OT 19/3: Live Sports. ESPN+ Originals. The Exclusive Home of the Complete 30 for 30 Library. Exclusive Articles and Tools. Top Leagues and Tournaments.

[Vasilevskiy]

So Bayern München eliminated FC Barcelona in a spectacular and historic game 8-2.

@Vasilevskiy how are you holding up?

Hoping that my Bolts don't complete another choke.

Last year I had the sweep and the 4-0 at Anfield. Not sure I can handle another two disasters

 

[Felonious Python]

Twitch Prime (now Prime Gaming) is giving away Chroma Squad until Sept 1. Prime cycles the free games pretty regularly now, so there's a bunch of other stuff to grab if you have Amazon Prime.

Chroma Squad is actually a pretty great game. It's like a Power Rangers tactical RPG.

 

[Coopers Gum]

Some say OT still hasn’t ended.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

If anyone is into comics, DC released the first 3 Jokers comic. 5 years in the making and its going to re-write the story of the Joker. Good thing is, the writers have said that you don't even need to read anything recent to pick up the story and read it. It hasn't released online yet, that I can see. But I can send people somewhere they can read it online once its out.

 

[Felonious Python]

Hitman 2016 is free on the Epic Games Store. 100% claim that if you're at all into games like Metal Gear Solid V & Splinter Cell, etc.

One of those games I sort of slept on because I didn't really dig Absolution that much. (and Blood Money was so long ago)

 

[Felonious Python]

Troy Total War pro-tip

A Always
B Build
C Chariots

 

[Felonious Python]

The Division giveaway on Uplay
https://register.ubisoft.com/the-division/en-US

 

[Felonious Python]

Bicameralism (psychology) - Wikipedia

 

[Felonious Python]

During the David Blaine balloon thing, I didn't see a curvature to the Earth.

Just saying. #CubeEarth

 

[Felonious Python]

Madden 21 (developed right across the street from the Solar Bears practice rink) got trashed by fans and (to a lesser extent) reviewers. The Metacritic scores for the different versions are sitting in the 60's, which is basically a zero when dealing with big boy AAA reviews.

The user score has hit the lowest score ever on Metacritic with a 0.4. I don't think the game is quite that bad, but the top finally blew for fans who are sick of the product they're shelling $60 out for a game every year that has the same bugs. That can't ever take a step forward because they're rushed to make a game each year, so it results in a roster & jersey update, plus cramming micro transactions in at every opportunity.

I mention it here because although I haven't played a Chel game since the 360, the complaints ring true to me when I did. If the NHL were to allow another game developer to make an NHL game, who would you want?

Rockstar
Jagex
FromSoftware
Mojang
Kojima Productions

I mean, there's only so many publishers. Activision, Take2, Ubisoft, Warners, maybe Epic. Or you go console exclusive.

Warner Bros. is an interesting idea. They've never really handled a sports game before, but since they mostly oversee franchises like Batman, Lego, LOTR, and Harry Potter games that get released frequently with usually high quality, it's quite a dark horse.

There are clearly good studios in Sweden and the Czech Republic, both hockey countries. Hanger 13 (Take2) has like 4 studios, two in Czech, one in the UK, one in CA. That's a lot of overhead.



edit: ZeniMax could work. They own developers like Bethesda, Arkane, and id. Sports is outside their portfolio, but they'd have the marketing knowledge from selling games like Doom, Wolfenstein, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, & Dishonored to understand how to sell a game to a North American/European male demographic.

edit2: A European developer makes sense here. One, because I don't think it's been done before, but many of the biggest and best games are developed outside the Anglo-sphere, so that's not an issue.

It is acknowledging that NHL Pucks in Deep or whatever it ends up being called is going to be #2 in sales, probably for some time, but if you have the developer in Czech, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, etc., you cut the costs, which means that they don't have to force micro transactions as hard.

They might be more amenable to a different model than just selling Pucks in Deep 21, PiD 22, PiD 23. Like selling NHL PiD digital only and then having reasonably priced update/expansions every year, instead of selling a new version. Doing the things EA is too inflexible to do because they're built on an old model.

Do you want to throw out your progress every year with EA as you buy a 'new' game, or let it ride in PiD with a $25 update with all the new jerseys, leagues, and features?

Europe also has a strong history of developing for PC, so I can finally get a dang game.

That's what this has all been about.

edit 3: If you think about it, a complete reorganization of sports video games makes sense. Every console generation things such as development costs and staff size balloon, while in the 90's you could make it with a staff of around 20 people. The first link there is from NHL 14, which was last gen. The size has only increased since then.

But the mission is the same. Get a new game out every 12 months. We're about to enter a new console generation again, and you can see how this model is unsustainable. They need to squeeze you for more micro transactions at every turn.

 

[Felonious Python]

HF printer going brrr again. 500k

edit: EA went and did it. (language)

The business model is unsustainable.

 

[Major4Boarding]

It's been time for Andrew Wilson and the rest of EA Senior Management, hell the entire Board for that matter, to be shown the door for 5 years now.

 

[Felonious Python]

It's been time for Andrew Wilson and the rest of EA Senior Management, hell the entire Board for that matter, to be shown the door for 5 years now.

They're making money for the shareholders, so its probably not going to happen until the growth stops.

I looked a bit more into the 'finalist' publishers for a Chel competitor. If the NHL signs a TV deal with AT&T, then I think we're on. They own TNT and TBS which airs NBA and MLB games several times a season (we'd also likely see a return of uncensored 24/7 on HBO since they own them as well. No one cares after it went to Epix). AT-AT also own WarnerMedia, so WB Games, and buying or opening a studio in Kiev or Prague seems simple enough. The Chel team already sources support work from Eastern Europe anyway.

The issue with Disney/ESPN is that their video game deal is exclusively with EA since they don't publish themselves anymore. There might be certain exceptions, but I don't know what they'd be.

I've got thoughts on the 'games only' publishers, but negotiating a video game into a larger package is probably something the league is more comfortable with.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

@DFC

Rejoice! If you haven't seen this trailer before. Recommend. I am pretty pumped they are making this.

The Dramatic Reboot of 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Gets a Two-Season Order

 

[Felonious Python]

@DFC

Rejoice! If you haven't seen this trailer before. Recommend. I am pretty pumped they are making this.

The Dramatic Reboot of 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Gets a Two-Season Order

Will Smith likes the concept, which is probably what got it greenlit.

Completely changing genres in a reboot is pretty interesting. It'll be a hard thing to balance since there's kind of a ridiculous 'intertextuality' (for the lack of a simpler word). The drama can't ever hit too hard simply because of the source material, so Bel-Air can't take itself too seriously, but also can't come off as a parody.

edit: I'm not super familiar with the Fresh Prince mythos, but how they'd possibly work Geoffrey Butler in is interesting. He's the butler on the original show, but not included in the BEL-AIR trailer.

I don't see him as being a butler still. That seems too far-fetched, however him being personal assistant, or more formally valet, to Uncle Phil (and Aunt Viv to a lesser extent) would seem like a butler to Will.

Basically he works for Uncle Phil, not the household. Also, there can be 'valet' jokes.

Geoffrey in the original show is from England, however the original actor Joseph Marcell is from Saint Lucia and moved to the UK at age 9.

They could pull a Sulu and make the modern Geoffrey an immigrant from Saint Lucia, possibly an illegal one (potentially chafing with Republican Carlton), which would allow for exploration of storylines about being anti-illegal immigration, but still eagerly hiring them, to a Black immigrant perspective on America.

from the Fresh Prince fan wiki:

Joseph Marcell, the actor who played Geoffrey, said part of why his character's personality differed was that it was hard to find an appropriate character, as American audiences were generally unused to seeing Black Englishmen. James Avery, who played Uncle Phil, said part of his training for drama was studying in England, where he did Shakespearean plays alongside Black subjects of the United Kingdom, later remarking that he was exposed to the multiracialism of the UK. "As a boy," he admitted, "I figured Blacks only came from Africa or the US, and this was a good experience to show diversity."

I'd note that American audiences are probably much more used to Black Englishmen. Celebrities like Idris Elba and Thandie Newton are well known, and streaming has made shows from the UK widely available.

 

[DFC]

@DFC

Rejoice! If you haven't seen this trailer before. Recommend. I am pretty pumped they are making this.

The Dramatic Reboot of 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Gets a Two-Season Order

Dude... we are 6-0 since I started "making" her watch that show. Last night she was watching some murder drama show, but with the Bolts down 1-0...

I'm a believer.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Dude... we are 6-0 since I started "making" her watch that show. Last night she was watching some murder drama show, but with the Bolts down 1-0...

I'm a believer.

I am in the same boat. I haven't changed a thing since Game 2 of Boston.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[Felonious Python]

Is it available for the duration of the Stanley Cup Final? @DistantThunderRep @DFC

 

[Felonious Python]

Promposals and gender reveal parties are the activities of neo-boomers.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

yes this is what i look like

 

[Felonious Python]

Good free pickups on Epic this week.

Stick it to the Man, Football Manager 2020, & Watch Dogs 2

Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 coming next week.

 

[Felonious Python]

everyone:

HFB users:

(language)

 

[Felonious Python]

Tiny Toon Adventures: Defenders of the Universe - Wikipedia
Hmm...a Tiny Toons Adventures game from 2002 that was completed, but never released. Pretty strange also to develop a game of a kids' show 10 years after the last new episode aired. The original audience would be in their teens or young adult years by that point.
Let's see who made this...

Developer: Treasure
Publisher: Conspiracy Entertainment

...I think I'm on to something guys.

 

[Felonious Python]

The 'beat the average' tier is staying low, making the first two tiers bundle very good for the price.
Humble Better Futures Bundle (pay what you want and help charity)