GamerNode: VS Node's Columns

VS Node No Bounds: Episodes From Online Gaming

Eddie, Jason, Tyler, Mike, and Matt share stories about online gaming and berate Gamecrush.com.

Eddie, Jason, Tyler, Mike, and Matt share their experiences with online gaming and then move on to examine a reprehensible website that objectifies women just like strip clubs do.

00:00 - The Wii friend code system sucks. GN guys can't find it. Tyler wants to lie about the games he plays.01:20 - A famous Tyler quote. His latest public shaming in Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox Live.04:06 - Matt's French connection in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.04:50 - Moms on Xbox Live. Eddie has no funny stories.05:28 - Girls on Xbox Live. Gamecrush.com. Krogan balls.12:19 - We know who's behind all this....

Music courtesy of Brian Schulman, 2007.

Links:Eddie's Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/EddieInzautoJason's Twitter...

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VS Node No Bounds: Krogan Balls

Eddie, Jason, Tyler, Mike, and Matt mostly laugh about Krogan testcles in the middle of a Mass Effect discussion.

In the last episode of the VS Node Podcast, Eddie, Jason, Tyler, Mike, and Matt thoroughly explored the Mass Effect franchise, but even that wasn't enough. Here on No Bounds, the guys discuss what Jason claims is the most importnt aspect of that virtual universe -- the fact that Krogans have four balls. Brace yourselves....

00:00 - Tyler's former GameStop job and spineless store manager.02:32 - Seth Green as Joker. Scars on Mass Effect 2 characters, wooing women, scars, tattoos, Agent Zero, and wild sex.04:30 - Matt does nothing but play video games all day.04:47 - Krogan balls.08:33 - Elcor impressions. More Krogan balls.11:43 - Mike's Mass Effect 2 boner. Jason's home menagerie...

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VS Node 12: A Massive Effect

Eddie, Jason, Matt, Mike, and Tyler have a roundtable discussion about the Mass Effect franchise and Eddie reviews Mass Effect 2.

Tyler Cameron, Mike Murphy, and Matt Erazo join Eddie Inzauto and Jason Fanelli for a roundtable discussion of the Mass Effect franchise. They focus on Mass Effect's impact on players, what it did right, where it went wrong, its significance for gaming, and where they want the sequel to take gamers, and then Eddie offers up his early thoughts on the first 23 hours of Mass Effect 2 in what turns into a full review of the improved and impressive sequel.

00:00 - Welcome. Introductions.03:14 - Mass Effect roundtable discussion and comparison.29:05 - Interlude 129:21 - Mass Effect roundtable discussion and comparison, continued.38:03 - Hopes for Mass Effect 2. What we'...

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VS Node 11: The Game of the Games of the Decade

VS Node turns into a game show to help Eddie, Jason, Dan, Creighton, and Jeff decide the Games of the Decade.

Dan Crabtree, Creighton DeSimone, and Jeffrey Matulef join Eddie Inzauto and Jason Fanelli to play "The Game of the Games of the Decade." The group narrows down an initial list of 61 titles released between 2000 and 2009 -- one by one -- to determine a top 10, top 5, and number 1 game of the last decade. A thorough and fun discussion kicks off the new decade with a bang, and our biggest show yet.

00:00 - Intro.00:52 - Welcome. Guests. Technical difficulties.02:08 - 2010! Happy New Year! New decade means many "Game of the Decade" lists.02:51 - The rules of The Game of the Games of the Decade.04:06 - The first elimination is...07:04 - The first OBJECTION! Back to back, even!13:14 - We ...

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VS Node 10: Naughty or Nice

Eddie, Jason, and Tyler talk about morality systems and the choices players make in videogames.

Eddie Inzauto, Jason Fanelli, and Tyler Cameron laugh through a discussion about morality in videogames, but still manage to think critically about the topic at hand. In an interesting discussion, they approach the material from a variety of angles and come out with some good insight and a better understanding of what makes such systems better or worse.

00:00 - Welcome. Introductions. Weather.01:48 - What we've been playing. Assassin's Creed II, Uncharted 2, Left 4 Dead 2, inFAMOUS, Prototype, and a quick breakdown of Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer. 07:56 - Morality systems in games.09:11 - What makes a videogame morality system a good one?13:40 - Fitting polar "good" and "bad" roles. Shades of gr...

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VS Node No Bounds: Nintendo's A Retard and Fox New...

Eddie, Jason, Mike, and Dan criticize Nintendo and Fox News in GamerNode's VS Node No Bounds.

You've listened to the latest episode of the VS Node Podcast, but what didn't you get to hear? In this edition of VS Node No Bounds, Eddie, Jason, Mike, and Dan criticize Nintendo's failure to join the 21st century and Fox News' wildly deceptive, uninformed, and unintelligent reporting on the topic of videogames.

00:00 - What consoles get the most playtime, and why "Nintendo's a ... retard."02:11 - Fox News condemns Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Jason wants to be on the show.04:18 - The on-air discussion, a well-timed spoiler warning, and the difference between parents and loincloth-clad barbarians.Music courtesy of Brian Schulman, 2007.

Links:Eddie's Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/EddieInzautoJa...

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VS Node 9: I Did It for the 'Chievos

Eddie, Jason, Mike, and Dan discuss achievements, trophies, in-game rewards, and the value of each.

Eddie Inzauto, Jason Fanelli, Mike Murphy, and Dan Crabtree look at a few of the latest releases, then dive into a discussion about videogame achievements, trophies, and rewards in general.

00:00 - Welcome. Achievement unlocked! Introductions.01:06 - What we've been playing. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and "the scene." Dragon Age: Origins.07:50 - Natal launch detailed. Coming November 2010 for 80 dollars or less.09:20 - Achievements and Rewards discussion.09:33 - Are you an "achievement junkie"?13:08 - Achievements and trophies as motivation to play.16:55 - Achievements/trophies reiterating and reinforcing existing in-game goals.20:02 - Player-created goals and their relationship to achiev...

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VS Node No Bounds: Pirates and Demos and Bobby, Oh...

Eddie, Jason, and Kyle go overboard during their discussion, bringing you GamerNode's first edition of VS Node No Bounds.

You've listened to the latest episode of the VS Node Podcast, but what didn't you get to hear? The first ever VS Node No Bounds features snippets of discussion between Eddie, Jason, and Kyle that came up on recording day outside of your regularly scheduled podcast programming. This time it had to do with Bobby Kotick's evil plans, porn in videogames, piracy, and demos... not to mention Kyle's filthy mouth.

00:00 - Bobby Kotick's evil plans.01:07 - Harmonix's values. Rock Band vs. Guitar Hero.02:04 - Porn in videogames.02:23 - Videogame companies screwing with game pirates.04:05 - Which games should be anime?05:27 - Piracy's value to publishers. An extended demo. Demo/pro...

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VS Node 8: What Are Ya Buyin, Stranger?

Eddie, Jason, and Kyle talk retail, resale, and digital distribution in the latest VS Node Podcast.

Eddie Inzauto, Jason Fanelli, and GamerNode contributor Kyle Stallock cover a number of topics ranging from racism, to Twitter, to console price wars and the business of videogames, finally settling into a discussion of the various methods of videogame distribution, their importance and implications, and the future of videogame sales.

00:00 - Welcome! Introductions.01:19 - What we've been playing. Wolfenstein. Street Fighter IV. BlazBlue. Electronic masturbation. The Beatles: Rock Band, Scribblenauts.04:46 - Scribblenauts word list. 5th Cell response. "Sambo" racism.06:46 - Twitter in Uncharted 2.07:37 - Mag Beta. "OMG, IT'S LIKE CALL OF DUTY, BUT MORE PEOPLE!"08:26 - Call of Duty: Modern Warf...

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VS Node 7: The Resolution Revolution

Eddie, Tyler, Joe, and Creighton talk HD gaming -- and everything else -- on the biggest VS Node to date.

Eddie Inzauto hosts the biggest VS Node to date, with newcomers Tyler Cameron of GN, Joe DeLia of Big Red Potion, and Creighton DeSimone of Bleep Bloop. The quartet discuss the PS3 Slim, old and new software, competitive gaming, videogame controllers, realism, art direction, console lifespans, and more as they weave in and out of a lengthy and entertaining discussion about HD gaming.

00:00 - Welcome! Introductions.01:11 - Games we've been playing. Layton, Metroid, inFAMOUS, Shadow Complex.05:05 - Beating Shadow Complex in under 20 minutes, 13 percent of items.06:25 - Unattainable achievements.07:49 - News: PS3 Slim. 07:59 - "Slim" name?08:58 - Console size comparison.09:41 - Backwards co...

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VS Node 6: 2009 So Far

Eddie, Jason, and Jeff pick apart the games of the first half of 2009, choose their favorites, and anticipate the rest of the year.

Eddie Inzauto and Jason Fanelli welcome The Game Reviews contributor Jeffrey Matulef to discuss the best games of the first half of 2009. They crown a king of the hill for January through June, and then look ahead to their most anticipated games scheduled for release between July and December.

00:00 - Welcome! Introductions.00:54 - Best ames of the first half of 2009.01:09 - We love inFAMOUS.05:54 - Jeff cheats! Demon Souls.08:06 - Punch Out!!11:06 - Eddie can't get enough Street Fighter IV.13:57 - Sims 3 and exorcist avatars.16:35 - Suikoden Tierkreis and DS rpgs.19:57 - Solution to the Jeff-hasn't-played-it problem.20:11 - Early 2009 got Jeff through the games...

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VS Node 5: The Art of Videogames

Eddie, Christos, and Sinan discuss games as art in a podcast dedicated to Michael Jackson..

Eddie Inzauto and Christos Reid welcome Big Red Potion Podcast host Sinan Kubba to vs. Node for a stimulating discussion of games as art, as well as Michael Jackson, mergers, jiggle physics, and more.

00:00 - Welcome! Introductions.01:44 - What we've been playing.01:49 - Sinan's been playing...03:47 - Christos has been playing...06:20 - Eddie's been playing...07:33 - News.07:38 - Michael Jackson's death.12:25 - Zenimax Media buying id. 13:30 - Bethesda building FPS library.14:51 - Mark Jacobs leaving Mythic.16:43 - Koei Tecmo Ltd. merger.17:40 - Jiggle physics.18:53 - Japan's videogame porn.21:23 - The human form is artistic.21:51 - Games as art discussion.22:36 - What is art?32:19 - Art as it applie...

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VS Node 4: E3: Gaiden -- The Wrap-up Show

Eddie, Christos, and Jason cover all the news, announcements, ups, and downs of E3 2009.

This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo is over, so it's time to rant and rave about everything that happened at the show in Los Angeles. From small news, to big games, to surprises, to letdowns, Eddie, Christos, and Jason wind themselves with E3 discussion, opinion, and analysis.

00:00 - Welcome! Intros. Christos has hay fever.00:52 - What we've been playing.01:10 - Jason's been playing...01:35 - inFAMOUS vs. Prototype.02:42 - Christos is playing...03:03 - Killing Sims.04:06 - Eddie's been playing...04:22 - Punch Out!! vs. Punch Out!! vs.Punch Out!! 07:02 - News.07:08 - Next Wii Zelda. Wii MotionPlus to be required.08:11 - Street Fighter IV possible on the Wii?10:19 - Jack Tretton: Sony's Motion Contr...

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VS Node 3: E3 and ADD

Eddie, Christos, and Jason talk about E3 and more in the podcast that couldn't stay on topic.

Episode 3 of vs. Node breaks from the normal format in a number of ways, as Eddie Inzauto and Christos Reid welcome GamerNode columnist Jason Fanelli to the show for a rousing and meandering (that's a nice way of saying we couldn't keep on topic) discussion of recent news, industry topics, and our hopes and predictions for this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

00:00 - Welcome!00:55 - News.01:01 - Electronic Gaming Monthly to return.02:20 - Shadow Complex.04:02 - Midway auction.04:50 - E3 on the horizon.05:06 - The Big 3: Who Will Win? - Jason's take.06:11 - Eddie's take.07:15 - Christos's take.08:32 - Eddie is looking forward to...08:47 - Jason wants to see...09:40 - Bayonetta 10:38 - Perfect D...

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VS Node 2: Democracy in Action

Eddie & Christos weigh in on the nominees for the Golden Joystick Awards.

In Episode 2 of vs. Node, Eddie Inzauto and Christos Reid talk about crashes, closed doors, pulling out, losing money, a rumored console redesign, and this show's headline topic, the Golden Joystick Awards nominees.

00:00 - Welcome!01:08 - GamerNode crash and redesign.02:38 - Duke Nukem Forever laid to rest. Take Two sues Apogee.05:03 - Factor 5 shut down.06:01 - Atari pulls out of E3.08:06 - Sony reporting huge financial losses.10:17 - Rumored PS3 Slim.12:03 - Topic tease: Golden Joystick Awards12:30 - What we've been playing.12:35 - Christos: Plants vs. Zombies13:58 - Eddie: Braid on PC15:05 - How do you feel about the Golden Joystick Awards?16:18 - Family Game of The Year.20:16 - Handheld Game of The Year.23:50 - Mo...

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VS Node 1: Playing in the Sandbox

Eddie & Christos get their shovels and pails, and dive into a discussion of sandbox gaming.

In the very first episode of vs. Node, Eddie Inzauto and Christos Reid talk about swine flu's videogame debut, a flash game that outraged religious groups across the globe, homosexuality in gaming, and this show's headline topic, sandbox games.

00:00 - Welcome!00:44 - What vs. Node is all about.01:29 - News02:00 - Swine Fighter02:30 - Faith Fighter06:04 - Six Days in Fallujah canceled.09:33 - Homosexuality non-existent in Star Wars: The Old Republic.11:13 - Other gay rights issues.13:15 - What we've been playing.13:46 - Christos: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion14:44 - Eddie: The Dark Spire17:16 - What makes a sandbox?19:05 - Wikipedia definition of sandbox videogame.20:26 - Storyline in sandbox games.21:13...

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