Beardcast: Episode 86

Stay a while and listen, Bearders, it's the newest Beardcast! Join Wes Gardner, Brian Belida, Imran Khan, and Mark Bradshaw for this week's proceedings, where we may or may not unlock the mysteries of the Barbarians! While Diablo hype has clearly taken us by storm, we also tackle a few topics that are primed for discussion! This week:

• Diablo 3 is (now) mere hours from being released
• The allure of the 'click-click' action RPG
• Our own Matt Pierce had a beautiful baby girl! BABY TALK SEGMENT INCOMING
• We take a look at Max Payne 3, and see if it fits within the Max Payne universe
• Gamestop is now selling Steam giftcards, so what happened to the Impulse buyout?
• Mark updates us on his transformation to the GLORIOUS PC GAMING MASTER RACE
• Board game discussions, and Kickstarter updates (Grim Dawn is funded!)

In games, we have quite a slew! Diablo 3, Max Payne 3, Company of Heroes, Mindjack, Forbidden Planet, Sonic 2k6 (wait, WHAT?!), Left 4 Dead 2, and more!

We've got the hottest tips and tricks for Diablo 3's release, like...how to wait around and eat chips! WE'RE LIVE!

P.S GUYS DIABLO 3 IS ALMOST HERE SERIOUSLY WHAT ON EARRTHHHHH

Episode 86 (Right Click > Save As)

Alas, poor Warface

Some gameplay footage from Crytek's multiplayer FPS has warfaced.

Countdown To Diablo 3: 1 Day Left

Thank you for joining me over these past 4 days in counting down to Diablo 3! Later this week, I'll have hands-on impressions, and the final editorial write-up. It's been over 10 years since a new Diablo game hit shelves, so I think it's only fair to make this event truly special, and save the grand finale editorial for later in the week! I'll discuss where the franchise fits in today's gaming landscape, how the competition of Torchlight 2/Grim Dawn/Path of Exile changes the perception of Diablo's return, and just how major the design changes within the game truly are.

Speaking of the competition, can't wait to get your click-click on? Diablo not your thing, but still wish to join in the action rpg excitement? Interested in a free copy of the original Torchlight on Steam? How about having 4 chances to win? We have 4 copies of the original Torchlight to give away (or maybe even 5?!), so be sure to check out the stipulations, and prove that your photoshopping skills are worthy of legend!

So once again, Bearders, thanks for taking notice of my crazy fanboy-riddled shilling these past few days, and I hope to see you on Battle.net. May we slay demons together for all eternity, forever showcasing the power of the Beard!

Countdown To Diablo 3: 2 Days Left

 

2 days left, and I'm excited beyond belief! Bhaal himself can't destroy my hype!

Last segment, I discussed my take on a few controversial issues with Diablo 3's design. The segment before that, I went all-out on my love for Blizzard, and told a few personal stories that showed how the company's games came into my life. This time? We take a look at the 5 classes of Diablo 3, and a quick little snippet on them. The best part, though, is we have videos included, for your viewing pleasure! C'MON GANG, THESE CHARACTER SYNOPSIS VIDEOS WON'T WATCH THEMSELVES! What? They can't! They don't have Diablo-honed clicky fingers!

Click to read more ...

Why You Trine 2 Hurt Me Girl? - Part 6

It's part 6 and Imran and I are happy the giant berserker troll doesn't have infinite respawns like we do.

Countdown To Diablo 3: 3 Days Left

3 days left! Tomfoolery is about to be afoot! Equip your Godly Plate of the Whale and join me in the wait!

Okay, so I'm a little excited for Diablo 3. The internet is a free country, and that's my right! However, quite a bit of the internet is a bit 'sour grapes' on the changes that Diablo 3 has made, and while I can see the points on a few things, I think many people are missing a bigger picture. Today, I think I'll explore the biggest components of Diablo 3 that are causing a stir in the community, and why I think they're more of a positive, then a negative: Battle.net 2.0, the 'always online' DRM, and the Real Money Auction House.

Click to read more ...

Countdown To Diablo 3: 4 Days Left

4 days remain until Diablo 3 is launched, my friends! If you haven't already, pre-order the game on Battle.net and play the moment the servers go live on May 15th!

Diablo 3, for me, is one of (if not THE) biggest gaming release of this year. On May 15th, I'll be curled up here with some snackfood, energy drinks, my TwitchTV channel, and whoever would like to join me, as we start exploring what's truly going down in the war between the High Heavens and Burning Hells in Sanctuary. It's a very rare treat anymore to see such a long wait between sequels, and with a franchise as landmark and fondly talked about as Diablo, it's a treat I'm glad to share with all of you.

For such a major release, I thought it'd be fun to do a little countdown 'retrospective' feature, mainly concerning my past with Blizzard games,  why I'm really so excited for the release of Diablo 3, and even a retrospective of events in the lore of Diablo. Come, traveler, and let me tell you a tale of how I fell in love with Blizzard!

Click to read more ...

Jumpcast (5/10/12) - Vacation Horse

We're back with new chapters this week and renewed enthusiasm about our big-nosed overlords!

• At 0:35, Greg talks to us about Nura and why there are story reasons for the pretty art.
• At 10:40, Bleach discussion starts and we talk about the seemingly unintentional One Piece crossover.
• At 21:40, we talk about Beelzebub and the introduction of the newest character, Furuichi.
• At 34:00, One Piece talk starts with the fabulous revival of Mr. Bon Clay.
• At 51:15, Naruto talk is boring so we talk more about Big-Nose Kabuto.

I'm on vacation next week so there might be a rogue pirate podcast held on international waters next week?! Whatever, let's go!

Jumpcast (5/10/12) - Vacation Horse

Bulletin Beard: Company of Heroes Complete

 

Hey gang, your friendly neighborhoold RTS addict is here to inform you of a deal you really, really need to consider: Steam has the complete Company of Heroes pack on sale for $9.99, and it's a deal you shouldn't pass up if you're a fan of high-quality strategy titles. Relic's design team is one of the best in the business, being responsible for Homeworld, Dawn of War, and the recently announced Company of Heroes 2, which has your boy Wes in an absolute tizzy. 

The campaign of the Company of Heroes titles are the main reason I fell in love with the series, and the competitive, world-ranked multiplayer gives the series a longevity that puts it in the same light as other RTS classics, such as Starcraft, Age of Empires Online, and more. These titles are full, complete experiences, which I bought at full price on launch day, and never regretted it. If you're a bit unfamiliar with the genre, don't fret, I wholeheartidly think that if you're a newbie to Real Time-Strategy games, this is a perfect place, and franchise, to start with. 

Carry on, soldier! See you on the battlefield!

SmartTALK with Greg Street

Greg Street is the Lead Systems Designer on World of Warcraft at Blizzard Entertainment, he's also an alumni from a small liberal arts college in Maryland called McDaniel College; which also happens to be where I graduated from in 2006 and am currently working at.

As such I have the HOT SCOOP on the hour-long video of Street and the President of McDaniel, Roger Casey, sitting down for a conversation that's part of a series called SmartTALK. Video past the cut!

Click to read more ...