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Racial Diversity Gaming Hour 43: Xbox gamers allegedly "shafted"

This week has been an interesting one in gaming, and RDGH is back once again to give you the details! Join host Glenn Gordon (who apologizes for his strange audio this week), Garri Bagdasarov, and Ben Shillabeer-Hall for episode 43 of the Racial Diversity Gaming Hour.

One of our Twitter friends brought up Wander, the combat-free MMO (yes, combat-free MMO) coming soon to PlayStation 4. It sounds interesting, despite a scarcity of information, but can it succeed? Feel free to tweet with us as well! Just follow @TheRDGH.

PlayStation could be preparing to become a bit more involved in its sales. The company recently added a field for a discount code in the PS4 PlayStation Store, but how does Sony intend to use it? Also, Guerrilla Games is hiring for a media producer—could it be getting ready to promote its mysterious new game?

We don’t tend to hear much about South Korea when it comes to console-based video games, but PlayStation 4 is apparently doing well there—so well, in fact, that more Korea-focused games are on the horizon.

Also, find out just what free eye candy will be coming to DRIVECLUB after the game’s dreadful launch issues.

Xbox One is doing quite well for the holidays. An EA exec stated that global Xbox sales are “catching up quickly” to those of the PlayStation 4, but the crew thinks that PS4 may not have much to worry about going into 2015.

Gamers have apparently been upset with Xbox after Microsoft offered early adopters a free copy of LIMBO. An article on gimmegimmegames.com posits that the $10 indie is not enough to reward gamers for being the first to purchase the Xbox One, and that early adopters of the console have been “shafted” in favor of those getting great Xbox One bundles this year. It doesn’t stop there—some gamers have been outraged at Gamespot.com for bringing up concerns with the Xbox One in a recent video, accusing it of subtly promoting the PS4 and being “biased” against Microsoft’s console. Yeah, Glenn’s not too happy with gamers on this one.

Finally, the crew takes a look at a great article by an epidemiologist named Georgie Catto from powerupgaming.co.uk, who discusses the plausibility of a pandemic-based apocalypse like that in The Last of Us. The article is a great read and definitely worth checking out.

Our intro music this week is from Overclocked Remix. It’s a remix from Sonic CD, the background music for the Lava Reef Zone in act 1, as well as a couple other songs from the game thrown in here and there. The remix is called “Chips out of Water,” and it’s by Rexy, from OCremix. Our outro is called Trinity. Kingdom Hearts fans, you’ll recognize it quickly—it’s a remix of Dearly Beloved, from the Kingdom Hearts menus. It’s an excellent remix by Tspeiro. This are amazing remixes that you can have in full, for free! To get them and many more, head straight to OCremix.org.

That's it for episode 43! Next week will bring episode 44 and a host of new stories (and better audio from Glenn)! Until then, remember to avoid discrimination against video game platforms based on color or logo. In other words, don't be a racist.

Racial Diversity Gaming Hour 42: October NPD: PS4's streak continues... for now

Once again, RDGH is back after a particularly interesting week in the world of video games. This week, join host Glenn Gordon, Garri Bagdasarov, Ben Shillabeeer-Hall, and (eventually) Fraser Miller as they discuss what has been going on:

Week-to-week sales for the Xbox One have tripled in the United States since the console’s holiday price drop, and according to Microsoft, Xbox One has been ahead of PlayStation 4 for the past couple of weeks. How might Sony fight back, and will the ten-month streak finally be broken?

Meanwhile, the Uncharted movie continues its turbulent gestation. Producers sought Chris Pratt, who played Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy, to play Uncharted’s Nathan Drake, but the actor declined the role. The crew thinks that the movie’s producers may be going in the wrong direction altogether with their casting goals.

Sony has been visibly working to increase the hype for its PlayStation Experience event next month. Could that help or hurt the end result?

DRIVECLUB has received yet another update on its Facebook page. Evolution Studios is still hard at work, but is offering gamers some freebies to help win some good graces. That’s nice, but is their focus in the wrong place? Also, find out when the update with the weather effects should finally hit the PS4.

Finally, NPD results are in for October, and Xbox One is in a better position than it has ever been in. If Microsoft's data is true, PlayStation 4's now ten-month winning streak could be in danger. The crew discusses PlayStation 4's prospects for the holidays, and why a win for Xbox on November might not be so consequential.

Our intro music this week is called Breaking the Ice, a remix by DigiE of Overclocked Remix. It comes from the Ice Cap Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. To download this and many other great video game remixes in full, for free, head straight to OCremix.org.  

Our ending music is a song you heard part of before way back at the end of episode 19. It’s a remix of the background music from the Sunny Glade level of the Super Adventure Box dungeon. The background music itself is a remix of “Logan’s Journey,” part of the soundtrack from Guild Wars 2. This is by a talented artist named DusK. You can find him and many more incredible metal video game remixes on his YouTube channel, ItStartsatDusk, and also at Bandcamp, where he is selling his entire six-track album of Super Adventure Box remixes for literally any price you want to pay. To see and download the album, go to itstartsatdusk.bandcamp.com.

All this and more comprises another great episode of RDGH. Come back next week for episode 43. Until then, remember to shun all notions of discrimination of platforms for their color or logo. Don’t be a racist.

Racial Diversity Gaming Hour 41: Xbox One did not get "hundreds" of updates this year

The work week begins anew, and with it comes a brand new episode of the Racial Diversity Gaming Hour! Join Garri Bagdasarov, Ben Shillabeer-Hall, and host Glenn Gordon for more discussion about another great week in the world of gaming.

There were lots of tweets this week, and we love hearing what you have to say! To join the party, just find us on Twitter @TheRDGH.

Ubisoft seems to have had a momentary lapse in judgment as its upcoming games inexplicably vanished from the Steam store last week, only to silently return some days later. Okay then, Ubisoft.

Xbox One has had “hundreds” (but not really) of new updates over the past several months, and while Microsoft’s console has not had nearly as many real improvements as Xbox’s Major Nelson would have us believe, the console has indeed gotten a lot better over time.

In fact, RDGH host Glenn Gordon actually bought his first Xbox, and now that he officially owns both consoles, he has some perspective on Xbox, PlayStation, and the console war as a whole to share with everyone.

Xbox is doing well in other areas too; combined, Xbox One and Xbox 360 managed to sell just a bit more of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare than PlayStation’s combined efforts, but perhaps not decisively so. The crew takes a look at the numbers and what they mean for the next generation of Call of Duty.

BlizzCon has come and gone, leaving new information in its wake. A new FPS called Overwatch is on its way from the World of Warcraft developer, and two new posters have arrived for the movie “Warcraft,” expected to hit theaters in 2016.

This week’s intro music is a cheerful little tune from Overlocked Remix. It’s called “Polka Center,” and it’s a happy remix of the Pokémon Center music from Pokémon Red Version, done by remixer “worldsbestgrandpa” from OCremix. The ending is also from OCremix. We’ve used it before. It’s called “The Passing of the Blue Crown,” and it comes from Megaman 3. The remix was done by Sixto Sounds, Steppo, and zircon from OCremix. To download these and many more great video game remixes in full, for free, head to OCremix.org.

All of this and much more comprises the latest episode of RDGH. Come back next week for episode 42. Until then, remember to avoid discrimination against video game platforms based on color or manufacturer. In other words, don’t be a racist.

Racial Diversity Gaming Hour 40: Xbox One could beat PlayStation 4 this holiday

What's up, gamers? RDGH has finally reached its fortieth episode, and with it comes a new member of the crew! Matt "Mario" Fernandez joins Garri Bagdasarov and host Glenn Gordon this week for RDGH's latest landmark.

Second Life, the virtual world that was really big for awhile but since slipped into relative obscurity, is planning to make a comeback of sorts. Developer Linden Labs is planning a new virtual world like SL, built with today's technology in mind, including Oculus Rift.

Some Xbox gamers have been doing something naughty for the holidays in the face of PlayStation 4's exclusive DLC planned for Destiny's first expansion pack, The Dark Below. The crew discusses why it's such a bad idea to demand refunds from Microsoft just because the other console is getting some DLC.

PlayStation has offered its first bit of evidence that it plans to buff the PlayStation Network in the form of a survey directly comparing PSN and PS Plus to Xbox Live and Xbox Live Gold. What in particular do you dislike about PlayStation Network?

PlayStation also published a list of games to expect at its PlayStation Experience event in December. It's not a complete list, but it's fun to know what to expect.

DRIVECLUB also offers a bit of news (sort of) from Shuhei Yoshida. The crew discusses how long it could be before PlayStation's darling racer will be running in full force, and whether or not it can come back from what has been the rockiest launch in the generation so far.

Finally, a price drop for the holidays makes the Xbox One quite a good buy--cheaper than the PlayStation 4. How could that affect PlayStation's nine-month streak?

This week's opening theme is a remix of the opening theme of Super Smash Brothers: Brawl, done by Arctic. Download the full song for free on his SoundCloud, ArcticOfficial, and remember to subscribe to him there and on his YouTube Channel (Arctic) for more amazing music.

The ending this week is Hope Rising, a remix of Destiny's ending theme, Hope. It was made by Jillian Aversa and zircon from Overclocked Remix. To download this and many other great video game remixes in full, for free, head straight to OCremix.org.

All this and much more comprises the fortieth episode of the Racial Diversity Gaming Hour. Join the discussion on Twitter @TheRDGH. Gamers, don't forget to forever shun discrimination between gaming platforms. In other words, don't be a racist.

Racial Diversity Gaming Hour 39: Constructive criticism; No parity for The Division

What's up, gamers? We're a little late this week due to our own scheduling issues, but better late than never! Don't worry. We'll be back to our regular schedule going forward. We recorded Saturday evening, so some information in this episode may be out of date.

This week, join me (Glenn Gordon), Ben Shillabeer-Hall, and Fraser Miller as we address some criticism from a longtime listener. We explain our positions on different points of contention, and would like to invite anyone who can further elaborate on this criticism or has other criticism to tweet us @TheRDGH or send us an email at podcast@psu.com. We want to be the best RDGH we can be! Just keep it constructive.

RDGH figured that Titanfall should not have been made exclusive to Xbox One. We also complained about the exclusivity of Rise of the Tomb Raider. Contrarily, we told Xbox One gamers to suck it up with regard to the exclusive content on Destiny. Sounds unfair to us said that way, but there's much more to that story.

We've also repeatedly called IGN out for certain unreliable content, yet continue to cite IGN as a source. What's up with that?

Then, of course, the burning question: Do RDGH's crew members like sunlight?

We don't want to leave things on a critical note, so Ben spills the details about a Final Fantasy event that occurred in London. Look for FF14 updates!

If you want an Xbox One, now is the time! There is a great deal going around that we discuss, as well as Xbox One's November update, which supports backgrounds. Also, Forza Horizon 2 has been very successful so far, driving Xbox One sales up.

Also, Ubisoft has confirmed that The Division, its upcoming first-person shooter, will run in full 1080p resolution on PlayStation 4, regardless of its maximum capability on Xbox One. Finally, Ubisoft!

Finally, the Evolve Alpha is this weekend, and everyone should get involved. It's free--all you have to do is get selected.

Our intro this week is I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow. Buy this classic hit on iTunes and Amazon if you haven't already! For our ending this week, we're happy to bring you "The Sound of Speed," a remix of Green Hill Zone by OA and Scaredsim on Overclocked Remix. We used a part of the song a couple episodes ago, and loved it enough that we thought you should hear the whole thing. Enjoy it at the end of the episode, and head to OCremix.org to download it and many other great video game music remixes in full, for free. If you like The Sound of Speed, go to sos.ocremix.org to check out the full album of Sonic remixes by the same name.

All this and more comprises another great episode of RDGH! Tune in next week for episode 40, and don't be a racist.

Racial Diversity Gaming Hour 38: Pachter was very wrong; September NPD results

RDGH 38 is live, and a lot of fun! Ben Shillabeer-Hall and Garri Bagdasarov join host Glenn Gordon for another great episode, and they're not alone!

We are just one weekend removed from the incredible finale to the League of Legends World Championship. No spoilers here just in case some of our listeners haven't yet seen it, but expect more on Worlds next week. Until then, now is a fantastic time to catch up on the battle between Samsung White and Star Horn Royal Club in Korea and find out who won the summoner's cup. Honestly, even if you already know who won, it's worth watching these great matches.

This week has been great on Twitter. You, our gamers, joined the RDGH crew to chat about the price of Project Morpheus, console resolution parity, the DRIVECLUB launch issues, and whether or not you would sacrifice free PlayStation Plus games for a stronger PSN. There were even some comments out favorite energy drinks! Thanks for tweeting and sharing with us! Join the party on Twitter @TheRDGH.

After a layoff spree in February of this year, things finally seem to be looking up at Sony Santa Monica, which has been hiring many new professionals. What could the studio behind God of War be up to?

There are also rumors about some of the things in store for Destiny. "The Dark Below," its first expansion pack, is expected for release in December, and there are some rather specific reports about new sub-classes and raids!

This past week has also been controversial because of one Michael Pachter, the video game industry analyst infamous for his predictions. He surprised gamers everywhere by announcing his prediction that Xbox One would outsell PlayStation 4 for September. Spoiler alert: he was completely wrong.

We know this because September's NPD results are in, and we're happy to walk you through them! There are some interesting surprises in them, especially the sales of Destiny for Xbox One versus those of the PS4. The crew discusses why gamers should take that particular bit of information with reservations.

This week, the intro music is "Warriors," a fantastic song by Imagine Dragons that has been League of Legends' theme for the World Championships. The members of Imagine Dragons are LoL fans themselves and they could not have written a more amazing song for such a spectacular event. Without question, gamers should pick this song up on iTunes as soon as possible.

Our ending music needs no introduction. "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot. 'Nuff said. Buy it on iTunes or Amazon if you don't have it already (and you should).

All of this and much more comprises yet another great episode of RDGH. Tune in next week for episode 39! Until then, remember to treat all gaming platforms equally and with respect. Don't be a racist.

Racial Diversity Gaming Hour 37: PS4 and Xbox One parity and 900p don't matter

What's up, gamers? The most racially diverse gaming podcast on the Internet returns this week to shun discrimination against gaming consoles for the colors of their branding. There's lots to talk about, and host Glenn Gordon joins Dane Smith and Garri Bagdasarov with a packed and very interesting episode.

First off, a tweet from a regular listener sparks debate about the resolution issues between PS4 and Xbox One. Is 900p resolution really such a big deal? Glenn certainly thinks not.

PlayStation Network has been going down every now and then over the past few months with little explanation. We know Sony is discussing making an investment in PSN to make it stronger, but until then, what should gamers expect? Is it worth joining PlayStation Plus? What would gamers be willing to sacrifice (hypothetically, of course) for a stronger PSN?

Xbox has had an interesting week as well. It's the first eighth-generation console to get a native Plex app, the Sunset Overdrive bundle got a short-lived price drop on Amazon UK, and Microsoft may finally be ready to "rethink" the controversial ID@Xbox parity clause. The crew takes a look at the parity clause and the effect it has had on Xbox and PlayStation so far.

Speaking of parity, gamers became upset for awhile after learning (temporarily) that Dragon Age: Inquisition would run at a 900p resolution on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The response was alarmingly huge, and the crew thinks it really didn't need to be.

Then, of course, there's DRIVECLUB. It's a great racing game, but it has stirred a lot of unnecessary controversy in recent weeks, and with it having one of the worst launches in recent PlayStation history, it has little to defend itself with. Even so, we think DRIVECLUB is worth a gamer's chance. #BelieveinEvo

Our intro this week is from OverClocked Remix. It's a remix of the background music from Green Hill Zone in the original Sonic the Hedgehog, and it's called "The Sound of Speed." The remixers are OA and Scaredsim, and they did an amazing job. It's definitely worth a listen, and you can hear and download the full song and many more amazing gaming remixes in full, for free, at OCremix.org. The ending music, of course, is the famous theme from the movie "Rocky."

All of this and more comprises a great episode of RDGH. Remember to follow us on Twitter @TheRDGH, and give us your tweets and topics to read and discuss on the air. Enjoy the podcast, and don't be a racist.

Racial Diversity Gaming Hour 36: PS4 parity vs. #PS4noparity

RDGH 36 is here! But do you know what's not here? The most racially diverse gaming crew on the Internet! Host Glenn Gordon takes the reins solo this week due to scheduling conflicts with the rest of the crew, but never fear: there's plenty interesting stuff to talk about, and we'd love for you to join the conversation on Twitter @TheRDGH.

Some people are upset at DRIVECLUB's new media quote trailer, where VG24/7 was quoted saying, "PS4's Forza Killer." Is DRIVECLUB really a Forza killer? Why is everyone mad at Evolution Studios and not VG24/7? All we know for sure is that DRIVECLUB is absolutely gorgeous.

PlayStation 4 has a huge new bundle coming out in Europe (sorry, North America). PlayStation Vita has a new update available now that (finally) enables themes, and we walk through the new PlayStation Plus freebies for October. Speaking of updates, Xbox One has a new one for October to add something seriously useful to one of its proudest features, Snap.

And speaking of Xbox One, Microsoft's flagship console launched in China--and people were lining up to get their hands on it. No, we're not kidding. What does this mean for Microsoft, and what does it mean for Sony? Microsoft has been doing well in the UK as well, passing PS4 sales thanks in part to FIFA 15. Microsoft is also working on something amazing that's based on its IllumiRoom research. It's called RoomAlive, and while it's not consumer friendly, it sure looks slick.

Ubisoft is tripping up this week, having announced that both PS4 and Xbox One will run Assassin's Creed: Unity at a 900p resolution with a frame rate of 30, not because both consoles are incapable of the full resolution, but because Ubisoft held one console back to "avoid all the debates and stuff." The gaming world is outraged... but should they be? Not only that, but upcoming open-world racer The Crew, also by Ubisoft, has been delayed--but only a couple weeks.

Our intro this week is "One," by Pmac. It's a cover of the famous song "One is the Loneliest Number," by Three Dog Night. Pmac is very talented, and you can get his album, First Impressions, for free on YouTube. Our ending is "Do You Wanna Date My Avatar," from an excellent gamer-based web show called "The Guild." If you have never watched The Guild, you are missing out big time. Put down the controller, pop some popcorn, and head to WatchTheGuild.com right now, because it's a great show, and it's completely free.

All this and more comprises a rather packed episode of RDGH. Follow us on Twitter, subscribe on iTunes (and wherever else you find us), enjoy, and don't be a racist.

Racial Diversity Gaming Hour 35: Warning: Driveclub may blow your mind

What's up, gamers? We're back with episode 35 of RDGH, and the most racially diverse gaming crew on the Internet has lots to say about this past week! This time, Ben Shillabeer-Hall and Dane Smith join host Glenn Gordon to discuss some interesting gaming news.

Destiny's out, and now eyes are shifting to Driveclub--and boy, will they be happy. A new video shows just how gorgeous the game looks, and we just can't wait to get our hands on it. We can only hope the gameplay is half as good as the graphics. Just don't look at Project CARS immediately after looking at Driveclub, even though Project CARS just might satisfy some racer fans more than Driveclub.

Xbox still isn't over its so-called resolution problem, and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the latest game to run at a slightly lower on Microsoft's machine than on Sony's. We'd love to reiterate that IT DOESN'T MATTER.

In addition, Far Cry 4 could have been set in a couple other nations with completely different stories. The time it takes to complete Final Fantasy XV has been revealed, and Insomniac reveals interesting information about Sunset Overdrive. Finally, Dane has a lot to say about the "gamer gate" controversy, and Ben has some great info straight from the Eurogamer Expo in London.

Our intro music this week is "Youtopia," by Armin van Buuren and Adam Young (a.k.a. Owl City). It's an incredible song that's available on iTunes, Amazon, and many other music stores right now with Armin's "Mirage" album. Buy it! The ending music is Hybrid Soundsystem's "Be Here Now" as played in Driveclub's E3 2013 trailer. We absolutely can't wait for Driveclub, and this song is one of the reasons why. Buy Driveclub on October 7, 8, or 10 depending on your region, and keep your eyes and ears peeled for the soundtrack to get your hands on this amazing song.

All of this and much more comprises a rather packed episode of RDGH. Follow us on Twitter @TheRDGH and subscribe on iTunes and anywhere else you can find us. Enjoy, game on, and don't be a racist.

Racial Diversity Gaming Hour 34: Final Fantasy XV is mantastic

The most racially diverse gaming crew on the Internet is back with episode 34 of RDGH! Join Glenn Gordon, Ben Shillabeer-Hall, and Garri Bagdasarov this week as they discuss this very interesting past week in gaming.

Destiny was DDoSed for a little while by LizardSquad, the same group who attacked PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and other online networks not long ago. Also, VGchartz has released some interesting sales figures for the big three consoles. What does it all mean?

Evolution has announced two Driveclub PS4 bundles for Europe (not for North America), and the crew thinks Evolution could have done better.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were announced recently, along with an interesting claim from Apple that had some people declaring the end of consoles as we know it. The RDGH crew thinks that's a load of bull, and happily explains why.

Also, the world finally got another taste of Final Fantasy XV, and of course, it arrives with some form of controversy. The crew talks about the upcoming title and the controversy around it

This week's opening theme, "iPhone," is a parody of Maroon 5's "Payphone," which is available now on iTunes and other music stores. The parody is by YouTube's "RenderCrew." Hear the full song there, and subscribe to RenderCrew's channel for more great stuff! The ending theme is the famous chocobo fight song.

All this and more comprises the latest episode of RDGH. Follow us on Twitter @TheRDGH, and be sure to tweet us what you would like to hear us discuss or discuss with us on the air!

Enjoy, and don't be a racist.