Skylanders and Quick Hit News | Bleeding Edge Gaming Podcast

Chase, Walter and Tim discuss the Madden 12 simulation success, the success of Skylanders and the planned sequel, Dungeon Defenders hitting a million downloads, Battlefront 3 speculation and new and upcoming releases.

Topic 1) MADDEN 12 CORRECTLY PREDICTS SUPER BOWL XLVI

EA SPORTS and Madden 12 have done it again. Not only did the Super Bowl XLVI simulation correctly predict a Giants victory and Eli Manning walking away as MVP, it also proved amazingly accurate on individual player stats. Though certain aspects of the broadcast proved to be outside the realm of our predictions – such as Welker’s butter-fingers, the popularity of a dog named Weego and M.I.A.’s one-finger salute to the camera – we knew that Tuck would get two sacks, Tynes would hit two field goals and Green-Ellis would be held to less than 50 yards.

Show Notes:
A) All 3 of us got it right picking the Giants
B) SuperBowl XLVI became most watched TV program in history with 116million viewers

Our other stat predictions were:
·         Final Score
o   Actual score: Giants 21, Patriots 17
o   Sim score: Giants 27, Patriots 24
·         Manning
o   Actual: 30/40 for 296 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (MVP)
o   Sim: 25/39 for 342 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT (MVP)
·         Brady
o   Actual: 27/41 for 276 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
o   Sim: 28/42 for 327 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
·         Bradshaw
o   Actual: 17 for 72 yards, 1 TD
o   Sim: 21 for 82 yards, 1 TD
·         Green-Ellis
o   Actual: 10 for 44 yards, 0 TD
o   Sim: 13 for 41 yards, 0 TD
·         Tynes
o   Actual: 2/2
o   Sim: 2/2
·         Gostokowsi
o   Actual: 1/1
o   Sim: 1/1
·         Tuck
o   Actual: 2 sacks
o   Sim: 2 sacks

Dating back to Super Bowl XXXVIII, EA SPORTS has conducted the annual Super Bowl simulation using the latest iteration of the Madden NFL franchise. The Super Bowl XLVI simulation was conducted utilizing artificial intelligence powered by real-life data from each team to determine player ratings, and includes variances, such as injuries, to predict the outcome. Six out of the last eight Super Bowl champions have been accurately predicted by Madden NFL. Previous results include:

Super Bowl XXXVIII – Patriots 23, Panthers 20
Actual Score: Patriots 32, Panthers 29

Super Bowl XXXIX – Patriots 47, Eagles 31
Actual score: Patriots 24, Eagles 21

Super Bowl XL – Steelers 24, Seahawks 19
Actual score: Steelers 21, Seahawks 10

Super Bowl XLI – Colts 38, Bears 27
Actual score: Colts 29, Bears 17

Super Bowl XLIII – Steelers 28, Cardinals 24
Actual score: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23

Super Bowl XLIV – Saints 35, Colts 31
Actual score: Saints 31, Colts 17

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Topic 2) A) Skylanders: What is it, how does it work?
B) The craze, demand control and how much is hype?
C) Skylander’s Giants soon to be released

I think this whole franchise deserves a closer look and a round of applause. This is one of Hunter’s favorite things from Christmas. If you haven’t heard about it, it’s basically like Diablo meets Pokemon meets the actual Diablo. You have this portal that you hook up to the console of your choosing via USB, it comes with a couple action figures and when you’re playing the game, you swap out your action figures from the USB “POrtal of Power” and it changes your in game characters. The characters transmit the data wireless and all of your level up and customization features are saved to the toy itself, so you can bring it to a friends house and play on their saved game- regardless of console.

From a retailer stand point, I’ve been getting a couple shipments a week of these toys and whenever I get them in they are gone within the hour. Yesterday, in fact, I would say I had more people coming in my store to check on Skylander availability than I had ACTUAL customers! It’s insanity.

Also, you can buy Adventure Packs (Pretty much expansion packs), in toy form as well! So the portal can hold two characters PLUS a pirate ship that loads up and whisks you away to a new piratey themed level.

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Topic 3) Quick hits roundtable

These are quick hit topics that merit commenting on but aren’t big enough for a full conversation. Please feel free to add/subtract. I just wanted to have topics in here rather than wait until tomorrow. Only things I really hope to stay in the list is MIT first game and Skullgirls Fighter.

Tim to moderate and ask Chase and Walter for their comments. Add his own at the end.
Short responses

1) Dungeon Defenders hits a million paid downloads
2) http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1402209

MIT has recreated “Spacewar!” — one of the world’s first computer games — to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the influential precursor to today’s video games.

3) Skullgirls re-images anatomy

Downloadable fighter Skullgirls
Delays pushed it to 2012
Anime chicks duke it out

4) Mass Effect 3

Going to see more of stuff like this?

5) Rumor: Spark Unlimited producing sci-fi sequel, speculation says Battlefront 3

6) Your most anticipated in 2012? Probably need to cover this sooner than later, great stuff is releasing. Good lead-in to Topic 5

7) Meet Marthazon The 70 year old WOW playing Grandma

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Topic 5) New/Upcoming releases:
New: resident evil revelations (3ds). Of particular interest, I played some of the resident evil and I think it is worth talking about- I’m a huge fan of just about anything zombie, but I was skeptical about a horror handheld game. They pulled it off and deserve a round of applause for it.

Upcoming: On consoles next week, we will see

UFC Undisputed 3 - Feb 14
Twisted Metal X - Feb 14 PS3 only

Upcoming: the vita, a lot to be talked about there- I’ve spent a good amount of time playing one in the last week, which also means that their GIANT bevy of launch titles is a good topic of conversation. Maybe compare to the 3ds, which is only now gaining the strength of titles the vita will launch with. Next week 3ds launches a new tekken game, tales of the abyss (huge in the jrpg fandom), and 2-21 we see metal hear solid 3d.

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