• Opening Introduction

• Welcome to Aksys Nation podcast number #20
  • Aaron
  • Harry
  • Gail

• Aksys News

• Record of Agarest War
  • Available on PlayStation Network – Nov 09
  • Sausage Teaser
  • Japanese voices and re-edited here by our localization team
• BlazBlue Stuff
  • Standard Edition is out. If you haven’t picked it up, you better.
  • Saw an interview on MyGamer and wanted to clarify something that was said…
  • Request for feedback from the gamers… Casuals and hardcore. Let us know what you want to see next in the series! podcast (at) aksysgames (dot) com
• Bit.Trip Series
  • What do you think about the series so far?
• Hero’s Saga Laevatein Tactics
  • 9/29
  • Artbook Pre-order for GameStop

• Mailbag

• If you have any feedback on any of our upcoming games email us podcast (at) aksysgames (dot) com

• Contests, Events, and Reminders

• Battle the Aksys Crew in BB and win a 6B shirt
  • We’ll be taking 10 entries on XBL and PSN
  • Email us at podcast (at) aksysgames (dot) com with the subject heading of BB Tshirt Contest (XBL or PSN) along with your Gamertag or PSN ID
  • We’ll choose the entries at random.
  • You’ll be battling Mikey, Mike, Harry and Gail. If you can take 2 matches from us, you win a shirt.
  • Wednesday, August 19th at 7PM
• PAX Sept 4 – 6
  • If any of you Street Teamers are planning on going, let us know, because Harry could use some help up there.
• Battle Fantasia Name that Trophy Contest
  • The contest deadline is 8/13. So if you want to be immortalized in Battle Fantasia, get your entries in soon.

• Street Team

• Thanks to everyone who took part in Street Team Mission number #3
• Street Team Mission #4
• streetteam (at) aksysgames (dot) com

Did…did we launch a game? I can barely remember a thing… I’m pretty sure it was called “BlazBlue”, or…something like that. But man was it pretty–I’m talking damn fine. Then we started doing Distortion Drives, and there was this guy making T-Rex noises, and then after that…after that I don’t remember a thing.

I’m about 90% sure this isn’t my house or my bed, and I don’t have the first idea where this podcast came from but, uh, I gotta split, so I’m gonna give it to you, alright? It smells okay, so I think it’s still good.

Anyway, enjoy the excellent comments from us and our guests, Pulsar (Matt), RazorBurn (Chris), and Shuh (sorry James, I have no idea what  you said right there). It’s all BlazBlue, all the time, in this edition of the Aksys Nation Podcast!

Who all is here today?

• Aaron
• Gail
• Harry
• Mike
• Ben

Aksys News

• GGXXACP
  • PS2 and PSP version are out
  • Wii version will be out on 5/12
  • If you bought the PSP version, send us a portion of the manual that is shown in the picture above (Table of Contents page in case some of you have a hard time finding it). Send that portion to us with $1 dollar (shipping cost) and we’ll send you that soundtrack.
• Bit.Trip Beat
  • We’ll be unveiling the next game in the series very soon!
• Jake Hunter Detective Story
  • What Ben does.
  • 5/26
  • Email ben(at)aksysgames(dot)com if you want some info on Jake.
• 10 Questions with Unicron!
• Rockin’ Pretty
  • Jared drops by!
  • 6/23
• Anime Expo 2009
  • Daisuke Ishiwatari
  • Mori Toshimichi
  • New section of the podcast: Just the tip.
  • If you want to help us out for AX, send us an email at podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

Mailbag

• Nobafan says “I saw the plush you have been asking us if we’d buy and it looks pretty funny. Anyway I was wondering if there were any more Astral Finish sneak peeks coming for say Taokaka or Carl Clover(Cause we all know his must be the best since he is so hard to win with). Also what do you think Jake Hunter, if he was real, beat Bit Trip beat in a single sitting?”
• The Pretender says “Hey guys, any chance you could bring one of the BlazBlue launch party events over here to the East Coast? I know Gail and Harry saw how hardcore BEAST COAST players can be, and we’d love to get the same love those Cali guys are getting.”
  • If you fly us out, we’ll give you one!
  • Questions or comments? podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

Contest Winner

• The contest was to make a story using the following words. Best one wins. Here are the words:
• Commander Video, Harry, Noba, Gail, Aaron, Bo, Mary and Chris (Must be used together exactly like this), Apophenia, Slattern, Vainglorious
• Our winner is Vaughn and will receive a copy of Guilty Gear XX ACP for the PS2.

Street Team

• So we got our patches in so if you took part in the post Commander Video’s face and take a picture mission you should be getting yours in the mail soon. Hey people once you do get them put it on a shirt or something, rock it in public and take a picture of it!
• Here’s our next BlazBlue themed mission for current Street Teamers and people interested in joining the Street Team: (we’re working on it)
• For current Street Teamers, don’t worry we’re keeping track of your accomplishments which will translate into some sort of rank or achievement points on the site. Also, we’re still working on a way for you guys to contribute to the website.
• streetteam(at)aksysgames(dot)com

Opening Introduction

• Welcome to Aksys Nation podcast number #16
  • Aaron
  • Harry
  • Gail
• Brought to you by…

Random News

• GDC
  • Onlive
• BlazBlue x Triumvir collaboration
• Bit.Trip Beat was released last week on Wii Shop Channel
• GGACP PS2 and PSP
  • Will be released on April 7
• Jake Hunter Detective Story
  • Releasing May 26

Mailbag

• Yusuke
• Vaughan
• Remember to rate us on iTunes and send us feedback at podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com

Contests & Reminders

• Contest Contest Writing Contest
  • Write a story where you MUST use all of a list of words.
• Here are the words:
  • Commander Video
  • Harry
  • Noba
  • Gail
  • Aaron
  • Bo
  • Mary and Chris (Must be used together exactly like this)
  • Apophenia
  • Slattern
  • Vainglorious
• So there’s the contest… We’ll give you until the next podcast to submit your entry.
• The winner will receive a copy of Guilty Gear XX ACP for the PS2 or PSP. The winner gets to choose.

Street Team

• 1st mission for the Street Team is still ongoing, so if you want to get the first Street Team patch you gotta do either the Post Commander Videos picture in 5 places or come to the Pretty in Stereo concert tomorrow @ 8PM
  • Gallagher’s Pub & Grill
  • 300 Pacific Coast Hwy #113
  • Huntington Beach, CA
  • 21 & Over
• Unfortunately, I won’t have the patches on me, but I’ll give BlazBlue bags to the first 5 people who can find me. Gail will be wearing his Harley Quinn “Mad Love” T-shirt. Aaron will be wearing a bright green “Frog King” shirt.
• Entries go to streetteam(at)aksysgames(dot)com

We’ve got some special announcements for all the people of the Aksys Nation. Firstly, the Character Designer for Battle Fantasia, Ms. Emiko Iwasaki, graces us with some answers to some interesting questions. Also, we announce the winner of the “Most Awesome Word” contest, as well as announce a new contest, one that we surely won’t regret, and I came up with a new censoring scheme. Plus, Aksys wants YOU on the Street Team! Find out how to join by listening to this podcast.

Welcome to Aksys Nation Podcast #15

• Gail
• Harry
• Bo
• Noba
• Aaron

News

• BB console has been announced! Are you excited? We are.
• Bit.Trip Beat released on Wii Shop Channel!
• Interview with Emiko Iwasaki, Character Designer for Battle Fantasia

Mailbag

• Nobafan 87
• Jason
• Terranrox
• The Pretender

Contests and Reminders

• In Podcast #13: Win a Podcast Edition we had a contest for who could come up with the coolest word and we’ve narrowed it down to the following:
  • Apophenia – Seeing patterns where there are none
  • Slattern – Whore
  • Vainglorious – Boastful
  • Slattern is the winner, and that gets someone a BlazBlue poster!
• “A writing contest is also nice where the subscribers could write a creative story using the aksys crew as characters while using a list of words they MUST use.”
• Thanks for this interesting contest Terranrox! You win a Calamity Pack! Here are the words everyone MUST use:
  • Commander Video
  • Harry
  • Noba
  • Gail
  • Aaron
  • Bo
  • Mary and Chris (Must be used together exactly like this)
  • Apophenia
  • Slattern
  • Vainglorious
• You get until the podcast after next to submit your entry, so get on that! Send entries to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com with the subject line “Aksys Author Contest.”

Street Team

• 1st mission for the Street Team: We give you a picture of Commander Video. You go and leave it somewhere in the world and take a photo of it. Send it to us and you get access to the Street Team. Once you’ve emailed us proof that you have completed the mission you’ll be given special access to the Street Team section of the website where you can blog your mission results and share your pictures with other street teamers.
• Must be 18 or older to enter. If you’re about to turn 18, don’t worry, this mission will be ongoing and there will be other opportunities.
• Send all applications to streetteam(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

Closing Comments & Thank Yous

• Special note from Aaron: If you want to friend me on Steam or something and would like to play sometime, I’m all down for that, but please tell me who you are or else I’ll most likely ignore you. Even if it’s a message saying “Hey, I’m a fan of Aksys/the podcast, let’s play sometime”, that’s fine. There’s plenty of Aaron to go around.
• Don’t forget to send questions/comments to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com and review us on iTunes!

THE definitive BlazBlue podcast. In this episode we talk about the hype of the BlazBlue console announcement and give you background info on some of those interviews, some other tidbits about making the game, as well as additions to the console version (including details of online play). There’s also, a little mailbag action for all of you. Maybe some street team people on the podcast? Listen in for some other ways to get goodies.

CONTESTS (be sure to write the contest you are submitting for in the subject of your email):

-Most Awesome Word: Send the most awesome word you can think of to unicron(at)aksysgames(dot)com. One word can get you a BlazBlue poster.

-The Contest Contest: Come up with the greatest idea for a Aksys Games Contest and send it to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com. If you win, we’ll use that contest as a contest AND send you something awesome. You know we’re good for it.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for the street team–>streetteam(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

Well, this podcast is like a car crash… There’s a lot of noise, a lot of yelling, and by the end, no one can remember anything that just happened. Totally off-the-cuff podcast for all of you this week, as we are SUPER busy but just couldn’t bear to keep a podcast from you guys again. So, enjoy this one. Here we talk about…a lot, and we have a new contest and some new releases!  Be sure to send your entry to unicron(at)aksysgames(dot)com! Sorry, no show notes today… I’m not even going to try. Listen and find out why!

Alright, so we have a podcast this week! Many apologies for last week…never again. Here we have the breakdown of what happened at New York Comic Con, along with a little Aksys news, a bit of mailbag action, an Aksys Lunch Story, and even a bit of Noba for all of you.

Welcome to Podcast #12!

• Today we got: Aaron, Gail, Harry, and…Noba!
• Brought to you by: Noba’s Haterade. It hates on everything!
• No one knows about Spatula…and her veins of death. It could be anyone.
• WTF no podcast? Aaron failed…the ladies were waiting…he got real caught up…apparently…
• Aaron: Sorry guys!
• Next week, marketing is on a trip. So he gets a second chance…

NYCC

• Noba liked the peace and quiet…but she was really sad.
• In the office, it’s been techno music…
• OMG COLD.
• Also, NYC is dirty…Garbage bags like, everywhere. They could cover Japan.
• The cold was invading Harry.
• NYCC is pretty popular.
• Why is everything so expensive…? But, the pizza is so good…
• Although, they have variety…

BB tournament! Prizes!

• You wanna give me money for this? Dude, take it!
• People were doing things…stuff that we’ve never seen…
• Congrats to all the winners!
• We got pictures of the winners, so check those out on the Facebook page.

Day 3

• Probably the craziest day.
• Harry and Gail almost had that little girl…
• It must have been the signs…oh…the signs… Pictures up later.
• Clever marketing action.
• Thanks to the people who ran errands for Gail and Harry.
• Bathroom criticism.
• Booth babe commentary.
• Balance Fail.
• Dog Poop Ave.
• Aaron has the dog royalty.
• Han Solo was driving a cab. He would have been faster than the plane.
• The fix is in for MTV reality shows.
• Harry had his Wii stolen at the airport. JetBlue is no help.
• Noba is behind it all, probably.

Aksys News

• New Merch: BB Canvas Bag, BB Calendar, BB Folder.
• Aaron has to do his job, BRB.
• Noba runs the Facebook chat.
• Want Unicron to answer a question for you? Email him at unicron(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
• Friend us on Facebook and talk to Noba.

Mailbag: Voiced by Noba

• Javi: Thanks for the podcast! Who is ‘AksysGames’ on forums? Harry. GG HD Remix? Just a poll.
• nasa.x.nieru: Thanks for the podcast! Can you tell us the button inputs for Astral Finishers? No comment. Where is Noba? Here. Terry Bogard or Ryu? Love BB.
• Rockman: Input on BF and GG2? Stuff is coming. BB bag and artbook for sale? Yes bag, no artbook yet. More Merch? Yea! Is Bit.Trip Beat coming to Europe? Dunno.
• If you have suggestions for stuff that you want, send an email to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
• The Pretender: Thanks for coming to NYCC. Any speculation on console BB? SNES, Genesis, TurboGraphix 16. DON’T BELIEVE GAMETRAILERS, WE HAVEN’T SAID ANYTHING. Any more BB merch? Yea! When are you coming to NYCC again? Dunno.
• Bo drops by to say hi.
• Noba is free.
• Did you get enough money for hookers and blow? Ye–no.

Signing off

• Questions/comments/etc, go to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
• Review us on iTunes please…
• We give you what you want.
• Aksys Story Time! Noba and the Mystical Cuban Restaurant.
• Cash Money Cosplay WINNER: FENRIR.
• Street Team: You help us out, we hook you up. Exclusive stuff. streetteam(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
• Bo drops by again.
• Thanks for listening! Hit up Noba on Facebook.

Another edition of the Aksys Nation Podcast us upon us, this time with more stuff. We’ve get the lowdown on Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus and answer your questions. We also talk about some weird stuff about some of the people in the podcast, what women like, some new BlazBlue stuff, what we’re doing, and more info on seeing Aksys at the New York Comic Con. Also, a new contest! (mostly)

Welcome to #11!

• Seriously, this is #11.
• Hosts: Aaron, Harry, Gail.
• No Jared …he’s too busy for us…
• Brought to you by: Calpico MANgo. Juices of Aaron and his essence… Taste it…

What’s up?

• Gail and Harry are busy prepping for NYCC. More on that later.
• Aaron’s been playing things: Warhammer Online, cause there’s nothing out. Also Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead.
• Fear not, Killzone is out soon.
• Aaron hates on SF4. He likes BlazBlue instead.
• Did Aaron lose his virginity when he was 10? Or was it an STD…
• Aaron claims he got a new computer…
• Harry likes L4D…on Xbox… He’d want to get on Steam to play with Aaron but Aaron is…
• Aaron’s computer problems: Spyware Protector 2009. One of the worst threats on the internet. Watch out.
• Mcafee has failed Aaron, so he went Norton.
• Props to Alien Respawn.
• Aaron needs to stop going to porn sites. In his defense: Girls like porn and it’s got some good ideas.
• Gail is insecure because of porn.
• Aaron learns his craft from porn.

Time for real news

• UC Berkeley: a class on competitive Starcraft. No, seriously.
• Fallout 3 DLC: Just some more stuff… Not a big deal…
• Straight from NeoGaf: Vagina Trainer… A real game…no kidding.
• Can has video podcast…

Aksys news

• Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus. We’d get more people, but they’re all busy.
• Ask us questions and we’ll answer ‘em.
• New Stuff: Story mode, beefed up Survival mode, Team Battle mode, Kliff and Justice, bug fixes, etc.
• GG is in the hands of Sega.
• Soundtrack CD with 24 tracks will be included in the Wii and PS2 versions. Sorry PSP.
• New York Comic Con: Meet Gail and Harry…maybe girls…maybe?
• Somehow we started talking about sex again. Anyway…
• NYCC, Feb 6-9. Bit.Trip Beat and GGXXACP will be playable.
• Win stuff in the Bit.Trip Beat and BlazBlue tournaments. Details soon.
• Early birds who flock to our booth will get exclusive swag.
• Exclusive merchandise, discounts, etc. Drop by.

BlazBlue: V-13

• Hakumen has been released, and recently…V-13. Check both of them out at our booth at NYCC.
• If you can close the gap, she is beatable, but she’s a master of the range game.
• Give us your opinions, no matter what skill level you are.

Mailbag action

• FzX: Do all versions of the game have team mode? Yes. Do we get a special preorder bonus? All games come with a Soundtrack CD. No Wii WiFi, wtf? Here’s the long explanation…
• ShadowDarkness: Give away a BB cabinet and other rare BB items please? New contest! Find $8000, send it to us, and you get a BB cabinet for free, with arcade board and free shipping.
• Jeffx: Will Wii version of GGXXACP support Classic Controller? Yes.

Closing

• Give us feedback or send us an email at podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
• Keep your eyes peeled so you can listen to the podcast and see what our next contest is.
• Gail is the pimp, here’s why…
• Aaron helps women, no men please. aaron(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
• Anyway… Harry’s Cash Money Cosplay is coming to an end next week, so get in those submissions or drop by NYCC.
• Try to fool us and Gail will pimp slap you…what…?
• Street Team: It is getting organized, so don’t give up hope. We got your emails. streetteam(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
• We look out for our own.
• Drop by and say hi, hit on the girls…ya…
• We’re busy, but we couldn’t forget you.
• Want to hook up with Gail? gail(at)aksysgames(dot)com. He’ll take ANYONE!
• Its Aaron’s birthday and he’s getting a cake…hopefully no one will come out of it…
• Soon there will be a unicron(at)aksysgames(dot)com. Ask him some questions and get answers, or get eaten. Maybe both.
• Random: Afro Samurai came out…and RE5 demo…ya…
• Alright, that is it… Thanks for listening. Lots of things are coming out, stay posted.

See you next time!

Welcome to this lovely edition of our newest podcast! We are joined by Alex Neuse, the man and the muscle behind Bit.Trip Beat. We ask him about his company, his game, his life, as well as cover finished contests and more!

Welcome to Podcast 10 (basically)

• Brought to you by:
  • Unicron, the eater of planets. He eats so you don’t have to.
  • Aaron’s Hemorrhoid Cream: Apply directly to forehead.
• Sorry for last week, no podcast. Clearly the cat’s fault.
• Any new news?

We Now Present THE Bit.Trip Beat Podcast

• Special Guest: Alex Neuse, the man behind the Bit.Trip Beat, joins us via internet phonecall.
• Questions for Alex:
  • Give us some background on Gaijin Games.
  • How did Bit.Trip come about?
  • Was that your first game idea?
• Chris, another tester, has joined the party.
• Speaking of which, whos in the podcast?
  • Aaron, Gail, Jared, Mike, and now Chris. (Sorry)
• More questions for Alex:
  • How did Commander Video come in to being? What is his quest?
  • The viral video. Explain. Will there be more?
  • How is the game progressing?
• So Chris, is the game actually fun?
• Jared’s important question.
• Gail comes clean about his initial impressions.
• Who are these people in the game? Learn more at gaijingames.com.
• Gail is now a believer.

And Now For Something Completely Different: Random Questions

• What is your secret weapon in luring the opposite sex? Mike Roush.
• What is your current desktop picture? Commander Video.
• What were your top 3 games that were released last year and that you played? Fallout 3…times 3.
• When I say ‘banana’ what do you think of? Mike Roush.
• Where were you last night? Mike Roush.
• Last alcoholic beverage you consumed? Some fancy red wine.
• A word you say a lot. Nurggit.
• Favorite Movie: Brazil.
• Choose one food to eat for the rest of your life: Mac & Cheese.
• Talk about the difference between Japanese games and American games.
• If you could ask a psychic one question, knowing it would be a true answer, what would you ask? “When are the aliens coming?”
• Favorite Song at the moment: It’s Amazing, by Gem.
• What did you have for lunch today? Potato Chips and Humus.
• If you could change anything about your looks, would you? Only if it’s more like Mike Roush. But mostly his ears.
• Are you ready/have a plan for the impending zombie apocolypse. Run over a rotating weapon on the ground and pick it up.
• That is it for Alex. Thanks man!

Mailbag Action

• Before that, Aaron bought some $8 jam. Mighty fine…jam. Baller Jam.
• Kosmos: less random, more info.
  • Tell us the content you want us to talk about. Jared and Chris are pro at GG2, btw.
  • You’re lucky we have an outline.
  • But if you’d like more random action, let us know!
• Monochrome Red: I’m gay for Aksys. Aksys: Super…
• Terran: I look forward to every podcast. Give us more info on GG/BB/etc. I want to see what you all look like.
  • Video podcast would be cool, but we need to get a little better at audio first…
  • Noba is holding the bag in the canvas bag picture because she’s more accessible… (?)
• Give us feedback/comments. podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
  • Cash Money Cosplay till NYCC. Cosplay as any Aksys character, take a photo, give it to us for a chance to win $100.
  • Street Team…it’s coming.
  • Where we will be: New York Comic Con, Anime Expo, Wizard World , San Diego Comic Con. If you want to help us out, email us at streetteam(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
  • First Review on iTunes contest: Matty125! Enjoy your calendar!
  • BB Calendar Comment Contest: St1ckBug! We’ll say your comment! Enjoy your calendar!

Contests!

Bye Bye!

Aksys Nation!  Welcome to the New Year.  We take a very brief look back at our favorite games of 2008.  Also, we wish good luck to our friends in the video game journalist community, as well as give some info on yet another contest, what we’re playing, and more!

Welcome to Podcast #9!

• Sponsored by: Noba’s Mabu Tofu. Mom-slapping good time (what????)
• Today’s Hosts: Aaron, Jared, Harry, and Gail.

Welcome to the New Year!

• Party animals, everywhere…no one did anything.
• Aaron had to pick up his brother from a rave…

End of the Year Re-cap

• Top 3 games of 2008?
• Aaron: Dead Space, Metal Gear Solid 4, Gears of War 2
• Harry: Dead Space, Street Fighter 4, MGS4
• Gail: Fallout 3, Crysis: Warhead, Left 4 Dead
• Jared: Left 4 Dead, WoW: Wrath of the Lich King, Little Big Planet
• Ben: Fallout 3, Fable 2…
• Bo: Persona 4, Eternal Poison, Tales of Vesperia
• Mike: Blazblue, SF2:HD Remix
• Mikey:Blazblue, WoW
• Steam Nicknames:
• Jared: Daft7
• Harry: BizNatchHL2
• Gail: Kanedags
• Aaron: Pee in my Hair (Sir Chuckswiss)
• Send Jared a message before friending him.
• Why was Wrath of the Lich King so good? Makes you feel like you made a difference. Instances within instances.
• Everquest 2 Tried that…
• Aaron is trying to cut down on swearing at work.
• We love you, Free Radical.

Holiday Gifts

• Jewbacca?
• Jared: Anniversary 4 disc collection for Mystery Science Theatre 3000
• Aaron: A new phone…a few months ago…
• We do what we want.
• Harry: Motor Storm 2 (thanks Santa), clothes, Watchmen, Arcadia Art Book.
• Gail: Xbox Underwear in a tin. (Love from his wife)
• Harry wants a hole for your behind.
• Aaron wants more girls in the podcast.
• Ben = Unicron
• People who owe Gail money…
• Asuka and Noba don’t want to share.
• Testers would talk, but they’re too busy testing…things…

What to do With Games You Don’t Play Anymore.

• Sell, Trade, Keep?
• Jared: all about the trade…but he wants some games back now…
• Aaron: only buys games he keeps.
• You may want to keep the game, but when it’s a couple hundred bucks…
• Harry swaps with buddies, but it doesn’t work with multiplayer games.

Bad News in the Gaming World

• IGN–I mean EGM–and 1up went under (mostly).
• Don’t know why…1up seemed to be pretty good…
• Hardcore Gamer, the magazine, is now up for sale on eBay.
• Ahh…the days of EGM, GMR…Good luck to you guys.

New Games to Announce

• Nothing. But something is coming…

Mailbag Time

• Mike, we choose you!
• We got a post asking about shmups…what are the chances of us bringing more shmups to America?
• Shooting games just aren’t all that popular these days. Niche market. Better as a download.
• No language barrier, so if you’re going to buy the shooter, you’ll probably have the Japanese version of the game anyway.

Aksys Nation Signing Off

• Comment, Email, all that.
• No stupid questions. Probably.
• podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
• Review us on iTunes. Say anything.
• CONTEST: FIRST REVIEW ON ITUNES GETS A BB CALENDAR. AND MAKE IT GOOD AND CONSTRUCTIVE. SERIOUSLY.
• Aksys Games: Passing our debt on to our listeners.
• Cash Money Cosplay: Cosplay as someone from our games, send it in or post it in the comments page, and you could win $100.
• Ridiculous account names.
• Alex Belisarius (Ben), just watches Netflix, specifically Murder She Wrote.
• Street Team – work for us and we’ll get you free stuff (most likely).
• Let us know if your around, and you can help us out. podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget the BlazBlue regional tournament at New York Comic Con!

Welcome to Podcast Number 8!

• Brought to you by a ton of random crap made up by Harry.
• We STILL can’t talk about anything.
• Also, this is the last podcast for the year.

How did we get into fighting games?

• Gail: Street Fighter…1! But Street Fighter 2 brought the real obsession. Skipped school(?)
• Mike: SF2 and shady arcades…also…ditching class.
• Harry: SF2. Traveled the world (town) for SF2 challenges. He MIGHT have had a girlfriend.
• SF2 is serious business.
• For Harry, SF2 on SNES = Boner.
• Mail us your stories at podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

WoW phenomenon = SF phenomenon?

• Gail: It’s all about hardcore. The kinds of things it makes people do.
• Aaron: Not really, you’re moving and getting out there. WoW…not so much.
• Aaron makes female avatars. And solicits cybersex.
• SF is a more manly game.
• WoW = girls? Sex during WoW? Has Jared done the nasty while playing? Who knows, but Ben now has to think about it.
• WoW does not equal sex… Harry thinks otherwise.
• Thank goodness for new disclaimers.

More on fighting game origins

• Meet Mikey: Main translator and contact for BlazBlue. Saw it, couldn’t get enough of it. BlazBlue is his first fighting game.
• Jared: Skipped class to play Soul Calibur 2 and dominate it. He put someone through college.
• Harry: It’s an addiction. Ben is happy to have Harry admit his problem.
• Harry loves him some competition.
• Jared likes the friendship.
• Aaron would much rather twink out.

FPS vs. Fighting

• If you don’t jump into a game, it seems like you lose out to people who have played since day 1.
• Which has more skill?
• Aaron: You can’t make that comparison, they are two different genres.
• Harry: You can, actually.
• ENTER BEN: Skill is a vague term. Different games take different skills.
• Harry: Fighting games have less luck.
• Aaron: I don’t think so.
• Jared: It’s like talking about Boxing vs. Wrestling. Moot point.
• Aaron wants to get technical. Jared just wanted to use a metaphor.
• Tell us what you think at podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

More on the economy

• Games aren’t recession proof.
• People are laying off staff and closing doors.
• It’s not all bad, but it’s bad.
• Little Big Planet: Big hype, low sales.
• Its still a great game but…it may be “too” big.
• Harry doesn’t exactly know what the purpose of the game is.
• Ben does: get blazed and build dicks.
• Harry wants purpose.
• Jared: BoomBlox also doesn’t have a point, and it didn’t do very well either.
• Aaron: People want to DO something, maybe not something they can do in real life.
• Harry: The design might be too kiddy.
• Jared: It’s all about building stuff out of nothing. Like forts.
• Making levels is work…
• Multiplayer is king.
• Aaron: Do we think of it like work since…this is work for us?
• Sackboy is pretty cool, but are the developers out of touch?
• Another poor game: Valkyria Chronicles. Great reviews, bad sell-through.
• Aaron is holding out for FF XIII. Aaron is a man, he cries for games.
• Back on topic: Valkyria Chronicles had bad timing. Might have cornered only a small part of the market.
• Where is the middle-tier market?
• Is the anime industry taking a hit?
• Now you can get any kind of anime on demand.
• The time for middle-tier? Mid-year.
• Have users moved on?
• Cell-shading is…not the best.
• Are we all graphics whores now?
• Aaron saw Seven Pounds, he also cried at that.
• So, Rise of the Argonauts. NICE? Not so much…
• Jared’s question: Does putting Rygar on the Wii sound good? Well…maybe not…
• Aaron uses complex gestures that you can’t see.

Aksys News

• Street Team: Help us help you.
• We’re going to New York Comic Con.
• If you want to help us out, email us at streetteam(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
• We’ll get a website too, so it’ll be cool. Exclusive news, updates, videos…PODCAST OUTTAKES.
• Sign up and get some stuff.

Mailbag

• First up: Dementia.
• We can’t speak. Or read good.
• Wiis are for Noobs, apparently. Nintendo would have to bring the hardware, otherwise.
• But this is a huge and, until recently, untapped, market.
• Has Nintendo abandoned hardcore gamers?
• Was the Gamecube a placeholder?
• Is the Wii a gateway to creating more hardcore gamers?
• Wii lets people do general things. Harry thinks more hardcore games have too much skill for girls. We aren’t responsible for what happens to him.
• Mike is back to chime in: We started on the old stuff.
• When we saw the next thing, we always moved on.
• Some people swing the Wii Remote. Gail waggles.
• Mike: People who play Guitar Hero or Rock Band should just learn to play a guitar. Ben: Nuh-uh!
• The more popular games allow you to do things you can’t do in real life.
• How many girls would you Hadouken?
• Next up: Shincouger. He wants to hear from Nova(Noba).
• Noba says hi to Shin.
• We hope we made your day.
• GG compilation disc? We’ll talk to ‘em and get back to you.
• Sakura Wars or Melty Blood?
• Bo is here: Nippon Ichi says they are making some games, but…Sakura Taisen 5 is coming here.
• Also, Battle Fantasia is better than 3rd Strike.
• Mike would love to see Melty Blood.
• Gail, handle it.
• Will there be a real GG game on DS?
• Send your questions and comments to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

Contest and other announcements

• Harry’s Cash Money Contest. Send your submissions to our email or post it somewhere on the website.
• No one reads Noba’s emails.
• We will give you guys some tracks from the Battle Fantasia Soundtrack, which should be online now.

Happy Holidays from Aksys Games and don’t forget to rate us on iTunes!

Introduction

• Your host this week…Aaron. Everyone knows him, even if they don’t love him.

We’re not sick

• Well, Jared is. Merry Christmas.

What’s new?

• New Flash Header on the website. Now with buttons.
• We’ve been working on ?????
• Aaron has been playing Prince of Persia. Jared doesn’t like it.
• Jared doesn’t like that you can’t die. It’s too easy.
• It eliminates skill, and there’re no puzzles, unlike Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.
• Aaron thinks that all recent Ubisoft games are part of something larger than him.
• Enough about other people’s games.

The fall of printed media

• It’s going out of style.
• Aaron gets free subscriptions for some reason… So does Harry.
• You can get up to date info on the internet…why get printed media? Quality bathroom reading.
• Print media relies on ads, but they don’t get them since the internet or TV has replaced that. People just don’t like them as much anymore.
• The Spanish version of EGM has tanked. Harry isn’t traveled enough to know.
• Even big newspapers are being hit hard.
• Roger Ebert is even talking about it.
• Gail feels that people like tabloids more than a good story.
• But we can get news, and get it right now.
• Harry wants to band together with other publishers to put an end to online.
• Jared has an idea: More story, more opinion.
• Harry wishes everyone luck.

Trouble in the game industry

• People are closing shop. It sucks.
• EA is doing layoffs. If we laid anyone off….
• Games are still doing well, just not as well.
• Jared didn’t like the new Call of Duty.
• Smaller companies are getting the boot while bigger companies are taking over.

The Game Debate

• Aaron – 3 classes of games: low class for low money, middle class for some money, and super awesome for tons of cash.
• Gail: ya, and then there was Hooked: Real Motion Fishing.
• Jared with the rebuttal.
• Surprise guest: Ben! Time for some more action. Case in point: Legendary.
• Big Budget Games = Big Budget Movies.
• Money does not always equal success.
• Valve takes forever to make things, but they’re wildly successful.
• Aaron wants to clarify.
• Jared: Artistic mediums are different than other industries.

Give Ben some Game Fuel!

• If you’re prepared for the zombie apocalypse, please give some to Ben since he needs it.
• All Aaron needs is a shotgun. Jared disagrees.
• Email us and tell us what you think: podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

PS3 Y/N

• Aaron: PS3 sucks and here is why.
• Jared: STFU and here is why.
• Gail: You won’t get the PS3 to be the PS2.
• Harry: Wii is on another level.
• Jared fights for the PS3. And thinks Metroid Prime 3 sucked.
• At what cost?
• Even Nintendo knows that you can’t release a big name Nintendo game at the same time as a different big game (Wii Music and Gears of War 2).
• PS3 is an investment, but when does it pay off?
• Xbox may be cheaper but it doesn’t come with a HDD. Ben: That won’t matter.
• Why do people by the PS3?
• Aaron: people buy the PS3 for gaming! Jared: You’re ridiculous!
• PS3 vs. 360. You decide. If you could only buy one…
• Yes, but what about cost?
• Gail: for some reason, things just look better on the 360.
• If you want better-looking games, buy the PC version.
• What about the Blu-Ray player? Are DVDs going out of style?
• Jared prepares to school Aaron on the Entertainment Market.
• But, how long?
• COUNTERARGUMENT TIME
• DVD vs. Blu-Ray

Playstation HOME

• No free stuff. You must pay for everything.
• Only thing at the movies: Twilight trailer…
• Gail claims he saw Indiana Jones.
• We’re disappointed.
• Also, if you want to play a virtual game, you have to wait in virtual line.
• And then there’s the ol’ “A/S/L?”
• Except for people like Aaron who make female avatars.
• HOME = Sims.
• So, HOME avatars, NXE avatars, or Miis?

Mailbag Time

• A Battle Fantasia Question. Special guest: Bo. Impressions.
• Bo likes it. Harry likes it. Send more questions to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.
• Eric wants to know some things about BlazBlue.
• Problems with the A button? Sounds like something wrong with the cabinet or something. Something like that…
• Invincible frames for Noel? Definitely.
• Tager impressions.
• Someone playing as Carl is pretty impressive…
• Send inquiries to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

Harry’s Cash Money Cosplay Contest

• Till February, dress as any Aksys character and win Harry’s $$.
• Send all entries to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com. Title it with “Cash Money Contest”. Put it anywhere.

Thanks for listening!
Please rate us on iTunes and send any inquiries to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

It’s the week after Thanksgiving, and we’re sick as dogs, but that didn’t keep us from making a brand-new podcast for you! It’s a little shorter than usual, but we still found time to talk about Jared, discuss Black Friday and NXE, and remind everyone that there are a few BlazBlue posters left. So take a listen. I promise you won’t get whatever it is we’ve got.

Intro

• Hope you had a good Thanksgiving break. We just got sick.
• However, Jared is free of infection. Also, he’s a QA Tester for us.

Black Friday

• We bought things. Jared was too busy sleeping and/or playing WoW.
• Jared likes Wrath of the Lich King, but only because he can play it right now, which new players wouldn’t be able to do.
• Harry bought Transformers on BluRay. Gail has HD-DVD. Fail.
• Jared plugs RiffTrax.
• Harry capitalized on those movies, and bought something for everyone…maybe…

NXE

• Harry loves it. Gail likes the interface and avatars. Could be a little better.
• Jared likes the interface, but thinks Miis are superior because of customization. His avatar looks like a woman with his bushy hair.
• Asians look the same.
• Harry wants PlayStation HOME. A mix between The Sims and Second Life.
• Want to have a better virtual home? Spend some real money.

What We’re Playing

• Harry loves him some HD Remix. He and Gail have been playing it forever. They are old.
• It’s original; it’s automatically a good buy.
• The new ‘Dawn of the Dead’ mod for ‘Left for Dead’. Tons o’ fun. But Jared has no computer. podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com for Jared’s new processor.

LE BB Posters are GO!

• It’s big, it’s beautiful.
• Also, tell us what you think of BlazBlue Arcade.
• If you want it at your arcade, let us know and we’ll work for you!
• Want a BlazBlue Arcade board? Maybe if you ask realllllllllllllly nice. And you have money. Be serious, or Jared will come after you.

If You want a BB Board or Want Us to Talk About Something, Send an Email to podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.

• Or else.

Contests

• Send a photo of you as a BlazBlue or Guilty Gear character and you can win Harry’s money! Damn…
• Lasts till NY Comic-Con (First week of February).
• Ben might even pay you a visit…

We Have Announcements… Next week…

Thanks for listening!

Time for the second, conclusive half of last week’s show. This one talks about things like WotLK, girls in the gaming industry, and the conundrums inherent in stuff like Collector’s Editions and DLC. Download it and give a listen.

As always, show notes are behind the link. Oh! And congratulations to Joseph Burchell, our GG2 contest winner!

Wrath of the Lich King

• Jared: mild mannered Aksys Games Tester by day, WoW player by night.  Still thinking about boobs.
• Jared’s verdict: If you play, you’ll like it.  If not, then no.  Very Zen.
• Jared has a lot of characters. Over 9000.  He also likes women.

Girls in the Gaming Industry

• Noba doesn’t like it when we talk about breasts.  Harry is scared of the menstrual cycle.  Go figure.
• Harry is a walking sexual harassment suit.  But Aaron is still worse.
• PR has the most girls.  Some are producers, not many.
• Noba and Asuka don’t game as much, but sometimes it’s hard to relate.
• Noba doesn’t like RPGs, so Bo doesn’t LIKE like her.  But she still needs to beat Pokemon.

Noba’s Impressions of the Guys

• Good Idea!!….maybe…
• There was Before Harry, and now there is After Harry.
• Now that Harry is here, there’s more interaction.  Which is good, and…bad.
• Noba, Bo, and the Waterjug.  A True Aksys Story.
• Bo is harmless.  He also likes Claire.
• Aaron is just about perversion.  Word is, he likes taken girls.  He just does his thing.  Don’t hate.
• Noba doesn’t approve, but Aaron plays it cool.  No commentary on Asuka.

Cherry Vail’s ‘Conviction’

What Do You Want in a Collectors/Limited Edition Version?

• LE games: Gears of War 2 Lancer, Fallout 3 set, etc.
• What’s common for these versions?  Artbooks, CDs, In-Game Content, etc.
• More stuff = More $$$.  But sometimes it’s worth it, sometimes…not so much.
• What makes you want to shell out the $$$ for the Limited/Collector’s version?  How much will you use it?
• Bo is an art-whore.  Loves the 2D.
• Gail and Harry’s favorite?  GTA 4 Lockbox.
• Depends on what’s in there.  Unique = Good.  Who wants a 2×4 with their Theresia?
• Send us emails about what you’d like to see in our Collector/Limited Editions: podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com

Download Vs. Physical

• Bo wants physical copy.  Gail, packaged goods.
• You’ll never know what’ll happen…physical is good for backup.
• Noba likes art, so she likes the package.  Aaron prefers package 100% of the time.
• Famitsu says 87% of Japan would rather have the package.
• If you download, you got nothing to show for it.  But, download makes you watch what you buy more since you can’t return those to the store.
• Download saves us money.  Puts Aaron out of a job…maybe…
• Why does it cost the same to download if they save money?  Who knows?

Last Thoughts

• We spent a lot of time talking…
• Harry says Noba is single.  Harry is getting the hurt from Noba.
• Send us feedback/questions at podcast(at)aksysgames(dot)com.  Also, review us on iTunes.
• Contests?  Gail will pick the winner for the GG2 game and Riot Pack at the end of the podcast.
• Cosplay Contest: Send in your cosplay picture of something Guilty Gear to win a DS game of your choice and a BlazBlue poster.  Include a sign with “Aksys Games” on it to avoid cheating!  Putting Aaron on there won’t get you points…probably…
• Thanks for listening.  Aksys signing off.

CONTEST WINNER: JOSEPH BURCHELL

Time for our latest podcast! This particular show gives you a look into what it’s like to work here at Aksys, and what we all do. We also touch on some…interesting stories from the land of our friends across the Pacific. So tune in and check it out!

Show notes behind the cut.

Game News

• (We can’t announce these games)
• Family Glide Hockey

What People Actually Do For Work and How We Got There

• Bo the Producer (Editing, Coordinating Testers, Talking to Nintendo/Microsoft/Sony, etc)
• Who you know and good work ethic. Initiative!
• Gail the Director of Marketing (Started testing, editor, PR Manager, learn along the way, worked up to Marketing).
• Patience grasshopper.
• Noba the Localization Specialist (Translation. Also, she’s a girl. Got a degree specializing in Japanese and Translation. Enrolled as a Temp, and got pointed to Aksys).
• Translation isn’t easy: bridging the gap between two different cultures.
• Aaron the Logistics Coordinator (what is it you do here?)
• Indie Band Intermission: Cherry Vail – Ten Steps to Soon
• Back, Harry the Gail’s Assistant (How he got here, How he isn’t racist, just confused, and how harry makes things dysfunctional.)
• Wicked Burn from Ben
• How we select our titles

Office Excitement

• We don’t listen to Noba, even though she owns us in Tetris
• Email us if you have a title you want to see localized
• Bo, interrupts people with his eating

News

• Noba’s interesting story (Can people marry women in 2D in Japan?)
• Noba’s interesting story cont… (How do you even touch your 2D girl?)
• Dating is a hassle
• We demand breasts, HIGH FIVE!
• To be Continued…

1. What is the reason for moving away from the okizeme-heavy playing style of most modern games? It seems most attacks don’t knockdown, or if they do they can be teched. What is the goal of this approach?
2. Did any character especially grow on the team during the development process?
3. What led to the decision to make an entirely new fighting game franchise? Can we look forward to new Guilty Gear games as well, or will the focus be more heavily on the BlazBlue universe?
4. How did you come up with the character designs? It seems like a specialty of yours to come up with innovative ideas that have never been tried before, like controlling the weather.
5. What are the biggest gameplay differences between BlazBlue and Guilty Gear XX Accent Core and how do you think they will affect competitive play later down the line by comparison?
6. Is it possible that we’ll see BlazBlue vs. Guilty Gear someday?
7. Will the roster ever exceed 10 characters?
8. Is BlazBlue going to be just one game or part of a series?
9. When most people play a game, they want a cast in which everyone is powerful.  Arc System Works has proven they can do this, but for some reason just let some characters be horrible.  Can you guarantee that players won’t have to experience this with BlazBlue?
10. It’s obvious some characters have far stronger abilities than others, like Tager over Noel. What justified nerfing some characters while keeping others highly buffed?
11. How balanced do you believe BlazBlue is compared to Guilty Gear XX Accent Core? More or less balanced?

New Site

• Our opinions and the focus on community for the new site.
• Put your online gaming codes in your profile!

What We’ve Been Up To

• Ben’s been coding the site while everyone else debugs.
• Bo’s got a secret, but we’ll hear about it later in the show.
• BlazBlue arcade cabinets have arrived, look awesome. BlazBlue focus tests in your future?

News

• TGS, BlizzCon, E for All have come and gone.
• TGS has girls, men dressed as girls.
• Our feelings re: cons from the side of retailers.
• Gail’s BlizzCon swag, opinions on Diablo III/Starcraft II.

Releases (Ours)

• Princess on Ice is out! Might be a good choice for a sister, niece, daughter, etc, but Bo says it’s fun for anyone. Visit the Princess on Ice page for more info.
• Theresia has been released! Got good marks from IGN and Fangoria. Check out the theresia info page for more…info.
• Guilty Gear 2 is out…and has been for a while. We talk about how it’s been doing with the fans.
  • GG2 DLC is coming/has come!
  • Introducing the GG2 “Riot” Pack! Cool swag and a game!

Announcements

• That game Bo couldn’t talk about earlier…we announce it.
• It’s for WiiWare, has mini-games, is fun.
• We also talk about Monchichi, how Ben looks like a lumberjack.

Mailbag

(note: The actual mail content of the mailbag will be dealt with in next week’s special BlazBlue podcast)

• Send us questions! We will answer them!
• Announcing a new contest! (See the bottom of this post for official rules)
• Remember entering our last contest? So do we.

BlazBlue

• Mike and Mikey have been playing a lot of BlazBlue.
• We discuss Carl’s tier placement, various staff members’ playing styles, and how awesome the game is.

Wrap-Up

• Let us know what kind of merch you’d like to see from us in the future.
• Thanks for listening!

New Contest Rules:

1. Take a picture of yourself dressed up as anyone—or anything—from one of our games. Make sure you’re holding something that says “aksysgames.com” on it, so we know you didn’t just grab someone else’s picture.
2. E-mail us a JPG of your picture, but please, not too big—keep it under a megabyte.
3. We’ll choose the best one, and you’ll get a DS game of your choice (that we publish, obviously), as well as a sweet BlazBlue poster.