Topic: Episode 371: Ghost Commander

[Jonnyboy117]

Guys, we did it: Garnett Lee on a full episode of RFN. Listen up!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/36658/episode-371-ghost-commander

Many of our regular listeners already know that Garnett Lee's work on 1up Yours, Listen Up, and Weekend Confirmed has been a huge influence on the modern incarnation of Radio Free Nintendo. We've been trying --literally for years-- to get him on our show, and though he never resisted those offers, the scheduling just never worked out... until now. Garnett is a powerful presence on this episode, and we often launch into fun tangents while asking for his point of view on a planned topic. As such, the show notes were even less strictly followed than usual, and we had a blast playing with that balance throughout the show.

After a lengthy introduction/discussion with our special guest, we launch into New Business with a lot of clean-up before our first chance to talk about Donkey Kong next week. James does have a new game though, with Weapon Shop de Omasse from Level 5, plus an update from deep into Bravely Default. Guillaume has been playing DmC: Devil May Cry, and his surprise love for the reboot invokes optimism for Wii U-exclusive Bayonetta 2.  Jonny checks out the new, hyper-snappy Strider game on PS4 (based on Capcom's non-linear NES classic) and Sony's beautiful invisible-stealth adventure, Rain. Finally all warmed up, Garnett surprises us with very positive remarks for Steel Diver: Sub Wars, the new free-to-try "contemplative FPS" with online multiplayer.

After a quick break, we return for a Q&A with Garnett that includes questions from the Internet, plus a few of our own. There's plenty of "inside podcasting", Japanese RPGs, even consideration of media bias against Nintendo. It's not too far from our usual Listener Mail segment, but with our industry veteran guest as the centerpiece!

We had so much to talk about that there wasn't time for regular emails at the end, so we'll hold those for next time. We expect to probably have another guest next week (Jon will still be on travel), so chip in your own question now and we'll try to answer a few!

[shingi_70]

Looks like NWR is going to confirm the end of this weekend.

[Pixelated Pixies]

Amazing episode gentlemen.

It was a real treat to have Garnett on the show. He's a great guest.

The idea of having the RFN crew together in a recording studio is simply awesome! I don't care how, but we need to make that happen. Kickstarter perhaps?

[trugs26]

I'm quite new to your podcast, started listening about 2 podcasts ago. I've now signed up to the website and will be listening every time you guys post a podcast. And I will be going back and listening to all your old podcasts too.

I'd just like to say that I appreciate the time you guys put into making these, I enjoy listening to people talk about gaming (especially Nintendo). I've been listening to a variety of podcasts on other websites, and this podcast will definitely be book marked and I will be a regular.

Btw, you got your demographic spot on, I'm 25

Thanks again.

[Enner]

Great show. Shame Garnett didn't get to speak on how ever much of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13 he played at the time. Alas, that's what Twitter is for, and it was better to hear him express fondness for Steel Diver: Sub Wars.

[Jonnyboy117]

I asked in advance, and he still hasn't played enough Lightning Returns to say much.

[ResettisCousin]

Fantastic episode, thanks all.

[lolmonade]

Enjoyed listening.  It seems like there was some dissonance when Garnett mentioned that as a game journalist or part of the gaming media, all statements made should be considered you speaking on the behalf of the organization you work for, with Jonny seeming to disagree, or at least wishing those who worked with developers/publishers would be comfortable with being more candid instead of reading from the script.
 
While I see Jonny's point of how nice it'd be for them to do so, I think Garnett is right.  The current state of affairs in gaming journalism means that anything that someone who works for a pubilsher/developer says can blow up into a "story".  It's unfortunate, because clearly most people in these positions are gaming enthusiasts and it would be neat to have more insight, but when you work in a corporate environment, especially one as beholden to the internet as gaming, it forces these companies to really push to toe a line.
 
This is something that is commonplace throughout all of the corporate world.  I'm considered to be representing myself not only as lolmonade, but lolmonade, who works at X, so if my company found I was being too flagrant or inappropriately representing our comany with my social media use, they could have grounds to fire me if I have enough of a public presence.  It's just that no one cares who I am or what my opinions are, at this point : .

[Jonnyboy117]

I'm playing with fire myself in that regard. But life is fun, so I won't stop can't stop in the winter (or the summertime).

[Crimm]

I'm very deliberate to not name my industry, let alone company, for that reason. I can be a total terror on Twitter and they wont care. That's part of the reason I don't use Facebook. It is very difficult to hide associations, as friends and coworkers make them for you.

[geckog7]

Any chance of getting Greg back as a guest next week?

[Jonnyboy117]

Probably not. It's hard for him to do weekday recordings now that it's no longer part of his regular schedule. We'll continue to invite him for anything we do on a weekend, though!

[yoshi1001]

I liked the comments made about overnegativity on the internet. I don't mean comedy negativity like the AVGN, I just mean people who seem like they have to be as negative and judgmental as possible to get attention. As an amateur journalist myself, I try to stay away from that, even if it means there aren't as many people who view my work.

[azeke]

Comments how sometimes you get things wrong or forget things in the beginning feel very apt when later you struggle to name any character action games on Nintendo consoles and fail to mention the one game (maybe THE game as far character action games go) that Nintendo itself published very, very recently.

I don't want to be accused to be a broken record by people who only post in Animal Crossing threads again, so i won't even say it.

[Jonnyboy117]

I don't think we were claiming or attempting to provide a complete list...

[Pandareus]

When I said "character action game", I really should have used "DMC clone" because that's really the narrow definition I had in mind. As I explained in the show: heavily combo-based third person action games like DMC, Ninja Gaiden, God of War. Viewtiful Joe, Kid Icarus, or The Wonderful 101 or whatever else, while cool games that I enjoy a lot, don't fit the definition I had in mind. And they don't scratch the same itch for me, even.

[pokepal148]

Did james just take a nap in the middle of the recording? I mean he only said like 6 things outside of his NB.

[Crimm]

Between getting off from work at 5:30 and recording, I had had two other appointments. I had another after recording. I also had an article to finish. I was exhausted and had not eaten yet.

Also, miss u jon

[geckog7]

Very interesting show this week. I grew up my whole life reading magazines such as Gamepro, EGM, and Diehard Gamefan, but I never once thought about the mind set of the journalists behind the articles. Thanks for sharing some behind the scenes stories and insight.

[Halbred]

I basically agree with everything Garnett said about covering the industry. We're not above that on this website: posting PR as news. I've decried the lack of actual games "journalism" before, as well as the industry's proccupation with red tape and non-disclosure agreements. You only hear about crap after the fact, like the Eurogamer article about Wii U development.

I want to know WHY Nintendo of America is blowing Virtual Console. NOE and NCL seems very comfortable with it. Are any journalists breaking down Reggie's door and asking these questions? Doing actual journalism? Of course not, and they never will, lest they lose support from Nintendo, which would be crippling. Because of this, games journalism is just an arm of games PR. Where are the hard-hitting exposes of Warner Bros.' decision to basically stop supporting Wii U? What really happened at Irrational? Why isn't anyone at NCL educated about its competition?

As it exists today, games journalism will never answer those questions or attempt to find those answers. I really do believe this. Garnett's hope for independent websites and people delivering more "off-the-grid" information and support is something I welcome and admire. With nothing to lose and nobody to answer to, these people can actually be disruptive to the PR machine.

[azeke]

When I said "character action game", I really should have used "DMC clone" because that's really the narrow definition I had in mind. As I explained in the show: heavily combo-based third person action games like DMC, Ninja Gaiden, God of War. Viewtiful Joe, Kid Icarus, or The Wonderful 101 or whatever else, while cool games that I enjoy a lot, don't fit the definition I had in mind. And they don't scratch the same itch for me, even.

The most basic thing people don't get about W101 is that they look at it and they think it's vastly different from DMC/Bayonetta. It's not.

It has the same principles, same moves, same techniques, same level design structure, even same combos.

Some people not even sure what it is they are controlling in the game.

[pokepal148]

Between getting off from work at 5:30 and recording, I had had two other appointments. I had another after recording. I also had an article to finish. I was exhausted and had not eaten yet.

I take that as a yes then

Also, miss u jon

Awwwww....

[AdmanAbou]

I want Tales of Symphonia as a RetroActive choice so badly

[Crimm]

Actually, I was writing. Normally talking and writing is manageable, but not then.