I admit I've been bad at listening to the podcast recently, but I will make sure to listen this at work tomorrow!

I saw the video linked and it brings up some interesting ideas about the gender ratio on gaming YouTube viewers. Relatability may be one of the biggest factor in my opinion, but how Google handles demographics could potentially be a factor. I've just come back from 2 day course at work and Display and Search ads on Google were mentioned quite a bit. As far as I know your ad demographics are mainly there for targeted advertising and other marketing activities. But it could be within the realm of possibility that in the YouTube algorithm the gender of the YouTuber could have an influence on the type of searches you receive. Once a certain channel starts to get a higher number in that gender the chances of you encountering it will increase and a snowball effect will happen, it could explain the extreme differences between the gender ratio for channels.

I've also finished the first episode of Life is Strange this weekend and I enjoyed it. It's basically 'Telltale Presents: Tumblr the Video Game' but it's refreshing to see a game be so down to earth (despite the supernatural elements), you don't really see many games like it. It really capture the feel of an indie movie. Some of the dialogue is pretty poor and it's a shame about the really bad lip syncing, but I am planning to get the other episodes as they they come out.

Thanks again guys for having me on. It was a really fun discussion.

And I find that whenever I'm on here I'm pimping out other people's projects.

Yeah, we discuss about how weird Google's determination of gender is and how that's influencing the results; looking more into the video it also doesn't appear that she had that much data to work from, but even so, they're interesting conclusions -- but certainly not absolute statistical fact.

I agree, I'm willing to excuse things like bad dialogue and technical problems (I honestly didn't notice the lip-syncing issues!) for the atmosphere and ambitions of the game. I really loved it, which I'm sure comes as a surprise to absolutely nobody who knows me, but wow

OMG, Misty! What is wrong with you!? You're not supposed to post this until tomorrow around 12:30 AM! ;)

But, anyway, this would have been a fun episode to be a guest on. When you get to the user-submitted questions section and tell people how they can submit questions and all that, how do you talk so fast without tripping over your words? :o

Also, I didn't hear it mentioned, so I hope it's okay to ask: Is there any ETA on the anniversary styles?

I've gotten used to reciting it and I talk fast in general I guess. I also do the showtime recording we have for the theater I work at so between the podcast and that, I get practice in.

They're not really anniversary styles and nope.

Oh tale, you beautiful, naive, sophisticated newborn baby.

I'm in such conflict over this game. I mean, space and 65daysofstatic is a great combination but I feel like I'm missing something about it that's causing everyone else to get hype.

Also looking forward to this!

It's pretty and you're exploring space. There is the whole upgrading ship/equipment and economy and survival aspect to it. But I feel just being about the travel around space and just explore has people hooked. I like, half mentioned this to you a bit ago, but never got around to finishing what I was saying, but you should look at something like Elite Dangerous. It's a vaguely similar concept except without the style (though it is still gorgeous looking) of No Man's Sky and, at the moment, you are only space traveling, can't get out of your ship and explore planets/space stations yet and such.

I guess maybe it's not for me, then? Because that's like... exactly what I expect from it and I'm just not hype. I guess considering I play games like 90% for narrative, 10% so I can develop crushes on fictional characters, that's not really surprising, but the most attention it will probably grab from me is a download of the soundtrack.

I see. I'm a naturally fast-talker myself, but often times, people don't understand me, unless they know me and have gotten used to it.

The anniversary and new styles, then. But thank you. :)

Also, why is my name in the last two quotes? :p

Maybe not then. It's very much one of those games where you kinda...make your own fun? You give yourself your own objectives (outside the main one given to you at the beginning of the game), you make your own story, and make your own moments. It's very much a sandbox in that respect.

I only watch one LP which os done by Really Freaking Clever, he's doing a challenge in Super Mario Sunshine where you cant use the Hover Nozzle at all, and I only watch that because 1. He's playing the game with restrictions to make a unique viewing experience, and 2. I think he's hilarious.

As for the KH speedrunner who has no personality, I'm quite sure that's BlitzKidz or something similar (will edit the name later). He is horrible for entertainment, his voice is so flat and he isnt funny, however he is fantastic at the game, and his videos helped me beat the Data-Battles in KH2 on Critical.

Games I'm looking forward to this year...

MGSV: The Phantom Pain - I'm playing through the series from start to finish atm, so by the time I'm done those this should be released, and I'm so hyped for this. Tho from what I've seen from GZ, I'm not so hyped for the story content. Not because its much darker than the rest of the series but because I don't think I handles the themes its running with very well this far. But maybe they'll do a better job this time :)

Persona 5 - OMG! The need to get this game is unreal for me! Persona is like the perfect blend of fantasy and personal life development for me, I love how they mixed the two together in 3 and 4. And I really hope that in romantic relationships they give a definate gay/bi/lesbian option this time around, seeing as the series hasn't had a gay relationship in it since the second installment. But regardless, I know I'll love it!

Also, Misty, you haven't had hot tea!? Maybe its because I'm Irish, but I just cant fathom that xD We drink it almost religiously over here.(I drink like at least 5 cups of it a day, which... probably ain't too good for me haha)

Procedurally generated games are cool for this reason, and that it means you can keep playing forever (with restrictions of course but still), but they have the downside of creating mish-moshed or repetitive content -- you could theoretically have two planets that are exactly the same except for one variable. The likelihood of a user encountering two so closely identical planets is low, of course, but planets for the sake of planets still isn't really my thing.

Same! Especially because some of the lower tech LPers who scream liberally don't level the audio properly so that it's not blasting out your speakers.

I've heard of them before, will have to check them out! Thanks for the rec! I also like when it's a group (or even just one person), it makes it more of a conversation which I prefer.

Some developers have really embraced the concept while others are really negative of them, even though their benefits or drawbacks really haven't been measured. Certain games, however, never would have been as popular as they are without LPers (like Five Nights at Freddy's). I suppose an LPer playing a AAA game like Assassin's Creed and dumping on it could deter some buyers, but since people tend to watch more for personality than the games played, it's not that common to search up an LP for a game, see someone trash it, then decide not to buy it -- or at least, it's probably as common as seeing someone play a game then wanting to buy it for yourself. Either way, that's the same risk run with a game getting good or bad reviews. This doesn't consider the game's story of course, but there are plenty games that I've been spoiled for that I still went out and bought.

Now that the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One have built-in tools to make streaming/recording video much easier (one more so than the other...), I think that's going to force publishers to realize that this is a trend that isn't going away and they should embrace it.

It definitely isn't making me any smarter, heh. (I watch it too)

Which at the end of the day gives me all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings; this is true of the entire internet, really, and I think it's awesome. I certainly wouldn't want to live without it.

Thanks! I love big comments. I'd keep doing podcasts even if nobody was really leaving comments, but we choose topics that we hope people will have thoughts on, and since we can only provide so many perspectives in a group of ~5, we like to hear from other people too!

Here in America we drink COCA COLA for BREAKFAST LUNCH AND DINNER
Nah but it is definitely a cultural thing; of course plenty of Americans drink tea, but nobody in my family does and none of my friends do, so I've just never really had the opportunity to. I'll have to change that sometime!

One thing I really love about watching people play games on YouTube is not simply seeing personalities, but also when the players have extensive knowledge about the game and/or understand good design and programming. For instance, lately my favorite channel, TheSw1tcher (better known as the Best Friends Zaibatsu,) have been doing LP's of Silent Hill 2: Director's Cut and No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise. Matt was a tester for the Wii version of No More Heroes, giving him a lot more info about the game than most people, and Pat is a huge Silent Hill fan (as am I,) so seeing him explain themes and lore of Silent Hill 2 to Matt (who's never played through the game) is just great to see, as introducing people to my favorite games and seeing them really enjoy them is such an awesome feeling. Also, since they almost always have two or more people in each video, there's the natural dynamic of multiple personalities and perspectives. To me, not many solo YouTube LP'ers are interesting enough, but on Twitch, they can interact with the audience live, which makes it a lot more interesting.

This is something that I also love about the group. They're so much more genuine and yet entertaining and informative than most other YouTube channels.

Also, Let's Plays are a thing I've contemplated doing, though I'd want to do it with someone else on the video too. I've tried doing a few solo ones (like Skinwalker,) but as you guys mentioned, it can be tough to find stuff to talk about since I don't really say much while I'm playing a game alone.

I do remember the fictional universe question being asked on the previous podcast too...I'm thinking I'd pick

Since I've tried seriously cutting down on my soda intake, my go-to beverages are often iced tea or vitamin water, and when I can, fruit smoothies. If I do drink soda, it's Dr. Pepper. And since I'm 22, I gotta say that I'm not really a fan of alcoholic beverages unless they're sweet, and I barely drink in the first place (though I'm no lightweight.) Thus, I hate beer, but I quite like Smirnoff Peach Bellini and other fruity drinks, and Fireball isn't that bad to me.

2015's top games for me: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Witcher III: Wild Hunt, Bloodborne, Batman: Arkham Knight, No Man's Sky, Persona 5, Soma, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD and probably more that can't think of.

(speaking of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, I managed to get it on sale for like $6)

(Batman: Arkham Origins felt very dull to me. For whatever reason, a lot of people defend it for having a strong story...I don't at all agree with that though. The game does nothing new or exciting that the Rocksteady-developed Arkham games have, and the overall design of levels and characters is just not that strong. I dropped the game after the Deathstroke fight)

I STILL NEED TO PLAY "LEFT BEHIND" UGH

And yeah, the English dub of Kill la Kill is just...not good. Mikisugi, Mako, Takarada, and Jakazure are all good, but THE THREE BIGGEST CHARACTERS (Ryuuko, Satsuki, Senketsu) DO NOT FIT: Ryuuko and Satsuki just sound so try-hard, and Senketsu doesn't fit the role he's supposed to play in the story. And it's pronouned "Ree-you-koh" and "Saht-ski" and "Sen-ket-sue," at least in my head. It's weird hearing the English version say "Sen-kets."

Sure, go for it!

It's such a relief to have someone that feels the same way about No Man's Sky! Like I don't think it's going to be bad or anything, but the level of hype for it -- an indie game! -- is nuts. Which is great! But it's a bit mystifying to me. When it inevitably pops up in a flash sale I'm sure I'll pick it up and play around with it, but that's my interest level in it.

Oh, definitely -- like I said, I know I'm partial to the Japanese dub of Kill la Kill just because that's what I watched, originally. On the flip side, I first saw the English dub of One Piece and vastly prefer the Japanese, but that may be because the Japanese voices were closer to what I imagined when I read the manga. I also acknowledge that I am ridiculously infatuated with Ryuko's Japanese voice so I will naturally side with her.

In fairness this seems like a compilation of some of the worst moments of the dub and therefore isn't really representative of the entire show, but (nsfw warning, Kill la Kill is filled with half naked women and there's cursing and junk): http://marshmallowgoop.tumblr.com/post/105779879057/a-few-reasons-the-kill-la-kill-english-dub-is
Ryuko just doesn't do it for me, she's sort of a smartass but it just sounds like the voice actor is trying way too hard there. Since she is the main character she has a lot of lines, so her being bad is rather polarizing for me. Senketsu is... okay, I guess, but he sounds a little too pedestrian for me, or like the voice they use for airport announcements or safety videos. The voice actress behind Satsuki seems to think that playing Satsuki means being deadpan all the time, but she does alright sometimes. Part of the problem is also that I'm not digging the translation, either. The most puzzling part about it is that, for the most part, the secondary characters are pretty good. It's just Ryuko, Senketsu, and occasionally Satsuki that bug me. But whatever! People can watch whatever they're more comfortable with, like you're saying. I just prefer the Japanese dub.

Maybe I'm not going to the right restaurants but I can't remember ever seeing someone order hot tea, unless it's maybe my grandparents but I've eaten out with them like once. It's definitely not been a conscious avoidance but I've also said like "oh well I'm gonna order some tea" randomly.

it's a favored KHV past time

Oh yeah, having people throw out trivia or other junk is really fun! I like that in streamers and LPers too.

Forget to finish the thought? lol

UHM HAYABUSA YOU NEED TO CORRECT THIS HEINOUS ERROR IMMEDIATELY
especially so you understand why I was guffawing like a dork when it was brought up

If we've learned anything from the podcast it should be that I cannot pronounce anything ever.

Actually...yeah ._. I don't remember the question now

I WANT TO GET THE GAME ON PS4 BUT MONEY

No, I do not accept these grievances toward that which is transforming half-naked swordswomen fighting and yelling each other's name.

I honestly can't remember the last time I watched a Let's Play. I guess if you count Game Grumps then the last one I watched was Sonic '06 before Jontron left, but to be honest that's less of a "Let's Play" and more of a let's yell a lot with some game play footage in the background that just so happens to go in the order of whichever game they are playing at the time.

I suppose I lost my interest in Let's plays because I'd much rather play a game than watch it, and it also doesn't help that most new games now seem to be nothing but disappointments (I hear the Wii U has been doing good recently but I don't have one so I can't really say). There is also the factor of free time. School kind of killed that.

So yay hearthstone and league.