Masters of Unlocking: A Video Game Podcast

The wild west’s Pinkertons are still alive and are setting their sights on Take-Two, Rockstar, and Red Dead Redemption 2.  But could the suit have implications for the entire concept of “Fair Use” and have wide-spread impact on YouTube and game streaming?
Epic Set List

* Discussion of what video games we’ve been playing recently & give our spoiler-free thoughts:

* God of War
* Donut County
* Ripto’s Rage
* L.A. Noire
* Florence
* Among the Sleep



Video Game Pickups

* Limited Run Games
* Super Rare Games
* Intellivision
* Fang Controller Tower

What’s News

* Business & Law: Bungie leaves another partner at the alter.  Parting ways with Activision Blizzard prompts a shareholder lawsuit.
* Trademark vs. First Amendment: The real-life Pinkertons sue over Red Dead Redemption 2, but could the suit have implications for YouTubers & streamers?
* Psychology: The ESA is in talks with WHO about “Gaming Disorder.”
* Copyright: Another fan-developed remake of Konami’s infamous P.T.
* Hacks: Nintendo’s online subscription to add SNES games?
* Sales: Could the Playstation 4 break the Wii’s console sales record?

Main Event

* We look ahead to 2019 and discuss our most anticipated games, The games we are most intrigued by, and then reveal our 2019 gaming goals.

We take a look back at the year that was 2018 in Video Games – critical hits, critical fumbles, guilty pleasures, and more.
Epic Set List

* Discussion of what video games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts

* God of War
* Red Dead Redemption 2
* Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
* Spyro
* Jack Box Party Pack



Holiday Recap

* What did we do over our 2018 holiday break?

Video Game Pickups

* A holiday season full of gaming & game ephemera pickups
* VGCollectaholic completes a major North American set

What’s News

* Law: Police respond to a noise complaint & end up playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
* Sony: Our players demand single-player experiences
* Psychology: Do video game players respond to crisis differently?
* Collecting: NES Classic & SNES Classic production ends
* Industry: The growth of The Game Awards

Main Event

* Recaping the best and worst games from 2018
* 2018 games we wish we had played
* Things that intrigued us in 2018

After a lengthy hiatus following the close of Season One, Masters of Unlocking returns!  In this episode, we explore potential legal problems for Fallout 76, initial thoughts on Red Dead Redemption 2, ask the question “Are Loot Boxes gambling?” and more…
Show Notes

* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts

* Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
* Fallout 76
* Red Dead Redemption 2






* Black Friday & Cyber Monday Pickups:

* We discuss our recent gaming-related pickups and scores from the 2018 Thanksgiving shopping holiday




* What’s News:

* Fallout 76’s bug-riddled release prompts one class action specialist law firm to investigate “deceptive trade practices”
* Valve discontinues Steam Link hardware
* Game guide publisher Prima Games will shut down in Spring 2019
* Sony will skip E3 2019 – are they prepping for a 2019 Playstation 5 announcement?
* Resident Evil movie reboot plans to return the cinematic adaptation to it’s horror roots
* Eiji Aonuma teases a Zelda: Skyward Sword release on Nintendo Switch
* Microsoft rumored to be releasing an Xbox One S console without a disc drive




* Main Event:

* We dive into an impromptu discussion of whether Loot Boxes are gambling, prompted by the United States’ Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announcing that they will investigate the practice of Loot Boxes

LIVE from Chicago, it’s Masters of Unlocking’s first anniversary episode!  This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the first-annual Cartridge Club Con (C3) in Chicago, Illinois.  We delve into Chicago’s rich history in gaming, including developers based here, games set here, and historic gaming events that occurred here.

Show Notes

* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts

* Octopath Traveler (Nintendo Switch)
* Steamworld Dig 2 (Nintendo Switch)
* Sunset Riders (SNES)
* Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES)
* Looney Tunes Basketball (SNES)






* Pickups:

* We discuss our recent gaming-related pickups and scores – what did we pickup on our trip to C3?




* Main Event:

* Caleb & Scott celebrate their trip to the first annual Cartridge Club Con by diving into video gaming’s history in Chicago.

* Games Set in Chicago

* Sports, mobsters, airports, light gun shooters, train simulators, arcade games, action games, and more…


* CES in Chicago (1972 – 1994)
* Game Developers in Chicago

* Midway arcade games and the legacy the developer left on the Chicago dev scene

We dive into a slew of gaming stories – Microtransactions, Google’s rumored console, gaming corpses, Nathan Fillion, ESPN & Overwatch , controller mods, Neo-Nazi scum, sex disorder, Fallout: New California, and more!  Plus we preview the Cartridge Club’s upcoming Chicago meetup!
Show Notes

* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts

* Pillars of Eternity
* Horizon Zero Dawn
* A Profound Waste of Time (magazine)






* Pickups:

* We discuss our recent gaming-related pickups and scores




* What’s News:

* Why should we care about a Google video game console?
* Family of slain teen has viewing with him propped up playing video games, surrounded by his favorite things
* Even more indie games are coming to Nintendo Switch
* Nathan Fillion finally plays Nathan Drake… is it any good?
* ESPN/Disney ink exclusive broadcast deal with Blizzard for Overwatch League
* Neo-Nazis using online games as recruiting playgrounds… in case the internet didn’t already suck enough
* First video games, now Sex… is there anything fun the WHO thinks is good for you?

* We learn which member of the iconic 1990’s trio TLC “Hey Past Caleb…” had the hots for


* Score 1 for Anti Microtransactions – Middle-earth: Shadow of War is now microtransaction-free!
* 8bitdo releases kits to mod your classic OEM Nintendo, SNES, and Genesis controllers with wireless bluetooth
* Fallout: New California fan mod receives thumbs up from Bethesda
* Guerrilla Games is growing




* Main Event:

* Caleb & Scott are headed to Chicago for a Cartridge Club meetup (July 27 – 29)!  If you’re in the Chicago area, we’d love to say hi!  Drop us a line.

By now everyone knows that Toys R Us is officially dead… but could it be rising from the dead with zombie-like ferocity?  We discuss the juicy rumors of TRU’s potential return, the WHO’s creation of Gaming Disorder, a new Nielsen report on the gaming industry, and more!
Show Notes

* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts

* Pillars of Eternity
* Horizon Zero Dawn
* A Way Out






* Pickups:

* We discuss our recent gaming-related pickups and scores




* What’s News:

* Just as Toys ‘R Us was closing the last of its stores this week, news broke that a comeback could be in the works!
* World Health Organization (WHO) officially classifies video game addiction as a disease – “Gaming Disorder”
* Sony unveils Playstation 4’s first wave of Greatest Hits releases – now called “Playstation Hits”
* Showtime officially greenlights Halo series
* Nintendo’s new CEO officially steps into office and has some interesting remarks that hint at the future of Nintendo
* The company behind Pokemon Go (Nantic) opens its AR platform to other developers
* We FINALLY get an update from Tetsuya Nomura on the Final Fantasy VII remake




* Main Event:

* Nielsen released their annual Games 360 Report exploring trends and behavior in video gaming.  We recap and discuss the report.  Download the full report and read along with us here!

E3 2018 is officially in the books!  We give a run down of the presentations from Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Bethesda, CD Projekt Red, and Ubisoft and discuss our thoughts.
E3 Show Notes

* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts

* Pillars of Eternity
* Bioshock
* Axiom Verge






* Recent Pickups


* Epic E3 Main Event:

* E3 2018 is officially in the books!  We give a run down of the presentations from Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Bethesda, CD Projekt Red, and Ubisoft and discuss our thoughts.  Since this marathon episode runs nearly 3 hours , we provide timestamps below:

* Bethesda (timestamp: 0:21:20)

* Fallout 76, Rage 2, Doom Eternal, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot, Skyrim: Very Special Edition, Starfield, Elder Scrolls VI (Hammerfall??)


* Ubisoft (0:57:35)

* Beyond Good & Evil 2, The Division 2, Skull & Bones, Transference, Starlink: Battle for Atlus, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey


* Nintendo (1:16:46)

* Pokemon, Super Mario Party, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, My Friend Pedro


* Sony (1:24:29)

* Ghost of Tsushima, Last of Us 2, Death Stranding, Spider-Man, Deracine, Control, Resident Evil 2, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice


* CD Projekt Red (2:07:06)

* Cyberpunk 2077


* Microsoft (2:10:41)

* New Studio Acquisitions
* Halo Infinite, Crackdown 3, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, Battletoads, Gears of War 5




* Plus, we discuss some of our various “old man sports injuries”

We get ready for next week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) by taking a look at what has been announced/leaked thus far and what things we’d love to see. We also talk Best Buy, eSports, Let’s Plays, Fallout mods, and more!
Show Notes

* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts

* Bioshock
* Axiom Verge






* Pickups:

* Scott closes in on completing the OG Xbox set (42 to go)




* What’s News:

* Best Buy ends Gamers Club Unlocked program
* New study says 1-in-10 people globally will be fans of eSports or Let’s Plays by 2022
* Overwatch League plans to add 6 new teams with an international focus for Season Two
* The gigantic “Fallout: New California” mod nearing completion – will Bethesda allow it?




* Main Event:

* E3 is next week, we discuss developer thoughts on leaks, explore pre-show announcements (like Fallout 76), and what items are on our wishlist for this year’s show.

Sony & Nintendo recently released their 2017 fiscal year earnings reports – spoiler: they both did pretty damned well!  We dive into the results and ask what’s next?
Show Notes

* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts

* Okami HD






* Pickups:

* Scott buys ~900 OG Xbox games and a bunch of sealed Lynx games
* Caleb buys Nintendo Labo and gives his thoughts




* What’s News:

* Fortnite Scholarships: coming to a university near you
* Atari VCS (formerly Atari Box) pre-orders announced… why you shouldn’t care
* Capcom & iam8bit partner for Mega Man NES/SNES repros
* Game collector finds drugs inside NES carts
* Loot Boxes deemed illegal gambling in Belgium
* Valve acquires Firewatch developer Camp Santo
* The Loss Levels – a game about shock, grief, and powerlessness




* Main Event:

* Nintendo and Sony’s Playstation division both post fiscal year profits of $1.6 billion.  We break down the numbers and explore what’s on the horizon for the two gaming behemoths.

Last weekend, Milwaukee Wisconsin played host to the annual Midwest Gaming Classic… and the worst April Blizzard in history.  We discuss the convention, it’s panels, personalities, vendors, and more.
Show Notes

* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts

* Okami HD
* Subsurface Circular






* Collecting Tools of the Trade

* VGCollectaholic gives his tips and tools for Marker removal


* What’s News:

* Larian Studio’s CRPG Divinity II: Original Sin heads to consoles
* Sony Playstation 5 rumors run rampant, what do we think?
* The closing of Toys R Us prompts a return of KayBee Toys?
* Dishonored “King of Kong” Billy Mitchell promises proof that he didn’t cheat




* Main Event:

* VGCollectaholic went back to his home state of Wisconsin for the Midwest Gaming Classic – his first ever video game con.  We discuss the trip, the panels, the personalities, the vendor floor, the snow, and more.

* David Crane (Pitfall)
* Garry Kitchen (Keystone Kapers)
* Brian Collin (Rampage)
* Jeffrey Lee (Q*Bert)
* John St. John (Duke Nukem)
* Ben Heck
* Ken Horowitz (Sega-16.com)
* … and more!

We sit down for a conversation with Giant Sparrow’s Ian Dallas – creative director of the 2017 hit What Remains of Edith Finch and 2014’s The Unfinished Swan. This episode of Masters of Unlocking follows a bit of a different structure than our normal episodes – we kick things off with our interview with Ian and, afterwards, Caleb & Scott dive into an in-depth discussion of our thoughts about the interview and the game itself.
WARNING – the interview and following discussion contain SPOILERS about the game.
Show Notes

* A Conversation with “What Remains of Edith Finch” creative director Ian Dallas

* Thoughts on Storytelling
* Edith Finch’s origins as a scuba-diving simulator
* Why “What Remains of Edith Finch” is best told via the video game medium
* The books in the house and why they were chosen
* The thinking behind gameplay mechanics
* What’s next for Giant Sparrow?



 

* Caleb & Scott discuss their thoughts on “What Remains of Edith Finch“

The rumor mill is running wild about Microsoft buying EA, Valve, or PUBG.  We look at why those don’t make sense and propose three new contenders for who we think House Xbox SHOULD acquire.
Show Notes

* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts




* What’s News:

* Toys R Us closing 20% of its stores – we reminisce about TRU and Kay*Bee Toys
* I spent 453 hours in Fallout 4 and all I got was this stinking inner peace
* A truly unique piece of Zelda: Breath of the Wild art
* Mario Kart coming to a smartphone near you
* Red Dead Redemption 2 delayed
* Nintendo Switch’s online service finally gets a date
* Father of Playstation stepping down as Sony’s CEO




* Main Event:

* Rumors abound about a potential looming video game publisher acquisition by Microsoft.  We look at the rumored names – EA, Valve, and PUBG Corp – and then ask who SHOULD Microsoft acquire?  Turns out… it’s not one of those three.

No shortage of news this week as we discuss the Overwatch League debut, CES video game announcements, Nintendo unveiling cardboard Legos, and a business look at the YouTube demonetization drama.
Show Notes

* Gaming Archaeology:

* Caleb and VGCollectaholic recap their recent game pickups




* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts




* What’s News:

* Twitch paid Blizzard $90M for the rights to the Overwatch League; is that an insane price?
* You probably love video games… but can you LOOOOVE video games?
* Switch console sales in Japan have gone to Ludicrous Speed
* Nintendo Labo… perhaps you’ve heard of it?
* Controllers Galore!  We discuss some awesome game controller announcements from CES




* Main Event:

* We discuss YouTube’s recent controversial decision to demonetize small channels – do the perspectives of a content creator and a video industry insider clash?

This week the global electronics industry descends on Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  These days, the show is dominated by televisions, the Internet of Things, and 5G smart toasters, but it wasn’t always so… in this episode of Masters of Unlocking, we take a look back at the rich history of video gaming at CES.
Show Notes

* Gaming Archaeology:

* Caleb and VGCollectaholic recap their recent game pickups
* VGCollectaholic adds a new complete game set to his collection




* Epic Set List:

* Discussion of what we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts




* 2018 Gaming Goals

* We discuss our gaming-related goals for 2018




* What’s News:

* Flog Gets Sacked
* How Wolfenstein II’s Hero Draws on his Jewish Heritage for Strength
* Platinum Games get Delisted from Online Marketplaces
* Microsoft Officially Kills Kinect Adapter
* World Health Organization (WHO) to Recognize “Gaming Disorder” as a Mental Health Condition in 2018
* Mad Catz – Back from the Dead




* Main Event:

* We look back on the history of the Consumer Electronics Show and the many gaming introductions it brought us

The SNES Classic launched this weekend – maybe you’ve heard about that.  Bethesda unveils their new Creation Club.  And out hosts ponder what the prospect of Limited Run Games’ producing replacement longbox cases for Sega Saturn, Sega CD, and Sony Playstation games means – is a replacement case different than a replacement cart label?
Show Notes

* Gaming Archaeology – Caleb and Scott recap their recent game pickups, Scott dives into collecting for Sega Master System and picks up some hilarious Japanese games… Caleb wonders if this is one of them:

* Epic Set List – Discussion of what we’ve been playing recently, including Everything, Last Guardian, Destiny 2, and Ys VIII
* What’s News:

* Nintendo hides the original NES Golf inside the Switch – Flog
* Fallout 4’s Creator Club goes live – is this good or bad for modders?
* Limited Run Games exploring replacement Sega CD/Sega Saturn/Playstation 1 longbox jewel cases – Caleb & Scott dive into the “Ship of Theseus” problem and ask: what does this mean for collectors?
* Sony, Microsoft, & Nintendo mandate all physical games must have ESRB ratings
* Nintendo implores people to not buy SNES Classics from scalpers
* Atari Box details emerge and it looks like a project without a purpose



 

Caleb & Scott discuss their key takeaways from the Nintendo Direct announcements, dive into their post-play-through thoughts on NieR: Automata, and delve into PewDiePie’s most recent faux pas and how it could lead to major legal ramifications for the future of game streaming.
Show Notes

* Gaming Archaeology – Caleb and Scott recap their recent game pickups.
* Epic Set List – Discussion of what we’ve been playing recently
* NieR: Automata In-Depth Discussion (Spoiler-Free)
* Nintendo Direct

* Major Announcements and Key Takeaways


* PewDiePie: Copyright, Fair Use, & the Future of Game Streaming