Episode 61 – Tetris Effect, GameStop lays off more staff, Overwatch League Season 3 hype

August 26, 2019 / RyanMHolt / Leave a comment

Hold on to your hype. It’s time for the latest episode of Not Enough Resources. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @NERPodcast. As always, send us your comments and suggestions. You can subscribe to Not Enough Resources on iTunes or Google Play. Please remember to rate and leave a review as well! We might read it on air, and it is a great way to leave us some feedback.

Now Playing –

Dylan is still drowning himself in Breath of the Wild, but has Project Winter on the backburner calling his name. Ryan has a transcendent experience with Tetris Effect.

News –

GameStop laid off 120 employees under the guise of restructuring, including eliminating 7 positions at the company owned GameInformer magazine. We discuss the impacts this has on the industry not only as some folks from the enthusiast press lose their jobs, but what identity the industry will have in the eventual post-GameStop world.

Competitive Corner –

The Overwatch League is heding to home markets in 2020 with a full schedule released last week. The big news? No more Thursday or Friday games, and super stacked Saturday and Sundays, as each weekend of Season 3 will hold two Homestands every week. How will viewers schedule around a global time frame? We will have to wait and see.

And always, be kind to your fellow gamers.

Episode 60 – Smash Brothers Ultimate, Crypt of the Necrodancer; Sexism at Riot Games, Game Dev Unions, Crunch and more get covered by Patriot Act; Rick Fox, EVO and Overwatch League Season 2 Meta Shifts.

August 13, 2019 / RyanMHolt / Leave a comment

Now Playing –

We keep it brief, as Dylan talks about his love for Pikachu and Ness in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, while Ryan dives into Crypt of the Necrodancer.

News –

There is so much news. We start off with what we hope will be the death of a favorite topic, loot boxes. From there, we go though the ups and downs of streaming giant Ninja and his transition from Twitch to Mixer, and some of the fallout that has come from that agreement.

And then, following an amazing episode of Patriot Act, Dylan and Ryan dive into so many different topics they have discussed over the past few years, such as labor practices, sexism at Riot Games, and how much money is going into the industry.

Dylan delivers a passionate call to arms to stop supporting bad actors within development, and focus your energy on the games that treat developers as people.

Finally, the Epic Games Store VS Steam debate continues to churn, with disgusting behavior hurled towards indie developer Glumberland, makers of the upcoming sure-to-be-indie-darling Ooblets. Don’t send death threats folks.

Competitive Corner –

EVO was held last weekend, and Dylan and Ryan are in complete awe by the energy and passion of the Fighting Game Community.

Rick Fox is finally speaking publicly about his removal from EchoFox, and Ryan and Dylan wonder if the corporation sports is known for has finally seeped into the world of esports.

Finally, the 19th place Washington Justice are tearing through all competitors in the Overwatch League, including the #1 ranked Titans, thanks to a meta shift into 2-2-2.

Notable Links

Inside the Culture of Sexism At Riot Games – By Cecilia D’Anastasio

Riot Employees Say Company Has Made Real Progress Fixing Its Sexism Issues – By Cecilia D’Anastasio

The Dark Side of the Video Game Industry – from Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj/Netflix

ENTERING TEH STRATUSPHERE – by Overwatch League

As always: Be kind to your fellow gamers.

Episode 59 – Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Gears 5 Beta, UK Law and Lootboxes, Overwatch League 2-2-2 [Rest in Peace iNcontroL]

July 28, 2019July 28, 2019 / RyanMHolt / Leave a comment

Now Playing –

Dylan has finally gotten his own Switch, and is exploring 2017’s Game of the Year, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Things he loves? Cooking and playing the game for more than 30 minutes at a time. Meanwhile, Ryan dives back into the Gears of War series for the first time since 2011’s Gears of War 3 with the Gears 5 beta. Turns out slowing down a bit makes shooters fun?

News –

UK Parliament has determined things like FIFA Ultimate Team Packs are not considered gambling. After discussing this at length, Ryan challenges Dylan’s concept of what a loot box is, while Dylan’s primary concern is how these games keep closing up and taking players purchases with them once the service shuts down. The debate of physical versus digital goods comes up a lot, as we try to figure out how to place value on digital purcahses.

Competitive Corner –

The 2-2-2 lock for Overwatch League is real, and after one week of play it is already shaking up the standings and the players. This meta shift should hit live servers here in the next couple weeks! In addition to the 2-2-2 lock, Blizzard also revealed their next hero, a gravity manipulating tank named Sigma.

In a sad note, we here at Not Enough Resources would like to extend our deepest condolences to the StarCraft 2 community, who lost a bright star in the scene. Geoff ‘iNcontroL’ Robinson passed away last week and the Starcraft 2 scene, and esports, will never be the same. He will be missed.

Notable Links –

National Library of Spain to preserve Video Game History by Matthew Karambelas

Nintendo will fix JoyCon drift for free! by Patrick Klepek

Day[9] Reflects on iNcontroL’s passing by Day[9]

As always, be kind to your fellow gamers.

Episode 58 – Final Fantasy XIV, The Nintendo Switch Lite, Pokémon hopes and dreams, and The Overwatch League Season 2 Stage 3 Playoffs

July 14, 2019 / RyanMHolt / Leave a comment

Hold on to your hype. It’s time for the latest episode of Not Enough Resources! Be sure to follow us on Twitter @NERPodcast. As always, send us your comments and suggestions. You can subscribe to Not Enough Resources on iTunes or Google Play. Please remember to rate and leave a review as well! We might read it on air, and it is a great way to leave us some feedback.

Now Playing

Following E3 announcements, Ryan decided to dive into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and is quickly exploring as many games as he can, including What Remains of Edith Finch and Life is Strange. Meanwhile, Dylan jumps back into the world of MMO’s with Final Fantasy XIV, and has lots of thoughts on what makes an MMO great.

News

Nintendo finally announced the newest version of the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch Lite. After going through a basic rundown of changes from the standard hardware, Dylan decides that the Lite isn’t for him. But we wonder, who is this Switch designed for, and will it force a price drop on the standard edition of the Switch before the holiday season.

Competitive Corner

Overwatch League Season 2 is headed towards the Stage 3 Playoffs, with the Titans and the Shock looking for a title rematch. Ryan would like the Shanghai Dragons to go all the way, but that is a very unlikely scenario (POST PLAYOFF UPDATE: Shanghai did in face win the Stage 3 Playoffs.)

Notable Links:

The esports pipeline problem by Will Partin

It’s Becoming Impossible To Keep Up With More Than A Couple “Forever” Games by Caty McCarthy

How female characters in FIFA led to a diversity movement at EA by Dean Takahashi

Video Game History Is More Than Just Software and Hardware by Cameron Kunzelman

And remember:

Be kind to your fellow gamers.

Episode 57 – Auto Battlers (and StarCraft hopes), Treyarch and Contract Employees, The Vancouver Titans finally lose, and more 2-2-2 Overwatch League Rumors

June 30, 2019 / RyanMHolt / Leave a comment

Hold on to your hype, it is time for the latest episode of Not Enough Resources! Be sure to follow us on Twitter @NERPodcast. As always, send us your comments and suggestions. You can subscribe to Not Enough Resources on iTunes or Google Play. Please remember to rate and leave a review as well! We might read it on air, and it is a great way to leave us some feedback.

Now Playing –

A great new genre has exploded in the gaming world: Auto Battlers. Between Auto Chess, DotA: Underlords and League of Legends Team Fight Tactics, everyone is looking for a bit of the new genre on the block. Each game has it’s own subtle differences, but between the three of them, a single one hasn’t alienated itself from the pack. Maybe there is room for a fourth game in the genre? Perhaps in a beloved sci-fi universe? We hope, but are still addicted to the versions put out so far.

News –

Once again, Kotaku’s Jason Schreier has a great deep dive on the working conditions of another AAA studio, this time focusing on Treyarch and the Call of Duty Black Ops franchise. Read his in-depth article here, and then add Treyarch to the list of companies that are in the cross hairs for unionization. Dylan compares the current state of the industry to how Hollywood was controlled at every level by the studios back in it’s heyday, and how gaming might be able to evolve pass their current growing pains.

Competitive Corner –

Dylan is still abstaining from Riot, so he is on the search for a new esport to scratch his itch. Meanwhile, in the Overwatch League, both the San Francisco Shock and the Vancouver Titans have had their blood drawn, and by unexpected teams too. This is a great shake up to the league, and keeps the season chugging along with every team having suffered at least one loss. Following his retirement from the League, Gesture spills the beans on the 2-2-2 lock coming in Stage 4 of Season 2. Hopefully the rumor is true and Overwatch see’s a big shake up to it’s meta in the coming months.

Remember, be kind to your fellow gamers.

Episode 56 – E3 2019! Hype on Cyberpunk 2077 and Breath of the Wild 2, disappointed in Avengers and Pokémon Sword and Shield.

June 17, 2019June 16, 2019 / RyanMHolt / Leave a comment

Last week was E3 so our usual format is out the window in favor of so much news. We tackle some highlights and disappointments from the show. Things that we are excited about include Cyberpunk 2077, The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2, Star War Jedi Fallen Order and… gamers not being disappointed in an Animal Crossing delay? Sadly, not everything was a surefire hit with us, especially the forthcoming Square-Enix Avengers game. Weird graphics, incomplete examples of gameplay and muddled promises of co-op. The big head-scratcher though? The removal of the national Pokédex from Pokémon Sword and Shield. Will removal of a large swath of Pokémon from the game, will this effect the sales of the game, or only irritate the hardcore?

Remember, if you love being kind to your fellow gamers, wear it on your sleeve!

These Not Enough Resources icons in both Red and Blue are available on a variety of things, like mugs and shirts via Redbubble.

Episode 55 (SPECIAL GUEST Caitlin) – #loveindies, Gaming Addiction and the WHO, FaZe Clan – contracts and under aged gamers

June 3, 2019June 1, 2019 / RyanMHolt / Leave a comment

Now Playing:

This month Rogues Portal will be participating in #loveindies and we will be shining a spotline on some of the indie games we love so much. Ryan revisits Into the Breach, a puzzle game with a Pacific Rim style paint job, and how well it works on laptops with touch screen controls. Dylan explores new territory with Pikuniku, which blends charming graphics with… political commentary? Special guest Caitlin talks about what makes her love Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle.

News:

The big news we focus on this week has to concern a new classification from the World Health Organization, which added ‘gaming addiction’ to the newest edition of the international classification of diseases. Caitlin brings the knowledge as Ryan and Dylan ask her what this means for the future of gaming in conjunction with mental health.

Competitive Corner:

FaZe Clan is under a bunch of hot water recently thanks to two big controversies, one involving top Fortnite player Tfue and how his contract is manged by FaZe, and another dealing with an underage player in Fortnite playing for the clan. What does this mean for the future of FaZe Clan, and in more broader strokes, how will this effect the industry as it continues to grow?

And, as always, be kind to your fellow gamers.

Episode 54 – Dalaran Heist, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is tons of fun?, U.S. Senate to introduce a microtransactions bill, Console VS PC in The Division 2, Riot can’t make up its mind on what constitutes bad behavior and The Overwatch League All Star Week

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 / RyanMHolt / Leave a comment

Hold on to your hype, it is time for the latest episode of Not Enough Resources! Be sure to follow us on Twitter @NERPodcast. As always send us your comments and suggestions. You can subscribe to Not Enough Resources on iTunes or Google Play. Please remember to leave a comment as well! We might read it on air and it is a great way to leave us some feedback. Shout out to Dylan for patching together this weeks episode despite some difficulties.

Now Playing:

Dylan dives into the Dalaran Heist single player adventure in Hearthstone while Ryan talks about playing… EA’s Star Wars Battlefront 2, the scourge of all loot boxes. How have both games evolved into the states they are in today, compared to what they looked like when they were first released?

News:

Speaking of… Loot Boxes, the United States is finally introducing legislation in the U.S. Senate. While some of the concerns raised by the bill have been corrected by the industry, there is a lot of wording in the bill concerned about how microtransactions target children. In a press release, bill creator Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) stated “Game developers who knowingly exploit children should face legal consequences.”

We also looked at the differences in bringing high quality end game content like raiding into the console space thanks to some issues console players of the Division 2 had with the latest update. How will developers build their games to cater to all audiences when there are hardware differences?

Competitive Corner:

G2 took down Team Liquid at the Mid-Season Invitational, ending Liquids dominate run through the NA teams. We will see where they end up once World’s come around.

After Rick Fox decided to leave Echo Fox a few weeks ago due to racial slurs from a board member, Riot issued an ultimatum demanding the board member be removed. But at the same time, Riot still has employee’s performing walkouts because of how their workers are treated. It is very disheartening to see Riot have a heavy hand ready to swing at other esports organizations, but they don’t take the same approach to protecting their most valuable assets: Their staff.

Finally, we talk about the pure joy that comes from watching the Overwatch League All Star Week events. It is just great to see so many pros relax, have fun, and laugh.

Remember folks, as always, be kind to your fellow gamers.

Episode 53 – Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Epic buys Rocket League creators Psyonix, and the Overwatch League takes over Dallas

May 6, 2019May 5, 2019 / RyanMHolt / Leave a comment

Hold on to your hype, it is time for the latest episode of Not Enough Resources! We have a lot of cool things in the works, so keep an eye on Rogues Portal and follow us on Twitter @NERPodcast. As always send us your comments and suggestions. You can subscribe to Not Enough Resources on iTunes or Google Play. Please remember to leave a comment as well! We might read it on air and it is a great way to leave us some feedback.

Now Playing

Ryan is back into Smash Brothers Ultimate thanks to the addition of Joker from Persona 5, and Dylan talks about super fun indie game Nidhogg 2.

News

Epic Games purchases Psyonix, adding Rocket League to the list of games in their stable. We discuss what that means for the future of the game, and if selling out is worth all the hate it gets from certain circles. Riot employees are planning a walk out due to the companies track record with sexual assault, arbitration and how it treats it employee’s. Hopefully it will be an effective step towards change. Finally, we gush about the possibilities coming to Overwatch thanks to the brand new Workshop mode.

Competitive Corner

Overwatch League has their first successful Homestand weekend in Dallas. Arena sellouts sound exciting, but will that momentum be sustainable when home games become the status quo instead of an event? Meanwhile Dylan wrestles with his fading interest in competitive League of Legends due to the midseason lull and all of the news coming out of Riot about their company culture.

As always, be kind to your fellow gamers.

Episode 52 – Life is Strange, Borderlands 3 PC Drama, the next Playstation, Overwatch League Season 2 shake ups

April 22, 2019April 21, 2019 / RyanMHolt / Leave a comment

Hold on to your hype it is time for the latest episode of Not Enough Resources! We have a lot of cool things in the work, so keep an eye on Rogues Portal and follow us on Twitter @NERPodcast! As always send us your comments and suggestions! You can subscribe to Not Enough Resources on iTunes or Google Play.

Now Playing –

Dylan figures out that life is indeed strange, and dives into the world of story based gaming. Ryan is playing through Assassin’s Creed III Remastered, but is mostly interested in Liberation HD due it’s setting and characters.

News –

Borderlands 3 isn’t even out yet, and the PC community is up in arms about the Epic Store exclusivity. Devs are getting more money though, so is that really a bad thing? Sony talks about the guts of the next Playstation, which seems to offer more of the same, but better. Will this be one of the last dedicated hardware generations? And finally, EA and Lucasfilm decide now is the time to return to great single-player games with the reveal of Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order.

Competitive Corner –

The NA LCS finished with Team Liquid punching their card to the Mid-Season Invitational, and Dylan feels pretty good about their chances going forward. Overwatch League has entered Stage 2, and with that the GOATs Meta of 3 tanks and 3 healers has been left behind. This coming weekend is the Overwatch League’s first games outside of Burbank for Season 2, so be sure to tune into the Dallas Homestead weekend on Saturday and Sunday!

As always folks, be kind to your fellow gamers.