Cup of Jones - April 15, 2019
Added 2019-04-15 16:58:11 +0000 UTCThis is one of those episodes filled with not only business questions, but business ideas. As we get more and more settled into the studio, it's natural to get more and more curious about what the possibilities are. Not specific demands, or requests for clarification on things we've already stated, but mostly fun project ideas and ways we can introduce a whole new audience to EZA. I think the first step is putting aside the time to produce these ideas, which is tricky with the summer of events and conventions coming up. Regardless of when these suggestions are realized, thank you for keeping us creative!
- Brandon
Comments
This idea is... Amazing!
umryan
2019-04-22 18:39:57 +0000 UTCHi Brandon! Just as soon as I started a new job, episodes are 3+ hours long. Not complaining, love it :) Anyway, I wonder what you think about these news: Disney Cancels ‘Avengers Endgame’ English Screenings in Russia. As a russian, I'm beyond confused. Some suits decided that I can't watch the most anticipated movie of the year. Just like that. Of course there's a dubbed version, but after watching all marvel stuff with original audio, the culmination happens and I'm forced to listen to dubbed voices? The hell with it. I guess I could make a visa and visit Finland for one day to watch english version, but that seems a bit like an overkill, although could be quite a fun trip (have never been to Finland). Anyway, what are your general feelings about dubbed content? Do you prefer original audio with/without subtitles like me, or dub is a way to go?
Sergey P.
2019-04-21 21:56:09 +0000 UTCHey Jonesy! As you probably know, Avengers: Endgame will be coming out this week. Are you personally looking forward to the film? Do you think it can even live up to the expectation after Infinity War? Are you doing Spoiler Mode or some other show about the movie? Have fun!
Fabian Overdijkink
2019-04-21 21:25:01 +0000 UTCMr. Jones, What do you want to see more of in video games. Not meaning cultural or specific demographic representations, though that seems like it is on the rise and is good for the industry. I mean you own selfish inclusions. I don't know how it would all fit together but I would like the Nemesis system from the Mordor games, Sniper missions from Hitman, environmental storytelling from Souls games, Mount Condor base defense from FF7, and Pangolins. Just a crazy, selfish mash up that I would love and I know would never happen. How about you?
Morgan Mohalla
2019-04-21 19:43:35 +0000 UTCTo clarify on the death animation suggestion for Mysterious Monsters: I wasn't necessarily suggesting unique animations for each monster (which Ian and Jason also initially interpreted the suggestion as when the episode was airing, but I also clarified to Ian) . I meant the screen flashing, sprite shaking and crumbling/fading animation such as when you beat a boss in FF6, at least for the Mixed-Up Monstrosity. Or whatever your guys' take on that would be. This way I don't think you'd necessarily need to contract the pixel artist again and it adds a little more oomph and charm to the final blow/ending.
Rappy
2019-04-21 19:14:41 +0000 UTCHey Jones, just curious that - given you are such as big Final Fantasy 6 fan - if you have ever tried out the Brave New World mod for (<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/8myjnu/brave_new_world_190_is_out_final_fantasy_vi/)." rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/8myjnu/brave_new_world_190_is_out_final_fantasy_vi/).</a> If not, I would highly recommend you try it out at some point. It's a very ambitious mod that does a whole bunch of balance changes as well as adding a bunch of different mechanics to the game, all which makes for refreshing replay of an old classic.
Ticos
2019-04-21 14:26:25 +0000 UTCI love what you do, I don't share the opinion that the studio is garage 2.0. Plus, I would never want to suggest you be like GT if you don't want to (There's a but coming)... and, I would never claim to know anything about creating media; or the world in which you work. BUT; I do have an opinion. You keep iterating that you don't have the equipment you want, that you can't stream from both studio rooms, that you're not ready for a high production E3, and that the lights are breaking. However, you also keep saying that you've made quality of life purchases in the green room / office. I wonder if it would be better to make 2 lists. 1, things that enable new content, that increase production values, that are highly visible (or audible) to the people watching your content. 2, quality of life improvements. Then accept you should primarily focus on the first list, and that quality of life might not be ideal in the short term. The sad truth is that people who don't watch your intros will probably never know, or care, what happens in 4 of the rooms. So, focussing on the things they will see / hear would satiate their desire for 'change' and potentially help retain / gain Patrons. L&R (like, seriously R though. What percentage of people in the world put themselves out there as media creators, and succeed?)
Kif
2019-04-21 11:12:51 +0000 UTCHello Jones, What are the chances of seeing board games / card games played more regularly on streams and shows? Group streams like the Pokémon TCG tournaments or Easy Update episodes like the most recent one made me think how great it would be to see some new games played in the studio. Also, do you have any favorite board games or card games you like to go to for parties and group settings?
redskyy
2019-04-21 09:04:39 +0000 UTCGood question. It’s something I think about a bit too. I feel like it is a bit weird, but only if you let it be, because at the same time, it’s kinda nuts to think that a shared interest can bring together people on different sides of the planet. I think it’s probably easier for us within the community to get to know each other better than it is for the Allies to do so, as they are at the centre of it. What weirds me out more is that we (the community) can sometimes end up doing more talking about them, than we do directly to them.
BeatenDownBrian
2019-04-20 15:50:27 +0000 UTCHi Jones, Have you guys ever considered abolishing the current review scoring system here in EZA? I personally find numerical scoring systems for reviews completely pointless as there is absolutely no mathematical calculation involved. Its just the reviewer trying to convert their personal thoughts into numbers and there is almost zero consistency there. I much prefer something alongside Gamexplain’s rating system (meh, liked it, loved it, etc.) as that feels a lot more personal and its harder to draw any unnecessary comparisons between different reviews. Numerical scoring always felt to me like an easy way to bring attention but that clearly isn’t the priority here in EZA as you guys aren’t afraid to take your time and not rush reviews. Just curious about your thoughts on the matter. Cheers!
K
2019-04-19 23:23:11 +0000 UTCDoes the creator slash consumer dynamic ever weird you out? I don't know you personally. I may know things <i>about</i> you but I certainly don't <i>know</i> you. You don't know me either; you may recognize my name but you don't <i>know</i> me. Still, we are in some sense a part of one another's lives. I spend a lot of time with you in my ears: driving to and from work, watching my daughters gymnastics class, mowing the lawn, doing dishes, laundry or other housework, whereas I, (in a very minor way) contribute to your primary source of income. Technology is amazing and the connections it enables are fascinating, but does it ever weird you out? Sometimes it weirds me out. L&R Matt
Matt Bollenbach
2019-04-19 20:32:49 +0000 UTCGood Morning Jones, I don't think this is said enough from the EZA Patreons but I am glad when you guys take a break from posting a show when someone can't make it like TTE not having Ian or just taking a break to recharge. We as EZA Patreons do not own you we are supporting you there is a difference that ppl forget. If any of the 9 feel like taking a break the community should understand that the 9 of you are human not robots . I respect and will always support EZA for the pure fact of All of the love you show us and the gaming industry ; Also all the ppls lives you have helped and saved with your content . I've been a fan since GT and I will be here until the end of time 😁 Love & Respect to all of EZA from infinity and beyond.
MGS-JUNKIE
2019-04-19 15:45:11 +0000 UTCGood morning Jones – I have noticed EZA hasn’t done many unboxing videos. I believe the last one that comes to mind is the unboxing of the Switch system at launch. Recently, I saw some videos pop up showing the new Kollector’s edition of Mortal Kombat 11. Did your business receive a copy in advance? Have you ever thought about adding these videos more often when you receive products like these in advance? I know it may not be the most engaging content, but It seems like easy production & comparably pulls good viewership numbers in other channels. – L&R - Rammer
Rammer
2019-04-19 13:30:52 +0000 UTCFollowing up on your Frame Trap appearance, you said ROTJ is your #1 Star Wars film. Would you be able to share your rankings for all 10 Star Wars films? Curious how you rate them.
Steve S
2019-04-19 12:13:39 +0000 UTCFree advice from your friendly neighborhood digital strategist! Mysterious Monsters has the phrase "RPG Trivia Game Show" within it's title. To the uninformed, it's meaning comes across not as "a trivia game show with RPG elements" but instead "a game show exclusively dealing with RPG trivia". That schism between user intent and final product can cause some nasty engagement metrics, like sky high bounce rate. The show can be an excellent way to gain new viewers, so clarity and clickability is key!
G the Finger
2019-04-19 02:02:53 +0000 UTCI think I just copied the wrong one last time. -Bloodworth
Easy Allies
2019-04-18 23:33:28 +0000 UTCHi! All of the Star Wars talk on frame trap got me wondering, if you could create a hypothetical Amazing Star Wars game, what genre would it be? Over the last 25 years (feel old typing that) we've seen pretty much everything from side-scrollers to MMO's to first and third person shooters, it's almost all been done already. So if you got to make a new one of any type, what would you pick?
Kyle Quintero
2019-04-18 21:28:47 +0000 UTCSafety Post
Happy Gaming
2019-04-18 17:37:06 +0000 UTCHi Jones, I watch a great deal of EZA content, but very rarely do I ever watch it on my computer. I'll watch new shows on the bus, or typically on my television. This is something I wanted to bring up because the mobile application of Patreon to my knowledge has no way of allowing a patron to easily find the exclusive shows that have been released. I did a little research and I could be in the wrong, but to my knowledge, on the desktop website, there is a button for patron exclusive shows. Users can click on this to find previous episodes of "And For That Reason", "Fancy Fifteen", etc. However if you were to go onto the Patreon mobile application, the only way to access these shows is to scroll back as far as it was released chronologically. I'm curious if it would be possible or how difficult it would be to create an easy link for patrons on the Easy Allies website for patron exclusive shows. This would allow more people to revisit older content, regardless of the platform they are viewing the said show on. It could just be a list of hyperlinks to the Patreon post as well, which would still allow them to be locked behind the Patreon paywall. This way, regardless of the platform you're trying to watch Easy Allies shows on, or where you're trying to watch it, there is a guaranteed portal to access the shows so long as you are at the tier. Love and Respect, Brian from Happy Gaming
Happy Gaming
2019-04-18 17:36:51 +0000 UTCSeems to be some family stuff, I guess the allies won't say much more to respect his privacy.
Varun Kachhwaha
2019-04-18 17:01:43 +0000 UTCHello! Have you and/or Amanda heard of the Wizard People, Dear Reader series by Brad Neely. It's essentially an audiobook that could be played over the first Harry Potter film. It's from 2004, so the humor might be a little crude now, but it was a good bout of fun when I last listened to it.
Tyson Nguyen
2019-04-18 15:21:25 +0000 UTCHey, is Ian okay?
Brian Denu
2019-04-18 14:09:37 +0000 UTCWhy have you returned to the old-style Patreon promo at the end of your reviews?
Alexander Zyryanov
2019-04-18 12:35:59 +0000 UTCHave you heard the theory that Jar Jar was originally intended to be a sith, but this was scrapped after episode 1 due to fans hating him, thus explaining the out of nowhere introduction to Count Dooku? If you haven’t, there’s a ~1 hour YouTube video by Lockstin explaining the theory. It sounded completely ridiculous to me at first, but then I watched the video and was convinced. Either way, curious to hear our thoughts. #PhantomMenaceIsAFantasticFilm
Youngster Skaymore
2019-04-17 21:46:28 +0000 UTCHi Jones, have you guys ever thought of changing the frequency of a show or podcast as a tier, instead of adding new ones? For example: weekly frametrap & Friend code at 58k. This is just an example of course but you get the idea. And/Or you could also add stuff as exclusives. For example: 5$ and up gets you a weekly frametrap, or weekly friend code or bi-weekly top 10, etc... again just examples. Instead of adding new shows at high tiers, why not just give more of what we love :)
Sven Van Lathem
2019-04-17 20:18:54 +0000 UTCHey Jones, is it possible to get an audio only version of the monthly q&a that gets posted to YouTube added to the easy allies early editions page? I am a mainly focused podcast listener and would love for an opportunity to listen to those at work. Thanks! Sorry if this has been discussed or if there is another avenue to listen.
Dale Payne
2019-04-17 14:37:31 +0000 UTCSorry man, I'm not seeing any other comments from you on this post. Looks like Patreon may have gobbled it up. :/
FatherCashew
2019-04-17 14:06:20 +0000 UTCHey Jones, I need to get something off my chest about yall's Frame Trap discussion about Star Wars TFA and TLJ. To be clear, what follows is mostly aimed at the toxic fans and content creators, whereas I consider EZA VERY good natured when it comes to this. However, the extreme level-headedness you approach game and movie criticism with is a tad less present when you discuss Star Wars. I understand why. However, it might embolden fans who cannot let go of their expectations for this series. I know this is hard to stomach, but fans have zero ownership over Star Wars, aside from the fans who actually get to work on the movies. Creators MUST make choices. A movie MUST exist. And it's our job as viewers and critics to analyze how well they FOLLOWED THROUGH on those choices. Ask: how well were the characters and themes established? Did the characters have clear dramatic arcs that tie into the themes? Did the creators follow through on those themes or back out? For example: instead of understanding how well the ENTIRETY of TLJ was built around Luke throwing the lightsaber off the cliff and how well it justifies and builds on that moment, many simply dislike it and say "not my star wars," and get angry. But those people get angry because they're afraid of change. They allow that anger to turn into hate, and then blame the creators for their suffering, for ruining their franchise and childhood. It is the path to darkness, so I say let's not encourage it. Again, I consider EZA VERY good natured when it comes to all this. Are there any other properties you catch yourself doing this to? L&R
confusedhulk
2019-04-17 13:37:31 +0000 UTCHey Jones, I'd love to hear you sing some Phantom of the Opera!
Chris Georgaras
2019-04-17 12:53:35 +0000 UTCJones! You guys did a great job reacting the Joker trailer that Nintendo randomly dropped. You guys were fortunate that it dropped in the middle of an already scheduled group stream(that Easy Allies magic). My question is if that didn't happen how would've you been able to react to it? Nintendo seems to like to randomly drop stuff lately, so how does Easy Allies adjust to that? Do you have a reaction crew on stand by?
strawhatninja
2019-04-17 11:04:39 +0000 UTCCan anyone see my rather lengthy post here? I even added a reply saying "Safety post", but I can see it nowhere.
Snowcone Guy
2019-04-17 10:02:11 +0000 UTCSafety post.
Snowcone Guy
2019-04-17 09:03:59 +0000 UTCHi Jones! I have some live stream feedback for you. Apologies in advance, if this all sounds a bit too negative, but be ensured that it comes from a place of love and support. The positives: I like the chosen camera angle a lot, as everybody is visible and we get a really nice shot of the room. Furthermore, you went behind the camera at the end of the Star Wars reactions, and zoomed in on Kyle. This was really cool to see, and I encourage you to do more of this, if for example an Ally is holding a speech during HOG, Ben dresses up as a robot, or the punishment of a bet is presented. The negatives: On the last Group Stream, I noticed that the video feed of Dreams was delayed behind your camera feed. I assume that you did this to counter an echo. But I found this rather irritating. You were reacting to things that we could not see until a moment later. Also, we could hear your button presses, long before the game executed them, which gave the constant impression of very delayed controls. In terms of audio, I would appreciate it, if you sit down and eliminate the robot voice bug once and for all. From the outside, it looks like your approach is "We deal with it when it happens". That is probably not fair, but I haven't heard a "We get on top of this" so far. As an audiophile headphone user, a minute of stuttering and distorted audio can be really unpleasant. Also on the audio side, it is a hellish experience whenever a microphone is moved or accidentally bumped into. I made peace with the microphone bumping noises in the garage, as there was just so little space, but one of my dreams for the studio was that we could really move past this. I like the idea of microphones on the sealing, that others have brought forward a lot. Another audio gripe of mine is the crackling noise of people grabbing and opening the plastic packaging of snacks, and then reaching into them, to get a portion of deliciousness. The microphones are really sensitive to this. Often I can barely understand what you are saying, if just one person is handling snack packaging in the background. My suggestion would be providing bowls, and encouraging the other Allies to empty the snacks into them off-camera. I want to emphasize that I don't demand any of the mentioned things, but that I rather just want to offer feedback and suggestions to what my personal perception is. Love & Respect, Snowcone Guy
Snowcone Guy
2019-04-17 08:45:38 +0000 UTCBusiness Question: At some point in the future, if EZA does hire a permanent employee who isn't a part owner like the rest of you, what challenges do you think this might present? For example, if I were up for such a job, the pitch of "Okay, so you're the only employee, and you'll have 9 bosses" would probably ward me away, no matter how chill you guys are.
Nicholas Bobbie
2019-04-17 08:09:04 +0000 UTCA comment about a bonus solo round on Mysterious Monsters got me thinking that this awesome game show is missing one thing, prizes. Not saying you should start offering prizes, but how would you and the allies feel about a high score table to record winners with their amount of gold. That way you're at least competing to get on top of the table and the associated bragging rights. Also hoping for an April fools episode one day where Don plays Huber and Huber plays Don as a contestant. L&R
Nathan25
2019-04-17 07:13:31 +0000 UTC#1 Wedge Antilles #2 Mara Jade #3 Jaina Solo #4 Mirax Terrik #5 Face Loran
VGJunky
2019-04-17 05:45:28 +0000 UTCHey Jones, How would you feel about moving Blood's episode list of Patreon exclusive shows from your forum to a "premium shows" tab on your website? Building off a question from last week, this seems like another way to highlight these shows. Especially for those of us who avoid checking out Patreon too often because it's a slow, clunky mess of a website.
Fane
2019-04-17 03:43:12 +0000 UTCHey Jones, Just wondering if I could get your spoiler-filled takes on the Star Wars Episode IX trailer. You touched on it briefly in this last episode, mentioning how it made you realized that you still love Star Wars and I felt something similar. I had real problems with The Last Jedi, so I must say I was quite surprised at how quickly I was reeled back in. I don't know if I'm just eating up "trailer bait", but the twist they introduced admittedly got my attention. I'm still concerned about the lack of vision for this trilogy. I kind of feel that Abrams and Johnson are simply retconning each others work at this point and there's no way a single movie can resolve the story problems sitting in our lap, but I think I'm still hopeful. Anyhow, enough of my takes. I know it's been over a week, but I haven't been able to get much out of any of the other Allies due to spoiler protection or media blackout, so I figured I'd ask you outright. What did you think of the trailer? Where's your excitement level for the film? EDIT: Just caught up on the latest Frame Trap and got my fill. :) You can skip this question if you'd like.
FatherCashew
2019-04-16 22:41:33 +0000 UTC*Personal question * Hi Jones, this is my first question and I really didn't think it would be about musical theatre. I've just come back from seeing Blood Brothers and was wondering if you were familiar with it. It's pretty well known in the UK and used heavily in GCSE work in secondary school (SAT's in the US) It was much deeper than I expected with some heavy undertones. Just wanted to know your thoughts.
Cabbagelad
2019-04-16 22:23:28 +0000 UTCOn a particularly slow day at work I had an idea that was borderline fan-fiction, and so ludicrous I decided not to mention it, but with the recent news that you guys would be collaborating with Max Dood for a future Frame Trap, I just have to suggest it. I am bringing this up now just to plant the seed of possibility, as I know the logistics would be something to behold, so please believe me when I say "I know this is a lot." EZA...2020...a trip to Vegas...to cover EVO. I an effort to keep this as concise as possible, here's the barebones proposal. EVO usually takes place in August, so this would essentially become “EZ Livin Hits The Road”. You guys rent a few vans, make a road trip, and rent a property off the strip for an extended weekend around EVO. In lieu of the 24 hour streams, you could shoot shows during the day - Don Goes to the Pinball Hall of Fame, an Easy Update from inside the arena, Huber on the Street, etc. In the evening, you could hold normal group streams, leading up to Grand Finals Sunday where you could host a watch-along. To help fund the trip, you could hold a "Road to EVO" fundraiser after E3 in June or July, and sell a sponsor slot for the entire event like past EZ Livins. I know this would not exactly be cheap, but I think it also falls into the range of plausible, with some help. Lastly, and this is definitely the cherry on top, would be campaigning for Ben to enter EVO. He could hold Dojo streams leading up to the event, playing his game of choice, and Ian could film his match in pools, (and hopefully his Cinderella story run to EVO champion.) I understand this idea is a lot, but, I am simply offering it as a real milestone-type item for EZA to push for in year 5. From a pure business standpoint I think it could bring a lot of eyes to EZA, especially from the FGC community, as well as lots of entertainment value for all the fans. Love and respect for even reaching the end of this post Brandon, and thanks for pondering this for even a second!
Jon White
2019-04-16 21:32:07 +0000 UTCBrandon -- I thought I would come to Trailer Jones himself to ask you your opinion on what are some Trailer Tropes that need to go away. Things we've just seen too many times in either Film or Video Game trailers that no longer help to sell the product but make you roll your eyes or laugh, pulling you out of the trailer altogether. I'll name a couple that I have in mind that drive me nutty, the first one is what I call the 'Bad Song Cover' sung by some unseen ethereal voice. The X-Men franchise is very guilty of this in recent years, take the Dark Phoenix teaser -- when you hear a guy who is most certainly not Jim Morrison saying, "This is the end, beautiful friend..." UGH. Get it? This is the last XMen movie for Fox so it's the End. Gah. Another one that you are familiar with "The Jump" we saw it most recently in the Jedi: Fallen Order Trailer where the main character jumps a few feet, not especially that impressive considering the guy has Force Abilities but we've also seen 'The Jump' in trailers for Tomb Raider and A Way Out and I might add 'The Jump' also includes a Deep Bass rumble where I think we are supposed to be in awe of how far the person is jumping. What are some moments in trailers that drive you nuts? BTW I thought the Episode 9 Teaser was freaking awesome. MTFBWY
Jason Walstrom
2019-04-16 20:59:23 +0000 UTCMore hot musical theater talk: If you were to cast each of the Allies as a lead in a musical, which musical role would you pick for each Ally? In this hypothetical they'll all be able to sing the role perfectly, so don't worry about capabilities in that way. Suggestions: Huber as Harold Hill in Music Man Brad as Andrew Jackson in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Kyle as Finch in How to Succeed Bloodworth as Batboy Brandon as Quixote in Man of La Mancha Ben as Seymour in Little Shop Don as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady Ian as Mark in Rent Damiani as Javert in Les Miserables
Patrick Gallagher
2019-04-16 20:58:42 +0000 UTCHello Mr Jones. what would be some constructive critique that you would said to each ally and also one thing that you would praise of them. Thanks!
Daniel Garza Andrade
2019-04-16 20:39:03 +0000 UTCHi Jones, Here are your three Rodgers and Hammerstein classics for this week: - Oklahoma! - South Pacific - The Sound of Music
Asbo Zappruder
2019-04-16 19:16:44 +0000 UTCOn a previous Cup of Jones I commented that Polls would be a fun $2 patreon reward and the poll results could be featured in one or multiple podcasts. Well, in addition to being featured on podcast(s), I really enjoyed Mysterious Monsters and wanted to bring back up the poll suggestion as a mid game bonus family fude type question between rounds. "We polled 2000 people (your patrons), which answer was the most popular to this question" kind of thing. POLLS ARE FUN!!! L&R Matt
Matt Brookbank
2019-04-16 15:19:32 +0000 UTCHello Jones, I've been watching Cup of Jones for a while and had never asked a question, but I've been wondering about something lately. As someone who is three hours ahead of Easy Allies and who works nights I can very rarely watch content live. For most videos, I have the option of going back and watching the videos on Twitch or Youtube, but which is more beneficial to Easy Allies? Is the monetization different enough on each service enough that late viewers would be better watching on one service or the other? Or is the effect so small as to make one specific viewing irrelevant? Thanks, Justin
Justin Asselstine
2019-04-16 15:09:58 +0000 UTCI was thinking about your T2 breakdown from a few weeks ago. I found it very informative and made me think more about a movie that I enjoyed and haven't seen in a long time. So I figured why not ask, do these movies hold up or not. You don't need to say anything more then it hold up, it doesn't hold up or never seen it, but I was curious what you though of some other movies. To cut to the chase, does The Rock, Gladiator, or Goldeneye hold up.
Mr.V
2019-04-16 11:36:50 +0000 UTCBusiness Question: Has there been any thought on potentially using different areas of the the studio for some of the different podcasts/shows you produce on a regular basis? Most of the shows seem to be done in the main studio area (with the lights and desk), and while it's cool to see the different colors used on each show, it seems like too much is being done in this one space. It's a great space, but it feels like it's being used for pretty much every piece of content other then the group streams. I wonder if having a different back drop or doing things in a different areaa (maybe the brick background) would help mix things up a bit and give shows a greater identity. Love all that you and the allies do, thanks!
Brendan Schmidt
2019-04-16 09:21:48 +0000 UTCPersonal question for ya Jones. You dropped a movie quote in a recent stream that went something along the lines of: "No need to worry boys, I'm an expert" ... "An expert in what?" It sounded familiar but, for the life of me, I can't remember what film it's from. No amount of Googling was able to solve this, help me out here Jones, what film is that from?
Tom Cressey
2019-04-16 08:33:00 +0000 UTCHi William, Thanks for the note. I'm not sure if there are specific reviews that you find to be problematic, but this is something I try to keep on top of when editing review scripts. If something is too complex or taking too many asides, I try to make it more straightforward, direct, and clear to understand. -Bloodworth
Easy Allies
2019-04-16 05:30:39 +0000 UTCHi Jones, Personal Question: I have a print journalism background and I currently work at CBS. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think many of the Allies have print journalism backgrounds as well, considering how good their writing is. However I have found this to be a double-edged sword when it comes video reviews. The main problem I have found (and this isn't isolated to EZA, big sites like IGN do it too) is that they they are essentially writing a review the same way that they would for a magazine or newspaper and then having you read it out loud. When one writes something that is meant to be read, many writers include complicated sentence structure and vocabulary to keep the reader interested. A reader has time to go back and re-read a sentence if it doesn't make sense the first time through — this simply doesn't work with writing that is consumed through listening. A sentence must be simple and clear enough to be understood immediately. I initially worked in print journalism and then moved into Broadcast News. The book "Writing Broadcast News" by Mervin Block really helped me understand how writing could and should be dramatically different depending on how it is meant to be consumed. I believe it is essential reading for anyone who aspires to write for Radio or Television. Could you pass this information along to the other Allies, if you think it is something they would be interested in? Thanks, Will
William Penney
2019-04-16 04:33:53 +0000 UTCBusiness Question Last week there were questions regarding the Allies not being in the studio 24/7. I am fine with this knowing that in you all live in LA your fuel for the month has to be pretty expensive. Could you please give some more examples of how things like remote working could save all of the Allies money for better content in the future.
Rattslinger
2019-04-16 03:24:18 +0000 UTCCoJ
Varun Kachhwaha
2019-04-15 20:19:40 +0000 UTCPersonal Question I remember a few months ago when I asked about 'hot chocolate games' on the easy allies q&a you had a positive reaction when I mentioned that 'The Unfinished Swan' was one of my hot chocolate games. I just wanted to talk a little about that game, and hear your thoughts and opinions on it, because it's a game that isn't talked about much. The thing that I loved most about this game was that it just made me feel like a child again, and in a good way. Games in general just seems to have shifted into a more serious territory, and that's okay, it's just a lot of games seems to have go for a serious tone or an edge. And here's this game that just doesn't try to be any of that, it knows what it wants to be and it's proud of that fact. But the way this game was just made with so much love and passion it honestly felt like that very love and passion just jumped out of the screen and wrapped itself around me as I played it. The music is honestly just perfect, the way the piano in the main theme of the game just sets that tone of adventure and exploration, it's one of my favourite themes ever. And the story, on the outside, a story of a king, but with much deeper themes that an adult could catch on to is what elevates this games above most other games of the type. It's just a breath of fresh air in so many ways, that it's an experience that sticks with me still. I want to know your thoughts and opinions on the game? What did you think about the art style, music? And did you feel the same way about how it's just so refreshing to play because of how unique an experience it is?
Varun Kachhwaha
2019-04-15 20:19:35 +0000 UTCHey Mr. Jones! Last week when fielding a question regarding E3 coverage, I thought I would ask an expanded one: Will EZA look into bringing in more guests like GameXplain and KH Insider from last year, and subsequently with there being half the conferences this year, will the amount of E3 coverage be cut down, or will the Allies fill in the amount of time that would have been there with additional impressions or specialized E3-themed content? Thanks again for taking my question and have a great rest of your day! Cheers!
Brandon K Gann
2019-04-15 20:11:49 +0000 UTCHola! Any other ways you guys are looking to promote the brand Easy Allies?
Sekiro505
2019-04-15 17:13:23 +0000 UTCHello Jones I know this might be a Kyle and Huber question but with E3 closing in have you guys started thinking of the Betting Special? I really loved the ones you did where you had East Division and Coast Division simply because it meant everyone was involved.
Olf Himself
2019-04-15 17:11:21 +0000 UTCHold the door
Eduardo Ortiz
2019-04-15 17:06:58 +0000 UTC**Business**? Can you say if Ian will be on this month’s Community Showcase or should I redirect my guest fanart? **Personal** If you could retrofit any game for a VR experience, which game or games would you wish to play? My go-to pick is Black and White.
Eric Jackson
2019-04-15 17:06:10 +0000 UTCHi Brandon! Could you guys give more shout-outs to your forums? The place could need a lot more people and activity.
Ville Ranto
2019-04-15 17:01:52 +0000 UTC[insert comment here]
discardedDigit
2019-04-15 17:00:45 +0000 UTC
