Flashback
Take a walk through gaming history as we pick a random date in gaming history and bring you the news from that time as if it was now , different era every week - covering all of gaming history
Flashback
A look at gaming in August 2012
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Five percent digital downloads used to be a victory lap, and that one stat tells you almost everything about how much gaming has changed since 2012. We’re rewinding to August 2012 and building a full time capsule around what we’d be playing on PS3, Xbox 360, PS Vita, and Nintendo 3DS, plus the news stories that shaped the industry’s next decade.
We start with pure gameplay love: the Transformers Cybertron shooters (War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron) as proof that a licensed game can be tight, stylish, and memorable, then pivot into Sleeping Dogs as the open world crime thriller that still gets called a hidden gem. Along the way we hit Counter-Strike Global Offensive and why it’s stayed a “forever game” for so many players, plus the comfort-food appeal of HD collections like the Ratchet and Clank Collection and the bargain brilliance of Darksiders 2.
The news segment gets bigger and sharper: David Cage and Quantic Dream on why Heavy Rain 2 was never seriously discussed, what creative freedom looks like with a AAA budget, and why modern blockbuster games can feel like they’re designed by committee. Then we dig into Nintendo’s early digital sales push with New Super Mario Bros 2 and use that as a launch point for the physical vs digital debate, ownership, subscription services, and why collectors still chase something real they can hold.
If you love retro gaming, game collecting, PS3 era classics, and the history behind today’s digital storefront world, queue this one up. Subscribe, leave a review, and share your favorite 2012 game with us.
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Welcome And How The Show Works
SPEAKER_02Welcome to back to the game to love stories you forgot. This is episode 27, and this week we're in August 2012. I'm RGT and as always I am joined by the man who was rather nifty on the Xbox 360. Who was never the chaser on the trop of the street racer? Was never outdoors because he was in playing Super Star Wars. How are you this week, my man?
SPEAKER_03That was good, wasn't it?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you like that one?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I did. Yeah, it's very true. It's very true of me to hide from the outside and play video games like a weirdo. But that's the sort of weirdo we hope we attract on this show, RJ.
SPEAKER_02Exactly, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Our fellow brethren gaming weirdos. So yeah, let's get on board. Hit subscribe. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, do all the uh like, comment, subscribe, all the rest if you're listening on YouTube. If you're new to the show on um on your podcast provider, then give us a little follow, give us a little review, and I hope you like the format of the show, which I'll just run through now. We uh we go through sort of the old UCP format, so we all go through what we would uh hopefully been playing in this era of this month of this year. We'll go through three news stories of that that month, and then we end up with what we would have hoped and been playing with a bit of Stingray's boot and maybe a little movie chucked in as well. Um, but like I say, this is August 2012, and uh let's jump straight in, George. What are you what would you off on this list hopefully been playing at this time?
Transformers On Cybertron Done Right
SPEAKER_04Um I was going to pick, although we'll come back to that one. So I'm gonna pick Transformers 4 of Cybertron. This is a game that I have had a love love relationship since the day it came out. There's uh two of these games, can't remember which one this one is. Rise of Fall of Cybertron, Rise of Cybertron. Either which way, I see them both as a complete package, if I'm being honest with you, since this is a flashback. We'll roll them into one. It's basically you in the OG Seeker Transformer style bumping round Cybertron before they make their journey to Earth. Sadly, the third game never made it, which was gonna be exactly that. I think it got sort of bastardized and turned into uh the movie game, which is a big shame. I think this game is made by a company called High Moon Studios, who also made a Born game that uh I've also played, which is also actually pretty good. It's not as good as these Transformer games. If you're into Transformers G1 in any way, you're gonna absolutely love these games. You know, you you get to play through as all the OGs, Optimus, Bumblebee, Megatron, Soundwaves, Starscream, you know, the cast of characters you all know, you interact with them as well as you go through. Yes, you can transform, although oh it does feel a bit redundant when I played it last. It it it adds to the experience, don't get me wrong, but this is basically a Gears-inspired kind of cover shooter, but as robots, but the stuff that goes on around you, one of my takeaway memories uh across the two games was there's a section where I think it's Metroplex or Omega Supreme just sort of stands up and he's sort of waging through this place, it's absolutely brilliant to see. Um yeah, I've got I've got nothing but high price for this game. If you're bored on a Sunday afternoon, I I played this when it originally came out on 360, uh, both of them, I think, from memory. I got them again later on PS3, played them through, and played them through with my son who absolutely loved them. Um might have been the first big boys game he ever finished, actually, I think on his resume. So that's uh quite a tick in the box. And um I think I've played through at least the first half of the first section of the first one with you when you popped up here at some point in time on GT.
SPEAKER_02So it did, yeah, very good.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's graphically, it looks great. I think on your setup, this would look phenomenal.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's definitely one of what I uh definitely purchase. I mean, I've I've held off a bit because they they do hold a bit of value, the freezer.
SPEAKER_04They've gone up in value for some reason, haven't they?
SPEAKER_02I don't know why, and unusually why, they're both exactly the same price, which if you go on CEX, they're about 38 pounds.
SPEAKER_04You can't really have one without the other. That's why I've kind of remembered them all into this sort of one overarching experience. I can't ever pick them apart, but absolutely brilliant idea, brilliant game, well executed. We were robbed of the third game. I think this would have been if they'd carried this gameplay style into a third one based on Earth in like the 80s or something, this would have been oh my god, RGT, it would have been so good.
SPEAKER_02So the was this the first or the second one? Because everyone's called War of Cybertron, innit, or War on Cybertron?
SPEAKER_04I thought one was like uh War of Cyber War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron.
SPEAKER_02So which one was the first one?
SPEAKER_04I think maybe War of Cybertron is the first one. Okay, Wall of Cybertron is the second one, and the third unnamed game, which then got turned into a tie-in with one of the Michael Bay movies, so didn't actually represent anything from this franchise. Um as I say, it's a big shame. They obviously saw an opportunity to cash in on the movie and and and took it. Maybe there was pressure from maybe a wider studio, or maybe from the holders of the franchise that seemed these two had done well and thought Hay Moon could attach to the movie game. I just wish they'd come back and then finish this third game that was always rumoured to be in the works in its original incarnation. But there you go, that's enough talk from me of uh folding plastic toy from Japan that got rebadged as an American toy called Transformers.
Sleeping Dogs And GTA Clone Debates
SPEAKER_02Um I think the game you were gonna mention, I'll just quickly mention because we've got a bit of a news article on that, but that is uh August the 14th, 2012, was Sleepin' Dogs. Yes. Um we've spoken waxed lyrical about that on here. Um we've had that as our one of our Gen 7 playthrough games, probably I would say to date, um, the probably most popular one we've had so far.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, even I got a go at that, didn't I?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, um, and if you're wondering what that is, uh our main show, Unfischer Controller Podcast, we have a Discord, and on that Discord we do a thing called RGT Back to the Past, where we play Generation 7 games and we vote on them each time to see what everyone wants to play. And at the moment we're currently doing Mass Effect. But yes, we played Sleeping Dogs.
SPEAKER_04Um don't forget that you've got to pull Zangief on that as well.
SPEAKER_02Yes, yes, sorry, yes. Uh as me and Zangief come up with a list and then uh we put it out to vote.
SPEAKER_04Um I'm still waiting on the lawyer's ratify and whether you can't you can't just say his name like that.
SPEAKER_02What Zangeef? Or do you want me to call him by his actual name, which is Fat Zangeef?
SPEAKER_04Are you sh it's just the pronunciation's not quite right, you're not you're not you're not feeling it, but that's totally cool.
SPEAKER_02Um yeah, I'm not gonna go full Zangeef on it because uh if you want to know about that, then listen to the UCP. Um but yeah, Sleeping Dogs, um, we loved it. Great game. And until I played it again, didn't even realise that was Square Enix done this game, but um absolutely brilliant.
SPEAKER_04Um Sleeping Dogs, let's get into it just a little bit without really going into the game, but it it is the unofficial third game in the True Crime Streets series. Yes, yes. Um, so you know, is it them? Is it is it really them? Not really, they definitely took it on board, polished it, and finished it, didn't they? Um I think they might have moved it to a different studio, I don't know. But uh yeah, I believe they did. Be interesting. I haven't gone down that rabbit hole for a while because uh I mean I did go through a binge of trying all these GTA clones, and Sleeping Dogs is definitely the high watermark of them all. Um Scarface would be the next notable one. Um, but Sleeping Dogs is almost you could say an original work, so I think it edges it a bit more.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_04Um and it feels I hate to say it, because as good as Scarface is, it's it's a bit clear shade. Yeah, definitely. And I I don't really feel like Sleeping Dogs is.
SPEAKER_02No, um, and that was United Front Games done it and Square Enix published it, so they shipped it out to those them and great game. Um there's even not the PS4 version, which is or the Xbox One version, which is even a cleaner, better version of that, or you can get it on get them versions on Steam as well.
SPEAKER_04But I actually think its Gen 7 version is the artwork, the way it all smudges together on the screen.
SPEAKER_02It was the it was it was made for that generation, it really kind of, and I I kind of s want to see it warts and all, you know, as maybe not as they intended, because I guess as they intended would have been the PS4 version, but it was actually impressive that I did note when we were when we were discussing the game on the Discord that um things like draw distance and that were some of the best I've seen on on the PS3. I mean you I was waiting for pop-in. Sometimes they'd just come to you without the popping. I thought, oh that's that's done well. Do you know what I mean? And whether they done because you're in you know, in the big city, whether they sort of hit up well with buildings or what, I don't know.
SPEAKER_04But yeah, no, as that's what I was saying. Uh, the the game is really well designed, like the way the roads are. I think it shields a lot of this. I think for that reason, it's it's a real sumptuous piece of work on every on every level that you can imagine. They've done some real tardy work on it. Sleeping dogs is a good game.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I on every level. If they had done a sleeping dogs too and just perfected a couple of little things I didn't quite like, but nothing game-breaking, I think they would have had a hell of a game on there, and maybe a good series.
SPEAKER_04It'd be interesting to know what their sales expectations were because obviously it was going into the Pantheon or GTA by all regards, it reviewed reasonably well, so they probably had slightly higher expectations for it as a product. Yeah. I also am disappointed they didn't get a sequel. I think it would have made sense, but nothing makes sense in the world of video games RGT.
SPEAKER_02No, no, they obviously um had to uh balance the books and see if it was worth doing, and they didn't see it was worth doing, but um there'll be more about sleeping dogs
CSGO And A Pro Player Story
SPEAKER_02in the news. Um I will jump on to August 21st, 2012. Counter Strike Global Offense. And the only reason I'm gonna jump on there is because there's a guy at work, plays religiously Counter-Strike on his own. Yeah, CSGO. Um absolutely uh loves the game. Um and his friend who he played, I think his friend's from Sweden, um, and he played with for years on, um, isn't he's been pro now for five years and is a millionaire and they still play, they still play every week together. Um but he what could have been? Yes, and he he took the opportunity and entered a competition, which I think he won a few thousand thousand pounds and then he he went and joined a team and the rest is history. Um but yeah, so I saw I thought I'd mention that because uh I know my mate would be listening, so I'll give you a shout out there, Rob. Well done. Uh but yes, CSGO, never been my thing. It was a spin-off of it was a spin-off of another game, wasn't it?
SPEAKER_04Was it well because Counter-Strike was using was it not using the Half-Life engine or something?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was sort of uh almost like hackers had made it from Half-Life, wasn't it? Yeah, mods, and then they eventually um released it and went on from there, and still a very popular online shooter.
SPEAKER_04And it's never been my bag fella, but do you know what I acknowledge that it's certainly kept people very happy over the years, and it's a very raw shooter, but people still absolutely will not budge on any of it. You know, it has to be this way, else it's nothing like all right, boys, you can you you you carry on.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and to still to still hold esports for this game that's been out for years is obviously detriment to what these mod has done with the game, but yeah, fair play has been been absolutely smashing it for years.
SPEAKER_03Uh have a look in the bag, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Go on and what do you want next, then, young man?
SPEAKER_04Well, there's gonna be a lot of honourable mentions here, but I think I want to pull out um I want to pull this out because I thought this was surprisingly well done.
Ratchet And Clank HD Collections
SPEAKER_04Came out on PlayStation 3 and Vita, it's a Ratchet and Clank collection. Basically crunching down the PS2 trilogy into a Vita card with some downloads and to a PS3 disc, I think also with maybe some downloads. Um, but uh do you know it's it's really nice to have them all there. It's uh it's a nice way to present the package as well. I think my most yards done with this trilogy is on the Vita. Um I tell you what, form factor on there with that small screen, those PS2 games that they did get working on there. Um looking at you, God of War, I'm looking at you um Jack and Daxter, actually look phenomenal. Uh and again, the works that these classic collections got not only here but on the PS3 are a real champion to some of the work that went on. And even though really only what a gen later, it didn't actually I don't find this as offensive as some of the other revisits, mainly because a lot of PS2 classics were kind of walled off from either PS3 users that had sold their existing collection to get the PS3, or from people who are entering the PS3 new that were kind of interested in these games and wanted to know a little bit about the history. So don't forget, concurrently, we got Ratchet and Clank, but then obviously we got PS3 Ratchet and Clanks that you know to me they are like some of the strongest games in the series. So if you've played those and want to experience more of it, this is a great way. Uh and the same applies, like Jack and Daxa doesn't really retrospectively apply because we didn't get any PlayStation um 3 versions. Obviously, we've got Uncharted, but it's a nice way of giving people that little dip into the history, and you need to remember that there were times where some of these older games were landlocked, weren't they?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, definitely. Um, yeah, and I think that was these, you know. I've got a few of the HD trilogies on um PS3 from different ones from Battle Gear Solid to, you know, like you say, God of War.
SPEAKER_04They were all badged up with very similar artwork, it all felt like they had that HD collection badge. So we got the Sony first parties, but as you say, we also got some third parties presented in the same way.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, and that was a great way um of bringing, you know, it's one of the first ones, Oddsin as well, of bringing your previously successful gen, bringing them over and giving them another run again in an HD format, and that was it was really good. And I mean, Ratchet and Clank, especially on the on the Vita, is a great little collection to have on there. Absolutely brilliant, great games, play well on there. That original OLED screen must pop with that. Looks absolutely stunning. Yeah, really good.
SPEAKER_04It's the hours of content that you're getting, which makes it less egregious. I mean, I don't know what these are fetching now, but I think I picked my copy up for about 12 bucks, so it it doesn't feel like that. That didn't feel egregious to me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I don't know what they'd be nowadays, but I mean I know they were any of them sort of HD collections. Some are a bit cheaper, but some are getting pricey now. I think I went, I think the last one I bought was the um was it the Tom Clancy one, Splinter Cell? I think I bought, and that that was that was got pushing towards £40, I think.
SPEAKER_04Um so I think I kind of find that a bit that's the one trilogy I do find a bit dead because it's the PS2 games, which were a bit lackluster in the first place. If you really want to play that, you want to play it on OG Xbox.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, that's true.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's I hate to say it because there's probably not a hair split between them now, but it was the Xbox's kind of stealth game, it was predominantly an exclusive at this time. Yeah, and although like I've played it most recently on the PS2, it lacks a little bit of the gravitas. It really does. It feels a bit of a different it's got a different vibe to it. I don't know whether it's because you can't see as much or the graphical fidelity ain't quite as good. I don't know. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it just feels like a bit of a different game. It's got a bit of a street racer vibe about it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, some games are better on the systems they were designed for. And when you 100% when you upscale them a bit, they lose a bit of that charm of how good they were before. But I did just quickly look up Ratchet and Clank trilogy on the on the Vita. Uh it currently goes for £50.
SPEAKER_04Oh, okay, it's an investment for me, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so uh yeah, that's yeah, that's that's had a big jump there.
SPEAKER_04Better stop using it as a coaster.
SPEAKER_02Yep.
Darksiders 2 And Budget Gems
SPEAKER_02Um, one more I was gonna look at. Um this is a game series. For some reason, I s I've spoken about this before. It must have been on I think it was on UCP, I don't think it was on flashback, but Dark Siders. We've got August 14th, same same day as uh sleeping dogs, he's August 14th, 2012. Darksiders 2.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I like I'm surprised these haven't been on your Gen 7 playthrough. I played the first one, not to completion, but I like thoroughly enjoyed what I was playing on it. Darksiders 2 was an improvement on that package, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And I can't believe it's this old.
SPEAKER_04I thought Darksiders also got a revisit in the Dark Sider trilogy on PS4, I think, where they remastered the first two or three games.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that must be where I'm thinking then, because I had it in my head that this was a PS4 Gen 8 game, but no, no, no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_04Ah, there we go. There we go. We got a third or a fourth game much later. I think it might be a fourth game, um, which was very different. Not very different, but different enough for people probably not to like it. But Darksiders 1, 2, and maybe 3. Yeah, they they were good games, action platformers.
SPEAKER_02I don't know why of something I'd really like, but I don't know what.
SPEAKER_04I'm a bit out of my depth on these because like I say, I've only replayed the first one, but I genuinely think it would go down gangbusters on that Gen 7 playthrough. And I don't mean I don't know price-wise, but I'd imagine like relatively cheap to pick up.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, um, yeah, I don't know what they are. I think I picked one up recently for the PS3, um and I don't think that was too much, because I think you you they're sort of some of the games you do tend to see the copies about, I believe. Um let's have a quick look on here. Well, the original Darksiders is a pound on Xbox 360 or £2.50 on PS3.
SPEAKER_04Oh god, mate. I mean, you've got to get that.
SPEAKER_02And it the Darksiders War Master edition on the PS4 is eight pounds.
SPEAKER_04So then is that what the first three games or something? What's going on there?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think I think it's first two games.
SPEAKER_04That might be right, and we had to wait for the PS4 for the third game.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think so. I might be wrong. Just uh comment down below if I've got that wrong, and then I think Darksiders 2 even got a PS5 edition, definitive edition.
SPEAKER_05That's it, definitive, that's it. I think there's a play on the word death, that's it.
SPEAKER_02But yeah, Darksiders 2 is um I think you that goes for around I mean that's £15 on PS5, that's £1.50 on PS3, so yeah.
SPEAKER_04Get it there, get it there if you've got one, if you've got a PS3, get it there.
SPEAKER_02I think it's a one I might have picked up actually, but yeah, so Dark Siders 2. Is there any more on here for you, George?
SPEAKER_04Uh no, like I say, this was a bit of a strange year for me, I think. Hardlight started to get into the fitness, maybe I can't quite remember, but um it's interesting to look at these games though, and some of the things that were going on around this time. Like I'll shout out Dragon Quest X online um as like a Pisoda 4 Arena, which is again not my cup of tea, but I know a lot of people like it. We've done Sleeping Dogs. Um Mario New Super Mario Bros. 2, that launched the Sun Fan Fair on August the 19th, 2012. Um latest iteration of Madden NFL 13, um which I've got actually. I think that might be like a celebration edition. Um World Ends With You solo Remix. Um I think that might be like my lot of things that I'll be even mildly interested in. There is that game there, 30 Flights of Loving, which just looks so interesting to me. I'd love to know what that's about.
SPEAKER_02It's got to be a PC game of some sort, but uh Yeah, I would imagine it was um I mean we also had like Vector and Guild Wars 2 out at the time, but yeah, that one is uh yeah, that's an unusual one, isn't it?
SPEAKER_04Definitely Yeah, it looks I've zoomed in on it. Windows, Mac, VGA.
SPEAKER_02Do you know what it looks like? The cover art looks like the um it looks like someone's done Wolverine in Minecraft.
SPEAKER_04I was just thinking of like a pop punko Joel.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it does, yeah. Yeah, it definitely does. Yeah, oh my god, brilliant. But yeah, there's some of the games we would have hopefully been playing at that time in August.
News Starts With Heavy Rain Freedom
SPEAKER_022012, but I think it's time we done the news now, George. Um we've scoured the very darkest back pages of all the gamer mags and even delved deep into the interweb to bring you what was the latest stories in August of 2012. First up from gamesindustry.biz and this is titled Heavy Rain 2 Never Seriously Discussed between Quantic Dream and Sony. David Cage says that creative people have to do something different, or you're just a marketing guy. Um Quantic Dream um Quantic Dream CEO David Cage confirms that Sony never pushed him to create a sequel to Heavy Rain after the success of the crime thriller. When asked uh about the amount of le uh leverage Cage received for the newest project, he responded, total freedom. Many publishers, after the success of Heavy Rain, would have said, Well, you need to do Heavy Rain 2 and do what you want, but it's going to be called Heavy Rain 2. And K and Cage to uh Game Sure, we have never had this conversation with Sony. They just asked, What's next? What do you want to do? Well, I have this idea, what do you think? Yeah, it looks great. We talked about it, explained the concept. They never asked for me to change anything in my script, and no total freedom. I think this kind of project can only be made in complete freedom because otherwise it's not the same experience at all. I am not the kind of guy who works on command and someone tells you you should write something about sci-fi or about this or about that. I think the real value of this type of experience is that they are true and they are sincere, declared Cage. It's really uh it's really a story that I need to tell, and Sony gave me the opportunity to do it, which is quite unique. It's really incredible in in this industry to have the possibility to work like that. Very few developers are in my position, so I feel incredibly fortunate to be here having this level of creative freedom and at the same time having the financial means of a triple A title. Usually you make an indie um usually you make indie development and you have the limited resources, but you have freedom or you work on a triple A and you have the resources but limited or no creative freedom. I'm in a strange position where I have both. Cage also believes that heavy rain helped meet a demand for different types of games on the market. He thinks that doing games that are unexpected is important as a game creator. The thing is that if you give just give people what they expect, I think you're not doing your job as a creative person. You're just a marketing guy, he said. Your job as a creative person is to give people what they don't expect or what they expect without knowing that this is what they want. But your goal as a creative person is to surprise people all the time and give them something different. So when you look at the market at the moment, you can see more of the same fair enough, and a few people trying different things. I mean, recently there's been Journey, for example, which was a very huge surprise. It was a very unexpected game in many ways, not entering into any genre really, but it was very new, very creative, very original, and very successful. Um there are the guys working on The Walking Dead right now. This is a different approach to narrative storytelling, and it's also interesting in a way. Um yeah, I popped this in because I loved Heavy Rain back in the day. Um and he is correct, it was very different, very good, a bit clunky when you go back nowadays. Um but David Cage for the games I've played of his of um Heavy Rain, Beyond Two Souls, Detroit Become Human, they are different games, they're very story-driven, and they do have this whiff of there isn't someone at the top telling them what they should and shouldn't be doing. He has literally made what he wants to make, you know, with with very creative people. And I I do love these quantic dream games. Um what about you, George? Have you always have you been a fan of Heavy Rain and and other games that he's made in his series?
SPEAKER_04Oh mate, I've been waiting waiting for my time to shine. Um David Cage is probably like one of the auteurs of the gaming industry. I know let's part this now. I know his legacy's been besmirched in many ways due to some shenanigans at the office and some other allegations that went on. True or not, I don't really know. I'm not involved in that. I don't want to be involved in that. Yeah, it's just not really. Like I said, let's park that. This is from 2012. Let's go on a journey through my experience of uh David Cage. Heavy Rain. Played it, loved it, played his follow-up beyond two souls. I actually think that's probably his greatest work. Yeah. Let's rewind back again. I do believe he was behind the game Fahrenheit, an absolutely brilliant game that kind of set the interactions up that followed it. I think you can follow David Cage back a little further in my game in history, actually. I do believe he was responsible for a game called Nomad Soul. An interesting tie-up with the singer David Bowie, who produced some music for the soundtrack and some of the instrumental works that accompanied it. I think he's also in the game, if memory serves, performing the um single attached to the game. I'm pretty sure that was uh David Cage.
SPEAKER_02I think you can find it on the I think it was his first game, Quanti Game. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Okay, well you can find that on PC, and I I played it on Dreamcast where I got quite far, but ultimately it's a it's it's not the same as Fahrenheit, it's a bit of a messy uh interaction, but there are the shades. You follow that through, I believe it's next game that I played anyway, was Fahrenheit, a game that I played originally on Xbox but have gone back to on PS2 and even played the remake. I think it's it's a game that's aged well, and it certainly set the foundations for which on top of it was built Heavy Rain. And you can see in the original Heavy Rain that the graphical style of Fahrenheit has very much moved through. Um but when you then map him through to Beyond Good and Evil, they've gone for a really true photo realistic obviously because they've used actors and Beyond Good and Evil um no, Beyond Two Souls.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I always get Beyond Two Souls, brother Beyond.
SPEAKER_04Beyond Two Souls using William Defoe and um oh what's his name?
SPEAKER_02Elliot Page.
SPEAKER_04Elliot Page just really great storytelling all the way through that, even when now I don't know whether they had um Elliot in playing this young girl or not, or whether they got a young girl in to play the younger character. I I don't really know, but either which way, no matter when you see them on screen, it feels impactful. I think that you know it's one of the first titles I've seen as well where they've actually managed to merge that relationship between kind of actors triple A actors being in a video game. Because we've had attempts before, either from movie tie-ins or maybe a bit of voice work, and it always feels so dialed in. It's like they've turned up for a paycheck, they've read out a script, as if you or I would read it with no context or voice work or nothing. They're just like, oh hi, I'm Gamdelf, see you in a bit. Oh right, okay. I was just thinking, nah, that's all I got paid for. Damn it. But these two don't dial in a single thing. Superbit, brilliant acting, well executed. You take those production values and then you wash them into that next game, which is what become human. I'm particularly attached nostalgia-wise to um Beyond Two Souls. I thought it was fantastic. I played it on the PS3. I like the jumbled up timeline. I think it I believe that to be as great as work. It's flawed, but it's great. Detroit Become Human is arguably a better game, but it doesn't have some of that performance level. The story is very interesting, but it's not quite as fantastical or maybe heartwarming as Beyond Two Souls, that's my opinion.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think I think you're right on that, and especially with Detroit as well. Um I just loved when that first trailer dropped and the android was on there and he had to make the decision of what you do to save the child, and straight away you were like, I've never seen this in a game before. And that that was David Cage, that was Quantic Dream. Everything was, although you would say they're similarly similar games, they always go down a different path and have different meanings and different things you can do.
SPEAKER_04And even David Cage is picking out that people are kind of trying different things. He picks the Walking Dead, which I actually think is very similar in many ways to Heavy Rain, a little bit different, but similar pathways. And then obviously, you know, we've got the untalked of game at this point, Until Dawn, which feels like you know, a cage game.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely does. And I think it's very interesting as well, because you I always used to think he's so correct in when you listen to what he says, and he says about um genres and how games fit into categories, and they shouldn't really have categories, just make something with passion. And and how and when you read this, and or when you heard me read this out, and he was saying Sony Int said none of that, there's your massive budget, make what you want. And now when you look back at those games, you think, yeah, they they have done that, they've just let him create whatever he wants.
SPEAKER_04I mean, there's there's danger in that, as we go in the modern age, and with cage's activities, but there's also an incredible artistic freedom in that, and I do believe that's you have to look at Cage. When I said he was like the last of the auteurs, he maybe really is. He's he was not prepared to sacrifice his vision for anyone, no, under technology, even be damned.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I I just think I don't think we're gonna see this anymore. You know, games nowadays are made and published by the money men who want to see return.
SPEAKER_04Well, games are made by committees now, and that's half the reason why I think we maybe struggle to see the passion in them that we do or we used to. Instead of being passion projects, they're number projects.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly. Yeah, you know, they're they're designed to hit where they'll get the most people buying those games, and the most people, if they're free to play, spend on those games rather than actually let's invest in something different, let's invest in someone artistic. We don't, you know, if if you're if you're looking for them sort of games, they're they're indie games. That's where you look nowadays for those sort of games. Your big games will fit into categories, and you know, even your modern games like Horizon Zero Dawn, things like that, when you actually, you know, fantastic games that when you strip them down, they're very similar to most open world other games like Assassin's Creed Origins and things like that. The same tropes apply because they have to fit into that sort of genre. Whereas, you know, these these times of big AAA games that have just been given a free license, I don't think we're gonna see anymore. I think not to say you look at indie games nowadays, and it was just very refreshing reading this.
SPEAKER_04I I see the indie space given as the next David Cage.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. I think there's many a David Cage out there in the indie space. We've witnessed it with games we've played recently, and things you know, like I've played as well from um uh God can't remember their name now, bless them. But I played the football game from them, absolutely brilliant, you know, and they've had two or three games. I think they've got another game coming out, and you just think they're making what they want to make, not what they're told to make. And that's what the game's called again.
SPEAKER_04The there was that manager one, wasn't there? That was uh Nutmeg.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, Nutmeg was the manager one, and then forgive me, I cannot remember the football.
SPEAKER_04That'll do, that'll at least send people to the right location. Yeah, we wanted to get behind Nutmeg because we thought it quite an interesting title, didn't we?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and you know, and that's that's I think where the difference is. And we all can see, you know, you look at Rocksteady when they were told to make this live service game, and look what happened to it, you know, when they'd come from such good games like Batman. I know I'm digressing a bit here, but yeah, I've I found this very refreshing, very interesting to hear how he made um heavy rain and how he was just given this free licence. I thought it was a really interesting article. But um, what we got next then, George?
UK Charts And Sleeping Dogs Momentum
SPEAKER_04Well, also from gamesindustries.biz, we've got second week at UK number one for sleeping dogs. Darksiders 2 steals second with Transformers in at fifth. Square Enix's open world crime thriller, sleeping dogs, secured second week at the top of the UK's retail charts. Do we do this now or do you want to do the chart? What do you want to do, RGT?
SPEAKER_02Read it through and then we'll uh then we'll do the chart, shall we?
SPEAKER_04Okay, alright. We'll completely pop in their cherry. We're giving them a Zangief too early. Um Sleeping Dogs is secured second week at the top of the UK's retail charts, edging out, new entry Darksiders 2 from THQ. The good news for the Darksiders team is that the sequel has comfortably outsold the original its opening week. Activision's Transformers Fall of Cybertron also hit in the top five on debut week, managing fifth place after new Super Mario Bros. 2 and Sega's London 2012 hold on to third and fourth after making room for darksiders. Elsewhere, the top 20 is largely reshuffled, with nine of these titles having been present on the chart for 30 weeks or more. Okay, Smashy, let's go. Init 20, down from 16, Skylander, Spyro's Adventure.
SPEAKER_02Init 19, down from 14, Mario Kart 7.
SPEAKER_04A re-entry. A rear-entry, stay pro third, coming in at this tweet 18.
SPEAKER_03Another re-entry, call of duty, module 15, in a 17. This tweet 16, sliding one, call of duty.
SPEAKER_04Lucky stick, nice, don't forget your map. Last week number nine, this week 14, death line here. Holding a strong defensive position. Let's wait twelve, this week twelve, three twelve.
SPEAKER_03Like a button. Like a button.
SPEAKER_04Oh my god. Let's swing it in. Let's wait for this week like it's very twelve. Predicting the future. Let's tweak full this week. Let's go Pac-Man 2D2 here, right?
SPEAKER_02In the five, new eight three! 24.
SPEAKER_04Let's tweak three, this week four. I think it's got the topic might be a better game. It's number 2012, the official video game.
SPEAKER_02Two to three. New Super Mario Bros. 2.
SPEAKER_04New A3 in the two. The aforementioned Ballin from Hell itself.
SPEAKER_02And as we said at the start, last week's one, this week's one, amazing. Sleeping dogs.
SPEAKER_03The dog one.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, interesting charts again. I'd like these charts because there's sometimes games you forget about, and then there's other games you think, I didn't realise that was as popular as it was back at the time.
SPEAKER_04Oh my goodness graciously. There's some good stuff in here, isn't there? Arkham City's nice to see.
SPEAKER_02I mean, Mario Kart 7, what was that? BS? I mean, yeah. Sell them well. And then you got what two Call of Duties in there as well? Is it two or was it three? Two Call of Duties? Wasn't it three? And then because obviously 2012, you got the Olympics, so Mario and Sonic, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Oh, it was two Call of Duties. Saints Row as well coming back in. God knows why. I mean, what the hell's gone on there?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, Saints Row the first. I didn't get on with that game. I like the first two, but that one I didn't think was very good, but obviously sold, and that's why they kept making them.
SPEAKER_04But Dead Island Game of the Year edition as well. He's coming in strong. Skyrim just always there. I'll tell you what's lacking in this chart. What any form of GTA action if you think that the modern charts have never seen it come out? Um Minecraft action.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's unusual, isn't it? That is very unusual. I mean, Lego seems to be as popular as ever with Harry Potter and Lego Batman 2. Um, obviously FIFA's in there with FIFA 12. Um, I think if you get a few years down the line, it's probably even more that would have been further up the charts, I think. Ummazing Spider-Man as well. I don't know if I've played that one.
SPEAKER_04Um no, I don't know. I have um Skylanders Spyro's Adventure, though, obviously shoveling in the Tat. Um was this the OG Tat? I think it might be. Did it start here?
SPEAKER_02I think it did. It did, yeah. It started Gen 7, didn't it? Skylanders, and then suddenly the Well, I think it started off the back of Spiro, didn't it? And it's now, yeah, and it's now getting a bit of a second resurgence at the moment, I think. You know, it's gotten popular again. But I mean, also like Dead on uh Dead Island, like you say, game of the year edition. Um, I remember my mate playing that and really enjoying the Dead Island games.
SPEAKER_04Me and Rachel have had an experiment with it and that game of the year edition, exactly, and it it it's alright, it's just a bit I don't know, I don't like the combat. You're just flailing around in first person.
SPEAKER_02It's that sort of first person flailing combat in it. I yeah, I get what you mean by that.
SPEAKER_04And but just feel like a kidnapping a paddy in a supermarket.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you are a bit just waving random things about exactly that. I still can't believe that's like 14 years ago. That surprised me as well. I you know, every now and then we get seem to see me get a resurgence of Dead Island. Um, I'm just trying to think of anything else. Obviously, Transformers you said, well, obviously that's backed that up with being a good game. That's that's straight in at five, so yeah, that was selling well at a popular time.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think so. And I think that you know it justifiably so.
SPEAKER_02And I still think um sleeping dogs, pardon the pun, I do think a lot of people sleep on that game nowadays. Um it's you know, it was obviously really popular.
SPEAKER_04Well, I don't know, it's like the ultimate hidden gem in it, I guess. I don't know. I suppose so, if maybe not when GTA played it, but I think a lot of people have kind of heard about its prowess.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, very true. Um, Ghost Recon, I've never played those games. Um, never something I've really got into.
SPEAKER_04But again, popular games were kind of alright.
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, so that was interesting. I hope you like the little chart rundown again. And um it's very like I say, that surprised me how how well received Sleeping Dogs was. Um it was obviously like you say, there was a lack of a GTA game, and I would imagine that is why that was doing so well, because that that itched, you know, you know, scratched the itch, so to speak, of the GTA, you know, gamers.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think so. I they picked their spot, didn't they? I'd say.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely.
Nintendo Digital Sales Shift The Industry
SPEAKER_02Um and finally, also from uh game industry got dot biz, um new Super Mario Bros. 2 digital downloads make up five percent of total sales. Nintendo's digital efforts pay off with super new Super Mario Bros. 2. Um Though Nintendo has been slow to jump into the digital retail space, the company's digital release of new Super Mario Bros. 2 has been marketed by President Satori Iwata as a tentative success. Iwata told the Wall Street Journal subscription required that digital sales of the game made up 5% of the total Japanese sales for the title since its law launch on July 28th, 2012. This initial offering going forward, um, we've gotten a good reaction going, he said. Sales of Demon Training and also uh also released digitally in Japan came up to 20% of the game's total revenue. Iwata believes the stronger digital sales for demon training are due to the nature as daily puzzle game. Nintendo is going to be carrying forward its new digital download initiative on the 3DS and the upcoming Wii U. Um this one I found amazing because of how happy they were that digital downloads were 5% when you think nowadays they're pretty much 50 fifty, they're probably more than fifty fifty now, I would imagine. Um I know they were very close for a while, but in 2012, five percent digital downloads arrest was physical. I mean, that is incredible, isn't it? How how the tides have turned, how it's changed.
SPEAKER_04I think this was the start of it. You know, it was people online shopping was probably not as big as it is now. The whole online phase was really just starting to fire up in 2012. Amazon was getting its toe in the water, the supermarkets have consolidated their online shopping markets and were really coming after it in a in a strong way. I think this was all this was all coming together in this moment, and I think you know, all the manufacturers aligned themselves to be open to this sort of proper digital marketplace as we know it now. And five percent probably is the lowest it's ever been from that point on. I guess it was just growing on an exponential scale from then to now. I think initially, as a gamer and people around me were a little bit hesitant to do this, but don't forget they were they were the other the other um manufacturers were kind of drip feeding your free games to get you into the idea of kind of claiming them in the marketplace and getting into the idea of having games with no boxes to them, kind of delivering them as a bonus to kind of softwash the idea that the online is the future. No one ever argues when PlayStation give out free games every month, but you need to think about what that actually means because if you stop paying, they go. Yeah, also what it means is your resistance to online purchases was reduced by them just giving you free stuff, not being funny, RGT, but isn't that which I think I've said this on the show before, but isn't that the drug dealer tactic? Yeah, um, but they've used it here and and they've done that, and this was the Trojan horse at the start of it. I you know, I don't begrudge it. A lot of my recent purchases have been on on digital storefronts, and I was a fastidious physical collector, gotta be this or no way or nothing sort of scenario. And I'll be honest with you, they've made using the physical item actually a little bit cumbersome and awkward these days. You kind of don't feel very slick in the rest of the ecosystem, does it? Getting down on your knees and feeding this thing a piece of silicon, it feels a little bit weird. Uh, the rest, every interaction with it on all of the modern systems is all based around these tile fronts, so you're kind of like divorcing yourself from the physical product and you're moving towards buying a pixelated picture. It it's it's weird RGT. I know this is a little bit off topic because this was the you know, this was the start of it, and they're probably championing this, but you know, to some of us it it didn't feel like it should be championed. But at the same token, we've all lapped it up like hungry pigs, haven't we?
SPEAKER_02No, we we certainly have, and I remember I'd only ever have download games, I'd only I'd never spend like over 15-16 pounds on download game. I'd get something on sale and think, well, that's a bargain that justifies the digital copy until and I kept that going until GTA Trilogy came out, and that was £55, and they said, Oh, it's £55. I was like in the pre-order, I can only have digital, you can have a physical a year later, but you you can have the digital now. I said, You're coming on digital for now, and I was like, Oh, I'm just gonna do it, and that was the first big game I bought for the money. Um, it actually turned out it was literally broken on release, which was very depressing for my first big digital purchase. But that's when you start thinking, yeah, they got me here, aren't they? You want this, don't you? But if you want to wait for a physical, you can wait a year. And do you know what the likelihood is? You'll probably go and buy the physical as well, anyway. So we'll get a double sale out of you because they we know you like physicals and you'll love this nostalgia trip so much, you'll go and buy a second version. I thought that's why it's not coming out now, and yeah, and they get you. I mean, I've just looked up. If this is correct, this is how much this has changed. If this fact is correct, I've done this on Google, on AI, and it says, I'll quote it word for word, digital downloads heavily dominate the market in 2026, accounting for roughly 85 to 90 percent of full game sales across major platforms.
SPEAKER_04That that if that is correct, um the only consideration there is like Steam might be skewing that a bit because you can't probably physical versions of those games. Well, let's say it's 70, that's still the majority.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh it's a big, big difference. I remember I thought that was sort of 45% digital, 55% physical, but I'm going back a few years and lo and behold, it's changed quite a lot. So you can see from these early days where 5% was seen as a success, um, 70 to 80 to even 90% now is seen as a major success because your uh your um development costs of producing games is yeah.
SPEAKER_04I mean, I I get why as a business you're gonna go, hang on a minute, we can deliver our games to people without the need to make them, without the need to print paperwork to go with them, without the need to pay someone to ship them from there to there, without the need to pay a store in a town to hold it for us and give us shelf space. Like, no, none of that's all gone. Oh, yeah, yeah, I I can see us being into that, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And the thing is as well, though, it's made companies that super rare and limited run and all this lot because they're now giving the prints, you know, controversial as it is with some of these companies. I won't go into that, and some are yes. I mean, I I've bought a couple of limited run ones. I've got my fingers burnt with Streets of Rage 4 because it came out that the only physical you could get was was was with uh Limited Run, for which I paid and a over a year in advance, and when the game released, there was physical copies everywhere from all these other distributors, and I then didn't get it till six months after it came out. So I got a I got a soundtrack with that, but I thought, hang on, I've paid £10 more, I've paid over a year and advan you know in advance of getting a game that's going to be out anyway, which was quite easy to get hold of. And I got my fingers burnt with that. But overall, you know, they are making runs of these digital games. The only downside is they're technically limited to how many they sell, although limited run has opened up a store now which has the copies in, which has I think annoyed a few people because you can actually just go in the store and buy these games which were supposed to be a limited run. So I don't quite know how that works, but I suppose they are keeping that digital sort of game only, giving them the the physical versions that people want, hopefully. Um, but I just think yeah, I think how popular Steam is now, I think how popular you subs well, I say subscription services, we all know what's happened with one of them, but the popularity for a while of subscription services. Yeah, is it me and you the dinosaurs now, George?
SPEAKER_04Oh yeah, but I think no matter who you are or where you are, if you can get a physical version of that thing you love, you're gonna want to give it a go. So let let's say you fall in love with the game of today or yesteryear digitally, and you can get like a copy of the SNES game that you just put on your shelf. Like, I just think there's always gonna be an aspiration to own physically the game if you fall in love with it, so you can like almost incarnate that memory into a physical object, or a limited run version, or a statue, or something from that game world that you have that you can touch physically. I I still think there's something in these worlds that they build. I mean, there's as much storytelling in one corner of some of these worlds as there is in Star Wars. People are falling in love with these franchises. So I guess you know, when you get a DVD, although you know, ownership of physical media is on the wane, but then I think to prove my point, you just have to look at the domination of vinyl, where it's it which should make no sense whatsoever, has crept back into people's homes because they want to connect with that physical object with that artist that want to kind of hear the non-digital analogue warble of that person coming through their speakers in a way that kind of technology technologically is inferior in many, many ways. I know the audio files and again are getting comments and absolutely hate me for this, but you you've got to hear me out from a from an ease point of view. It's very easy to click play on your phone. It's a lot more effort and a lot more involved, and a lot more physical to pick a record, open it, get it out, turn the record player on, put it on, pick the needle up, very gently, let it down, crackle and pop, almost similar to probably the experience a lot of retro gamers are having now. Retro game is in the ascendancy or or was. I think it's kind of leveled off now. But I think people are always gonna be pulled towards something there. So I like to think somehow there will always be something RGT, but God knows what that will be. Like it might be a statue, it might be an action figure, God knows, but there's always gonna be some sort of physical blush or attachment to something that sells well. I mean, not gonna be bereft, but we're probably gonna end up with sh shells of shit.
SPEAKER_02I mean, the last um album me and Mrs. RGT bought was vinyl. Um Deacon Blue, you know. Um that that they released on yeah, they've just done their I think this is their final album before they they retire. But um we bought a new one, yeah, done a new one when we pre-ordered that, and that was £20 for a vinyl, limited edition blue delivered, and you just think good price, you know, for what you'd play for downloading an album. Um, and also uh this was a few months ago. Um, I was on Instagram and it came up this advert and these guys, and that was cassettes, and they've got a company and they only release stuff on cassettes, they're bringing cassettes back, and I sort of went on their website and had a look, but they've they've sort of there's a guy putting like modern series on VHS as well. The cassettes, you know, you get like crystal ones and white ones with red root wheels in the middle and all the rest of it, and I thought so they're they're giving it that sort of limit edition 90s look, but yeah, in a modern day, and I just thought, hey, fantastic, and that sort of sent me down a rabbit hole. And then I saw another guy he was doing um he does like um switch and Game Boy Advance cases, but they're in cassette tapes. You have you have them all lined up if you just got the solo going. I thought, yeah, there's something there for the physical collector, you know.
SPEAKER_04And I think there'll always be passion, enough passion around the hobby, as long as it exists for people to want stuff from this hobby. Well, and not just a physical ephemera of playing the game, literally owning something either from the game or the game.
SPEAKER_02Well, I think um I was watching a bit of news when um I think I've mentioned this on UCP as well, but we'll we'll bring it up here, talking about digital and and and services. Um, when Forza Horizon 6 first came out within the first week or two weeks, there was six million people who played it on Games Pass, but 6.8 million copies had sold. And they said that's almost gone back the other way again. The people had got rid of Games Pass and were actually buying it instead, so there was more players who had a physical edition than there was actually that. How good is that? And that suddenly, and that's when they said, Well, hold on, you can see why Xbox are thinking of shelving Games Pass now, because the physical buyers were suddenly coming back, you know.
SPEAKER_04So I always said it was a bait by them to disrupt the marketplace. Unfortunately, because of the others' lack of commitment to providing an equidistant product, and it's been proven that that equidistant product is damaged, not only the main business, but maybe even the industry as a whole, I think is suffering from choice paralysis. Um, and this is what we wanted. We wanted our eyes balled open like clockwork orange, and we wanted to be fed entertainment. We demanded it. We demanded it. Well, what I'll say is get for what you wish for.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, definitely. Um, but those are the three stories I um for this month of August 2012. I hope you enjoyed Dave's. Um, we had a bit from uh David Cage and Quantic Dream and about how how heavy rain too was never on the cards. He just had free rain to make what he wanted. We went straight into the uh the second week for UK number one for sleeping dogs, and we give you a little chart rundown of what was selling in this month and what was doing well. Um, and then we finished up with how happy Nintendo were that Super Mario Bros. 2 had 5% digital downloads and to where we are now with digital downloads and how that whole market has changed. So hope you like them.
Stingray Boot September Picks
SPEAKER_02But I think it's now time for what we affectionatic boot. What's nestled between some counterfeit nappies and a dodgy copy for Battle for Endor is some of the new releases for September 2012 Spring Stop Wow Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. How are you seeing the ray this weekend, George?
SPEAKER_04Well tell you what Ray's bowled out the car. He's he said he's giving cosplay a go to me. He's cool. He's cool. He's cool as on solo. Looks pretty legit to be fair. Uh he's got the shoulder bolster on, he's got the little Ray. Obviously he's made out of cardboard and whatnot, and uh Oh wow. Little Wayne Wow Little Wayne's come as like a hot slave layer. Um That's a bit rare, that rare tell you. I don't think you've probably thought about letting him out that way, but uh what's up, little Wayne? What are you giving me a card to his saucy site? I think you can keep that way. Um in the meantime, let me have a little look seeing the boot. Uh actually, just out of curiosity now, I'm a bit scared. How are you you're not seeing Wayne like this, are you?
SPEAKER_02No, no, no, no, I'm not. Um Ray's got out of the car and I thought, oh, he he looks almost like sort of a an 80s um I can't think of his name now from uh I've got his name from TV uh Noel Edmonds. There we go. He looks like Noel Edmonds with a jumper and he's got his blonde wig on. He hasn't got the beard though, but then so he is cosplaying. Yeah, and then then Wayne's got it and he looks like oh hang on, he's just said ready for this pop pickers. Oh, a smashy and noisy is because we've done the charts in it. Oh makes sense, yeah. Wayne's got a little knitted jumper on, a brown mullet, he's got a little pair of slacks, a little bit half mast, some slip-on shoes. Oh, it looks amazing.
SPEAKER_04So, why am I seeing these guys as Star Wars cosplayers? I have no idea. Do you want Wayne's card? Yes, please. Send me screenshots, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, so September 2012. What would you kick out of this list then, Georgia boy?
SPEAKER_04Uh I'll tell you what, I'm taking a game that I actually quite enjoy playing. Um, what's that? Oh, yeah, that's good. Uh no, I I I'm gonna stick with this. I looked at it when he first pulled up. I'm gonna go with Tokyo Jungle on the PlayStation 3.
SPEAKER_02I know you'd uh get this one. I remember when you bought this and we talked in depth about the game and mechanics and rarity and bits and pieces.
SPEAKER_04Rachel quite likes it to be fair. It's uh like you start off as a little doggy, you kind of like work through and you've got to try and find a mate and breed and be breed a successful kind of legacy. Um, and as you do different things, you kind of and as you stumble across other animals, you kind of unlock them to go through them as well. So you kind of collect the different creatures, then then you can go through. But like Tokyo Jungle is it's a weird art style, it's kind of got that clip arty look to it that I'm not a big fan of at times, but it works in this in this way, and um yeah, it's my choice.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, a very sort of cult-loving game now, isn't it? That game, and yeah, I think so.
SPEAKER_04I mean, it's quite unusualness and yeah. I grabbed it off the PS3 store to be fair. I think it was maybe given away in the last throws of the PlayStation 3 stores when I do believe it was, yeah, which is why I'm surprised you ain't got it.
SPEAKER_02Hmm. Yeah, no, no, I haven't. So I think I'd only sin it maybe you playing it, I think. I can't remember, but yeah, it's fun.
SPEAKER_04I mean, don't go out your way, but yeah, you'd enjoy it. So what's your choice?
SPEAKER_02I'm stuck between two here because there's one here I want to play because I like those sort of games, but another one's quite a big heavy hitter, would have been quite popular at the time. So I'm gonna say Borderlands 2, I think. Um give it a sort of looter shooter a go. Um, I've got friends who are really into it. Um, mother and daughter who love playing together on there. They put up to Borderlands 4 now, they're playing. So um, yeah, so Borderlands 2.
SPEAKER_04What was the one that you were interested in that you weren't gonna take?
SPEAKER_02The testament of Sherlock Holmes. I do like my I do like my sort of uh detective games. I love me um Agatha Christie games. I think um, yes, there is an ease game in there. Um, and I think this one I've got on 360, the testament of Sherlock Holmes. I picked up for the 360. Um, is there any other honourable mentions for you? Oh, yes.
SPEAKER_04Uh Little Big Planet on the Vita, which is a thoroughly great way to play and enjoy that game. It's got all the great bits in it. Um, before they made No Man's Sky, they made Joe Danger, baby. So go check that out. It's not what you expect. Uh got to give a shout out to the absolute garbage that is connects esame street. Um we're one year short of PES and FIFA becoming valuable. Um, and yeah, that's probably about it for me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think that's that's about all there was for us in this month, but yeah, still plenty there to play. Um what are you gonna pick as a film?
SPEAKER_04Oh, I know what I'm picking.
SPEAKER_02Go on in.
SPEAKER_04Your nose, and then Avengers.
SPEAKER_02Mmm.
SPEAKER_04Yeah came out early, but Ray's doing me a deal on it. Says if I if I take this, it'll it'll let you take Wayne's card.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. Um, I'm going with Contraband. Um, a film I'd never heard of till last year when our good friends she loved this film and said, Oh, you've got to watch Contraband with Mark Warburg in. And I watched it, and that's a great little film, yeah. It's one I didn't really heard of, but yeah, it's a good good little story in that. If you like a bit of an action thriller game, uh game, action thriller movie. Um, yeah, so yeah, contraband, give definitely give that a look.
Where To Find Us And Goodbye
SPEAKER_02Um, before we go, we better do our usual housekeeping. Um, like we always talk about on the show. Don't forget the unofficial controller podcast, the mothership, the one that has uh spawned this show. Um, check that out. Um, check out the website which is unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com, check out our email at questions at unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com, check out TikTok, check out Insta, check out X, check out Discord, where all the chats go on with fellow gamers from fans of flashback, fans of the UCP, people who like quizzes, people who like doing challenges, they're all on there. Come and say hi and come and join in. And if you want a link to that, you can find it on either my Instagram, you can find it in the show notes, or you can find it on the Unofficial Controller Podcast Instagram too. Is there anything you want to add to that, young George? Are all the links on the website? I would imagine so, yes. So definitely check out the website. If they're not, I'll get it.
SPEAKER_03Just go straight there, everyone.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'm sure they are, I'm sure they are. So we've got we're just on the website as well. We've just added reviews recently. So we will be doing a retro section. So we might call it flashback reviews as well. So we'll chuck some reviews on there from that. Um, and we might in the future we are talking about doing hardware reviews from retro stuff to modern stuff. So we'll keep you posted on that. But yeah, go check out the website, it's very good. Captain Scarlet has done an incredible job on that. Um, and also don't forget to check out the YouTube. If you're listening to us on YouTube or viewing on YouTube now, um, give us a comment, give us a like, give us a subscribe. Subscribe. Yes, give us a sub to the Anne Fish control podcast.
SPEAKER_04Um if you do nothing else, just subscribe.
SPEAKER_02Yes. And if you're listening as well, thank you very much for downloading and enjoying the show. Um we very much appreciate it. Rolling on to the third episodes of the show now.
SPEAKER_04Is it marriage yet?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's getting that way, you know. Getting that way. Um yeah, so just need to say thank you, George. As always, it was a great one. This one 2012 seems nearer, but then quite far away.
SPEAKER_04This was my year of out of gaming, to be fair, so I've done well to actually even contribute. So I'm quite proud of myself.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, you've done very well cycling and running.
SPEAKER_04Especially around the time of the Olympics, which I think this was.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, definitely, yeah, definitely, yeah, definitely. Um, but yeah, so thanks, like I say, thanks to George, thanks to everyone for listening, thanks for downloading. And that just leaves me to say flashback the games you loved, the stories you forgot. I'll see you next week, George, and I'll see you listeners as well. See you later.
SPEAKER_04See you, RGT, see you everyone.