Playdate
Latest
TwitchCon made me a Twitch convert
I'm going to admit this right up front: I wasn't looking forward to covering the first-ever TwitchCon. Sure, I co-host our weekly Playdate broadcasts and absolutely adore talking with our community of regulars who show up three times per week to watch us play games, but outside of that, I didn't spend time on Twitch. My worry for TwitchCon was that I'd be trapped inside Moscone West in San Francisco with thousands of screaming "personalities" -- like the guy I'd watched (for approximately 45 seconds, max) shout and swear his way through Choice Chamber, for an entire weekend. That all changed after attending a number of panels and talking with some of the biggest broadcasters on the service. This first show was one of the best events I've been to for work, period. And I recently found myself doing something I never thought: watching Twitch for fun.
Playdate: Revisiting 'Uncharted' in 'The Nathan Drake Collection'
PlayStation doesn't have an official mascot character, but if it did, developer Naughty Dog's Nathan Drake would probably fit the bill. Much like Microsoft did last year with Halo: The Master Chief Collection to get fans ready for Halo 5: Guardians on Xbox One, Sony's gone back and revamped the three main Uncharted games and put them into Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection to prep folks for next spring's Uncharted 4: A Thief's End on PlayStation 4. How do the eight, six and four year old games hold up? And was the remastering really necessary? Tune in on this post, Twitch.tv/joystiq (if you'd like to join us in chat) or the Engadget Gaming homepage at 6pm Eastern / 3pm Pacific as myself and Sean Buckley find out.
Playdate: Waging war in the 'Star Wars: Battlefront' beta
The wait is almost over, Star Wars fans: a new Battlefront is almost upon us. On Thursday, EA will open the Star Wars: Battlefront beta to all players, giving the gaming community it's first mainstream taste of online competitive multiplayer Star Wars since 2005. Can't wait? Tune in to Engadget Playdate at 6PM ET (3PM PT) on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the Engadget gaming homepage and right here -- Tim Seppala and I made a deal with Jabba the Hutt and nabbed a few PC and PS4 beta codes early. Play your cards right (by answering stupid questions in our chat) and one could soon be yours.
Playdate: An introverted journey with 'The Beginner's Guide'
Everybody needs a creative outlet -- a valve, if you will, to relieve the pressure of modern humanity. What if your outlet was creating video games? And what if a friend of yours compiled the games you made during a specific personal crisis, and distributed them to the world to digest? If they did, you'd have The Beginner's Guide, Davey Wrenden's weird, introverted interactive narrative experience. Join me, Tim Seppala and the disembodied voice of Wrenden himself at 6PM ET (3PM PT)on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the Engadget gaming homepage and right here in this post as we explore the mind of a game developer "struggling to deal with something they do not understand." Fair warning, though: this one is gonna get a little weird.
Playdate: Grinding through 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5'
The reviews are in and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is... not looking good. When I played the game in Chicago earlier this year, it was fine. There were a few glitches here and there, sure, but it was an early version of the game and that's to be expected. The game crashed a few times, but it wasn't anything like I've seen in various videos that've surfaced online this week. It's a sad state of affairs that games are releasing this buggy and possibly broken even two years into the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One's lifecycle. There is light at the end of this tunnel though: You can save yourself some grief by watching Sean Buckley and myself broadcast the game this afternoon instead of buying it for yourself. What's more, we have four skateboard decks signed by Tony Hawk himself to giveaway! Join us for both starting at 6pm ET / 3pm PT. Winners: Congratulations to Sam G. of Brooklyn, NY, Jonny R of Gastonia, NC, Hongbo S. of Los Angeles, CA. and Vincent L. of Austin, TX!
Playdate: We take on the Empire in 'Disney Infinity 3.0'
It is a period of civil war. Sean and Tim, two video game streamers from the Engadget Alliance, have begun their first battle against the Galactic Empire. Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, the pair enlists the help of Disney Interactive's John Vignocchi to guide them through the wastes of Tatoonie, Hoth and Endor. Together, they'll stream Disney Infinity 3.0's Rise Against The Empire Playset on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the Engadget Gaming homepage and in this post. Join them today at 6PM ET (3PM PT) and help the trio restore freedom to the galaxy...
Playdate: Racing into action with 'Skylanders Superchargers'
If you have an undying love of weird monsters, action-adventure video games, expensive collectible toys and wacky vehicles, you've come to the right place: Tim Seppala and I are about to play Skylanders Superchargers. That's right, the franchise that kicked off the toys-to-life trend is now in its 5th generation, enticing veteran players to dust off their figure collections for an all new gimmick -- planes, boats and automobiles. As for us? This is our first Skylanders game, ever. Come join us at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT to find out if it's a good starting point for new players. As always, you can watch our broadcast on this very post, the Engadget Gaming homepage or, if you want to chat along with us, head over to Twitch.tv/joystiq. While you're there, hit the heart button below the streaming window to give us a follow.
Playdate: taking on The Taken King in 'Destiny'
We're officially in "year two" of Bungie's connected shooter Destiny and what better way to celebrate than by streaming its first big expansion pack, "The Taken King" ? Both Sean Buckley and myself are lapsed Destiny players who've largely stepped away from the game in pursuit of other, not-grindy experiences. But Bungie's been touting the changes it's made as being more welcoming to new folks and those who've been overwhelmed by what it took to get the best gear and weapons previously. So join us at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT for two hours of hot new Guardian action as we discover how accurate the developer's claims are. As always, you can check out the broadcast right here on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage, and, if you want to join us in chat, head over to Twitch.tv/joystiq.
Playdate: We're getting weird with 'Metal Gear Solid V'
I have no idea what's going on with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain's story. That has a lot to do with my only experience with the series resting squarely on playing half of Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance on Xbox and nothing else. I never had an original PlayStation (Playdate regulars know that I have a history of owning the wrong console) so I didn't fawn over Metal Gear Solid and traipsing around the game's Alaskan military base the way everyone else in the late '90s did. Hell, if it weren't for our Twitch regular Chris "lXDUKEXl" Duquette's suggestion the other week, Sean Buckley and myself wouldn't even be broadcasting ousted auteur Hideo Kojima's latest for two hours today starting at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT.
Wanted: your custom 'Super Mario Maker' levels
Something happened when we were broadcasting the Wii U's Super Mario Maker on Playdate last week. Sean Buckley and myself (and almost assuredly someone from Twitch chat) thought it'd be a great idea to play through levels that the community made, live on the internet. And guess what? That's absolutely what we want to do, but we'll need your help. For a future stream we'd love to do nothing but play custom levels created exclusively by our loyal Playdate viewers. All you need to do is take the ID code for your masterpiece and drop it in an email to EngadgetPlaydate@gmail.com. It's easy! We're playing pretty loose with the rules too. You can send us a couple of your favorites (but fewer than 30) if you're having a tough time narrowing it down to just one, and all that we ask if you not have anything lewd contained therein.
Playdate: Running wild in 'The Deer God' and 'Castle Crashers'
Fun fact: If you do a Bing voice-search on Xbox One for The Deer God, instead of coming back with the option to download the indie sidescroller you'll see results for the 1996 Greg Kinnear flick Dear God, an Avenged Sevenfold album with a song named "Dear God" on it and absolutely zero games named The Deer God. Actually finding the absolutely gorgeous venison-focused title takes a lot more work, which is strange considering that it's one of this month's free downloads as part of Xbox's Games with Gold promotion. No matter! We did the digging for you and are going to play the game live on Twitch (along with Castle Crashers Remastered) starting at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT.
Playdate: Building the Mushroom Kingdom in 'Super Mario Maker'
A lot of games are about wish fulfilment, but what if your dream is to make Nintendo games? Well, now there's a game for that, too: Super Mario Maker -- a video game creation suite that's exactly what it sounds like. Nintendo's been hyping this game for over a year, and it hits shelves today. How is it? We're about to find out. Join me and Tim Seppala for an ad hoc remodelling of the Mushroom Kingdom, starting at 6PM ET (3PM PT) on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, on the Engadget gaming homepage or right here in this post.
Playdate: Chatting with the developers of 'Tearaway Unfolded'
Want a game with adorable stylized visuals and quirky gameplay mechanics that defy convention? Play Tearaway. Oh, you don't have a PlayStation Vita? Okay fine -- let us introduce you to Tearaway Unfolded, the high definition PS4 remake of Media Molecule's papercraft platformer. Not only will Tim Seppala and I will be streaming this stylized beauty at 3:30PM ET (12:30PM PT) right here, on the Engadget gaming homepage and at Twitch.tv/Joystiq, but we'll be doing it with Media Molocule's Rex Crowle. Join us, as we ask the developer how they folded this Vita game into a PS4 masterpiece.
Playdate: We're going the distance in 'Forza Motorsport 6'
We're going for speed. We're (not) all alone in a time of need. All '90s song references aside, today we're going to race through two hours of the latest entry in Microsoft's racing simulation, Forza Motorsport 6. What's that mean for you? Well, you'll be able to watch me careen around race tracks, cause massive amounts of vehicular carnage and generally turn my Drivatar into everyone's worst nightmare. If that sounds like your type of party, come back here at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT to witness the glory (Tim's feeble racing skills) and the hilarity (Sean Buckley's amazement at said driving skills).
Playdate: Trying out 'Super Time Force Ultra' and 'Grow Home'
Here's a tough choice: would you rather play a game about a gardening robot that experiments with new methods of character animation, or a ridiculous time-travel action game that throws paradoxical caution to the wind? Lucky you -- you don't have to decide at all. On today's Engadget Playdate, we're playing both: Ubisoft's procedurally animated Grow Home and absurdly silly Super Time Force Ultra. Both are new to PlayStation 4 owners this month and free for subscribers of PS Plus. Are they worth the monthly dues? Join me and Tim Seppala at 6PM ET (3PM PT) right here, on the Engadget gaming homepage or at Twitch.tv/Joystiq to find out.
Playdate: Going back to school with 'No Pineapple Left Behind'
Back to school. Those three words can strike fear in even the hardiest of kids. We're celebrating the beginning of the semester a little differently, because, well, that's what we do on Playdate. Rather than spend the afternoon quoting Billy Madison, we're going to be playing through No PIneapple Left Behind, a game that skewers the politics of the American education system. And who better to talk about it than Seth Alter, the former teacher who developed the game? No one, that's who. So join us here at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT as Sean Buckley and myself walk through these pineapple-filled halls for two hours on Twitch. You can tune in here on this post, Twitch.tv/joystiq or even the Engadget Gaming homepage. And no, there's no need to bring an apple for us -- just being a good sport in chat is reward enough.
Playdate: Exploring a galaxy far, far away in 'Disney Infinity 3.0'
If you wondered what would become of Lucasfilm after 'ol George sold the firm back in 2012, you're looking at it: Disney Infinity 3.0. Yes, that game -- the best possible example of just how many of the franchises you know and love belong to Mickey Mouse. The game series started small, with just Disney itself and Pixar, the next version tacked on Marvel Super Heroes. The latest version of the game a cavalcade of everything: Star Wars, the Avengers, Tron, Frozen and more. As a fans of all those things, Tim Seppala and I just have to take a look. Join us at 6PM ET (3PM PT) on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the Engadget Gaming homepage or right here in this post. It's going to be a magical adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
Playdate: Taking stock of 'Gears of War: Ultimate Edition'
Gears of War practically defined the Xbox 360. And as is the recent trend, it's getting a fancy schmancy remaster that runs at 1080p and 60 frames per second. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is the first project from the new Gears studio, The Coalition, and it worked as a sort of training exercise for the team to learn what the series means before shipping Gears of War 4. So what's that mean for you and me? Well, that today starting at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT we're going to broadcast two hours of Ultimate Edition on Twitch. Perhaps best of all, we've got a special surprise for you: Microsoft has given us a custom white Xbox One adorned with Gears of War graphics. Want in? All you have to do is enter below during the broadcast. Giveaway winner: congratulations to Jesse L. of Toronto ONT.
Playdate: Walking blindly into 'Everybody's Gone to the Rapture'
Welcome back to Playdate, where Engadget runs through the latest games while broadcasting them live on Twitch. If you're feeling a bit of déjà vu that's entirely natural; you have been here before. Whereas JXE Streams was our awkwardly named show while we figured out what was going to happen with streaming moving forward, well, we've figured out what we're doing with streaming moving forward. Mostly. Hence us going back to the moniker we started with last year. Think of this as a vote of confidence from us that we're moving toward consistency and normalcy for our broadcasts. It's a good thing!
Playdate: We're livestreaming the 'Halo 5: Guardians' beta! [update: game over!]
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is more than just a collection of the green supersoldier's greatest hits -- it's also an early access pass to the next game in the franchise, Halo 5: Guardians. How early? Well, the game isn't expected until fall 2015, so pretty freakin' early is the answer. Right now -- today -- you can get into Halo 5's multiplayer beta months ahead of the game's completion. In that spirit, we're streaming a few hours of the game in action while taking questions live! Join us at 1PM ET today for Halo 5: Guardians, multiplayer, in beta. Update: We're done for now, but the archived video is available just below the break!
