Cup of Jones - 12/05/17

I'd like to apologize for the miscommunication in the wording of my last question. I had framed the question around Pubg more than I probably should have, leading you to assume that I cared specifically about that one game. What I was attempting to do was express my disappointment with the lack of coverage for early access titles in general, by citing Pubg to say "Hey, Early Access games can/do become zeitgeists, why is it still common to wait until their official release until taking them 'seriously'? Rereading what I wrote, its pretty clear that I didn't communicate that well at all, so don't feel bad about missing it. I'd also like to expand on why this is important to me. I understand the difficulty in weighing what you 'must' cover, against what you 'want' to cover, and why you don't want to feel boxed into spending time covering games that you aren't passionate about. However, at least currently, it is extremely difficult to be an informed consumer when deciding if you want to purchase a game in Early Access. Even when a game is at the peak of its popularity, well made, critical, coverage is often difficult to find. So as a consumer, hearing publications such as EZA dismiss the idea of covering Early Access games is disappointing, especially since often times the stated reasons for doing so are for ideological reasons, and not for logistical reasons. Lastly, I understand the difficulty in covering Early Access games, and I also understand that ultimately, there isn't time to provide coverage of every game that exists, and don't want to dismiss these facts as something irrelevant to the discussion. And to be clear, I'm not asking that after reading this EZA makes a 180 degree shift in content. All I ask is that the next time an Early Acess game becomes popular, a bit more consideration is given to how helpful a bit of time covering the game would be for consumers like me. Thanks for your time, Love and Respect, Micspam

micspam

Hi, Brandon! In wake of this most recent Patreon update, I've seen a few of the larger Patreon accounts tinkering with the idea of moving off the platform and creating their own subscription service website. Would you ever consider doing that with EasyAllies.com? Happy Holidays! The Original Snitch

Michael Tucci

Hi Brandon! You've mentioned a few times that you will soon sit down with all the Allies to decide what changes you will make in 2018. I'm sure your decisions will be greatly influenced by the various feedback you're regularly getting from different channels, but I feel like this would be a great opportunity for you to ask for feedback in a more formalized way. Have you thought of sending out a survey to all Patrons with questions covering all aspects of EZA, which shows we watch/like, which ones we don't, what we'd like to see more or less of, etc. I think this would be extremely useful for you guys and way more accurate than basing your choices on random comments or weekly kneejerk reactions. Looking forward to 2018! Axel

Axel

Can you elaborate on why you think Bayonetta 3 should have been announced before Bayo 1+2? Thanks for the show.

GmanSir

Hey Jones, Here's a question that I think you might have fresh thoughts on in light of the PSX meetup (which I wasn't at, for the record, though I was at the one-year meetup in March). EZA, for myself and a great many people, is one of several generally one-sided interactions that we have with content creators, commonly referred to as parasocial relationships. This isn't a slight against your numerous efforts to interact with the community, just a recognition that it's impossible for you to know the members of your audience in the same way that we *feel like* we know you, thanks to hundreds of hours' worth of streams and podcasts. Do you feel that EZA has elevated how personally your audience relate to your public selves, and how have you and the Allies coped with this relationship? Thanks, Dominic

DaleBastion

Hi Jones! You have previously said that you watched Jojos Bizarre Adventure because it was given to you. You also said that you'd watch more if it was given to you. (not a direct quote, but you get what I mean.) My question is, what are some games, or even shows, that you have no interest in making an effort to play or watch by your own will power, but will 100% hop into if it was given to you?

Parasitepaladin

I have a question for Brand Manager! It seems more and more common, almost mandatory, that in order for your game to be recognized, you need to promote it alongside your name, face and personality. It seems like a lack of this could make people shy away form your product if they feel it makes it appear anonymous and flat. But also spreading your ego out loud (nothing wrong with that of course!) feels like your name and personality might eventually overshadow what you’re actually trying to sell. It’s a tricky and scary business, so I wonder. Do you have a list of do’s and dont’s when it comes to building a personal brand? Best regards, Alexandra Nilsson-Tofse (Nelsentofay)

irene035

Hi, How about a new patreon reward (12$ or 15$) to be part of the Weekly Hunt? L&R

Aurélien GRANIER

Greetings from Mexico, Mr. Jones! I don't participate much, but maybe you'll remember me from your FF6 full playthrough stream, I was the one constantly helping out and researching stuff (hope I didn't annoy anyone, FF6 is my #1 GOAT). I wanted to say a couple of things, I hope it's ok with you if I go a little long. I'll try to be brief: 1. I recently had to lower my pledge because of my own financial situation. I know you always tell us there's no need to apologize, but truly, I'm sorry!! I'm in the film industry and it's not a very stable one. High highs and low lows. Whenever I get back on my feet, I will up my pledge 100%. 2. Ideas for increasing viewership: Guessing Games. Anything the viewers can play along while watching, is dopamine. I'm thinking stuff like IGN's 20 Questions, or a cropped img you have to guess, or 3secs of music and you have to guess what game it's from. These could be part of a podcast, or it's own stream, and can be cut into it's own separate thing, which also addresses the previously mentioned suggestion of shorter length content. You could have patrons suggest the game title, and the allies present have to guess it. I think it could be great fun, and it allows viewers to feel more engaged. 3. 2017 is about to end, and there's yet to be a FF title in the HOGs. Make it right, Mr. Jones. Only you can make it right! 4. Would you allow mods for the Community Showcase? XCom 2 is a game that is mod friendly, with it's own steam workshop, and I've created Mass Effect character ports, and I've made my own new enemy units. Would any of those count? I love you and all the crazy allies. The content you fellas make is fantastic, positive, inclusive, and it truly helps me enjoy a night after a bad day. Your contributions have had a positive impact in my life, and for that, I'll forever be grateful. L&R - Kexx (Frank)

Kexx

Thanks for your time dedicated to my and others’ questions on cup of jones this week, Brandon. I really appreciated you taking the time to explain your particular difficulties with addressing specific issues and how they affect the other allies who don’t interface with the community like you do on cup of jones. Like you said, you represent the other 8 allies and you represent the community and I deeply appreciate and respect the care you’re taking to think through all of the paths this conversation has taken and will continue to take. I worried that my comment may have seemed too aggressive and blamed you for any undue negativity you’ve been receiving, but I certainly hope it wasn’t taken that way. Love and respect, Chris Briscoe

Rebweeb

This is really cool!

Just wanna say I have never skipped podcast-halftime. Personally I think it's interesting and entertaining because of Brandon's delivery as well as the diversity of sponsors. It's very direct and doesn't feel disingenuous at all in my opinion!

Hey Jones, I appreciate the response last week. My girlfriend and I just got back from seeing The Great Moscow Ballet's Nutcracker, my first ballet, and it got me thinking: you're a theatre man, what are some of your favorite musicals/plays/operas/ballets that you have seen? Any that you could highly recommend? And what are some that you want to see but never have had the chance?

Joseph La Russa

I've been following EZA for awhile but I never knew about the wealth of content that you all produced at GameTrailers before EZA. Having heard Elyse's Willem's name come up a bit recently and becoming aware of her previous role at GT, I'm wondering - wouldn't she be a good candidate for another ally?

Mr. Jones, I am sure as the audience of Easy Allies grows there will, unfortunately, be more strife between the community and the 9, as well as between the Allies in the community. While I don't have a solution to recommend for fixing this I would recommend something that helped me and some coworkers when the stress became too much to bear. How would you and the others feel about a once a month stress debriefing at a diner over pie and coffee? It would be a good opportunity to air grievances in a more casual mannor, vent about situations that came up with the community and focus on areas of improvement. What made me think of this was that I kept hearing you say you had to get the crew together for a meeting to see how they feel about tackling topics, and moving forward in spite of controversy. Not to sound critical but, this makes you sound a little disconnected from your team and thought that it would serve as a bonding experience and an outlet for issues that may otherwise not get addressed. Also if I am wrong please correct my misconception, as I also appreciate honest feedback. Respectfully, Morgan Mohalla

Morgan Mohalla

I'm so completely confused by a lot of this Colin podcast controversy. I understand Colin has tweeted some inflammatory comments a while back and I am not sure about anything in between or his community. But I'm very confused about this EZA Community as well. Been a day one Patron and have used the forums since GT 2007, EZA 2015, and I feel completely disconnected as to where the community is even voicing any of this concern. I use the forums, watch YouTube, comment on Patreon here and there. Why were Ian and Michael Damiani attacked? How did this fighting begin?? I feel like EZA has drifted far from the kinda entertainment meets journalism with all of this "community" addressing. Either way, I don't mind any of this and respect all opinions, I am just confused about when and where this EZA community has gotten so vocal and recognized. I don't see it on the forums at least.

M I K E Y M O

Hey Brandon. As a Canadian fan of the group from back in the GT days, I've gotta ask, do you have any plans to start doing international meet ups? I understand that cost has to be a big obstacle with this, if not the biggest, so I wanted to offer a possible suggestion. Maybe on an annual basis, you could poll the patrons to assess what locations have the most interest, choose the one with the highest, and then set up a Go Fund Me for those people to help make it happen. I can't speak for everyone, but while I couldn't afford to make the trip to L.A. myself, I would happily contribute towards crowd funding for the chance to shake all of your hands. L&R :)

Eric Mitchell

Hello Brandon, Maggie again. I will say I have noticed and uptick of people greeting me in chat. I missed the live Cup of Jones this week, so when I said hello in chat and 15 people greeted me I was surprised haha. I'm glad that in making my comment I do feel more involved in the community. Maybe that was what I had been lacking. I've been on Patreon but most of my comments have been on Twitch. At least here I know I have a direct line to the Allies and the Community. Thank you for reading my comments and helping me in this process. Also, yes, please do something on the East Coast. I would love to attend it!-Maggie

Maggie Frayer

Hey Jones. I don't post as much as I should, and I had to drop my patronage for several months while I got financial stuffs worked out, but I just felt it was necessary to drop a comment. I've been there since the early GT days, circa '03, and will continue to be a faithful Allies follower, regardless of what you or the other allies choose to do or whom you choose to do it with. It seemed to me like many patrons were attempting to utilize the idea of Love and Respect against you while conveniently forgetting how to practice it. L&R to you and all the allies.

John Leitner

What’s your dream collaboration?

Kian Jahromi

Heya, Brandon! I've been following you and the other guys since the GT days (started watching in 2005, I think) and have been an EZA patron since day one. I'm not big on commenting, but I feel the need to make my voice heard now. I'll TRY to keep it short and simple. You're an adult and you should be able to do what you want. I understand that other people have problems with the views Colin has and things he has said, and they're entitled to their opinion, but that doesn't mean they get to force their own views on you and dictate what and how you do things. Don't compromise yourself and what you want to do. If you want to appear on his podcast and talk, go for it. An understanding between different people and groups has never been achieved by ignoring them. Civil discourse is the way to go. I'm of the opinion that political correctness is destroying the way people communicate with those they don't agree with. They don't really discuss things anymore, they just shout at people that they're wrong and block them. If that doesn't work, the next step seems to be trying to sabotage them by convincing/harassing/threatening others to stop interacting/doing business with them. Please stay the course, as you say, and don't give in to such pressures. Be true to who you are and remember that L&R should also apply to those on the other side of the fence as well. It should not be a tool to keep you and the other Allies hostage to what a very vocal group perceives as politically correct. I also want to say that, while I don't agree with everything you're apologizing and taking the blame for in the aftermath of this situation, I'm quite impressed with how gracefully you're handling it all. You are an inspiration and I have a lot to learn from you. PS: In case you notice, I just lowered my pledge, but that is not related to the Colin thing at all. I had to consider the content I was getting for my money in relation to my current economic situation. PPS: I'm from Norway, so I got quite a kick out of you saying you are Norwegian. How closely are you related to Norway these days?

VIV_ID

Where else can I crowdfund you? Have you considered other ways besides patreon? Paypal probably isn't the best way to take donations but I guess it's a starting place for the conversation of - how else can I financially contribute to the EZA payroll.

Kiraz

Hi Brandon. I'm a big fan of the EZA logo and color scheme, and enjoyed previous discussion (on some podcast) about how you decided on red, black, and white. I'm curious if you have any other favorite company logos, symbols, or color schemes? Kind of random, I know, but since you're a connoisseur of how companies present themselves and advertise their products, I'm guessing you might have some opinions. L&R -- Fluffhead

Fluffhead108

Jones, I just received an email from Patreon regarding some changes in the way they charge the patrons and how much of that is send to the creators. What do you think about that? Is that a good thing for you guys and how that will affect your monthly earnings here? L&R

I genuinely don't get why people are getting all their panties in bunch over this Colin incident (#Colingate). I do often feel the EZA community is far too SJW/PC/2010's (2010's=getting pissed off at every single thing that may get close to being inappropriate). I think that if anyone said, for example, 'retard' in a group stream, all of these people would flock onto it like a bunch of typical US soccer moms drunk on chardonnay, screaming in Youtube or forum sections, ignoring the collective thoughts and visions of these guys. Anyways, basically just wanted to say that not everyone is so whiny and annoying and to just keep doing what your're doing. Not really L&A, Rob P.S. Not really a question, I know, but your not gonna read the YT comments, nor this probably. Just wanted to say it.

Rob de Bruin

Hey Jones, I’ve found podcast halftime has gotten increasingly intrusive to the podcast and the ever increasing number of sponsors at that tier feels a little off (like the Allies are looking to shill out at every opportunity, but not that harsh obviously). Have you thought about increasing the amount to sponsor the podcast at that level and reducing the number of overall sponsors. Love what you guys produce and look forward to backing you for many a year to come!

Rhys Simons

Good morning Jones! Curious to hear what you have to say about Patreon restructuring how they process pledges. The extra 2.9% to every patron's pledge is small, and I'm glad to hear that it remove any processing fees on your end but it seems like it may call for some restructuring of higher tiers, and may play into how things are reorganized in 2018. What are your thoughts? L&R, Brian D.

Brian Denu

Hey Jones! I just want to say that amidst all of talk about Colin's Last Stand, I really appreciate all you do at Easy Allies. I was unaware of what all the controversy was about until I heard about it from you, but I also strongly believe that even when someone makes highly insensitive comments, it's important that we leave our comfort zones and still have a conversation with people with differing ideas. Easy Allies is Love and Respect, but we should all work hard to prevent any space from becoming an echo chamber. You da best. - Brian D. (P.S. See below for my actual question for this week. No need to read this on the stream.)

Brian Denu

Patreon has made some changes to how they do fees. From what i've read this seems to have a significant impact to the $1 tiers. Is this going to impact EZA and their tier setup?

Greg Kettering

Agreed

VGJunky

I have an idea for a short form video you could do yearly. As the Hall of Greats is coming up, it works out that there are 8 games inducted every year. Rather than have a list that is updated on the website, why not at the end of the year have a video celebrating the inductees of that year? Write a little blurb about each inductee over some B roll of said game, throw in some highlights of the allies' pitch for the winners (who could forget Blood's Hadouken for Street Fighter 2). I know it's not easy editing together a video like this, but using the highlights of the Allies' pitch along with a blurb of why these games are considered 'Greats' would be a cool way to immortalize these inductees every year and have a sharable video showing a piece of what Easy Allies is. At the start of the "Inductees of 20XX" video, you could explain how the process works showing other highlights from the streams. (Huber yelling 'YOU BASTARDS!' when he thought Dragon Quest 8 was barred from being nominated for a year is a classic) You could debut the "Inductees of 20XX" video at the beginning of the first Hall of Greats the year following (giving EZA around 3 months to hammer out the video). Just an idea I had leading up to the last 2017 Hall of Greats stream.

POKEY CLYDE

I've been seeing a lot of discussion about Easy Allies' collaborations with people outside the group. In my opinion, what the "brand" needs is a set of guidelines that define the values of the Easy Allies Community. This might sound overly complicated and silly but for any organisation producing official content and trying to maintain a coherent identity rather than being a set of individuals representing only themselves this is sort of essential. I think this is a democratic thing, right now it seems that decisions concerning what kind of behaviour is accepted under the Easy Allies brand fall on Brandon, having defined what values the community shares would be a way to spread that responsibility and make these decisions easier in the future.

Axel Selhammar

Jones I just want you to know that you're a great role model and leader. I aspire to be like you one day. Curious as to who were your biggest role models both growing up and in the game industry.

Hey Brandon, how important is it for you guys, if I like the posts on patreon? Cause sometimes I do, sometimes I dont. Not because I don't like it, just because I forget. And is it the same for you if I watch the videos here instead of watching it on youtube??

Tim Bechen

Brandon, I’m so happy to hear that you’ve also like Kinect. It makes me sad to see how people enjoy Switch’s portability and remember how people hated Microsoft for bundling Kinect with Xbox One. Portability hardly gives you any new gaming experiences while Kinect certainly does. Also just imagine how cool it could be if Microsoft had a VR headset for Xbox One X that uses Kinect for full body capture. I guess I don’t have a question here, but if you have some comments or response I’ll be glad to hear it.

Alexander Zyryanov

Brandon, I’m so happy to hear that you’ve also like Kinect. It makes me sad to see how people enjoy Switch’s portability and remember how people hated Microsoft for bundling Kinect with Xbox One. Portability hardly gives you any new gaming experiences while Kinect certainly does. Also just imagine how cool it could be if Microsoft had a VR headset for Xbox One X that uses Kinect for full body capture. I guess I don’t have a question here, but if you have some comments or response I’ll be glad to hear it.

Alexander Zyryanov

That was really nice.

M I K E Y M O

Hey Brandon. I'm not sure if this means much, but my father was an animator for Disney back in the 50s. He worked on Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and one other that I can't remember. He was actually in the room when Walt said he was going to make Disneyland. They were shocked that anyone would want to build a carnival in Anaheim. (That's what they were thinking it was going to be when he pitched it, a rinky dink carnival) After his time at Disney, my father also went on to design Fat Albert and work on many other projects, so the guy has been around. When I asked his opinion of what you said he told me, "The guy is 100% right. The whole point of animation is to breathe life in to something." Just thought you may be interested to know that.

Morganagod

I'm sure this was discussed internally early on, and at this point it surely isn't worth it, but is it even possible for Easy Allies to buy back their Gametrailers archive? If so would you even want that? It saddens me when I think that none of your previous content belongs to you, but I can also understand EZA being a breath of fresh air, and a chance to own everything you release going forward. IGN is doing good things by keeping the archive alive, along with releasing the latest trailers daily, but I just wanted to see where your thoughts lie on the subject of acquiring what may only equate to show names and lore at this point. L&R

Mac

Also Jones: I feel that disregarding all of the negative stuff around all of this, the podcast you had with Colin was an interesting and insightful discussion. I support for the content and the vibes and I'm confident that those will continue no matter whose podcasts you end up being on.

VGJunky

This is a repost because Patreon wiped my comment as edited for breaking news: Hey Mr. Jones! On suggesting where new community members can go, I can only speak for myself and I only engage in the forums, ALL are welcome. It's a great place with a lot of interesting topics like our 2017 GOTY thread next month! Per Maggie's request: Just submit stuff. Whether it's for Love & Respect, Frame Trap, Cup of Jones, the Community Showcase, or the Q&A (most of which is dependent upon her Patronage of course), just showing up is half of it. If something isn't picked, that's fine! Yourself and Mr. Moore have commented multiple times about my presence in a great deal of EZA content, so if you pass along this message, I would appreciate it. For my question: You'll probably touch on it at the beginning but I wanted to know what your thoughts are about the recent charge change Patreon is implementing to us Patrons. I'll post the link below for anyone who wants to see the Q&A, but basically, the $1 tier may be negated for those who can only afford that. To my fellow Patrons: Patreon is instituting a 2.9% + $0.35 charge on EACH pledge for service fees effective December 18th. This will give creators a bigger increase of the pledge money, 95%, but I fear will drive the number of Patrons down because $1 is actually more than that. Using myself as an example, across all of Patreon I'm pledged $35 and I fear I'll pay more than that with this service fee. Back to Mr. Jones: How do you feel this will affect Easy Allies, if you could hazard a guess, and are you positive, negative, or neutral about this change? Thanks as always for taking my question and have a great day!

Brandon K Gann

What question would you like to be asked that has yet to come up?

Dragon Age: Inquisition was a weak (not bad) game, which makes the fact that it won GOTYs something that can be scoffed at in retrospect since that was a dark year. Change of subject - Jones I find that many popular streamers make it a point to give shoutouts to all of their subs and resubs, taking a minute to go through the log and catch up if they missed any. Might be helpful to show some subs that you guys are noticing on the group streams

VGJunky

Euphoria Morning was one of my favourite albums for a while, Chris Cornell was a legend. I listen to a lot of EZA whilst working, washing up, cooking; ya know, typical every day stuff. What do you listen to whilst dealing with life? oo oo, I have a serious question too. Patreon is a funny beast, I would imagine inflation based raises and promotions are fickle. How do you deal with staff retention? If an ally left would you recruit to fill the gap? If Patreon dropped or other factors caused it to be unsustainable, what actions would you take? I apologise if the question is grim, or something you would rather not touch. I'm a software engineer; as such, I'm used to the idea of restructures / redundancies when the business requirements shift and it plays on my mind. FYI, That is some prescience. I don't work for Patreon. I had no idea about their changes when I asked this.

Kif

What was the worst Christmas gift, video game related, that you have ever received? For me it was Jurassic Park for the PS1, It controlled terribly and I couldn't get past the second level.

Joey and Cait

There's been a distinct lack of Sophie in more recent Easy Allies videos compared to the past - she used to appear in almost every podcast snuggled up on the couch or rambling around looking for attention. There was also the fantastic moment when she jumped on the table in Tabletop Escapades. Is there any chance we can see more of the EZA community's favorite doggo going forwards (with apologies to Bender). Keep up the great work - Love & Respect.

Simon Wallace

Hi Mr Jones, I'd like to make one comment and ask one question. The comment : My comment is on your overall handling of the situation(s) comin up these past few weeks, nothing specific, just an overall thought. You need to let yourself take decisions and own it, maybe justify it when necessary, but don't get eat up by the negativity or the people that get offended from all sides. Those people count, but those people are also here because they like what EZA is, in the grand scheme of things. We can't all agree on everything, and you (meaning every ally) can't please us 100% of the time. I didn't agree that much with your participation on CLS, but I can take a step back and think "well, if it doesn't affect what I like in EZA, which is the content, I'm ok with that". I mostly think the anger of people is from a part of the community that think you're supposed to represent them. And I'm sorry to say that bluntly : you don't, you're a content creator, we pay for content, and sometimes ask behind the scene questions, or your opinion, that should be enough. We don't pay to make up your mind, we don't have the right to tell you what to think, and in the end, how decisions should be taken. I don't agree with many of colin's stances, doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to have a dialogue with him. And I guess the Love and Respect got lost when people thought you were the flagship of their own personnality, preferences, stances. You're great because you are what you are, I don't want an EZA ruled by patrons, I want an EZA supported by patrons, because yes it's cool to exchange with you here or on twitter, but it doesn't mean we should think of ourselves as the CEOs of EZA. The question : can we have a Discord channel for patreons ? :p Thank you if you read my comment even if its not during the next cup of jones, and I guess a Happy New Year to you, and all the allies.

Térence Caron

how do I make my comments not disappear on patreon? god damn.

Michal Dudic

Hey Jones, I'm new here on Patreon although i've been a fan of you guys for a long time, it's just now that i'm finally making enough money to support your amazing content. I work at a very small production company in the postproduction department, mostly editing video. So i'd love to know the workflow you guys follow on your content, which software do you guys use, how do you capture videogame footage, do you ever need to color correct some of the camera footage? also, it'd be nice if you could share a bit about your career as an editor, your experiences, tips, what got you into video editing, etc. I remember watching the easy update of Ian editing the Destiny 2 review and it was quite enjoyable, hopefully you and Don could do something similar in the future. Thanks for the great content. Greetings from Spain!

Sebastián Fereira

regarding community management: I feel like there are too many channels to talk to you all and all of them seem to be "officially" supported (meaning = Allies visit those channels regularly and they talk to people) - patreon, youtube comments, neogaf, resetera, twitter, official forums, reddit, discord, facebook group, emails, DMs, and who knows what else. it's probably impossible to unify all of it and only have one go-to place. I understand and appreciate how it happens naturally that you would reply to someone on twitter. why the hell not. Of course you would. And I’m guilty of this as well – I don’t seek out what the best way is to reach out to you (this comment being the exception), I usually just drop a youtube comment. it's just that it becomes incredibly hard to follow the conversation when something is happening within the community. I think it would be beneficial - and it would get the different little pockets within the community to actually talk to each other and try to understand each other – if there was only one place where Allies would reply on "official business“, and if it was the same place that you would actively endorse as the one best place to go and be a community. It should be a neutral place – not resetera (a charged place), just like it shouldn’t be 4chan (a charged place). Everywhere aside from the official communication channel – especially the various forums and message boards should – in my humble opinion – be just places where people talk about EZA in third person. You can’t – and you shouldn’t try to be – everywhere, because then you’re really nowhere. What happens then is – different community members get a completely different view of the situation at hand because they were only monitoring it within a specific slice of the entire conversation across all those different channels.

Michal Dudic

100% on board with anything to do with AVGN.

Andrew Chalmers

No need to read this on air, but I Just wanted to say thank you Jones for trying to answer my question, I know the Group Stream Selection Process is a tricky issue to deal with. I apologize If I put you in a tough spot, but I honestly feel a lot better about it knowing there is at least the possibility of discussion to change things in some capacity in the new year. On a separate note, I will be in France for the next 10 days. I am especially sad I will probably miss getting to watch the hall of greats live. However I am looking forward to catching up on all great EZA content for this upcoming, exciting week or so when I get back. Thank you for and all the Allies for being awesome, and thank you for always trying to do & say the best thing Brandon.

Tegan Combatti

Hi Brandon, I have a question and a comment that I would like to pose. So, apologise, if I am asking you too much. 1) I am from Singapore and my brother and I have always wanted to visit the E3 event with my brother, especially during the launch of the new consoles. So, do you have any advice for planning a trip to attend the event as an attendee (i.e the number of days to set aside to attend the event, any recommended activities or places to go to)? 2) I watched your EZA group stream playing Cuphead and based on your reactions, it seems that most of the allies looked bored or not interested in the game (except those who are playing the game), particular when allies at the back are having their own discussion about something not relating to Cuphead. I watched Achievement Hunter played Cuphead and compared to EZA (I’m sorry to say this), I enjoyed watching Achievement Hunter’s playthrough of Cuphead as they are more engrossed to the game and seeing their reactions (they post 2 videos of their Cuphead playthrough, I recommend watching the Play Pals – Cuphead video) I don’t know whether the Allies are trying to be professional or they are not interested in this game. If you had thoughts on this, I’ll be very appreciative. P.S: I still enjoyed Brad and Damiani’s playthrough of Crash Bandicoot and seeing their frustration in full display, which makes a great stream to watch, so do tell them I love their streaming of a game that has been a major part of childhood next to Toy Story. Love and Respect

P.S. If the singer from Journey you were thinking of was Steve Perry, he's still very much alive. He just hasn't done much since the 90s.

TurboChickenMan

PLEASE do Halo for the Hall of Greats! It was groundbreaking in SO many ways, and still holds up today! Thanks to the amount of polish Bungie put into it, moments like the one you described still feel incredible. Check out Resetera's Halo nostalgia thread if you need any more proof of how perfectly suited it is for HoG. :) <a href="https://www.resetera.com/threads/halo-combat-evolved-is-now-16-years-old.6281/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.resetera.com/threads/halo-combat-evolved-is-now-16-years-old.6281/</a> BTW, how come you didn't read my Tony Hawk follow-up last week? I'm really interested in gauging your interest level in Tony Hawk 2.

TurboChickenMan

Doesn't CoJ solve that problem? Pay $1 and Jones will answer your question each week.

TurboChickenMan

Never asked a question on Cup of Jones before, but figure I should try for once, so here's a random question. Any games from when you were younger that you didn't really like but at this point you really enjoy? Likewise, any games you liked before but don't anymore?

Logan Tawse

But really, its impressive. Love ya Jones!

It'd unironically make a fun, entertaining, and educational episode of Easy Update similar to the one where they set up the new stuff for the garage.

MBUN

Least it isn't when they wait til a fully released PC game that's been out for years comes to console to cover it as though it never existed before, which I often see them doing and clearly shows a lack of radar for the PC space. Just looked up the word for fear of computers, which is apparently Logizomechanophobia, which if Kyle's might-be-bits are to be taken seriously is also a contributing factor. Although I know Brad, Ben, Huber, Blood, and especially Ian have no problem covering PC stuff as they occasionally do, just would be nice if it was more equally frequent compared to their console coverage.

MBUN

I've also been missing these streams. Even with the technical difficulties, it was always something to look forward to.

MBUN

Some people don't like every game EZA covers.

MBUN

Thank you Jones. That was an excellent evil laugh. This simple patron is pleased.

Minamik

I see where you're coming from, to a point. But I don't follow the math that explanation = capitulation. I'd say that the community that EZA have fostered absolutely expect to be "in" on what the Allies get up to (see: Peach Beach sage, the Trial of Kyle Bosman, etc etc). In the case of Colin, he is more than "abrasive" - he has said things and has helped build a community that has been on occasion actively antagonistic to many minority voices. Many core members of EZA's community also belong to these communities (particularly LGBTQI). So if members of the EZA community, particularly queer and trans members, see Jones join Colin with the possible intent of bringing some of his community into our fold, it absolutely should be explained. I'm not saying Jones shouldn't do it: I trust the Allies' judgement in most cases, and possibly that's what you're suggesting more people in the EZA community should rely on more often. But it's not as simple as that. You raise the point that EZA are a subscription model. Well, they're more than that - EZA's patrons actively pays for them to do the things they do (that's what a "patron" does). No, that doesn't mean we dictate terms to the letter. But it does mean that if something happens that we don't agree with, then people should be permitted, indeed ENCOURAGED, to vote with their wallets. Hopefully for most people, that withholding of funds is only short-term, but that is the whole point of Patreon. L&amp;R

James McCoy

My question is very ego-centric but as a $7 patron (roughly $10ish AUD) I feel like anyone under the $10 patreon is less important than say a $5 twitch subscriber that gets lauded for every month that they resubscribe. It is a small concern of mine and very much driven by the fact that so many $7 and below patrons may never have their names read out. Totally ego-centric I know but I would like to know your thoughts?

Steven Beaumont

You have the patience of a saint, Brandon Jones.

iconmaster

That small subsection of the community who disagrees with you in being on Fireside Chats doesn't deserve an explanation at all Jones. You don't owe anyone an explanation. We don't own you or any of the Allies. You cannot capitulate to these folks. It doesn't matter what you do, if you don't dump on Colin or call him a racist and a transphobe like many have already branded him then they won't be happy at all. You can't give them a foot, they'll take the entire leg. I've seen all the nasty things they called him on GAF, I've seen all the stuff they bend and twist to fit their narrative on Reset. Is Colin abrasive? Absolutely. Does he say things some find offensive? Absolutely. But folks need to move on, get on with their lives and not want to pick a fight with everyone who may disagree with their line of thinking. Folks are too sensitive and thin skinned. Moreover, what I worry about the most Jones is not Colin but what precedent this sets if you and the Allies decide to part ways with collaborating with CLS. Anyone who some folks brand as "bad" will be off limits. Once the fox is in the hen house, it is over. I only give $5 a month and I know it's absolutely nothing compared to what some other EZA supporters give but I love EZA, all the Allies bring great stuff to the table. I don't support you folks so I can scream and yell about not liking content or not liking someone you made content with. Yes I can critique, albeit respectively. I can complain, but just because I pay it doesn't mean you HAVE to do as I say or suggest. I pay because I loved the content you folks put out on GT. The hyperbole that Huber brings, the passion Moore has about certain games, how Bosman can come across as condescending at times (in a good way) how genuine you truly are Jones (you're truly a good guy, I don't know you but I know this to be true, and maybe even good to a fault) I miss the Ian Hinck "Hiiiii" on GT, his love for the Souls games is inspiring (I despise those games) Ultima Brad. I know I'm missing some Allies...Bloodworth (Cold Blooded). I'm ranting here so let me wrap up. I pay because I wanted to support you folks so you could be AUTONOMOUS when it came to making the content that you wanted to make. The content that you folks want to make thus far is in line with exactly what I want to consume. I very much see it as a subscription model. I subscribe for a service you folks provide. Do not give up that autonomy. Do not let folks decide who you make or don't make content with. Sure suggestions and respectful critique should always be welcome. But we don't own EZA. We don't dictate EZA on who or who not to make content with or about. My very very long 2 cents. L&amp;R.

Gustavo

Jones, please, the biggest most recognisible "robot" in Horizon is the ThunderJaw and that is basically a robot T-Rex with guns on it. Or maybe it's a massive robot chicken with a tail, but that might have copyright and or branding issues. On the Dragon Age Inquisition note. I have played that game from start to finish, the only thing I haven't touched is the final dlc. But in my opinion, DAIs biggest problem is the engine that was used when making the game. I love DICE and think their frostbite engine is great. But there is just something that seems off about it, the same thing happened with Mass Effect Andromeda. I love that game, but again something feels off/weird in how it looks, not counting the weird looking faces. That may seem like a nonsense thing to judge 2 very long games on, but sometimes that is enough. I still live both those games though, along with every other game in both franchises. L&amp;R Gurrzilla

Gustav Strömbom

oh man yessss AVGN, lets make it happen!

Hi, I'm an EZA day one fan and never interacted much, but it's never too late to have the Golden Voice read my words. On the subject of spoilers, particularly on your reviews and the guidelines that you use. Maybe you should make them public so people know what to expect. Because, as someone that had no problem with the Xenoblade clip in question, it seems to me that the limits vary too widely from person to person for a uniform solution. Granted, I’m not sensitive to that, except for (common sense) the major story twists, but others, as I read in the comments of the review, didn’t even want to spoil the soundtrack! That person reasonably knew not to watch the video, but it goes to show that if you were to cater to everyone there wouldn’t be a review. Should you make them looking for the lowest common denominator (if that’s even possible), or just be reasonable and inform the super-sensitive with an on site (or similar) general disclaimer? L&amp;R from Portugal!

I have to say it was great to hear that you were so interested in Traffic Safety and I completely agree that it is something that is a very serious topic and that people need to improve their driving skills. Especially young adults need to have better driving habits in many cases. Yet, I have to be honest and say that when you were talking about that in your discussion, I couldn't but help envisioning you as the host of one of the tv safety video programs you have to watch during a defensive driving class or a class to get your driver's licence, and got a chuckle out of it.

Mr.V

Saw this and wanted to word vomit for a bit. Spoilers in reviews seem like a tricky thing. As someone who was ultra-hyped for Automata, and is currently only kinda interested in Xenoblade 2, my experience has been that the 'spoilers' Ben throws into his reviews get under your skin only if you have high investment going into a title. He gives you the set up for stories--stuff you'd probably get via osmosis if you kept up with a game's marketing. Minor plot details. By technical definition, they're spoilers. But also, he is writing a review. And for people who know nothing about a game, they're gonna benefit from hearing a more detailed set up, as opposed to someone who has played earlier games in the franchise. I think it's easy to forget that when you're a bit more intimate with a developer of franchise, you have an easier time putting plot pieces together with very little information. Basically, this is all to say, if you're hyper interested in a game but wary of spoilers, it might be best to avoid reviews until you beat the game. Or accept that watching a review means accepting a trade-off of sorts. You give up this pure and untainted sense of discovery for the privilege of being a more informed about the game you're gonna buy. It's why I only watch reviews for games I'm on the fence about or know for sure I won't be purchasing.

I was thinking of this jokingly at first but maybe we should make an "EZA Community Guide" detailing what type of environment you can expect from each EZA community; Twitch chat, the forums, ResetEra, reddit, Discord, etc. (The discord can be summed up as the Mos Eisley of EZA)

Ehie Yovach

Where are the bloopers? have you consider doing some videos about bloopers of your videos? i would love to see those

Daniel Garza Andrade

Jones, this is a subject I hate to bring up. However, it is now necessary after the video review of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. We need to talk about spoilers. I hate to single Ben out, but this is the second time this year that he added spoilers in his review. The first one was from Nier: Automata. I propose that Bloodworth and yourself to create a code of conduct for reviews which includes a definitive meaning of what a spoiler consists. Thoughts?

I posted this as a part of a response to another patreon user, but I thought maybe it'd be better if you saw it through it's own separated post under the Cup of Jones thread. I would recommend some sort of banner be added for political talks/controversial issues of the like, so that patreon members jumping in are aware of what time of the weekly Cup of Jones it is, but otherwise the format seems pretty decent. I don't personally have a problem thus far, but I'm sure others would appreciate some sort of red-banner or the like...Just a suggestion, if it could at all be integrated, when appropriate of course.

drd7of14

On the subject of the meetup date for the upcoming anniversary in March, by all means, don't rigidly force it to a single, specific date. GDC is a huge event, and I really do think covering it is something that will organically contribute to EZA's growth in a positive way. It's a major industry event, and I think it should be seen as an opportunity to nab some truly unique content and bolster your channel's catalog. An Ian Hinck man on the 'street' segment where he talks at Indie Devs about their games seems like a no brainer to me. That's not to say the EZA anniversary isn't a huge deal, it absolutely is. But I don't think that means March 21st is the end all, be all date wherein which allies must come together to meet up and commune. An anniversary can be celebrated on any day, the specifics of when it is are far less important than what it is you actually do on that date.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo-ddYhXAZc&amp;ab_channel=gazala" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo-ddYhXAZc&amp;ab_channel=gazala</a>

Ibrahim Sozer

Please don't talk politics, if you want to talk politics start a politics patreon. One of the reasons I like you guys is you guys don't get political or talk politics

Ibrahim Sozer

Hi Jones, are there any plans to return the gog-minigroup stream or doing something similar? To me that stream was something like "allies try old or new PC games". It was a very entertaining dynamic...and if you don't know which PC games to try...there are always the patrons there to bring in ideas. L&amp;R Alex_AI

Alex_AI

Some people don't like PUBG

Ibrahim Sozer

My idea with the $750 sponsorship tier is to combine the sponsors of $250 + $500 tier so the $750 sponsor is for frame trap and eza podcast. Also a $1000 sponsorship that's for all podcast from movies, anime and friend code might be appealing to sponsors. I think the limit for that would be 1. So you would have 1 major sponsor.

Ibrahim Sozer

Hey Brandon! Quick question: what's the worst trailer you've either scored at GT or wish you'd scored at EZA?

Adam Burkhart

Hello Jones, Quick question and quick follow up: 1. Have you seen Disney's Coco, thoughts on it? 2. Have you ever visited Mexico? Saludos, from a Mexican ally and patreon L&amp;R

Alejandro Medina

it can be a bit finicky just after the stream ends and it finishes processing the archive. Should be ok after a few minutes. -Bloodworth

Easy Allies

Wow. As someone so disconnected from the rest of the EZA fan base, it blows my mind to hear about a lot of this stuff. I don’t know who Colin is or what he does. Anyway, like others have said, the EZA have made such a huge positive impact on my life, worth so much more than any disagreements or hurt feelings they also given. Especially Brandon Jones. You are an inspirational human being, to me. Hoping you get through these situations soon! L&amp;R

ZatVunDoot

I hope I am wrong, but it seems weird it only shows 2 hours flat, so hopefully it didn't only "record" the last 2 hours instead of the whole Cup Of Jones. It starts with Gang Beasts for me (saw the last 1 or 2 minutes live). I hope I didn't miss too much. edit: It's strange. If I click on the video it shows 2 hours 5 minutes for half a second and then starts from 2 hours flat in the middle of a sentense.

MrMette

Did Brandon Jones just leak some Squenix intel... :O

Alex_AI

An Idea for the Podcast Sponsors, Besides Podcast Half Time, Maybe you can give each one a "Lower Third" that pops in without Audio as the Podcast Plays? This would only help for the Video Form but it was just and Idea that popped into my Mind.

Correction.. there are Robot Dinosaurs in Horizon Zero Dawn... T-rex (just check the cover) and Tallneck.

Sebastian Hall

YaY! Here at the beginning for once. :D

drd7of14

Dragon Quest Inquisition? Sign me up!

Luke Sandstrom