Cup of Jones - November 15, 2018

I honestly this it is one of the most charming shonen I have ever encountered. I know Kyle likes to undercut it and downplay it's quality, but I think it is a cut above.

James Kennedy

When you said that you would start paying rent on the first of December, I was pleasantly surprised about how fast that would be. When you then said that you had to set up lights and sets, my mind immediately went to the incredibly jolly E3 gear unpacking video. It depends on how much you would want to share or keep a surprise, but I was wondering if it would be possible to share some of that experience in a (possibly patron-exclusive) in a similar fashion? I'm sure we would all love to see the space and how you enjoy it or envision it. L&R always, Zkarts

Zkarts

Box Peek is amazing and the best content I’ve seen from Easy Allies - what do we ,the Patrons, need to do to get Box Peek to be an ongoing series beyond 10 episodes?

Christopher Peterson

Mr. Jones, What are you thoughts on modern video games that have the player set down the controller but continue the game? Examples include: having to break out the pen and paper for complicated Witness puzzles, almost all of Nintendo Labo, and the Assassins Creed: Black Flag's companion phone app that had you manage the fleet you capture in the campaign and nets some serious rewards. Is this a type of content you want to see more or less of and do you have any ideas for future implementations of "hands off" gameplay? Personally I love it and can't get enough. Respectfully, Morgan Mohalla

Morgan Mohalla

Hi Brandon, would you consider to have a custom award like for GOTY discussion or Hall of Greats? like an actual award, you could call it The Sophie or something like that.

Daniel Garza Andrade

Hello, Mr. Jones! There is something I have been chewing on for a while... Occasionally there is a game that will review well critically, while not being as affectionately received by the fans. Sometimes, the critics themselves will then turn on the game soon after. The perfect example of this is Final Fantasy XIII. It was a game that was heavily criticized by fans (though, of course, it still has its own dedicated fanbase), and was largely a target for backhanded remarks in the critical community. I remember it often being heavily criticized in articles about Final Fantasy as a whole. I remember listening to the GT podcast and it seemed like the panel had little else but scorn for the game, yet it received an 8.6 when it was reviewed. Now, don't get me wrong, I know that individuals review games, not the outlet itself; I am NOT implying that this is an inconsistency. But it is crazy how many other outlets seemed to have a similar dynamic: positive review, but scorn for the game from the public facing members of that outlet (often even Final Fantasy think pieces that seemed to exist to specifically get a few digs in). So, what is happening here? My theory is that people are chosen to review a giant property based on their own affinity for that giant franchise, those critics have an expectation that the game will be great due to the hype cycle, and as they are playing the game in a vacuum, they are more likely to be a little too generous while scoring it. Or is it that it is just a vocal minority that doesn't like the game, but they are so loud that the legitimate fans in the critical community are silenced, leaving only the detractors to have their voices heard? Or is it just a crazy coincidence, where the segment of people who would just happen to love that game in particular just so happened to be the ones that ended up playing it? What is your opinion on this phenomenon, Mr. Jones? You have that juicy insight that so few of us have and I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Lastly, in your heart of hearts, do you believe that Final Fantasy XIII gets an 8.3 Metacritic score if the name of that game didn't have "Final Fantasy" in it and if it wasn't developed by Square? P.S. I have now sent in a few comments that have had words missing, or used the wrong verb tense. I think it is pretty crappy to submit something to you that contains errors that make it difficult to read. I will do better in the future and I apologize for the past. Hopefully, I did a better job of proofreading this comment and it isn't riddled with errors... P.S.2 Oh God, I will keep these comments shorter in the future... Jesus.

James Kennedy

Hello Joe. I would like it, if after you have chosen the EZA GOTY, you make a separate video for that. Something scripted with game audio, where you run down what was nominated, why it was nominated, what won, and why. Peeking into the kitchen, to get a look at how you decide those things is fun, but we shouldn't forget the actual meal. I would never watch that hours long stream archive a second time, but a short video, presenting the results and argumentation in summarized form? I would come back to that video several times over the course of the years. I also think, that it would be good content to engage new audience members on YouTube. I have the exact same opinion on how you should handle your Best of E3 awards. While I love all your extra awesome content like spoiler mode, Box Peek, or surprise midnight Spider Man streams, I think that the bread and butter of EZA is the business of high quality videos with game footage and the famous "Game Trailers Guy" voice. And while you do a great job in that department, I think you could slightly dial it's priority up a notch.

Snowcone Guy

Hi Jones. When you edit review, written by Blood, do you feel like his shot log takes some creative freedom from you as an editor? Do you feel obliged to use shots that he picked for you?

Alexander Zyryanov

Hey Jones, I don't comment for CoJ very often, but I do listen every week. I have a relatively small nitpick about the show that's been bugging me for a long time. I mean this in the most respectful way possible, but would it be possible to lean away from the mic when you sip your water? I'm aware that it's tough to talk nonstop for over an hour and you need those sips of water, but the sound of it is just grating to me since I tend to listen on my phone with my earphones. I would never suggest that you stop having drinks on the show entirely, but I'd greatly appreciate it if you did lean away from the mic while having your sips. Appreciate everything you do, thanks for reading my comment 👌🏻

Ben Metal

Ahoy Mr. Jones, Regarding my comment last week (cacophonous GOTY deliberations), I wasn't implying there should be or needed to be fights for the stream to be entertaining; if the deliberation lasted five minutes and ended with a pleasant consensus, great! I just was curious if the deliberations, cacophonous or not, were going to be part of the event. On to my actual question! I finally bought a PS4! Got one of the $199 1TB Slim with Spider-Man bundles. I'm loving the game so far, especially because my kids enjoy sitting with me while I play. They love when I get to stop crimes or save people. I love having the opportunity to share this with them and honestly, that is what held me back from getting a PS4 for so long. When one thinks of popular PS4 games, not many kid or family friend titles come to mind. <b>Do you have any suggestions for family-friendly PS4 games? </b>I have Horizon Zero Dawn on the way ($10 deal from GameStop proved impossible to pass up) but currently nothing else planned for that new piece of gaming hardware. My kids are no stranger to gaming; between Switch, NES & SNES classics, they have watched and played their fair share. While I'd love to dive into Red Dead, God of War, RE7 or BloodBorne, it is hard for me to commandeer the TV with such intense games when I have 4 little best friends who also share that same space. Any advice is appreciated, and thanks as always. Happy Thanksgiving, Matt B

Matt Bollenbach

Hello!<br> <br> I've been watching the Easy Allies for about a year and a half now. All thanks to my brother, who has seen your guys content since GameTrailers. So major thanks and shout out to my brobee! He has shown me other YouTube pages and, while I enjoy them, I haven't been as compelled to check in as consistently as I do with your guys content. They often were let's play channels or something similar of that sort. I realized what really drew me in was your guys various commentary and conversations in the topics that you guys seem to be passionate about. Even when I don't necessarily agree, I crave conversation to understand different point of views and that's exactly what you guys deliver on. <br> <br> So this is me mostly wanting to say thanks for keeping conversations alive and healthy! Plus, I'm wondering if this is what you look for in content outside of Easy Allies or what's the main principle that gives you fulfillment/enjoyment in other entertainment content?<br> <br> Love and Respect,<br> MamaWaffles ♡

Ania Juarez

Hello!

Ania Juarez

Hey Jonesy! More of a comment than a question: I was watching the Box Peek Live Q&A for Episode 5 and I heard you clapping and commenting off-camera and off-mic. It reminded me of E!'s Talk Soup and The Ringer's NBA Desktop, in that there is some live presence behind the camera, usually no more than 2 or 3 people it seems. I was thinking this form of "live" studio presence would add a good dynamic and energy to a future show like EZA Live. What do ya think? Peace and Love, The Original Snitch

Michael Tucci

Hi Jones, I want to ask you something specific and nonspoilery about Red Dead Redemption 2. I like the core system. It's unusual and it took me an hour or two to understand, but it reinforces the survival aspects quite well. I like to think of the core being a numeric value representing your maximum health and stamina, so when those values are low, they obviously run out more quickly. I don't think this really works when it comes to Dead Eye, however, because it functions as a consumable resource rather than a passive stat. In my experience, this meant burning through the meter and then the core in no time flat, almost as though it were one meter, and then juggling two kinds of Dead Eye restoration items for the entire game. While constantly swigging rum and tonics wasn't wildly out of character, it did seem like a step out of bounds for the kind of experience Rockstar was shooting for. What was your experience managing Dead Eye like? Cheers, Dominic from Australia

DaleBastion

Hey Jones, Personal Question: Why did your wife Amanda not take your last name as her own? Was she too embarrassed to me known as a Jones??? Just kidding! But in all serious, I have seen it happen a lot with actors in Hollywood where even though one famous actor marries another famous actor, they both keep their last name. Usually for not wanting to lose name recognition and/ or work related reasons. Was that the similar reason for your wife since she is a voice actor? Or for another reason that may or may not be too personal to answer? Thanks, Chris Eyerly

Chris Eyerly

I was watching the box peek q&a (not live) and it occurred to me that for the show to have legs and help it be found 2 years from now, it needs it's own YouTube channel separate from the easy allies YouTube channel. Otherwise it will get lost under tons of other EZA Vidz. Could contain show, trailers, q&a, box peak song performances. Maybe other originals like busted trifecta could get a similar treatment too.

Matt Brookbank

I might be an episode or 2 behind here. I've been getting crunched to deliver software; so, I'm behind on a few things and had my holiday cancelled... Anyway, on the subject of spoilers in reviews. The perception that EZA have spoilery reviews is out there. A video game buddy of mine is aware of you guys, but isn't a Patreon. He knows that I'm a big fan of you guys. Thus, when we were discussing the reviews for RDR 2, he said: "Easy Allies was slightly spoilery as often feels the case to me". Personally, I feel you are less 'spoilery' than a lot of outlets where the review is basically just a description of the events. In any case, I can't speak for him, or describe why he feels that way, but to the tune of at least 1, the perception is that EZA are spoilery. Honestly, I don't know what more you can do to help that without knowing exactly why he thinks that. Also, as an aside, please don't let Box Peek die on the vine between seasons. Keep it alive. It really is a fantastic creation and far better than a lot of stuff that gets green lit on mainstream channels / platforms.

Kif

Yo Jones we know that the big aim/goal/project that you guys have had as a group for some time now was the studio, but are there any plans for a project of a similar magnitude for after you’re in that studio? Would you guys turn to trying to overhaul the community side of things, or simply try to hire a new editor as your next “big” thing? Personally I’d look into creating an extreme redux of your website to make it more useful outside of just being a place to check the schedule (or look up a score on a review to win an internet argument). Little things like twitch+chat embedding, the Patreon feed, merch catalogue BEFORE clicking through to the merch store, and a better YouTube format for trying to view stuff would go a long way to making that website and the attached forums a place that people actually use. Also the merchandise link on the site links to the old store aka the one without any merch that you’ve released this year. Eager to see what the post-studio eza group brings :) ~Mr M

Mr M

After watching the Top10-Pokemon-Video I have to say: 1. I really like the format of one person being passionate about the topic doing all the ten tops and also talking directly to the camera about it. Maybe you can do it again for future topics sometimes :) 2. We all love Kyle talking to the camera alone about things he is passionate about and putting deep thoughts into what to say. If you look into the comments the community is celebrating it. I will not ask for the Final Bosman like all those commenters did because the Final Bosman is dead forever and we all know it. But Kyle did a Bosman at Home with no high-production value at his own channel and it was all we wanted. Sadly he never continued after doing the Youtube-Gaming-Job. Maybe you should do something like this when you moved to the new studio. Talk to Kyle and create a different show than Final Bosman but let return some of the things your community loved about the show. Don’t do it in the regular shedule, works with Gamesleuth too. Do you think it could become a reality with this approach?

Stefan Bien

I suppose it's not really our business if Huber gets glasses or not but it certainly is not the same as telling him to get a new hair cut. People aren't telling him to get glasses because they think he needs a fresh new look but because he has trouble seeing and avoiding doing something about it can make the situation worse.

Olf Himself

Hello Jones. I have a question regarding your experience reviewing Red Dead Redemption 2. I sometimes have sympathy for game reviewers when they have to review games that take 50+ hours to complete. You mentioned that you played RDR2 over 6 or so days? I'm guessing that means you played for over 10 hours a day. Did you ever feel sad that you had to play such a great game in such a short amount of time? I can only play for about 2 hours a day before getting tired, so I was wondering how you manage that. Sorry for the long-winded question. Love and respect. Ryan.

RoleMouse

Snowcone Guy

Hi Jones, still miss the jazz, and I feel it's finally time i tell you how to pronounce my last name. It's pronounced Oh-Row-Say-Oh. On to my question. Besides upping Patreon numbers, I hope you guys get a consistent stream of income to maintain your long-awaited studio. What potential revenue streams have you identified as backup plans and will EZA ever get a hardware or company sponsor for ads besides the ones on the Podcast?

Drey Oroceo

Hey jones What did you think about Ben’s self written, edited, and narrated Don’t Skip. On the podcast he asked for feedback from the community and I was curious about what you thought.

Kola Aina

You can rest easy. There will be a Gundam Shelf. ;)

Minamik

Hey Jones Are you guys planning on doing any more charity streams in the near future? The Game Day stream was a lot of fun. Perhaps this time you could partner with St. Jude - a children's hospital that do a lot of work with streamers and other charities because their treatments are free.

Olf Himself

It's about time for a sequel to the first game, and I don't mean Redemption. Revolver!

Minamik

Apologies to the viewers in advance for a higher tier reward question. Brandon one of my favorite rewards each mont is the digital fan mail! However I’m wondering if it would be possible to make a tweak to it to make it even better. The way I understand how it works right now is the 100+ people eligible get divided up among the allies and each sends something out to that subset. So each month you are never sure which ally will send you something. Is there any way it could be reworked where each person gets something from each ally? Given the scale of sending those out they’re not individually written to begin with and it’d enhance the tier award even more as people could then could get a consistent monthly check-in with each ally. I don’t think it’d add more work logistically as Blood or someone could create the unified mail distro and send it out to all the other allies to use for that month. Anyways keep up the great work and have a happy holidays. L&R

Greg Kettering

Jones, you are always on the left side of the table on podcasts and Fiasco etc. Is there a secret to this preference like "Im closer to the house" or "This is my better side" or "My rump prefers this positioning" ? Are your super powers of jolly entertainment channeled from that side of the garage? The allies must know Jones. Love and Respect for Life. ~Jeff aka Heidern98

Jeffrey Tessar

Hope your day is well Jones! I was just wondering if you or any of the Allies get gaming fatigue at all? I know it's fun to constantly play games and love doing it but I'm sure it can get stressful and tiring only focusing on one hobby.

strawhatninja

Howdy Jones, I wanted to thank you guys for releasing the audio version of your latest episode of Trailer Jones. I frequently only have time to consume EZA content when I'm driving to or from work, so I really appreciate it any time any of your content is released in a downloadable audio format. How time intensive is it to release audio versions? Can we expect more content to be released this way? How large is your listener only audience? L&R, Chris Moreland

Swan

Whenever the studio gets locked down (here's hoping), has there been any discussion on how to handle that set development and tour with your patrons? Any insight into how you all decide to dress up your space? Or will it remain shrouded in mystery until the day you start up that big day one stream? I'm sure you're not looking for patron feedback on how best to design any corner of your space, but I'm definitely interested to see and hear about the entire journey and decision-making process from you and the allies right up until the studio is just commonplace.

Kirbu

Thanks for answerin my question Jones. You won one week without me asking another : )

Térence Caron

Hi Brandon, i have to ask about Kyle‘s show again. Just to clarify, for me at least. Final Bosman was, like you said, a very well produced show. But the thing that kept me coming back was Kyles passion and unique views on video gaming / the industry and so on. So, for me at least, a format like bosman@home would be perfectly fine too. It’s not about the polish, it’s about Kyle. I would have told him that in a comment of boxpeek but didn‘t like to distract from the very, very cool thing he and Amanda and y‘all are doing there. So maybe you can pass the word, when the situation fits. And don’t chop his head of with a bat before you told him!😄 Cheers!!

r3k

Hello Jones. If IGN came to you guys and offered to sell the Gametrailers Name, IP, and youtube channel at a price you could afford would you guys buy it and would you go back to that IP with the larger youtube subscriber base or stay Easy Allies?

Garrett Kuenzi

Hey Jones, wanted to say I really appreciate your transparency. Not just with Cup of Jones, but with making your Patreon dollars public. It's always bothered me when people hide how much they're getting, especially since a Patreon pledge feels like an investment in the person or people we're giving a few dollars to. Was it a group decision to keep it public? Would you ever make it private in the future and if so, why?

Kris Fredrick

Hey Jones, first time writer, long time listener! After watching the latest Trailer Jones where you watched the Smash Ultimate "World of Light" trailer, I made the mistake of venturing into the comments. Here, I found a few smash fans complaining that the panel did not notice the small intricate details of the trailer, and chastising Ian over calling Shulk "Pit", you following up with Shulk being from Fire Emblem, and then Huber correcting that he is from Xenoblade. I understand that you cannot have encyclopedic knowledge on every single game, but it seems some expect it from you, citing that it's "your jobs". While that can be another topic all on it's own, my question is this. Would you consider adding a kind of disclaimer or description at the top of each Trailer Jones explaining what it is? I feel as though many first time viewers do not understand that it is not about breaking down the small details, and Easter eggs of a trailer. Rather it is about analyzing, and critiquing the trailer as a piece of art itself. Keep up the great work, I love everything you guys do! Love & Respect

ToastySol

Before Easy Allies launched, you released the Allies Assemble video, a story about your lack of an outlet for talking about game news and gradual descent into madness. After receiving a message from Lightning, you contacted the others while also giving a fun, short narrative of what the other allies were doing in the absence of GT. I think a similar video should be created for when the Allies get a studio and would be a fun way to commemorate the next step of Easy Allies! A shorter video like Allies Assemble is easily shareable and was how I found out about Easy Allies following the end of GameTrailers. And those scenes with each Ally are a genuinely fun way to introduce yourselves to a new person. Hope to hear good news about the studio search on the next Cup of Jones.

Tyson Nguyen

Hey Jones with the recent news that Sony isn’t gong to attend E3 in 2019 does this change your E3 plans at all? If not just would love to know your feelings on it and what you think this means for Sony going forward.

Megan Linart

Meant to write "RDR2 was a massive hit, but was it always go to be," but I kinda got ahead of myself. I'd edit it, but with the way Patreon is I'm afraid it'd just banish my entire comment to the void.

Small Leviathan

Hello Jones! I realize in advance that my question today may come off in a number of ways, and most of them negative, but it's a thought I've been pondering on for quite a while now, and I can't seem to let it go. Red Dead Redemption 2 has been out for a while now, and it's received almost unmatched acclaim for its technical marvel and attention to detail. Red Dead Redemption 2 was also backed by an impossibly large budget and a ludicrous marketing campaign. Much the same could be said for GTA IV and GTA V, technological showstoppers with ridiculous budgets that received breathless praise from all sides. But is that all there is to it? Is pushing the technological boundaries really all you need to become the best game ever? If so, doesn't that mean that the heights of video games as an artistic medium only achievable by multi-billion corporations with limitless budgets? I know I may come across as pretentious, but I have this unsettling feeling I can't shake. It truly does seem to me like, with the way the culture of video game reviews currently is, that the 10/10s and 5 star ratings are held exclusively for the games that can pump the most money into their development, and that more focused, more personal projects are always going to be relegated to getting 8's and 7's, in spite of their artistic merits. RDR2 but was it always going to be, in spite of ITS artistic merits? As mentioned, I realize this may come across as potentially inflammatory or insulting, and that is truly not my intention, it's just that this is a thought that has been gnawing at me for some time, and I can't seem to let it go. Love and Respect, Small Leviathan

Small Leviathan

PS I've also got a January birthday and I'm hitting 30 so we're almost exactly 10 years apart! Whenever you talk about your age I get a rude reminder of my own

VGJunky

Hey Jones, do you think a transition to the 3, 2, 1 point voting system like HoG can be implemented for GOTYs? I think that last year's were based on majority vote but picking the one with the most points out of everybody's top 3 might work out a bit better than some of the head-to-head debates that happened last time. Regarding the Defy thing, even if GT had kept trucking what would have happened when Defy eventually shut down? You'd have to find another home and maybe wind up in the same situation you're in now anyway. Maybe you'd wind up with another media company but I imagine that it'd be less personally rewarding

VGJunky

When RDR3 comes out 6-8 years from now during the PS5/Xbox Two generation, would you rather it be A) A prequel to RDR2 with the meeting of Dutch and Hosea and the formation of the gang B) A sequel to RDR1 featuring Jack as he deals with WW1 and/or the roaring 20s or C) A completely new cast/idea set in the west?

Steve S

Hey Mr. Jones! It was exciting to hear about the second offer on the studio you put down, and when you said, “waiting for the other shoe to drop,” a thought occurred to me that I don’t believe you have covered. I hope the following NEVER happens, but better to ask before it might: What backup plan does EZA have in place in the event the studio is lost after being in place for a length of time for whatever reason? Would you transition back in the garage or are there other contingencies? Fingers are crossed super hard for you all to get the place, and I’m hoping for excellent news much sooner rather than later. Thanks as always for reading and have a great day! Cheers!

Brandon K Gann

Let's ride!

Daniel Murray