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Mike: @usagi704 | Domain of Usagi704 | Instagram

TOPICS:
* Castlevania Anniversary Collection to receive Japanese title variants post-launch
* Capcom Confirms Devil May Cry Switch is a Port of PS4 HD Collection Version, No Price Set
* Loot Boxes Could Become Illegal In US If New Bill Passes
* Claptrap Voice Actor Claims Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford Physically Assaulted Him
* Gearbox CEO Calls Original Claptrap Actor “Bitter and Disgruntled” in Latest Borderlands 3 Twitter Controversy
* Randy Pitchford Tweetstorms Game Informer Over Borderlands 3 Microtransactions
* Mortal Kombat inducted into Video Game Hall of Fame
* “[Crunch] Is Killing People. Something Has to Change”
* Apex Legends is Sticking With Seasonal Update to Not Overwork the Team, Respawn Founder Says
* Igarashi Explains Bloodstained Switch Demo’s Poor Performance at PAX
* Mortal Kombat 11 Is a Good Game Shrouded in a Fog of Tedious Grinding and Microtransactions
* Report: Fortnite Developers Say They Regularly Crunch “70-Hour Weeks”
* Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Mini Includes Sonic 2, Shinobi III; More Classic Games Revealed

Hart & Usagi #92: Disgruntled CEO

Posted by HartKnight on May 16, 2019

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In episode 92 we discuss Randy Pitchford doing a bad, Mortal Kombat is entered into the Video Game Hall of Fame, and more CEO multi-meltdowns than you’d ever want in your life.

Enjoy and remember to subscribe via RSS or iTunes and follow the Hart & Usagi Podcast on Twitter!

Listen or Download (1:26:02)

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Mike: @usagi704 | Domain of Usagi704 | Instagram

TOPICS:
* Bungie splits with Activision, keeps control of Destiny
* How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wound up on a Donkey Kong 64 Twitch charity stream
* Capcom said Hideaki Itsuno could make Dragon’s Dogma 2, but he chose to make DMC5 first
* Pennsylvania considers a tax on violent videogames to help prevent school shootings
* Activision’s Plan to Cut Hundreds of Jobs Caps Tumultuous Week
* Capcom just added a buttload of its games’ soundtracks to Spotify
* Wrestler Booker T is suing Activision for allegedly putting his alter ego in Black Ops 4
* Tetris 99 is the Crucible That Will Make You a Better Tetris Player
* Xbox’s corporate vice president says criticism of game with exclusive Microsoft marketing deal is “whining”
* A single-player-only game like the original Uncharted “wouldn’t be a viable pitch today,” says Amy Hennig
* THQ Nordic Apologizes For Interview On Website Banned By Google

Hart & Usagi #90: THQ

Posted by HartKnight on March 13, 2019

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Episode 90 is here with THQ’s lack of research. They could learn from others like Rep. Ocasio-Cortez.

Enjoy and remember to subscribe via RSS or iTunes and follow the Hart & Usagi Podcast on Twitter!

Listen or Download (1:07:51)

Subscribe: RSS | iTunes

Mike: @usagi704 | Domain of Usagi704 | Instagram

TOPICS:
* Fighting EX Layer is getting a physical release in Japan, to be shown at Konami’s booth at the 2018 Tokyo Game Show
* In Japan, a Beloved Deaf Composer Appears to Be None of the Above
* Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Originally Started As A Tenchu Game
* Streets Of Rage 4 Is Finally Happening, 24 Years Later
* Report: Multiple Fatalities in Mass Shooting at Madden NFL 19 Tournament in Florida
* Stormdivers is a sci-fi battle royale shooter from Resogun and Nex Machina’s Housemarque
* Neo Geo cult favourite frisbee-fighter Windjammers is getting a sequel
* Bloodstained for Vita is Cancelled Because the Vita is Dead, Also Delayed to 2019
* The Yakuza Series Was Pitched To Both Nintendo And Microsoft, But Neither Wanted It
* Bethesda blocks resale of a secondhand game
* Capcom is “proud” of DmC, but Devil May Cry 5 will “expand more on the combat philosophies established in DMC1-4”
* Van Damme was “coked out of his mind” during filming of Street Fighter movie, says director

Hart & Usagi #88: “Coked out of his mind”

Posted by HartKnight on September 12, 2018

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On episode 88 of the Hart & Usagi Podcast we chat about a variety of topics like Dotemu bringing back two classics, Yakuza series turned down by video gaming hardware companies, and more.

Enjoy and remember to subscribe via RSS or iTunes and follow the Hart & Usagi Podcast on Twitter!

Listen or Download (1:46:21)

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Mike: @usagi704 | Domain of Usagi704 | Instagram

Criticizing Gets Remastered

Posted by HartKnight on October 28, 2015

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“For a lot of companies, remakes are a way to drive revenue. It’s sub-cost, it’s an IP that’s there, you can remaster, and that’s great. We don’t do that here. I don’t think that’s ever been in our culture.”

The above quote is from Electronic Arts’ COO Peter Moore. You know, the same guy who worked at Sega until 2003 where he worked on the Xbox with Microsoft until 2007. This is when he ran EA Sports. He’s been EA’s COO for four years now.

When I hear Mr. Moore criticize the current amount of remaster rereleases of existing games I think he needs to watch himself. He’s certainly correct in that remasters are a low cost way to make easy money. However, I find it difficult to hear him say it since he’s one of the top executives in a company who puts out a yearly sports game in the Madden series.

I know a remaster of a game and a new entry in the Madden football series isn’t exactly the same thing. But when that yearly football release has little differences from the previous year, you can see how the Madden games might feel like a rerelease instead of anything actually new.

On a similar note it’s why I haven’t bought any new WWE games since 2003. They’re also a yearly release with little additions or improvements along the way. In fact, after seeing footage of the newest title, WWE 2K16, I think it looks particularly ugly graphically.

I think remasters are cool, but there needs to be actual effort put into them. An example of no/little effort would be God of War III and an example of real effort would be Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition.

GameSpot news: EA Exec Criticizes HD Remasters

Hart & Usagi Podcast #49: EA’s Uncomfortable With Change

Posted by HartKnight on July 11, 2014

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On this edition of the Hart & Usagi Podcast we talk about how awesome Platinum Games is and how much EA isn’t. We also give our thoughts on what being an “indie” game is. All this and more can be yours with a simple download of the episode below.

Enjoy the show and remember to subscribe and follow the Hart & Usagi Podcast today!

NEWS/TOPICS:
* Assassin’s Creed IV, Code of Princess, Shovel Knight, and Klonoa: Empire of Dreams reviews
* Phil Spencer: Consumers love Kinect, they’ll still buy it
* Microsoft Arc and Logitech K750 keyboards
* The Legend of Korra: as told by Bayonetta dev Platinum Games
* Gamers Uncomfortable with Change, Says EA’s Peter Moore
* EA Mobile Says Dungeon Keeper May Have ‘Innovated Too Much’
* It’s Impossible to Define “Indie” So We Should Stop Using It Altogether
* The Best and Worst Character Reboots and Redesigns
* The Greatest Games for NES: 1985-87

Listen or Download (1:51:16)
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Hart & Usagi Podcast at the Internet Archive
Matt: @HartKnight | HartKnight’s Archive
Mike: @usagi704 | WP blog

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