S6 E1 • How Do You Fuck Up Tetris?

This week, we look at the horrible ways in which publishers have mutilated Tetris over the past few years. A game so simple and codified, it should be impossible to screw up, this industry has nonetheless given it a damn good go.

Première diffusion : 4 janvier 2016

S6 E2 • VR Troopers

Let's talk about virtual reality, yaaaay! With the Rift selling out at $599, there's been a lot of smack talked between those who pray at the altar of VR, and those who wish the whole thing would go away. Both these camps are talking shite. The Jimquisition knows what's up.... as ALWAYS.

Première diffusion : 11 janvier 2016

S6 E3 • Why Square Enix Is Carving Its Games To Bits

Two years ago, The Jimquisition said Square Enix was planning to break its games into pieces. Here we are with a carved-up Final Fantasy VII remake and Hitman. So today, I go back to my sources and find out even more. Why is Square Enix doing this? What was the great panic at the end of the last generation that led to more episodic content? And why are there so many remastered rereleases? The Jimquisition has the answer.

Première diffusion : 18 janvier 2016

S6 E4 • The 'Problem' With Episodic Games

There's nothing wrong with episodic games. Not on paper, anyway. There's plenty wrong with the current crop of entities eyeing episodic games up, however. Last week, some people assumed I thought episodic content was, itself, a problem. This is not the case. Let's look at what the actual problem is.

Première diffusion : 25 janvier 2016

S6 E5 • Games In Development

Good Old Games is joining the Early Access bandwagon with its Games In Development program. Unlike Early Access, however, GID looks like it won't be total crap. Let's look at what GOG is doing, and use it as excuse to dump all over Early Access again. Yes, that seems a fine idea!

Première diffusion : 1 février 2016

S6 E6 • Oh, Someone Fucked A PC Port Up Again

It's 2016. If you can't get a PC version of your game running to a satisfactory degree by now, you're an absolute failure and you should just sod off. Truly, shit like the recent Tales of Symphonia nonsense has gotten far beyond a joke.

Première diffusion : 8 février 2016

S6 E7 • Cat Simulator: A Steam Shame Story

It's been a while since we had one of our delightful little Steam Stories, but the makers of Cat Simulator bring us a taught tale of failure and misrepresentation. Good thing too... it's been a real slow news week!

Première diffusion : 15 février 2016

S6 E8 • Early AAAccess

I swear this is NOT yet another episode about Steam Early Access! It's actually about Street Fighter V, and games of a similar ilk. It's just a really, really good title for the episode this week, as we talk about "AAA" games released in a deliberately unfurnished state with content promised later down the line. God damn, is Early AAAccess a great title, though.

Première diffusion : 22 février 2016

S6 E9 • Where's The Fair Use?

The Jimquisition joins the throng of YouTube content makers asking a very simple question - where's the fair use? YouTube has been going into takedown overdrive this year, and there's a palpable fear among video makers as they wonder who's next. It's gotten beyond ridiculous.

Première diffusion : 24 février 2016

S6 E10 • The Depressing Joy Of Garden Warfare

Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 has become one of my favorite games, and that should make me happy. I mean, it does... but it's sort of depressing. When AAA games come out and give you everything you expect, it's a cause for celebration. That we DO celebrate when things do what they're supposed to is indicative of a problem. But seriously, I really love that game about flowers and corpses.

Première diffusion : 29 février 2016

S6 E11 • No Man's Price

No Man's Sky is retailing for $59.99 and people have some angry concerns over the price tag. That folks are skeptical of the standard rate is good... but they're skeptical for the wrong reasons. Let us not think like "AAA" companies when it comes to indie games and their place in the world. If we're going to look at pricing models, let's not miss the forest for the trees.

Première diffusion : 7 mars 2016

S6 E12 • Universal Windows Crap

Microsoft is pushing for dominance in PC gaming with its Universal Windows Platform, and it's not being entirely nice about it. After outcry from Tim Sweeney and Durante, your old pal Jim Sterling joins the voices decrying Windows' walled garden as a really, really bad idea. Shut up, Chip!

Première diffusion : 10 mars 2016

S6 E13 • Ubiconic

The Division was the last straw. After poking fun at Ubisoft's overuse of the word "iconic" for years, your old pal Jim Sterling has encountered the straw to break the camel's back. Someone get this company a thesaurus. Please.

Première diffusion : 14 mars 2016

S6 E14 • Zero Difficulty

The news that Star Fox Zero would feature an invincible mode encouraged an almost predictable onslaught of outrage from the Hardcore Gamers who are Hardcore. The idea of hand-holding and dumbing down has been a contentious topic for years, but if you scratch away the surface, there's another concern that just isn't hidden well enough. The concern of an exclusive little club not being so exclusive anymore.

Première diffusion : 21 mars 2016

S6 E15 • Dark Souls III's Release Date Bollocks

Dark Souls III is out now in Japan, but the rest of the world has to wait until April 12... unless they get the full English version from Japan's Xbox Live store. It's a silly situation, and Dark Souls is not a series that benefits from staggered releases at all. Let's look at this whole bollocky shitstorm.

Première diffusion : 28 mars 2016

S6 E16 • PlayStation 4K

There's talk of a new Xbox and PlayStation on the horizon, but not brand new consoles - not quite, anyway. Incremental upgrades are the talk of the town, as consoles look set to take another leaf from PC gaming's book. Is the idea of an Xbox 1.5 or a PlayStation 4K a good one? Kinda... but not the way this industry will likely do 'em.

Première diffusion : 4 avril 2016

S6 E17 • Prepare To Die

Git gud or go home! That's what a super hardcore Dark Souls fan will tell you. But is that fair? Dark Souls III, like all Dark Souls games, is being marketed on its difficulty, and the audience swallows that idea up. However, it's reductive and misguided as far as I'm concerned. And ain't no amount of hot wing contests will change that.

Première diffusion : 11 avril 2016

S6 E18 • Crunch

It's a savage episode this week as the champions of crunch are taken to task. Following a fairly appalling article from Alex St. John, The Jimquisition tears into the idea that forcing game devs to work long hours without compensation is somehow a good idea. It's not a good idea. In fact, it's total bollocks.

Première diffusion : 18 avril 2016

S6 E19 • Newtendo

If you cannot stand to hear criticism of Nintendo games, you might want to skip this one. Consider that your content warning. This video does not even entertain the possibility that the controls for Star Fox Zero are anything other than total garbage trash.

Première diffusion : 25 avril 2016

S6 E20 • Copyright Deadlock

The system doesn't work, so break it some more. That's the idea behind the Copyright Deadlock, a petty scheme that highlights the absurdity of YouTube's ContentID system. How can three corporations own a single video? Well, three apparently own THIS one. Konami, Nintendo, and Rhino all believe they own this episode. Two of them want to monetize it. How does that work? Let's find out!

Première diffusion : 28 avril 2016

S6 E21 • Taking Candy From Dark Souls

Yes, we're talking about Dark Souls III again, but I can promise I'm not just giving it a big hard wank this time. We've actually got something to piss and moan about. Cheating is rampant in Lothric, and the folks at Namco and From are doing dick-all to deal with it properly. In fact, their response so far has done more harm than good.

Première diffusion : 2 mai 2016

S6 E22 • Modern Warfare Rebastard

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Remastered is only available as part of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's special edition bundles. This is, obviously, bullshit. It's also Call of Duty though... y'know?

Première diffusion : 9 mai 2016

S6 E23 • Indie Generosity

Are we too nice to indie games? It's a question I've thought about for years since I first saw it posed. Seriously... I've had this topic saved up for three years when I first wrote about it. The game industry stopped being super bullshit juuuust long enough for me to finally squeak it in.

Première diffusion : 16 mai 2016

S6 E24 • Doom Guy

The new Doom is good. That's not really a secret anymore, it's basically scientific fact. id Software's surprising triumph is full of great details, but by far the crowning achievement is the way it portrays the player character. Let us celebrate the Doom Guy!

Première diffusion : 23 mai 2016

S6 E25 • Overwatch Porn

Overwatch's success is nothing short of remarkable, sparking a fanbase that was zealous long before the game was even released. This popularity has been manifested in fan art, cosplay, and... porn. Lots of porn. Porn that indicates a welcome resurgence of personality and artistry in the videogame industry... in its own dirty way.

Première diffusion : 30 mai 2016

S6 E26 • Game Industry Executives Are Fucking Idiots

Battlefield 1 has turned a lot of heads. Its announcement video is the most liked trailer on YouTube. Hell, even I'M interested in it. Electronic Arts executives, however, didn't want it to happen, which is sadly true of a lot of executives in this industry. People who know nothing, yet are paid to control everything. They're idiots, and we'll never know what potential future successes they killed in the womb.

Première diffusion : 6 juin 2016

S6 E27 • Pay To Spray: Overwatch And Microtransactions

Overwatch is one of my favorite games of the year, but I cannot in good faith consider awarding it the title of "best" game. My long-running policy of disqualifying premium games with microtransactions in them is consistently enforced, but it's pissed off a lot of Blizzard fans. As an attempt to bring understanding to such furious souls, I offer my full problem with Overwatch's fee-to-pay mechanics and the failure of its loot boxes in general.

Première diffusion : 7 juin 2016

S6 E28 • It's My E3 And I'll Whine If I Want To

One of the best things about E3 is going on Twitter and ripping the piss out of it. Been doing it for years. It's hilarious. Some people, however, take umbrage with such chicanery, and demand it be stopped.

Première diffusion : 13 juin 2016

S6 E29 • What Would Link Do?

Because I apparently hate myself, I'm talking about gender-related stuff in videogames. So I'VE got a fun day lined up! Anyway, Link's not a girl, Zelda isn't playable, and Nintendo's reasons for this situation are total bollocks. And that's my problem. Not the situation. The bollocks.

Première diffusion : 16 juin 2016

S6 E30 • Being Slightly Critical Of Violence In One Particular Way

Let's see if this topic can spark the same nuanced and interesting influx of fresh comments that the last one did. It's time to talk about the amount of violence shown at E3. Critics chat about it every year, and now the time has come to join the fray.

Première diffusion : 20 juin 2016

S6 E31 • The Mighty Has Fallen

Mighty No. 9 is out after three years of waiting. The fans got what they expected... but not at all what they wanted. Time for a post-mortem then. Let's dissect this corpse and poke at the gooey bits inside.

Première diffusion : 27 juin 2016

S6 E32 • YOLO Army

Steam Greenlight was designed to let customers vote on the games that looked most appealing, that they most wanted to buy. It was a noble idea and an interesting way to allow indie games a chance at recognition. Unfortunately, the well has been poisoned and the idea perverted to allow all manner of unwanted shite onto Steam. There is one particular vector of infection that must be taken to task. It's a "publisher" that calls itself YOLO Army.

Première diffusion : 4 juillet 2016

S6 E33 • That Whole CSGO Gambling Thing

So that whole thing about CSGO Lotto? The Counter-Strike gambling controversy? Pro Syndicate, TmarTn, all that stuff? Yeah, I heard about that.

Première diffusion : 6 juillet 2016

S6 E34 • Can Evolve Cut Down The Bullshit Tree?

A year ago, we talked about how Evolve fell out of the "AAA" Bullshit Tree and hit every branch on the way down. Turtle Rock's multiplayer game of predator and prey prototyped the current trend of unfinished games that used DLC like crutches, and suffered as a result. Now it's back, completely free, and redesigned as Evolve Stage 2. And that's... interesting.

Première diffusion : 11 juillet 2016

S6 E35 • Pokemon Go, The Best Worst Pokemon Game Ever

Pokemon Go is a mundane game and a poorly made, unfinished app. It may very well be the best Pokemon game ever made, too. Kind of. Sort of. A bit. Either way, I can't get over my fascination with the thing's bizarre creative success.

Première diffusion : 18 juillet 2016

S6 E36 • I'm Not Saying Emulators Are Cool, BUT...

Discussing emulation as a games pundit can be risky business - it's a taboo subject, and you can't be seen to endorse it even slightly. However, the existence of emulation ought to be treated more importantly and taken seriously, especially when you consider how devalued a lot of older games can become. Also this week - highlights from Sonic's 25th anniversary shitshow, and some amusing #FucKonami News.

Première diffusion : 25 juillet 2016

S6 E37 • Babysitting The Survivor

You are feeling thirsty. You are feeling hungry. You are feeling tired. You are bleeding. You are infected. You are dead. Welcome to survival games - the neediest, clingiest, increasingly dreariest games in town.

Première diffusion : 1 août 2016

S6 E38 • Loot n' Plunder

Overwatch is in the news again, with a loot-flavored event that has made even a lot of the game's defenders raise their eyebrows. Let's all just admit that no matter how much you might love Blizzard, it's still another fee-to-pay peddler at heart.

Première diffusion : 8 août 2016

S6 E39 • Sky Hype

I'm pretty much done with talking about No Man's Sky ("do a Columbo, do a Columbo") - oh, one last thing....

Première diffusion : 15 août 2016

S6 E40 • Delayed Reaction

Well here we are again. No Man's Sky isn't even cold yet and we've got Final Fantasy XV filling in with the unreal hype and ludicrous "fan" outrage. Yet more messengers have been shot as a delay news story became another example of what happens when hype culture rots people's brains away.

Première diffusion : 22 août 2016

S6 E41 • A Video Discussing Whether Or Not Hello Games Lied About No Man's Sky

After tearing into rabid fans, compliant media, and hype culture, there is one final element to No Man's Sky that I need to tackle - its creator. I've spent time thinking about this one, digging through the archives, and weighing the arguments. Despite honestly wanting to move onto new subjects, I just had to ask... ... did Hello Games tell a naughty lie?

Première diffusion : 24 août 2016

S6 E42 • Mankind Derided

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is yet another victim of this industry's unchecked avarice. It's an ironic victim at that, given the series' themes. So, let's chat about the preorder bullshit and microshenanigans that inevitably dominated the game's post-launch discussions. Oh... oh Square Enix...

Première diffusion : 29 août 2016

S6 E43 • How Square Enix Kept Meddling With Deus Ex

Sterling's little birdies are tweeting secrets again, this time bringing the delectable stories behind Deus Ex: Mankind Divided's cash-grab elements. How much warning did Eidos Montreal get about the microtransactions? Exactly why was Breach mode included? And what about the next Deus Ex game? The Jimquisition has naughty secrets to share.

Première diffusion : 1 septembre 2016

S6 E44 • YOUTUBE DEAD!? AD-FRIENDLY CENSORSHIP $$$$ IN CS:GO!

Oh look, YouTube did something that upset everybody again. As videos are being flagged as inappropriate for monetization, all eyes are on YouTube's guidelines for "ad-friendly" content, as well as the crapshoot bots that unpredictably enforce them. Because, y'know, automated systems are great at determining context.

Première diffusion : 5 septembre 2016

S6 E45 • Falling Out With The PS4

The PS4 version of Fallout 4 won't be getting mods. Same goes for Skyrim: Special Edition. Bethesda has revealed it was Sony's call, and that's no good. That's no good at all.

Première diffusion : 12 septembre 2016

S6 E46 • Wild Card

This episode is about Ark: Survival Evolved and its DLC controversy. That's all it's about. There's nothing else I want to talk about, and I definitely don't mention any other subject but this.

Première diffusion : 19 septembre 2016

S6 E47 • YouTube Heroes

There's trouble brewin' at the ol' YouTube Place... again. Let's look at YouTube Heroes, a new way in which the video service aims to look like it's doing something useful, but really isn't.

Première diffusion : 22 septembre 2016

S6 E48 • Oh Virginia!

If you see sinister political agendas where none actually exist, you might be a bit weird. If you see a game with a woman in it and instantly write it off as "SJW propaganda," you might have a problem with more than just propaganda.

Première diffusion : 26 septembre 2016

S6 E49 • Revolving Door Vocal Cords

Frank is back! Well, not really. Capcom's calling him Frank West, but fans of his war coverage ain't buying it. Dead Rising 4 is just one in a long line of games that discard voice actors like disposable cameras. Let's look at exactly why that's wrong.

Première diffusion : 3 octobre 2016

S6 E50 • Virtual Real Talk

Virtual reality has its cards on the table now. After waiting and seeing exactly how it would all pan out, it's time to deliver a verdict. The verdict being that virtual reality is a bit toss, if I'm being honest.

Première diffusion : 10 octobre 2016