Monday, May 27, 2013

Episode 21: PCC 2012 with Chris Gore and Cody Gidley

For this week's podcast we come to you straight from Bat and Hammer's not so secret Hyatt room (psst it was 1201) during Phoenix Comic-Con 2013!  For our very special "drinking age" show we had special guests Chris Gore and Cody Gidley stop by to join in for some fun ramblings and Con stories. We discuss Con loves and dislikes, Podcasting tips and we berate Bat about his horrible on-air etiquette.
Don't forget to also follow and listen to   Chris Gore's podcast called PodCRASH! which is updated Monday's just like us! (except for this week)
Speaking of regular updates I did want to apologize for the technical problem with Bat's audio from 15:22-15:45 where he sounds off mic.  It took a little finagling but the rest was able to be fixed up so  listen and enjoy.

Click here to listen to this weeks podcast in iTunes or Sticher.
I've also included the most recent episode via the embedded link below
  

Join us next week same Hammer Time, same Bat Channel.
-Hammer

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Begun the Console War Has

Before starting this post I want to clarify that the post below is not the viewpoints of Hammer, nor the standing of the Batandhammer podcast. This is post written by Bat giving his thoughts and opinions on the Xbox One. Enjoy

Today May 21, 2013 Microsoft revealed their third console, the Xbox One. Thus with the previous announcement of the Sony PS4 and the release of the Nintendo WiiU, a new generation of console wars has begun!

For gamers this is an exciting, yet trepidatious time. Which console should I pick up? Should I buy at launch? Do I have enough Mountain Dew?

Hammer and I have covered our thoughts on the WiiU and how Nintendo is failing its fans, so I will be discussing the PS4 and Xbox1 here.

When Sony came out with their conference, games seemed to be getting the majority of coverage, and rightly so. Sony has a habit of overpromising and under delivering when it comes to console goals. To put the focus on games, which is something Sony can deliver on, is definitely a welcome change. Sony has some plans in mind for the PS4, with cloud gaming and such and hopefully they can fulfill those plans.

With today being the Xbox1 reveal I wanted to spend more time talking about their hits and misses. It was revealed that, as with the PS4 the Xbox1 will not be backwards compatible. I think this is something gamers focus on just to complain. If you are purchasing a next generation system to play old games, you are making the wrong purchase. Microsoft also announced that a new Kinect (version 2.0) will be necessary to play all games. While you may not need to use the Kinect, it will have to always be connected. The system will come shipped with a 500GB hard drive, which is a ton of space.

Two very key concerns that microsoft didn't quell were always on connectivity and the topic of used games. During the conference Microsoft confirmed that when a game is loaded into the Xbox1, the game will install onto your hard drive and once that game has been installed it cannot be used on another system without a fee. What that fee is has yet to be revealed, but having to pay a fee just to play a game you rent or borrow from a friend is a huge issue that Microsoft needs to clarify. Microsoft also cleared up an issue with always on connectivity. While the system doesn't have to always be online, some games will use the cloud to save. Does this mean that if you are offline when a game tries to auto-save that it will cause the game to stop working? Hopefully an answer to that question will come shortly.

While Microsoft didn't show many games, what they did show was TV. And lots of it. Microsoft's goal is to really make this machine the one (get it now) machine that you need to control everything. However to have cable you will still need to have a cable box from your cable or satellite provider. Do you have to pay $4.99 to access the cable box you are already paying for? Or does a live subscription come with some sort of pay TV package?

Speaking of TV, a Halo TV series, with Steven Spielberg's involvement was teased. Want to get me interested in Halo? Steven Spielberg is the way!!!!

Microsoft revealed a slick new controller for the Xbox1. I love the new controller design!!!!

Also Call of Duty, Call of Duty, Call of Duty. But hey there's a dog now that you're supposed to care about. That worked for Fable right?

I'm not very excited about the Xbox1. I have no reason to watch TV on my system. The only thing I watch live is sports. Sure there are sports related perks, like being able to check your fantasy stats, but would I really pay extra for that?

Hopefully there will be more information to come with E3 being just 3 weeks away. As always we will keep you posted on our thoughts.

What did you think of the conference? What did you like? What disappointed you? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Bat


Monday, May 20, 2013

Episode 20: Set Phasers to ... Explosions!


Greetings listeners, and welcome to another week in geek.  This weeks adventure sees our two everyday heroes head straight into outer space to marvel at the wonders of the famous ship Enterprise and her amazing crew.  What nefarious space faring villains will they face along such a perilous journey? Well for those that love surprises don't worry Bat and Hammer are on the case to provide you spoiler free review of Star Trek Into Darkness.  Also this week we talk about EA (quite a lot), Sony, Gran Turismo 6, Nintendo and the S.H.I.E.L.D. tv series. as well as what we Watched, Played and geeked about.
Click here to listen to this weeks podcast in iTunes or Sticher (by searching Batandhammer or Spreken ze Geek) 
  

Join us next week same Hammer Time, same Bat Channel.
-Hammer

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Episode 19: It's Still Downloading...

Greetings listeners! It's that time of the week where our everyday heroes have chance to speak geek.  It's been a rough and busy week for Bat and Hammer but they take advantage of this respite to grab a breather and discuss worlds events before Summer continues its onslaught of blockbuster movie mayhem!  We recount Free Comic Book Day experiences, Talk of PSN woes (hence the title... our thoughts are with you Aaron), Iron Man 3 negative feedback and movie Trailer debuts. As always the team also brings you what they are watching, playing and geeking.

Click here to listen to this weeks podcast in iTunes or Sticher (by searching Batandhammer or Spreken ze Geek) 

Also here is the video interview that Bat was mentioning.





Saturday, May 4, 2013

Episode 18: Iron Man Rises vs Dark Knight Man 3

Greetings true believers!  It is indeed a great day that your everyday heroes get to witness the exploits of another not-so-everyday hero... Iron Man.  The Bat and Hammer battle it out through crowded theaters, sweaty patrons and crying children (why do people bring their babies to movies with explosions!?) to get to the very heart of what makes Tony Stark tick.  Will everyone make it through the movie? open up dear listener to find out. Also we take our chance to officially christen the start of that the wonderful time of year, Summer Movie Season. This episode we list off all of the movies that lie ahead, in this weeks Super Summer Movie Extravaganza!

Click here to listen to this weeks podcast in iTunes or Sticher (by searching Batandhammer or Spreken ze Geek) 

Join us next week same Hammer Time, same Bat Channel.
-Hammer