Feedback

We only squeezed a few minutes of Mass Effect 2 discussion into last week's Feedback, but don't worry, BioWare's space epic will be the focus this time around. We already talked about Mass Effect 2 during our previous reader question, though, so I'm making a request this time around: no questions can be related to Mass Effect 2! What do you want the Feedback crew to talk about?

Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Between Apple's iPad reveal and the release of Mass Effect 2, it's been a big week for nerrdom at G4. We actually recorded this week's Feedback before the iPad event, so the crew had to table thoughts on Apple's newest revelations for a few days, but that didn't stop Adam Sessler, Abbie Heppe, Sterling McGarvey and myself from having some of our most heated Feedback discussions yet.

In this week's Feedback...

• We debate whether Sony's rumored name for their motion controller, Arc, makes any sense and what the delay into fall means for the looming battle with both Wii and Project Natal.
• Eidos Interactive announced that Just Cause 2 for PlayStation 3 will have YouTube support, something everyone on Feedback hopes becomes integrated into, well, everything.
• If you purchase Mass Effect 2 used, the Cerberus Network will cost you $15. Users raised concerns about what this means for the future, but we're not so certain it's doomsday.
• Suda 51 returns to the Wii with No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, which reviewer Sterling McGarvey says improves on all fronts. Plus, the Bayonetta sex debate returns!
• A user ponders whether BioWare's pioneering efforts to have actions influence multiple games is a movement the rest of the industry should be following. But is that asking too much?

Feedback, telling game developers they're creepy because, well, we're creepy, too.

Attention Podcasters: The iTunes feed for this online show will be discontinued as of January 31st. FEEDBACK will now be available through iTunes as part of the "G4tv.com Web Shows" podcast, so subscribe to that, or watch new episodes as soon as they go up on G4tv.com/feedback. Check out this page for links to all of G4's iTunes podcasts. Thanks!

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Did you catch last week's epic episode of Feedback? If not, don't worry, I'll wait.

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Okay, then. Onto this week. We've been on a serious roll with a series of excellent, thought-provoking questions from you guys and we'd love to keep that going. What do you want to hear the Feedback crew talk about this week? Oh, and before you ask, Mass Effect 2 discussion is next week!

Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Do not adjust your calendars, we are not yet in the bewitching month of Smarch. Feedback has now officially moved to Wednesdays, and now serves as your reward for bravely making it through half of the week. This week's show dissects the December sales numbers, as we all marvel at Nintendo's ever-tightening stranglehold on the American market, both home and portable. Combined, the Wii and DS sold over 7 million units in the month. That is what is referred to in the industry as a "happy holiday."

 Adam, Patrick, Abbie, and Sterling also ruminate upon other matters of the day:

• New Super Mario Bros. Wii was very well-received, as Mario Mania re-sweeps the nation. Warms my 1990 heart...let's keep that positive energy going for Super Mario Galaxy 2!
• PS3 saw a sales bump, even edging out the 360. The looming Motion Wars are going to be interesting.
• Beyond Good & Evil 2 still exists, yay! I Am Alive also still exists...yay?
• ESPN coming to Xbox Live. We continue the march along the path to full device convergence...
• Dark Void is Game of the Week, but pretty much only by default. Not a whole lot that's remarkable about the game, so we get to double up on Question(s) of the Week!
• We seem to finally be getting more games for grown-ups, but what are the implications when younger eyes are set upon them?
• Should a linear-by-nature game be punished for its linearity? We look at the case of Uncharted 2 for answers...

G4's Feedback: Doing the mid-week humpty dance since 2010.

Feedback is moving to Wednesdays, which means I'm coming to you guys a whole day earlier for questions this week! Even though Feedback is moving days, we're not changing the format, which means you guys need to hit the comments. What do you want to hear us talk about this week? 

The week wouldn't be complete without another episode of Feedback, right? Don't worry, readers, we're happy to oblige. Adam Sessler, Abbie Heppe, newcomer Jake Gaskill and myself headed into the studio to discuss the week's events, debate how much Electronic Arts has managed to improve its bromance co-op series Army of Two with the sequel, Army of Two: The 40th Day, and more.

In this week's Feedback...

• I return from CES 2010 with news about the future of 3D in video games: it's overrated.
• We reflect on the avalanche of game announcements and delays we've seen in the past two weeks, including Ubisoft's potentially controversial new Assassin's Creed...with multiplayer?
• There's not much confidence that The Legend of Zelda for Wii is shipping in 2010, but that might be offset by Nintendo's decision to deliver Metroid: Other M before the year is up.
• Irrational Games becomes 2K Boston becomes Irrational Games. The world is right again.
• Find out if Army of Two: 40th Day is worth checking out, especially if you're going solo.
• A reader asks a particularly juicy question about the validity of Hollywood film directors (like, say, James Cameron) becoming involved in video games and whether there's merit to it.

Feedback, talking trash about the products shown at CES since video games decided to leave.

I'm happy to have returned from a brief visit to sunny (but surprisingly chilly) Las Vegas for CES 2010 and begin preparation for this week's episode of Feedback. We're currently in the calm before the storm that will be the flurry of new releases in the first half of 2010 and as we prepare for the onslaught, we're heading into the studio to talk about it. Which brings me to you, readers. What do you want to hear the Feedback crew discuss this week? Chime in below!

Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

It's 2010, and what a fun, sexy time it is for Feedback. We're kicking off the new year in grand style with Sega's Bayonetta, our Game of the Week. I watched Patrick play it earlier in the week, and my brain's comprehension ability shut down after about a half-hour. But the funny thing is, I couldn't avert my gaze. It's like a high-calorie train wreck that you want to give the MST3K treatment to, but will still end up genuinely enjoying just because of how crazy it is. How did Abbie, Sterling, and Patrick feel about it? You're going to have to watch...

Also on this week's agenda:

• Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata revealed that the next Legend of Zelda game will hit the Wii in 2010. No details were revealed, but it's nice to know that it's only about 11 months away.
• He also started talking about successor to the Nintendo DS. "Higher resolution" and "motion sensing" were mentioned, which isn't really too surprising given the Wii's success and how old the current DS tech is.
• The Consumer Electronics Show is happening in Vegas, and the collective geek spotlight is on 3D television. After the impressive demonstration in Avatar, is it something we're willing to wrap our eyes around at home?

Feedback: Suggestively sucking on lollipops since 2009.

Hello, 2010! Most of us need a vacation from our vacations, but it's time to get back in the saddle. I hope you enjoyed the Feedback episodes that helped round out 2009, but there's no rest for the weary, as we're jumping straight into Feedback for 2010. As usual, however, we need your help: what do you want the Feedback crew to discuss this week? It's the first question of 2010, so make it special!

There have been plenty of great games released in 2009, but as the year finally comes to a close, it's time to look forward. 2010 looms and unlike previous years, there will be no lull in the first few months. The series of delays from 2009 mean the 2010 will be kicking off with a bang and the Feedback crew -- Adam Sessler, myself, Abbie Heppe and Andrew Pfister -- decided to spend New Years Eve (we're that dedicated, friends) discussing their most anticipated games of next year. 

In this episode of Feedback...

• I discuss a recent hands-on session with one of 2010's earliest AAA releases, Mass Effect 2, and how BioWare is actively addressing the issues that hurt the original.
• Adam and Abbie have an obsession with Red Dead Redemption. Specifically, horse butts.
• There's both excitement and apprehension over Team Ninja's collaboration with Nintendo for Metroid: Other M. Will the series become too action-oriented for its own good?
• And, of course, much, much more...

Feedback, ditching New Years Eve plans to talk about games because we're crazy. Please, subscribe.

When this decade started, I was, uh, 14. What happened? Almost ten years have passed by, as it turns out. With 2009 inching towards the finish line, the Feedback crew headed into the studio to discuss their favorite games to the past decade. It's an episode packed with nostalgia, as Adam Sessler, myself, Rob Manuel and Abbie Heppe try desperately to convince ourselves some games are still good (when they probably aren't anymore). 

In this episode of Feedback...

• Adam and I share a tender moment discussing the impact of Warren Spector's Deus Ex and conveniently avoid talking about how much of a disappointment the sequel turned out to be.
• It becomes clear Abbie has a massive crush on Metroid Prime.
• We track the rise of the multiplayer game (or, to be more precise, the rise of the online multiplayer game) through a discussion about Halo that makes Adam feel old.
• Uh, we love Psychonauts. A lot.

Feedback, ditching families to talk about video games out of our love for you. Want more?

There are few games more polished and entertaining than Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which is why we just crowned it as 2009's Game of the Year. And there are few people in the industry more insightful and personable than Naughty Dog creative director Amy Hennig, who along with the talented game director Bruce Straley, stopped by the show to talk in-depth about Nathan Drake's sophomore adventure.

Hennig and Straley run through the game's development process, including how they sat down at the very beginning to discuss where they wanted to take the sequel, the strong presence of well-written female characters, how influential the voice actors' contributions are, and how they pulled off the train sequence.

Feedback: Honored just to be nominated since 2009. Hop on the train and subscribe.

Happy Holidays from the Feedback team, and don't forget...we'll be putting up new shows on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. It's our gift to you!

As the clock ticks down to precious vacation time (even we have to rest sometimes), we're still preparing to head to the studio for another edition of Feedback. It may be hard to top the excellent "games and education" question from last week, but I'm confident Feedback's fans are up to the task. What do you want to hear the crew talk about? We'll pick one question to read and discuss on the air.

Ah, it's that time of year again. The release schedule we feared for months has finally come and gone, with countless late nights spent powering through as many games as possible, only to be followed by the hardest part of all: picking the best of the best, the games of 2009. Adam Sessler, myself, Abbie Heppe and Brian Leahy gathered for Feedback this week to discuss G4's nominees for 2009.

In this edition of Feedback, the crew tackles...

• Dead Space 2 is finally confirmed by Electronic Arts to no one's surprise, but we have some serious reservations about the rumors being tossed around about adding multiplayer.
• We're happy hear Take-Two is already making their desires for Borderlands 2 public. Plenty of downloadable content is promised and Valve's model for Left 4 Dead 2 is discussed.
• In a surprising move, Portal co-creator Kim Swift announced she was leaving her position at Valve to become a project lead at Airtight Games. What does this mean for Valve?
• The official G4 nominees for the best games of 2009 have been announced. How were the nominees picked? Were there games we voted for that didn't actually make the list?
• A user submits what Adam declares the most intelligent question featured on Feedback yet. 

Feedback, attempting to balance on a Tony Hawk: Ride board since...well, never.

How many obscure references is Adam up to now? I've lost count (and most go over my head). In any case, we're gearing up for another edition of Feedback this week and must turn to you, the reader, for help. Do you have a question for the Feedback crew to address? Looking for some burning insight into what's happening in the video game industry right now? Well, you've come to the right place.

Submit away, readers, but remember the golden rule: associate a picture with your profile!