? Okay, let's try some of the other updates. The chat quality now rivals Xbox One in it's clarity. Still not enough? Fine, let's talk about the most important updates. Youtube is now available to push your personal video shares to, and the biggest one to date is that you can now play "couchfree" co-op with a person even if only one of you has a copy of the game you want to play, as long as you both have PS+. This is a feature similar to Nintendo's download play option on their handhelds, and it will be really interesting to see how well it works. Especially for games like Destiny.
I know I didn't chock this full of as much opinion as I normally do, but the information here is pretty straight forward. I can't wait to try the Co-op without the game option on PS4, and the temporary price drop on XB1 is substantial because it does make them a better value than PS4 for the holidays, but it remains to be seen if no end date is given on the price drop, will there be backlash AFTER the holidays on MS?
We will be discussing on an upcoming episode our feelings on Sunset Overdrive, Disney's Fantasia and more, we just haven't had time to spend on them, yet. I've played Fantasia and love it, but Ward really hasn't gotten on there and given it his full attention yet. On that note, I'm out, remember to help us with our Movember support, go to Movember.com and search for "Potsy and the Turd." You can join team PATT and you can also donate to this great cause.
- Rob
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Why HELL IN A CELL needs to be a changing of the guard for WWE
The WWE is claiming there are TWO main events at Hell in a Cell, which takes place on 10/26/2014 at 8pm EST, but the question remains as to which of the two main events, John Cena / Randy Orton or Seth Rollins / Dean Ambrose, will actually close the show, thus deeming it the real "Main Event."
WWE has always been blasted by the internet wrestling community (IWC) for always sticking to the formula for too long, and then not having enough established superstars to take their place when they move on.
If WWE allows Orton / Cena to go on last, they are saying they don't trust Ambrose nor Rollins to be the next guys to take their place. Buy rates don't matter anymore, network subscriptions do. That's why the WWE champion is not on this show. Because it isn't the same as it ever was. This is a new world, uncharted territory and you can't expect the old guard to be here forever, you need to continue churning the new blood.
Dean Ambrose is catching fire with his microphone tapping, half-cocked (and other half crazy) approach that hasn't been seen since the likes of the 3 faces of Foley. Seth Rollins in a workhorse who can make anyone look good. Ambrose, the fire and personality are there, and we've seen him getting one over on the stooges week in and week out, without it being overly corny, in almost a "what will he do next" way. Rollins, while the personality is still being ironed out, has all the tools to get over in this, and as the Money in the Bank owner, has an air of wickedness in him, as well.
Back to the point of this blog, though. Rollins and Ambrose NEED to go on last. It NEEDS to be a changing of the guard, to see if it draws more attention and gets them rolling. In the days of the "Brand Extension" (where Raw and Smackdown had seperate crews and didn't intermingle except at Wrestlemania) it would have easily been the final match on the card. But would it have done buyrates? No telling.
By placing their match on last, it's a nod from the trusted veterans that they trust these boys to take everyone home. It's a push to the future, while the buyrate won't take a dive by having the trusted money makers still taking care of business on the show. But more than anything else...it makes Rollins and Ambrose look like legitimate contenders that Cena and Orton wouldn't lose credibility if they actually got pinned 1-2-3 by either of them, and they'll look like real contenders for Brock Lesnar's championship, especially if they give us a 5 Star match.
Stardom is born in Hell in a Cell, but let me ask you this...with all the talk about Foley and Taker in the 1998 HIAC, that match wasn't last that night, Austin / Kane in a First Blood match was, and Foley, after two falls from the top, a seperated shoulder and a tooth in his nose, came down to help Kane win the match, and even showed up the next night. Foley wasn't even on the cover of the DVD...Sable was.
It's time for WWE to make a decision for their future. If Ambrose and Rollins aren't just going to be footnotes and midcarders, it's time to give them the rub.
-Rob
WWE has always been blasted by the internet wrestling community (IWC) for always sticking to the formula for too long, and then not having enough established superstars to take their place when they move on.
If WWE allows Orton / Cena to go on last, they are saying they don't trust Ambrose nor Rollins to be the next guys to take their place. Buy rates don't matter anymore, network subscriptions do. That's why the WWE champion is not on this show. Because it isn't the same as it ever was. This is a new world, uncharted territory and you can't expect the old guard to be here forever, you need to continue churning the new blood.
Dean Ambrose is catching fire with his microphone tapping, half-cocked (and other half crazy) approach that hasn't been seen since the likes of the 3 faces of Foley. Seth Rollins in a workhorse who can make anyone look good. Ambrose, the fire and personality are there, and we've seen him getting one over on the stooges week in and week out, without it being overly corny, in almost a "what will he do next" way. Rollins, while the personality is still being ironed out, has all the tools to get over in this, and as the Money in the Bank owner, has an air of wickedness in him, as well.
Back to the point of this blog, though. Rollins and Ambrose NEED to go on last. It NEEDS to be a changing of the guard, to see if it draws more attention and gets them rolling. In the days of the "Brand Extension" (where Raw and Smackdown had seperate crews and didn't intermingle except at Wrestlemania) it would have easily been the final match on the card. But would it have done buyrates? No telling.
By placing their match on last, it's a nod from the trusted veterans that they trust these boys to take everyone home. It's a push to the future, while the buyrate won't take a dive by having the trusted money makers still taking care of business on the show. But more than anything else...it makes Rollins and Ambrose look like legitimate contenders that Cena and Orton wouldn't lose credibility if they actually got pinned 1-2-3 by either of them, and they'll look like real contenders for Brock Lesnar's championship, especially if they give us a 5 Star match.
Stardom is born in Hell in a Cell, but let me ask you this...with all the talk about Foley and Taker in the 1998 HIAC, that match wasn't last that night, Austin / Kane in a First Blood match was, and Foley, after two falls from the top, a seperated shoulder and a tooth in his nose, came down to help Kane win the match, and even showed up the next night. Foley wasn't even on the cover of the DVD...Sable was.
It's time for WWE to make a decision for their future. If Ambrose and Rollins aren't just going to be footnotes and midcarders, it's time to give them the rub.
-Rob
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Cutting as much of the cord as one can?
Who hates their cable provider, dish service, or just whoever runs the TV airwaves? If you didn't put your hand up, that's because you are not paying for them, and thus, not being ripped off by them.
Many believe that Cable is necessary for anyone, yet more and more people are just doing away with it. On my personal Facebook page, I have been asking people what they recommend on the topic, because I'm done paying Time Warner Cable $154 a month, when at least once a week, I'm restarting my cable box because it didn't record what I want it to, or any number of other reasons why the price I'm paying is outrageous, and I'm done.
The name of this topic is simply for the fact that while I'd love to eliminate EVERYTHING from their monthly check they receive from me, I still haven't heard good enough things about other internet providers, which is necessary to do what I'm getting ready for.
I am a lucky one that has an original tivo with a lifetime subscription to it, so I should get a discount on the monthly service paying for a TiVo Roamio, which will allow me to hook up any HD Antenna for local stations, If I want to keep local cable, it would require a cable card which I should be able to get for $5 or less a month, and then pay whatever the local channel rate is through them. For what it's worth, the base Roamio is $169.99 right now, does require a subscription fee of $14.99 a month (or $12.99/month for subsequent), but gives you access to Amazon, HuluPlus and Netflix all from the box, and the customer service rating on TiVo is higher than any cable network.
Here's the big question:
How much LIVE television do I watch. And you should ask yourself the same thing. I enjoy Notre Dame football, but I don't watch most of the games from home, because I watch most of them on my break at work. Other than that, most shows I watch are DVR'd and then who knows when I watch them.
Hulu is $8 a month, Amazon breaks down to the same, and between the two, you have access to everything except CBS, I believe in terms of locals...but it does give you USA, FX and others.
Why pay cable companies for everything, when the others offer streaming of your shows a day later?
Thoughts?
- Rob
Many believe that Cable is necessary for anyone, yet more and more people are just doing away with it. On my personal Facebook page, I have been asking people what they recommend on the topic, because I'm done paying Time Warner Cable $154 a month, when at least once a week, I'm restarting my cable box because it didn't record what I want it to, or any number of other reasons why the price I'm paying is outrageous, and I'm done.
The name of this topic is simply for the fact that while I'd love to eliminate EVERYTHING from their monthly check they receive from me, I still haven't heard good enough things about other internet providers, which is necessary to do what I'm getting ready for.
I am a lucky one that has an original tivo with a lifetime subscription to it, so I should get a discount on the monthly service paying for a TiVo Roamio, which will allow me to hook up any HD Antenna for local stations, If I want to keep local cable, it would require a cable card which I should be able to get for $5 or less a month, and then pay whatever the local channel rate is through them. For what it's worth, the base Roamio is $169.99 right now, does require a subscription fee of $14.99 a month (or $12.99/month for subsequent), but gives you access to Amazon, HuluPlus and Netflix all from the box, and the customer service rating on TiVo is higher than any cable network.
Here's the big question:
How much LIVE television do I watch. And you should ask yourself the same thing. I enjoy Notre Dame football, but I don't watch most of the games from home, because I watch most of them on my break at work. Other than that, most shows I watch are DVR'd and then who knows when I watch them.
Hulu is $8 a month, Amazon breaks down to the same, and between the two, you have access to everything except CBS, I believe in terms of locals...but it does give you USA, FX and others.
Why pay cable companies for everything, when the others offer streaming of your shows a day later?
Thoughts?
- Rob
Sunday, October 12, 2014
With a change in the Authority, is Dean Ambrose the next BIG THING for WWE?
Has anyone noticed that the WWE's Authority is suddenly larger without any new members being announced? That's right, it now includes Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury as the stooges that do the Authorities bidding. This is a GREAT thing, and here's why.
By including Authority figures that are glorified jobbers, like the original stooges in Patterson and Brisco, it allows a talent working his way up the ladder, ala Steve Austin, to get over with the crowd without ever having to diminish the face of the Corporation, aka Mr. McMahon back in the day, or Triple H, Randy Orton, Kane, or anyone in the Authority today.
This move allows the ascent of one of the newer superstars, Dean Ambrose to get himself over, because he keeps getting one over on the scrubs, instead of making people that don't job to just anybody have to on a weekly basis, thus diminishing their value, as well.
Steve Austin on his rise to the top went through EVERYONE. He went through Brisco, he went through Patterson, he went through Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Ross, and then finally...FINALLY...got his Stunner on McMahon on a September night in Madison Square Garden. We all know that "Austin 3:16" was coined at the King of the Ring, but that didn't really create the ascent of Austin as we are supposed to remember it. Did it get people talking? Sure. Signs were written, people began to cheer the anti-hero, but it wasn't until he stunned McMahon in NYC that it all started to meteoric status.
Now, with a thinned main event roster, no champion in sight, and John Cena's tired but true schtick (think of him as the Bret Hart when Austin started climbing), it isn't right to make Randy Orton, a top talent consistently look stupid to Ambrose, so the use of Noble and Mercury allows for comedic, entertaining moments, and strangely enough, will get those two guys over more than they've ever been, in silly gimmick matches on Ambrose's way to the top, in front of Rollins, Reigns, Bryan or anyone else.
Allow him to continue to get over on these two for a month, have it build to a match with Kane... Have him get through that, then another month of stooging the stooges, to get to Randy Orton. Have Triple H get so mad, that he insists Ambrose come to the ring, get in line, and align himself with the Authority.Add the fact that HHH says he's not allowed in the Royal Rumble until he says "Ok." He'll say sure, start shaking hands of Kane, Randy, and HHH, but when he gets to Stephanie, he pulls her in, double arm DDT, and Triple H goes ballistic, leading to the biggest Royal Rumble match in years, HHH vs. Ambrose, and if Ambrose wins, he's allowed in the Rumble...as #1... He defeats Triple H, wins the Rumble, and you now have the BIGGEST OVER SUPERSTAR SINCE STEVE AUSTIN... and he can defeat Brock Lesnar for the title at Mania, while allowing the Rock to come in, make fun of Triple H for allowing his wife to get DDT'd, and you have your secondary main event at the biggest show of the year.
Ambrose would have built up on a slow burn on the "when will he..." moment, it plays on the Lunatic Fringe mantra, and "Bah Gawd" WWE will finally have someone to build the future on.
By including Authority figures that are glorified jobbers, like the original stooges in Patterson and Brisco, it allows a talent working his way up the ladder, ala Steve Austin, to get over with the crowd without ever having to diminish the face of the Corporation, aka Mr. McMahon back in the day, or Triple H, Randy Orton, Kane, or anyone in the Authority today.
This move allows the ascent of one of the newer superstars, Dean Ambrose to get himself over, because he keeps getting one over on the scrubs, instead of making people that don't job to just anybody have to on a weekly basis, thus diminishing their value, as well.
Steve Austin on his rise to the top went through EVERYONE. He went through Brisco, he went through Patterson, he went through Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Ross, and then finally...FINALLY...got his Stunner on McMahon on a September night in Madison Square Garden. We all know that "Austin 3:16" was coined at the King of the Ring, but that didn't really create the ascent of Austin as we are supposed to remember it. Did it get people talking? Sure. Signs were written, people began to cheer the anti-hero, but it wasn't until he stunned McMahon in NYC that it all started to meteoric status.
Now, with a thinned main event roster, no champion in sight, and John Cena's tired but true schtick (think of him as the Bret Hart when Austin started climbing), it isn't right to make Randy Orton, a top talent consistently look stupid to Ambrose, so the use of Noble and Mercury allows for comedic, entertaining moments, and strangely enough, will get those two guys over more than they've ever been, in silly gimmick matches on Ambrose's way to the top, in front of Rollins, Reigns, Bryan or anyone else.
Allow him to continue to get over on these two for a month, have it build to a match with Kane... Have him get through that, then another month of stooging the stooges, to get to Randy Orton. Have Triple H get so mad, that he insists Ambrose come to the ring, get in line, and align himself with the Authority.Add the fact that HHH says he's not allowed in the Royal Rumble until he says "Ok." He'll say sure, start shaking hands of Kane, Randy, and HHH, but when he gets to Stephanie, he pulls her in, double arm DDT, and Triple H goes ballistic, leading to the biggest Royal Rumble match in years, HHH vs. Ambrose, and if Ambrose wins, he's allowed in the Rumble...as #1... He defeats Triple H, wins the Rumble, and you now have the BIGGEST OVER SUPERSTAR SINCE STEVE AUSTIN... and he can defeat Brock Lesnar for the title at Mania, while allowing the Rock to come in, make fun of Triple H for allowing his wife to get DDT'd, and you have your secondary main event at the biggest show of the year.
Ambrose would have built up on a slow burn on the "when will he..." moment, it plays on the Lunatic Fringe mantra, and "Bah Gawd" WWE will finally have someone to build the future on.
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