The TotiloCast!

posted by SweetTea023

Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 09:10:02 PM EST

On the latest edition of I Claim Shenanigans, the official podcast of GearHeadsofWar.com, Tyler Bleszinski and I had the great pleasure of chatting with the Editor of MTV's Multiplayer Blog, Stephen Totilo. I really can't say enough about Stephen...He's a great guy with a lot of really intelligent things to say.

Stephen tells us...

His top 3 games coming out of E3
How exactly Flower is awesome
Why smaller games like Fat Princess often demo better than big games.
Nintendo and it's fans problems communicating (Reference: "Nintendo and Its E3 Fans)
The implications of Games For Window going free

But perhaps the most intriguing part of the podcast comes when Stephen talks about why gamers need to be more open:

"We need to stop worrying about what other people think about gamers and start talking about what it actually means to be a gamer."  

"Why does violence often make video games more fun?"

TheTotiloCast.mp3


*The only accuracy about this picture is that Stephen is in it...

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Comments Disabled | 23 comments

  •  Awesome (none / 0)

     Just downloaded and put it on my ZUNE :)

    Your learning well my young Padawan: Polandstyle

    by GearsChrisB on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 09:30:52 PM EST

  •  thanks guys (none / 0)

    downloading now

    The road, it's home, the mountain high, river low...

    by DEGREES OF FREEDOM on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 09:38:26 PM EST

  •  can't wait (none / 0)

    Not all who wander are lost

    by Zoso Fan on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 10:34:26 PM EST

  •  downloaded at home (none / 0)

    and if only my itunes wasnt fucked up I would be listening right now over the midnight shift at work.  Damn you itunes!

    Oct 21/08 Nov 7/08

    by carr on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 10:46:09 PM EST

  •  listening to it (none / 0)

    right now, you know what i never thought you guys would be getting people this well known, how do you guys get them to be in the podcast?

    "Im gonna take a piss, when i come back im gonna talk about The Mighty Duck movie"

    by Evil Resident on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 11:31:06 PM EST

  •  This is what I thought if it: (none / 0)

    "Vuht? Ze Panzerz? WHO LET ZE PANZERZ OUWT?!?!?!?!"

    by Grymm on Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 04:18:57 AM EST

  •  All of the podcasts have been excellent. (none / 0)

    What I really, REALLY enjoyed about this one was the discussion on violence in games and the importance for us to be able to articulate why we like it.  Tyler provided some good reasons (relieving stress, etc) but I remember Kenai talking about wrestling the bulls and I think that is getting more to the heart of it. When I have a chance, I want to transcribe that one section of the podcast because, especially as a Mennonite, that topic has been of great interest to me since I started playing "shooters" after Pong.  

    Great listen!

    by 3Suns on Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 10:41:30 AM EST

    •  Perhaps the most interesting part (none / 0)

      of the podcast comes when Stephen describes how there is a natural tendency in us all to be violent at times.  His example is that,

      "Sometimes we're playing a game of chess, and its fun when you knock the pawn out from the other guy instead of taking it off the board...it's more fun to knock that piece off the board than to take it off the board"

      He goes on to say that there is a thrill is being more violent sometimes, why is that? He talks about how there's nothing wrong with that, we should just think about it.

      "As for FFF we'll see how my social life unfolds that night. Which basically means i'll be gaming lol" -Boxin

      by SweetTea023 on Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 11:06:36 AM EST

      [ Parent ]

      •  Good point (none / 0)

        It gets to the heart of Who Men Are.

        Whether Chess pieces or

        Another comparison.

        If you had to provide food for you family.

        What is more fullfilling as a Man.

        To poison a Bear, butcher the meat, feed family, provide bearskin rug for warmth

        Or

        Jump from a tree, Kill Bear with Knife, Feed family with the Spoils of Victory and Tell glorious stories around the fireplace (with Bearskin rug in middle of roo) about the Day I Knifed Ole Ben!

        Do not be ashamed at our Desire to be the Hero.  We were Made for this!

        "I do not tell lies, but I am a savage" ~ William Wallace

        by Kenai 91 on Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 12:18:55 PM EST

        [ Parent ]

  •  Adventure! (none / 0)

    The reason that I think we love this stuff is the thrill (or need for) of Adventure.

    Papi says "stress relief".

    More accurately could be "relief from mundane life".

    Not that we don't love our lives, but to Become a Hero.  A MasterChief or a Marcus!

    If even only for an hour or two.

    The Novel is written and We are IN the Story.

    That Headshot just saved a teammate.  

    This is Coded into our DNA

    Ask Lewis and Clark.  Ask Daniel Boone.  Ask Teddy Roosevelt (rough riders of San Juan Hill).

    Life has been homogenized by many of the conveniences of life.  No Bears to kill (or Esuns quoted me.. Bulls to Wrestle).

    So we find other ways.  Video games are one of them...  Some may call us weird or childlike (I get that..  How old are you and still playing video games??).

    But we are being True to what is Already in us.  The need to be Men.

    "I do not tell lies, but I am a savage" ~ William Wallace

    by Kenai 91 on Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 12:11:03 PM EST

  •  nice podcast (none / 0)

    I really enjoyed it.

    by BoxinLeprechaun on Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 06:02:52 PM EST

  •  I have (none / 0)

    yet to listen to it but it sounds like these things are becoming more and more mature and deeper.

    Oct 21/08 Nov 7/08

    by carr on Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 08:50:56 PM EST

Comments Disabled | 23 comments