PCGP Episode #173: L4P
Zombies don’t have censors so neither do we for this episode. Hide your children because we tried to record a podcast during a L4D session and produce something that made sense. Mistakes were made, demo files were patched into oblivion minutes after record time and lots of audible mouse clicking can be heard. It’s still a PCGP so give it a listen and imagine Francis verbally hating on something.
April 24th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Hopefully this turns out alright for you guys. We recorded on Thursday with the intention of making a video podcast from our time spent in L4D, but when Valve patched L4D barely an hour after we finished recording, it invalidated our recorded demo files. We pulled every trick we could to try and recover the footage, but no success.
But yes, let us know in-game podcasts are something we should reattempt. Thanks, folks.
April 25th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Hilarious how you’re all having a conversation then you get interjections oh “BOOMER!” “Smoker!” and other events happening in the game as you play.
PS. Valve got rid of the ratings on Steam. No more “Eagles Scream” for 40+ hours
April 25th, 2009 at 12:49 am
Revolutionary! Totally love the podcast!
And Eve Online is the other MMO on steam.
April 25th, 2009 at 2:19 am
Looking forward to listening to this one. Obviously don’t know if I like yet but thanks for trying something new guys.
April 25th, 2009 at 2:20 am
Great idea! Whoever came up with this one deserves a milkshake! I guess a game of L4D, or whatever else you guys all hook up to play, might not work every time but I love it!
April 25th, 2009 at 10:11 am
We debated recording an episode while everyone was playing Quake 3.
It would’ve been more vulgar than Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction and Casino combined.
April 25th, 2009 at 11:16 am
can you guys do this nexet week with the game footage or a diiferent game it was a great podcast.
April 25th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Glad you guys are liking it even without the video so far, hopefully we can get it working the next time we try it.
@Mikeon Ah! I knew there was one I was forgetting. Thanks
April 25th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I think your original idea for a video podcast would have been a refreshing change of pace.
In audio format all the random L4D-releated interjections just felt awkward and took away from the conversation.
So, yes, definitely try again.
April 25th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
I think the game related bits added to the podcast, it was kind of like sitting on a L4D session at a LAN party sitting around carrying on a conversation while playing a game. I would like to see this done again in the future, maybe with other games like maybe some RA3.
The PCG crew could go up against some AI opponents on different difficulty settings for a more co-op experience so we don’t have to hear them hurling insults at each other when they should be discussing the news.
April 25th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
What would have been great is having the in-game audio synced and mixed in. That would contextualize the thing better.
April 26th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Love the in-game podcast thing. Hopefully video works out for you next time!
April 26th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Btw there was lots of mmorpgs on Steam before NCSoft like SOE games and EVE Online. I also think the idea for playing L4D while doing a podcast is retarded cause half the time you suddenly say something outta the blue and it’s like huh? Then ohhhhhhh yeh you’re playing left 4 Dead. It’s like trying to talk to someone whose doing something else and they are talking back but all their attension is on whatever they’re doing.
April 26th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Hi guys, just chiming in with another viewpoint on the Fallout Obsidian situation. I’m not celebrating at all that these guys will be doing the game. I realize Kotor2 has a strong metacritic rating, but it’s also in a lot of most disappointing games lists, as well as receiving extremely mixed reviews from users. I bought Kotor2 when it came out and have tried many times to play through it, every time being bored to tears by the clunky dialogue, bad pacing and repetitive combat. Something about Kotor 1 was perfect, and Kotor2 honestly felt to me like a fairly good community mod rather than a retail game. This probably means I will try out Fallout4 using shady techniques to see if it’s any good before buying.
April 26th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Jeez, this idea was worse than letting Logan OD on Bacon Salt.
April 26th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Imb getting supa shweet at battlefield heros(off topic yet true).
April 26th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Hey guys, i’m having this problem, i wanted 2 play demigod with my friend, but hamachi doesn’t work for some reason, does anybody know any other program that works like hamachi?
April 26th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Um…didn’t Kotaku already do something like this?
http://kotaku.com/5118863/chet-faliszek-talks-left-4-deads-future
Still good to see you’re trying to mix things up a bit.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:58 am
I kinda enjoyed it, not totally sold on the idea atm
April 27th, 2009 at 9:12 am
interesting idea guys, but i feel kinda dizzy, because listening to you talk about games, while playing games, while I’m playing games, is a little bit of a headwreaker…
April 27th, 2009 at 9:26 am
I liked the idea, especially since I know and own L4D.
Would’ve preferred to see the video at the same time, better luck next time.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Interesting approach to the podcast, guys. Given your ability to carry on a conversation while fighting the undead, I should be able to use this podcast to justify playing L4D or TF2 while talking with my wife about her day. I just need to be careful not to yell out “Boomer!!” while she is mid-sentence.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:10 am
The idea is kindof neat — to be honest, for the first five or ten minutes, I thought it was just a joke/lead in, that you were just saying that you were playing, but recording as normal. Then I realized — hey, they’re actually in-game! Reminded me a bit of the very few LANs I’ve played at (Mostly War3 — Tower defenses and DotA). Pretty nifty, except for the lack of Andy’s slightly more casual view of gaming.
You might try it with Demigod too, not sure how the pacing is. Its a game I have yet to play, but sounds like something that I’d love to sink money into, once I’m out of University and can get a computer that can run it.
A quick note on the “downsides” of Steam. I’m not a big fan myself, simply because I lived a very long time without internet, and don’t like the feeling of dependence on it to play my games. When I go traveling, for instance, I don’t know if I’ll grow tired of my current game or not while I’m gone, or if I’ll necessarily have internet. My hard drive on my laptop isn’t that big, so my solution is to bring cd sleeves of half a dozen or so games with me, usually one or two from a couple of the larger genres. If all my games are from Steam, I don’t think I quite have that option.
Anyways, thanks for another excellent podcast!
April 27th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Dan
Time Warner has not backed off the internet usage fee. I live in a Beaumont, Texas and this area is on the system and staying on the system. I have a 40gig usage cap, and its $1 a gig after. I use about 38 gigs a month by being very strict in usage.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
@KrazIIvan - Not for long. Read all about it: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/04/time-warner-c-1. They’ll try again, but for now the battle against caps appears to be won.
April 27th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Swine flu!!
April 27th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
i seemed to feel like you guys were distracted and not really paying attention. Also, is there a way to play The Prisoner game logan was talking about/ On a pc today? Were can you get it? Thanks.
April 27th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
@cravius I haven’t been able to find it, not even on abandonware sites
April 27th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
In response to the question about retail sales and packaging. Is it a question of PC Gaming abandoning retail or the other way around? PC games are getting harder and harder to find at retail now, just visit your local Gamestop. I’m lucky enough to have 2 Fry’s stores locally but the PC game section at Walmart seems to get smaller every time I look. Just a thought.
April 28th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Thanks for trying something different, but I’m not a big fan of watching other people play a game, and even less so of listening to people play a game. I felt the game distracted me from y’alls conversation, and you were distracted from your conversation. Perhaps this format belongs more on your video podcast feed.
April 28th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Another fine vintage podcast as usual but the zombie bashing experiment felt a bit like you were all being distracted and not really fully participating in the podcast.
A bit like when you’re talking to somebody and then they start checking their watch or reading texts or checking for squirrels in the window - this happens to me all the time due to the large squirrel population in my garden.
At the end of the day this is all free and I really enjoy them so do what you like because as long as you keep on churning them out I’ll keep on listening to them!
April 28th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
What would be better is if you were interviewing someone about their game while playing it. Capture that in video would be cool.