Larry Hryb: (music) Hi there, folks! Show number 585, my name is Larry Hryb, Xbox Live's Major Nelson, um ... and that means that it's, uh, that tone either means one of two things: I have Outlook open or, in this case, the show has started!
Laura Massey: Yay!
Group: Yay!
Larry Hryb: Yay! Those voices you hear, that's right, we have Laura with me. Hi Laura!
Laura Massey: Hello Larry.
Larry Hryb: And then sitting across from you, thank you for finding time in your day to join us-
Laura Massey: You're welcome.
Larry Hryb: - and, uh, sitting across from you is Jeffrey.
Jeff Rubestein: It's been a dog's age, Larry.
Larry Hryb: This is actually-
Laura Massey: It's been a long time.
Jeff Rubestein: Yes.
Larry Hryb: This is actually a critical show, okay? Go to Snopes right now and fill out the page cause here's what I'm gonna tell you.
Jeff Rubestein: (gasp)
Larry Hryb: You know, you know good old Albert Penello who we've had on the show in the past.
Jeff Rubestein: Don't know.
Larry Hryb: There's a lot of concern that he and Laura are the same person.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Well, joining us in studio live with Laura is Albert Penello! Hi Albert.
Albert Penello: Hi, I'm not Laura.
Larry Hryb: It's nice to see you. Now you guys seriously, you haven't been on the sh-, you haven't been together in ...
Laura Massey: We've never been on the show together.
Larry Hryb: Right.
Laura Massey: You always seem to come on the show when I'm on vacation or something-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Laura Massey: - like that.
Albert Penello: I would argue that you always seem to avoid the show when I come on-
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Albert Penello: - so I think it's all a matter of perspective.
Larry Hryb: Either way, either way it's been remedied.
Laura Massey: It has.
Albert Penello: Same place at the same time.
Larry Hryb: Couple things going on here, we have, uh, we, we've moved. We are now in a, they've built me this studio.
Albert Penello: Storage C.
Jeff Rubestein: So if you have it in your mind that Major Nelson radio is created in a-a-a studio worthy of Larry's radio heritage, um ... it is now.
Larry Hryb: It is now.
Jeff Rubestein: Before that it was filmed in a, in a broom closet-
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Jeff Rubestein: - a glorified broom closet.
Larry Hryb: Yeah. My kitchen table.
Laura Massey: Conference rooms.
Larry Hryb: Conference room.
Laura Massey: Normal conference rooms.
Larry Hryb: I've done it in a closet. Pretty much anywhere on the planet.
Jeff Rubestein: We're finally in a room that actually has proper sound isolation.
Larry Hryb: S-sound proofing that we got, we're all good to go. Anyway, we're so thrilled to have me back on the air with you guys. Laura and I did a show a couple of weeks ago with, uh, Bill Stillwell.
Laura Massey: We did.
Larry Hryb: Back Compat show, which-
Laura Massey: It was a good show.
Larry Hryb: - was a huge show.
Albert Penello: Fine gentleman.
Jeff Rubestein: It was a good show.
Larry Hryb: Right, a fine gentleman so if you're, if you're sitting there on Twitter and you have this itch to type in the letters C-O-D-3, then, uh, feel free to go ahead and, or any Call of Duty, go listen to the Back Compat and that will explain it to you right.
Jeff Rubestein: Was that big red one?
Larry Hryb: Black Ops 3, that's what they want. Black Ops 3.
Jeff Rubestein: Oh, Black Ops 3,-
Larry Hryb: They want Black Ops 3.
Jeff Rubestein: - nevermind.
Larry Hryb: Anyway, uh, Laura?
Laura Massey: Hello.
Larry Hryb: H-how was your, how was your Thanksgiving?
Laura Massey: It was good.
Larry Hryb: Your American Thanksgiving? Was it?
Laura Massey: Yes, it was, a great meal
Larry Hryb: Okay, did you go anywhere?
Laura Massey: No, stayed home.
Larry Hryb: Okay, what about you, uh, Albert?
Albert Penello: I went to Hawaii.
Laura Massey: (groan)
Larry Hryb: Guess what? No, we don't need to go any further. Jeffrey-
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Albert Penello: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: - unless you went to, like, Maui or ...
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, also Hawaii. No, uh, I-I brined that bird and it was tender and juicy-
Laura Massey: Nice.
Jeff Rubestein: - and flavorful. Nailed it.
Laura Massey: How long did you brine it?
Jeff Rubestein: Uh ... about 12 hours. You don't wanna go anymore than that, it's just ... it's bad news.
Larry Hryb: It turns into a salt lick.
Group: (laughs)
Laura Massey: Hey, I don't mind the salt lick.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, I know you don't. I know you don't. A woman from the South, so. All right, we're gonna jump in and we're gonna talk about, we got so much business to do, Laura. We're gonna talk about-
Laura Massey: I know.
Larry Hryb: - what we're playing, we gotta talk about the Xbox news, there's so much to go over. We've gotta talk, Albert's gonna tell us-
Laura Massey: Al's here!
Larry Hryb: Albert's here is gonna talk us about, uh,
Albert Penello: Talk us.
Larry Hryb: Talk us through ... h-huge, huge thing Xbox One S has been on sale, it was doing gangbusters over the holiday, it's still doing very well. A lot of people having questions "Hey, Albert," I see them tweeting to you. "Hey Albert, is this a good 4K TV?" And they're tweeting you while they're shopping at like Best Buy or something.
Albert Penello: I should get, like, a spiff.
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Albert Penello: Like I should get a cut when I sell a TV.
Laura Massey: Yeah.
Larry Hryb: Albert Penello 4K Help Desk.
Laura Massey: Yes! (laughs)
Albert Penello: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Uh, but you, you're just kinda catch us up on the status, we had you on probably right after we announced Xbox One S.
Albert Penello: So, yeah. You and I were talking a little bit about-
Larry Hryb: Yeah. So we're gonna, we're gonna figure we'd have you on again A) to dispel this myth that you and Laura-
Laura Massey: Yes!
Larry Hryb: - are the same person.
Albert Penello: Not the same person.
Larry Hryb: And B) to talk about, uh, t-that kind of stuff. Let's go through what we're playing, as a guest, you get to go first.
Albert Penello: I knew you were gonna ask me this.
Larry Hryb: Okay.
Albert Penello: I'm not playing anything, I'm testing things right now.
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: I am in technology test mode, right now.
Larry Hryb: Like what are you testing?
Albert Penello: Well, you know, there's a bunch of new devices that are out from us and from others and-
Larry Hryb: I see.
Albert Penello: - now's the time to go and sort of, like, plug things in and do a plugfest and figure out how things work. You know, we might be launching something next year too and so it's fun to look and see what ... what our friends are doing.
Larry Hryb: So, now people, people, people are stuck cause they, they didn't hear anything past the word "plugfest".
Albert Penello: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: They don't know what that is.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Albert Penello: It doesn't sound good.
Jeff Rubestein: Oh, is that, is that like a super Microsoft-y term?
Larry Hryb: I-I think Laura [crosstalk 00:04:26]
Laura Massey: I've never heard it.
Albert Penello: Uh, it can go a lot of bad directions.
Larry Hryb: I-I-I've only heard it because when I joined the Xbox team with 360 back in the day, before we launched 360 we did a plugfest. Which is, why don't you explain what it is.
Albert Penello: Well, i-it, uh, basically y-you know the, as you guys know there's lots and lots of different TV's and lots and lots of different devices and to buy all that stuff would be very, very difficult and very costly and so what we had historically done was cut deals with retailers to come in at night-
Larry Hryb: After hours.
Albert Penello: - after hours-
Larry Hryb: And plug our stuff in.
Albert Penello: - and just plug our stuff into all the TV's and devices that they had and see if it worked.
Larry Hryb: And take notes.
Albert Penello: And, uh, now I don't think we do that quite as much anymore as we used to but back in the scrappy days of-
Larry Hryb: I remember that.
Albert Penello: - OG Xbox and 360 we would like go to Best Buy and [bell-view 00:05:09] at like one in the morning and just, like, turn on all the TV's and plug in and see what happened.
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Larry Hryb: Right, that's a true story.
Jeff Rubestein: That sounds fun.
Laura Massey: Great.
Albert Penello: We called those the "plugfest's".
Laura Massey: Yeah, very creative use.
Larry Hryb: So, you're doing a plugfest.
Albert Penello: So, it was not a good of a joke as I thought it was.
Jeff Rubestein: I thought it was like a hair club for men thing, I didn't-
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: - yeah, that's where, that's where I got it from. That's where I went.
Albert Penello: There's been an increasing number of people who could have that kind of plugfest here as well.
Group: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: So, so y-you're playing the plugfest game.
Albert Penello: I'm having, I-I'm have a plugfest at my house.
Jeff Rubestein: Zero Gamerscore for that.
Albert Penello: That's right, it doesn't show up.
Larry Hryb: Do you want to talk anything else you're playing?
Albert Penello: Uh ... between that and vacation, no I have not-
Larry Hryb: Okay, that's fair-
Albert Penello: - touched any.
Larry Hryb: - you know, when you're on vacation t-that's totally understandable cause you're enjoying, in that case, you're soaking up the beautiful sun of the tropical islands.
Albert Penello: That's right. Getting my vitamin, what is it? B? Or-
Larry Hryb: D.
Jeff Rubestein: D. [crosstalk 00:05:53]
Larry Hryb: That's the one we're all lacking.
Jeff Rubestein: Very, very much so.
Laura Massey: Very much at this point.
Larry Hryb: We're all pasty white. Uh, what about you Laura? What are you playing? I know, I know one of the ones you're continuing to play.
Laura Massey: Yes, uh, so it's probably no surprise to any listener or long-time listener that I'm still playing Diablo.
Group: (gasp)
Laura Massey: (gasp) What?!
Larry Hryb: Yeah, I know, right? Gasp.
Laura Massey: I know, they've ... they continue to make that game fun. Like they just squeeze the, the life out of it and, well for me I-I squeeze the life out of it as they try and drain or get every last drop of fun out of it.
Larry Hryb: You do.
Laura Massey: And I do. I still find it fun and like I can actually do that-
Larry Hryb: Oh, I know. I know.
Laura Massey: - it's a really fun game and ... I was able to find something for you.
Larry Hryb: You did.
Laura Massey: Have you opened it?
Larry Hryb: I haven't so-
Laura Massey: What?!
Larry Hryb: Why don't you explain this mechanic in what happened.
Laura Massey: Yes, so one of the best things about, uh, Diablo on the Xbox is the ability to gift things to your friends. You can gift things but more importantly the game embraces this and drops legendary gifts for your friends.
Larry Hryb: Right.
Laura Massey: And everybody wants a legendary-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Laura Massey: - in Diablo and-
Larry Hryb: I didn't know it was legendary!
Laura Massey: Yes!
Larry Hryb: Oh, I didn't know this.
Laura Massey: Every gift is a legendary gift.
Larry Hryb: Right.
Laura Massey: So they don't tell me what it is, it's just a little present-
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Laura Massey: - that pops onto the screen and you pick it up and it says "This is a gift for Major Nelson-"
Larry Hryb: Which it was.
Laura Massey: - "Would you like to send it to Major Nelson?" And I was like "Yes, I would!"
Larry Hryb: So, I will, by the next show I will retrieve my, I-I apologize, I've been travelling, as you know and-
Laura Massey: I'm disappointed.
Jeff Rubestein: Maybe it's a purple microphone.
Larry Hryb: I hope so!
Jeff Rubestein: Like the, like straight out of, uh, the Price is Right.
Larry Hryb: I hope so.
Jeff Rubestein: The Sony, whatever that is.
Larry Hryb: ECM-50.
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah, that's the one (laughs)
Larry Hryb: I'm a microphone nerd, Albert, I'm sorry!
Albert Penello: Really?
Jeff Rubestein: How great of a weapon would that be, by the way?
Larry Hryb: Um, so that's, I do need to find that. So, you're playing Diablo, you playing Solitaire?
Jeff Rubestein: Yes. I am.
Larry Hryb: Sol-solitaire on iOS, Android ...
Jeff Rubestein: What's your Solitaire Gamerscore?
Larry Hryb: You can get achievements.
Laura Massey: Oh, my gosh. Solitaire is hard, y'all (laughing) I have not won a single-
Larry Hryb: So, it's-
Laura Massey: - game yet and I've played 10.
Larry Hryb: All right, now let me-
Jeff Rubestein: What?!
Laura Massey: I know!
Larry Hryb: - so now, w-which version are you playing? Just straight up-
Laura Massey: Classic.
Larry Hryb: Classic,-
Laura Massey: Yes.
Larry Hryb: - cause here's the problem, I mean, I've been playing Solitaire like many of you and the listeners for many years. I only, I don't understand Klondike or Freecell or any of that.
Jeff Rubestein: Well, Klondike is your basic one-
Albert Penello: Okay, Klondike's a base-
Jeff Rubestein: - but you gotta play Vegas Cumulative to get yourself into a big hole and imagine how you're gonna-
Albert Penello: Can I just tell you? It is also a lie. There is no Vegas Solitaire. I have been to Vegas-
Jeff Rubestein: (laughs)
Albert Penello: - I'm like practicing to go to Vegas to win at Solitaire, there is no Solitaire in Vegas.
Group: (laughing)
Albert Penello: I've been lied to by Microsoft-
Jeff Rubestein: Oh no.
Albert Penello: - for years!
Jeff Rubestein: That's upsetting cause I've gotten really good at that and I'm like ready to, I don't go to Vegas very often but I'm ready to go and just take that town and everything they're worth.
Albert Penello: If you find Solitaire in Vegas, call me and I will fly there immediately.
Larry Hryb: Attention, attention. Anyone in Clark County,-
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: It's probably like the golden nugget.
Larry Hryb: - please report back if you find it. So, so I, you're playing Solitaire?
Laura Massey: So, I wouldn't go to Vegas to play Solitaire. I am terrible at it, apparently.
Larry Hryb: Are you doing the daily challenges?
Laura Massey: I am not.
Larry Hryb: I am.
Jeff Rubestein: That's where you get your big Gamerscore.
Larry Hryb: I got the coins, yeah. Every night before I go to bed.
Laura Massey: Nice.
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Laura Massey: Though I do play Spider Solitaire and that-
Larry Hryb: See, I don't understand that.
Jeff Rubestein: It's m-much harder, so Klondike is very ba-, I've played them all to get the Gamerscore. I've got about, uh, 385 right now, um, and many more to go.
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jeff Rubestein: But, um, Spider Solitaire you only have like two, um, suits I guess-
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jeff Rubestein: - and then you have to like be a little more careful [crosstalk 00:08:51] and then with Freecell is sort of like-
Laura Massey: Yes.
Jeff Rubestein: - a little bit different than that, but then the pyramid or tri-peaks, whatever it's called-
Laura Massey: I haven't tried that one yet.
Jeff Rubestein: - it's actually really fun.
Laura Massey: Okay, I should give that a try.
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah, they're all reasonably easy-
Larry Hryb: So wait a minute, Laura-
Jeff Rubestein: and the gamer, and the-
Larry Hryb: So, Laura you know, you obviously know all these different versions of Solitaire cause y-you're taking-
Laura Massey: I've never played the, the pyramid one though.
Jeff Rubestein: Tri-peaks.
Laura Massey: Tri-peaks? I never played that one.
Larry Hryb: All right, so anyway, so-
Laura Massey: Freecell, spider solitaire, that's where it's at.
Larry Hryb: Here's the deal, on Android and iOS and, of course, Windows 10 and you download the app, you can sign in on your Android phone or iOS phone and, and you sign into Xbox Live, you get achievements and Gamerscore!
Laura Massey: Yes.
Larry Hryb: So, that's, that's kinda, it's free. That's, that's kinda the take away here.
Laura Massey: Free Gamerscore.
Larry Hryb: Free Gamerscore.
Laura Massey: As long as you can actually get it, unlike me-
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Laura Massey: - who's still trying.
Larry Hryb: I've actually been getting it with, cause I'm playing, like, see I'm playing the Daily Challenges-
Laura Massey: The daily challenges?
Larry Hryb: For the, for the basic, you know, game.
Laura Massey: Very good.
Larry Hryb: Can't cheat at it.
Albert Penello: I'm gonna start it right now-
Larry Hryb: Go ahead.
Albert Penello: - and play it during the show.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Go ahead, you're welcome to do that, Albert. Until we call on you.
Albert Penello: That's right I will wait-
Laura Massey: Aw-
Albert Penello: - until asked.
Laura Massey: - I see, he's check out now he's just playing solitaire.
Larry Hryb: I know. Thanks for coming on the show, Albert.
Laura Massey: Thanks, thanks, Al.
Group: (laughs)
Albert Penello: Keeping you guys company, adding value.
Laura Massey: (laughs) And then the rest of my holiday was very relaxed-
Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Laura Massey: - so I didn't get the chance to play too much more than that-
Larry Hryb: All right, all right.
Laura Massey: - and I've been decorating for the holidays and getting ready, it's fun, fun stuff.
Larry Hryb: Jeffrey!
Jeff Rubestein: So, it's been a while.
Larry Hryb: Ah, yes it has.
Laura Massey: It has!
Larry Hryb: Laura and I did a show last time where-
Laura Massey: I think your hair is twice as long and it's-
Jeff Rubestein: I'm getting it cut, like, immediately after here. It's, uh, it's a problem. So-
Larry Hryb: That is long.
Jeff Rubestein: Oh, thanks.
Laura Massey: It looks twice as long than when I saw him last.
Larry Hryb: I just noticed it when he turned his head he's got that big, that big thing sloping, going down on the side there.
Jeff Rubestein: You know, I gotta, I gotta appeal to Generation Z.
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Jeff Rubestein: That's what I'm told.
Larry Hryb: Well, in this case put your hoodie up.
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah, [crosstalk 00:10:25] that's probably for the best.
Larry Hryb: Okay, you gotta put your hoodie up. There you go. That's all right, right there. (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: Now I look like, uh, the dude from Watch Dogs! Segway!
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: Um ... so, after beating Titanfall 2, which is one of my favorite shooter campaigns maybe ever, uh-
Laura Massey: Really?
Jeff Rubestein: Yes. Like, Titanfall 1 you played it for multiplayer because, you know, that's what it was, uh, and then you heard, I heard they were coming out with a campaign for 2 and I was like "How good can it be?" Well it turns out really great.
Laura Massey: Awesome
Jeff Rubestein: It's, it's an excellent shooter campaign. As is Battlefield, as well and I was waiting for Dishonored 2 to come out and in that meantime I was like "Well, you know, maybe I'll," I used to live in San Francisco. "I'm just gonna load up Watch Dogs 2 and I'm just gonna drive around, see if I can find my old house, see how, you know, different, uh, landmarks and things are." I haven't put it down since.
Laura Massey: Did you find the house?
Jeff Rubestein: What?
Laura Massey: Did you find your house?
Jeff Rubestein: Oh, so my, so the neighborhood I lived in-
Larry Hryb: The one you took me to?
Jeff Rubestein: What? Oh yeah, to the, so the mission is there-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Jeff Rubestein: - but n-not my particular street. Some of the streets I'm like "Oh, I know exactly, I'm going down Delores Street." And certain intersections-
Larry Hryb: Delores!
Jeff Rubestein: - even, yes.
Larry Hryb: (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: Well, there's also a Westworld thing here, it really works on so many levels.
Laura Massey: Yes, that's, that's what I connected with.
Jeff Rubestein: And like where my wife used to work, like that building, like the parking, e-everything is exactly there-
Larry Hryb: Is the ice cream place there that you took me to?
Jeff Rubestein: Um, they, so the mission does not extend east of, uh, Mission Street, unfortunately.
Larry Hryb: Okay.
Jeff Rubestein: Um, so they just have the gentrified part of the mission, but anyway, um ... it's, it's, I got so hooked on it because I-I played the whole-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Jeff Rubestein: - first Watch Dogs. Actually, I was in Chicago last week for the first time since then-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Jeff Rubestein: - and, um, y-you, I was playing with my phone, you can't just lift [inaudible 00:11:57] everywhere and make the street explode.
Laura Massey: (laughing)
Jeff Rubestein: Um, I tried. So, uh, but it's so much lighthearted and just fun, like there's a lot of things that are really wrapped up, uh, amazingly so in like current events, like, uh ... Martin Shkreli is kind of almost in that game and-
Larry Hryb: You hack Ubisoft, do you go into Ubisoft, you have to hack Ubisoft?
Jeff Rubestein: Yes, you hack into Ubisoft-
Larry Hryb: Wow.
Jeff Rubestein: - which is exactly where-
Laura Massey: Wow.
Jeff Rubestein: - it's supposed to be-
Laura Massey: That's amazing.
Jeff Rubestein: - on Third Street, I wanna say? And Bryant? So-
Larry Hryb: I didn't come across Stone when I got in that.
Jeff Rubestein: I was very upset that, that Stone Jim was not in the game.
Laura Massey: Missed opportunity.
Albert Penello: He's gotta be in the game.
Jeff Rubestein: He's not!
Laura Massey: He's somewhere.
Jeff Rubestein: I looked.
Albert Penello: Come on.
Larry Hryb: I know, I agree.
Jeff Rubestein: But, anyway.
Albert Penello: Stone, if you're listening, can you please tell us where you are in the game?
Jeff Rubestein: Please?
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: I, there it's, it is a very fun game and so, I-I have like 815 Gamerscore. I'll beat it, probably, in the next day or so. I'm very close. It just has a lot of heart whereas the first one was very technically cool, um, this one takes that and just adds like really likable characters.
Larry Hryb: So, we were playing it the other night, Jeff was playing it and I saw, I had fired it up as well, and I saw that he was playing and they have this mechanic where you can go into someone else's game and hack them.
Laura Massey: What?!
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Jeff Rubestein: Yes, and so what happens is-
Laura Massey: What?
Jeff Rubestein: - if you know the hacker's there but you can't see them and what happens is then, uh, they have to stay a certain distance from you and they're downloading data off of your, your phone cause-
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jeff Rubestein: - so you have to try and find them before they finish the hack and then escape. And, um ... Larry, I couldn't find him.
Larry Hryb: (laughing)
Jeff Rubestein: We're, we're hanging out in the Alamo Square-
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Jeff Rubestein: - and I'm like looking everywhere so I end up-
Larry Hryb: And the little thing on my screen is going up, it's like 20%,-
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah.
Larry Hryb: - 25%, 26, 28-
Laura Massey: This is right up your street.
Larry Hryb: Right, right? Thank you.
Jeff Rubestein: So, I sent up like a drone and I'm flying it all over and it turns out Larry was just sitting 10 feet away from me on the other side of a tree-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Jeff Rubestein: - that I didn't see, and I found him and, uh-
Larry Hryb: I made a fatal mistake.
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah, very fatal.
Laura Massey: What happened?
Larry Hryb: Well, you, I had to get away. So I run around the corner, I can see him on my mini map, he's coming after me and I jump in a car ... and I take off.
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Jeff Rubestein: (laughing) This was great. So, there y-, there's a, you can hack cars in this game, they're all smart cars so he starts to speed off, I'm standing in the middle of the street like "Oh, no you don't."
Larry Hryb: (laughing)
Laura Massey: Oh no!
Jeff Rubestein: And I hold down, I hold down like the left bumper and I hit, ah, I think the A button and immediately he starts rolling-
Larry Hryb: It backs up! (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: - backwards, he gets out of the car and goodnight-
Larry Hryb: He guns me down.
Jeff Rubestein: -ah, goodnight Major Nelson.
Group: (sad sigh)
Larry Hryb: A lot of fun though, a lot of fun.
Jeff Rubestein: I, it's, that is a very fun mechanic and to have like, uh, these cat and mouses with it where you just go on forever. Another game that actually we were playing together is Dead Rising 4-
Larry Hryb: Oh, yeah!
Jeff Rubestein: - last week.
Laura Massey: Yeah, that just came out.
Jeff Rubestein: And it's got a separate, uh, co-op mode and we were playing the four player co-op where, it's just you're in the mall and you have a-a few object, uh, objectives to do but it's just, it's just-
Larry Hryb: Mad cap fun. If you like killing zombies it's just stupid, silly fun.
Laura Massey: Oh, yeah.
Larry Hryb: That's it.
Jeff Rubestein: You wanna bash them with a ... you know, nerf guns or, uh-
Larry Hryb: I had, I had this weird ping pong gun (pop sounds)-
Jeff Rubestein: Yes!
Larry Hryb: I was shooting ping pong balls at zombies.
Laura Massey: Was that effective?
Jeff Rubestein: That's a good sound effect.
Larry Hryb: Not at all.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Not at all, it was the worst weapon in the entire game.
Laura Massey: I could imagine (laughing), just-
Larry Hryb: (pop sounds) and it made that sound, you know, d-shooting anyway, so it was a, it was fun though. We did that good co-op.
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah, we did. So, uh, highly recommend the co-op, I'm still playing through, actually playing the campaign on Windows 10 and we were playing on a Xbox on multiplayer.
Larry Hryb: Yeah. We had a lot of fun with that, so um, is that all you got? Cause I got a couple things I gotta-
Jeff Rubestein: That's all I've got.
Larry Hryb: - of course I'm playing, we talked about Watch Dogs, I'm chipping away at that. The single player, doing a little co-op,-
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Larry Hryb: - a little Dead Rising 4, um, I'm playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare Remastered on my Windows 10 PC. Looks great and, uh-
Laura Massey: Right.
Jeff Rubestein: It does look good.
Larry Hryb: - a-and I think it's 4K, it looks fantastic. Final Fantasy, Jeffrey?
Laura Massey: That just came out.
Jeff Rubestein: I-I-I'm saving that, I'm saving that?
Larry Hryb: Uh, that one's, uh, that one's special.
Laura Massey: Did you start it?
Larry Hryb: Uh, yeah. I did.
Laura Massey: Okay.
Larry Hryb: I started, I'm probably about two and a half hours in.
Laura Massey: Awesome.
Larry Hryb: So, it's-
Jeff Rubestein: I'm very impressed that you're playing that game. It just doesn't feel-
Larry Hryb: The writing's actually-
Jeff Rubestein: - like a Larry game.
Larry Hryb: The writing is actually very good. The voice acting is very good, the writing is very good, the combat is. I-I made a mistake, though, in the game, you know, it's, if you go out at night the enemies are very difficult and I just, I was like "Ah, it's nighttime what could go wrong?" Well, a lot.
Laura Massey: Oh, no.
Larry Hryb: It goes back to my old adage that I'm pretty convinced that nothing good ever happens after midnight. Yeah, it actually carries over into video games.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: I would like to point out that as we go through this I look across to the end of the table and Albert is still playing solitaire.
Laura Massey: Yes, he is.
Jeff Rubestein: He is.
Larry Hryb: (laughing)
Laura Massey: Have you won yet?
Albert Penello: Are you talking to me?
Group: Yeah (laughs).
Larry Hryb: So, uh, so anyway, that's kinda what I'm playing but I figured we'd have a chance to go through the news. I wanna talk about a couple of things I'm gonna be doing, uh, I just got, of course, Laura when you joined the show, or when you and I did the show last time we talked about my, my time in Australia-
Laura Massey: Yes.
Larry Hryb: - and Mexico, uh, I'm headed to New York next week. I haven't even told you this, Laura.
Laura Massey: What?
Larry Hryb: I don't think Jeffrey or-
Laura Massey: More travel for Larry?
Larry Hryb: I am headed to New York, I was invited by Fox Pictures to go interview the stars for Assassin's Creed, for the film.
Laura Massey: Awesome.
Jeff Rubestein: Michael Fassbender.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, so, I'm gonna go in-
Jeff Rubestein: Oh, ask him about Alien.
Larry Hryb: I'm going to.
Jeff Rubestein: He would love that.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: So I'm gonna talk, we're gonna talk to him about that, um, I'm actually doing two things on Monday, so, we're recording this and posting this on Friday. On Monday I'm doing a Facebook Live stream, so we'll do Q&A on Facebook Live. Just follow me, I'm Major Nelson I'll tell you all the details and then I'll be gone, I'll go hang out with the stars the next day and so forth.
Jeff Rubestein: Say hi to Marion Cotillard for me.
Larry Hryb: I will do that. You seem to be very enamored with this young woman.
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, yeah, oui?
Group: (laughs)
Laura Massey: Was that French? Or something?
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, yeah. That's obviously French.
Larry Hryb: Do you mean "we" as in "we"-
Albert Penello: As in both of you?
Larry Hryb: - all of us or-
Albert Penello: That's the way I took it.
Larry Hryb: - or "oui" as in "yes"?
Jeff Rubestein: All of the above.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Anyways, so it's, uh, I'll be in New York on Monday and Tuesday so look for my Tweets from that and hopefully you guys and girls can tune in on that Facebook, or do you have any questions you'd like to ask Michael Fassbender? Laura?
Laura Massey: I'll have to think about that one.
Larry Hryb: Okay. Are you a Michael Fassbender fan? You know who else is in it? Is a, is, um, Jeremy Irons, who I just-
Jeff Rubestein: Let me guess! He's the bad guy.
Group: (laughing)
Larry Hryb: I don't know but I just, I-I, he's got such a great voice.
Laura Massey: Oh, yeah.
Albert Penello: He was Alfred in, in Batman Superman so maybe he's trying to change his image.
Jeff Rubestein: Oh, I didn't see Batman and Superman.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, I didn't either-
Jeff Rubestein: Versus Superman.
Larry Hryb: - so, I don't think many people did, so [inaudible 00:17:36]
Albert Penello: Anyway, yeah, it only made like 2 billion dollars [inaudible 00:17:39]
Jeff Rubestein: Why don't you ask him about that.
Larry Hryb: So I'll be in, uh-
Jeff Rubestein: I wanna, I wanna know if Fassbender, uh, if he had to cut his finger off for the role-
Larry Hryb: I will, uh, I'll-
Jeff Rubestein: - he seems very dedicated to the craft.
Larry Hryb: - I'll do a full report back, hopefully we can do a show next week cause I've got a lot of travel going on, I'm gonna be doing that, come back and then we hit right into, cause next week Albert-
Albert Penello: Yes.
Larry Hryb: - next week.
Albert Penello: Next week.
Larry Hryb: Next week.
Albert Penello: Next week.
Larry Hryb: Star Wars.
Group: (gasp)
Laura Massey: So excited.
Albert Penello: That is, huh?
Larry Hryb: Do you have-
Group: Do you have tickets?
Albert Penello: Never heard of it, never heard of it.
Larry Hryb: (laughs) S-so do you have your Rogue One tickets? Cause I know-
Albert Penello: Of course I've got my Rogue One tickets!
Larry Hryb: Okay, I know L-Laura, Laura and I were chat, ch-chatting, she has hers, Jeffrey you have yours?
Jeff Rubestein: Yep, we're seeing it, uh, at 10AM on Friday.
Larry Hryb: And, uh, so when are you gonna see it?
Albert Penello: Uh, one.
Larry Hryb: One o'clock, okay. On Thursday or Friday?
Albert Penello: Friday.
Jeff Rubestein: I won't come out spoiling it.
Larry Hryb: So, I think I see it earliest-
Laura Massey: Yes, you're the first.
Larry Hryb: - cause I see it 7 o'clock-
Laura Massey: On Thursday.
Larry Hryb: - Thursday night. Although I think-
Jeff Rubestein: Thursday?!
Larry Hryb: - I think ... I may or may not have a screening before that. That's all I can say.
Laura Massey: How special.
Albert Penello: And who are you taking to that screening with on Thursday? Albert who?
Larry Hryb: And?
Albert Penello: Yes?
Jeff Rubestein: Yes.
Larry Hryb: So I'll let you know about that, but yeah so we got a lot to talk about next week, hopefully.
Laura Massey: Yeah and yeah, Larry and I [inaudible 00:18:39] together on text messages like "Have you gotten tickets yet?" "Is anything working for you?"
Larry Hryb: Yeah, cause everything kinda went crazy with that-
Laura Massey: We were both trying to get-
Larry Hryb: - the internet melted down-
Laura Massey: [inaudible 00:18:47]
Larry Hryb: Where are you seeing it, Albert?
Albert Penello: Uh, I'm just seeing it at Crossroads.
Larry Hryb: Okay. I think, uh, I think it was mostly around people who aren't like us and can't get off in the middle of the day to go see movies-
Laura Massey: Yeah.
Larry Hryb: - so if you try to go that night-
Albert Penello: Right.
Larry Hryb: - or the night before you're stuck.
Albert Penello: Right, but I didn't have any problems going in the afternoon, so.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, that's
Jeff Rubestein: All right, whatever.
Albert Penello: Or, uh, sorry, uh, I am working from home that day.
Laura Massey: (laughs) [crosstalk 00:19:07]
Larry Hryb: At plugfest, plugfest!
Albert Penello: Also, also (coughs). Yeah, I think I'm coming up with something.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, so we're down with that [crosstalk 00:19:13]
Jeff Rubestein: Edit that down and just go straight to the part where you're not feeling well.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Star Wars will be next week, we'll have a full report, anyway I just wanted to let folks know I'll be in, I'll be in, uh, I'll be in New York next week. Very, very quick turn, I leave on Sunday, Monday, back Tuesday night, so.
Laura Massey: That is a quick turn.
Larry Hryb: So, hope, hopefully you guys can, uh, have some good questions for that. I'll hit you up on Twitter, everyone listening, for your questions if you have any specific questions for them around the movie.
I'm just excited to talk to them about Assassin's Creed, I mean-
Laura Massey: Yes.
Larry Hryb: - who hasn't played that franchise, right? And talk about what they're gonna do there.
Jeff Rubestein: Is it, uh ... is Fassbender, is he Altaïr or Ezio?
Larry Hryb: We will find out.
Jeff Rubestein: Okay.
Larry Hryb: So, we'll find out. Uh, anyway, a-and apparently like, they invited me to go to, uh, Good Morning America, which is a big TV show-
Laura Massey: Are you gonna be on Good Morning America?!
Larry Hryb: Well, no I'm not gonna be on it but they're doing something with a stuntman where they're gonna be have him do the leap of faith. Like I don't know how high up he's gonna be in Times Square, cause you know where-
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah, yeah.
Larry Hryb: - Good Morning America's right in Times Square in New York City so-
Albert Penello: There's a lot of tall buildings there.
Larry Hryb: There's a lot of tall buildings there-
Laura Massey: Yeah.
Larry Hryb: - b-but there, a lot of tall buildings, very few haystacks.
Group: (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: Remember the year that they did like the biggest live-
Laura Massey: Yes!
Jeff Rubestein: - jump like of all time? It was like the tallest stunt ever, right?
Laura Massey: Yeah, the, before the leap of faith.
Larry Hryb: Oh my god.
Laura Massey: That was, most of it's real.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, now I wanna see it.
Laura Massey: I know!
Larry Hryb: Anyway, so more details on that but we've got a lot of Xbox news. Jeffrey, you have some things in front of you you wanna go through.
Jeff Rubestein: I-I do indeed.
Larry Hryb: Awesome, why don't we tap through those cause we, we're a little bit of tight on time but I wanna, after this we're gonna get to Albert to talk about 4K and then Laura, we've gotta name the give-
Laura Massey: We do,-
Larry Hryb: - we got so much.
Laura Massey: - so many things.
Larry Hryb: - we have so much to do.
Jeff Rubestein: So the big release for the week, uh, as you well know was, uh, Dead Rising 4.
Larry Hryb: Dead Rising 4.
Jeff Rubestein: On Xbox One and Windows 10.
Larry Hryb: Did you see the video I did?
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, I haven't watched that yet.
Larry Hryb: I did a video where I interviewed, Laura you didn't see this-
Laura Massey: No.
Larry Hryb: - you don't have any time. Uh, I interviewed, uh, a zombie expert.
Laura Massey: There's such a thing?
Jeff Rubestein: What?
Larry Hryb: Yes, it's all, all linked to [inaudible 00:20:52] Jeffrey, if-
Jeff Rubestein: I'll drop that in the notes.
Larry Hryb: - it was, uh, it was an interview I did with a actual, th-this gentleman prepares people for zombie attacks and I interviewed him.
Laura Massey: I would love to see that.
Larry Hryb: Thank you.
Laura Massey: Very interesting.
Larry Hryb: I will, I will make sure I put that up.
Jeff Rubestein: Ten tips to survive the zombie apocalypse.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, that's it.
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, another big update, uh, and that would be for Halo 5 Forge. Um, so, as you know this is something that is available for free on Windows 10 and, uh, it's something that I thought was, uh, really interesting is that, and I-I'll just read the quote here "With this powerful new feature, Halo 5 Forge on Windows 10 graduates to a full fledged Halo Arena multiplayer experience letting you search find to join games to play, at 4K, for free."
Larry Hryb: Yup.
Jeff Rubestein: So, if you've got a Windows 10, uh, computer with, uh-
Larry Hryb: What are you waiting for?
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah, exactly.
Laura Massey: There should be nothing holding you back. It's free!
Jeff Rubestein: Big update there. Uh, another game that, uh, hadn't heard, uh, in a little while now available also for Xbox One and Windows 10-
Larry Hryb: Yes.
Jeff Rubestein: - uh, it's part of Game Previews Gigantic-
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Laura Massey: (gasp)
Jeff Rubestein: So, this is sort of a MOBA shooter and, uh, you can play it right now for free.
Larry Hryb: What are you waiting for? Xbox and Windows 10.
Jeff Rubestein: Yes, get those downloads going. Uh, Bethesda Pinball, um, so, for Zen Pinball, the Pinball FX people-
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jeff Rubestein: - um, they tend to make really-
Larry Hryb: They're the only ones that do pinball games, really.
Jeff Rubestein: Well, like you have like the real pinball games from the Pinball Arcade which is, uh, ID@Xbox game which is great if you want to play ... really, like, pixel perfect rep-replications of real pinball tables, uh, which is actually really fun. If you want the fantasy side, Pinball FX, uh, also, uh, available for ID@Xbox. Uh, I really love their Plants Vs. Zombies table-
Larry Hryb: Yep.
Jeff Rubestein: - um, but now there are tables for Skyrim, for, um, Fallout and for Doom.
Laura Massey: Awesome.
Jeff Rubestein: So, um, very ... anxious to see those.
Laura Massey: Larry did you and I do a stream on one of their tables?
Larry Hryb: We did, was that the Star Wars table?
Laura Massey: I-I don't know which table it was.
Jeff Rubestein: I think they do a bunch of Star Wars ones.
Laura Massey: Was it Portal? Was it a Portal table?
Larry Hryb: I think it was Portal, that's right.
Laura Massey: It was a Portal table.
Larry Hryb: Good memory, Laura. Good memory.
Laura Massey: That was a really fun one.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, that was a really good, good tables.
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, Goat Simulator: PAYDAY.
Larry Hryb: Right.
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah, Goat Simulator.
Laura Massey: Love Goat Simulator.
Jeff Rubestein: And you have PAYDAY.
Laura Massey: That's a great game.
Jeff Rubestein: I have no idea how the two of those go together-
Laura Massey: We don't either.
Jeff Rubestein: I think both the developers are Swedish, there's a good ... Zlatan reference-
Larry Hryb: Okay, there you go.
Jeff Rubestein: - in there. Anyway-
Larry Hryb: They me-met at a coffee shop and now they're trying to do work together.
Jeff Rubestein: Yes and then, um, We Happy Few had a big update.
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Jeff Rubestein: So, you remember that hit, uh, Xbox game preview, right around E3 or just after E3? Um, they have been listening and they have made a significant update called the Clockwork Update which is now available.
Larry Hryb: Delightful. Delightful!
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Larry Hryb: So, lots going on now. He-here's something you need to know, look, don't worry about it. You missed something now, you're confused, you're hurt, you're scared, you're huddling in a corner, you're like "I don't know [inaudible 00:23:25]." Tune in every Friday on your Xbox console, I'll tell you what to play with This Week on Xbox. You can see it on your Xbox console, Youtube, on Twitter, pretty much, pretty much everywhere, Laura.
Laura Massey: Yeah, pretty much everywhere.
Larry Hryb: Pretty much everywheres, so you can't swing a dead cat without missing This Week on Xbox.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: I'll make sure you see it. Um, so there's a lot going on there, a lot of game releases but Albert's joining us, after he's gonna finish solitaire.
Laura Massey: Yep, have you won yet?
Albert Penello: I'm that close.
Larry Hryb: Look, y-you are close.
Laura Massey: Oh, you are close.
Albert Penello: Yeah, I told ya.
Larry Hryb: Uh, but Albert, so let's, I want to get you on because, uh, Xbox One S, of course, is, is the only console that has a 4K, uh, Blu-ray player.
Albert Penello: That's correct.
Larry Hryb: Are you surprised by that?
Albert Penello: Uh,-
Group: (laughing)
Albert Penello: I was shocked!
Larry Hryb: Yes.
Albert Penello: Actually- (laughs)
Group: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Okay.
Albert Penello: But pleased!
Larry Hryb: Good, so, so what else would you like to tell us? I mean I wanted to get you on to talk about, there's people that are out going now, certainly they're picking up an Xbox One S, they're talking about the games, you know, which games are in HDR, what TV do I get, what's the state of it? You know, those kinds of things and I figured you can kinda, kinda recap what's going on.
Now you have a, you have this crazy banana crazy HDR TV at home, you were telling me about that-
Jeff Rubestein: I wanna hear about this.
Larry Hryb: - I think you mortgaged the house for this thing.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Again, plugfest.
Albert Penello: Yeah, exactly. Um, so I obviously had a little bit of a heads-up that we might be doing some stuff with some 4K things on hardware-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - so, I actually jumped the gun and bought my TV ... uh, a lot earlier, actually I think I bought it late last year.
Larry Hryb: I think you did.
Albert Penello: Bought it late last year, and so, uh, I'm, I'm a, I-I'm super early adopter, pre-gen but I bought an LG OLED-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - because, uh, I also watch a lot of movies and things like that, so, um-
Larry Hryb: What are you watching now?
Albert Penello: Uh, well now I'm going back and watching a bunch of cool stuff. They're, they're just releasing a bunch of 4K, um, s-some of the older stuff, so-
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Albert Penello: - it's fun to watch, like, kinda modern movies like the Star Trek's they did-
Larry Hryb: Sure.
Albert Penello: - the '09 Star Trek they did in 4K and obviously Deadpool, Mad Max, and [inaudible 00:25:17]
Laura Massey: Nice.
Larry Hryb: Wait a minute, '09, '09 is old? I mean-
Albert Penello: Well, I mean the old, the old new Star Trek's. The new Star Treks. Old movies, new Star Treks.
Larry Hryb: Yep.
Laura Massey: The JJ verse ones?
Albert Penello: The JJ verse ones. Which look great in 4K and, uh, Deadpool, Mad Max which is like one of my favorite movies in the last few years-
Laura Massey: Awesome.
Albert Penello: - looks awesome. So, uh ... yeah, um, it's been fun watching people, it's, t-the thing that's interesting about this to me is that when we did 360 in HD, kinda that stuff was already in market when we launched.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, and-
Albert Penello: We went right cresting it a little bit before, maybe, it depends on the way you looked at it.
Jeff Rubestein: I bought an HD TV just for my Xbox 360.
Albert Penello: There was actually 720p TV-
Laura Massey: As did I, yeah. (laughs)
Albert Penello: Yeah. But t-there was 720p TV's out in the OG Xbox, so-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - So that had-
Larry Hryb: We had the HD pack, right?
Albert Penello: Yeah, that's right, well we had the ... adapter for it and, so ... it was possible to be, cause we had like, there was DVI back then it was all before HDMI so it was different with VGA to get into that, but the point is is that a lot of that stuff that kind of worked out and here we're really on the cusp of 4K kinda coming out-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - so, there's just, I-I see a lot more confusion with customers and-
Larry Hryb: What are some of the things you see that you wanna, that you'd like to talk about?
Albert Penello: Well, the ... the first thing is the, is that you've got, um, the different technologies, right, so you, so you have OLED and you have LED sort of so there's questions about that, there's, people are more tuned to input latency for their gaming-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - so it's not really a question, you never had to ask that question in the CRT days-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - people didn't know to ask the question and sort of the early [inaudible 00:26:47]
Larry Hryb: I-I had a 16 x 9, uh, CRT, a Toshiba. This thing was, this thing had to weigh 300 pounds.
Laura Massey: Oh, I bet.
Albert Penello: Oh, yeah those were enormous.
Larry Hryb: It was ginormous and it was probably about 4 feet deep.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: It was huge.
Albert Penello: Yeah, and now you've got a flat panel that you can sorta pick up with your pinky.
Larry Hryb: Right, it's crazy.
Albert Penello: It is so thin. Uh, so, I think there's questions about that, there's questions about input latency. HDR continues to be a big question-
Larry Hryb: High Dynamic Range.
Albert Penello: Right, High Dynamic Range continues to be a question and I think that the industry hasn't sorted out you've got the HD Premium Certification and-
Laura Massey: Oh, yes.
Albert Penello: - you've got Dolby Vision and you've got, um-
Larry Hryb: And Xbox One has supports what?
Albert Penello: - so, HDR10 is the, um, t-the movie standard-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - sort of the baseline.
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: Um, of, uh, HDR support. So, if your TV supports HDR it supports HDR10.
Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Albert Penello: You can think of Dolby Vision of kinda like THX, like it would, it would have additional requirements on top of that.
Larry Hryb: Sure.
Albert Penello: Um-
Larry Hryb: But those are the two main, I mean, anything else you hear out there, that's just kinda noise.
Albert Penello: Yeah.
Larry Hryb: Those are, those are the two standards.
Albert Penello: Those are the two main standards.
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Albert Penello: A-and so if it's, it's almost certain that if you're buying a, uh ... a Dolby Vision set it supports HDR10 but it might not necessarily be the, the other case. And then there's just silly things like not every TV calls these features the same things-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - and have them on by default, some have them off, some require specific ports-
Larry Hryb: That's, that's the, that's the one thing I noticed, I remember from last time and a lot of people hit me up on Twitter and sent emails is like, is like, you know, yeah you may have an HDR TV but maybe it only has input 1 and you have your console in input 2 so you're like "Why isn't it working?"
Albert Penello: So my set for instance is that way.
Larry Hryb: Oh, really? Okay.
Albert Penello: My set only has one input that supports HDR.
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: Even though three of them support 4K-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - only one of them supports HDR.
Larry Hryb: So you gotta kinda have to read the fine print.
Albert Penello: Yeah.
Larry Hryb: (laughs)
Albert Penello: And there's AV, a lot of people have AV receivers, AVR's in between them that might not support passing 4K so it's, uh, it's kinda complicated and I, I feel bad for customers because, you know, it's very easy to think like did I buy the TV's fault or is it Xbox's did something wrong?
Larry Hryb: What's going on here?
Albert Penello: Yeah
Larry Hryb: That's why, that's why if you, when you buy your Xbox One S we've got this nifty little screen in display that assuming everything works you get green check marks all the way down the line.
Laura Massey: Oh, that's good.
Larry Hryb: It's like check, check, check, check, check and it kind of, you know, so, you don't have to keep firing up a game "Does it look good? I don't know!" "Does the TV say? I don't-" we, we kinda take care of that for you.
Albert Penello: And then you can sorta work your way through the, the problem from there but there's some good sets of basics, so, um, you know ... I would say from a TV buying perspective, if you're buying something this year, you're in good shape. Like, you're gonna go with Samsung, you're gonna go with Sony, you're gonna go with LG, you're gonna go with Vizio, these are all names you know. What can you afford-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - what do you care about for a future perspective?
Larry Hryb: How big do you need it, et cetera.
Albert Penello: So, it's like I'm not really gonna say there's a, there's a good one or a bad one-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - um, there are actually really good things about all of them and there's generally some thing you wish was better on all of them, as well.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, I ran into a problem cause I-I, my TV is at home, I was, I was [con-vetching 00:29:38] about this on Twitter earlier in the week, is, uh, I had to do, m-my TV doesn't do pass-through for 5:1. So I plug my HDMI's into my TV and it's a Samsung TV-
Albert Penello: Mm-hmm (affirmative)
Larry Hryb: - and output of my output optical out into my soundbar and it's like "No, I'm not gonna pass 5:1."
Albert Penello: Mm-hmm (affirmative)
Larry Hryb: So I'm trying to figure that fiasco out. It's just, this is, and then I went down the rabbit hole of "Oh, I wonder why this doesn't work? Let me go to AVS forum." Yeah, okay. Two and a half hours later I still don't have an answer, but I had some great reading.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Albert Penello: Yeah, and there's also, there's also this thing called ARC which is called Audio Return Channel-
Larry Hryb: Yes, yeah.
Albert Penello: - which will then go back into the receiver so everybody that's used to plugging into the receiver at the end of the TV, you can actually make it go the other way now.
Larry Hryb: But why?
Albert Penello: Which is, uh, so anyway. There's a lot there.
Jeff Rubestein: What's your best source? If I, you know, if the listeners wanna know where should I go?
Larry Hryb: Twitter.com/albertpenello
Jeff Rubestein: I'm sure he'd love that.
Group: (laughs)
Albert Penello: Ah, you know, honestly I, y-you really have got to read a lot of different sources. I think, I think the answer to that question is what do you, what are you trying to optimize for? If you're trying to optimize for games, go to the games forums. Um, the games forums have really good threads about buying TV's for gaming.
If you care about video primarily then I would go to something like AVS forum, um, that'll help you pick something that's more optimized for movie watching and video watching because they are different activities and the TV's have to compromise, um, which is why you have things like vivid mode and cinema mode and game mode because, um, you know, TV's and DVDs and animation and games all have slightly different, um, requirements.
So, it's complicated.
Larry Hryb: Right and we also wanna point out that there's, um, there's a lot of games on Xbox One that support HDR.
Albert Penello: Yes.
Larry Hryb: You know, we've got, uh, I know that Forza Horizon 3 looks delightful, delightful. Gears of War 4, breathtaking if you have an Xbox One S or a PC in HDR, well actually, so the PC side, what's going on there with HDR?
Albert Penello: Uh-
Larry Hryb: That's even more confusing, isn't it?
Albert Penello: Yeah, that's probably s-, you're gonna start seeing that stuff probably next year.
Larry Hryb: Okay.
Albert Penello: Again, um, it's very easy to think that all these things do the same thing-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: - but, like, it's, oh it's a screen with pixels and so, but, uh, you know, you don't need HDR in desktop productivity software-
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Albert Penello: - and so the drive to do HDR-
Larry Hryb: Nothing looks better than my pivot table in (laughs)
Group: (laughing)
Albert Penello: That's right.
Jeff Rubestein: Excel in HDR!
Albert Penello: PowerPoint is the most vivid it's ever been! And so, there's pro-, there's a lot of questions about, um, the [inaudible 00:31:58] have to be a lot different. The PC Cards have to support a lot more-
Larry Hryb: Sure.
Albert Penello: - different cards.
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Albert Penello: So, they're gonna be probably a little slower to adopt HDR but, um, from our conversations with them that's probably something you're gonna start to see end of 2017.
Larry Hryb: Gotta figure that out, yeah.
Albert Penello: Yeah.
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Albert Penello: But, uh, yeah there's games coming out, and again this is a thing I kinda like to remind peoples when everybody asks when we're just in the beginning of this, so games and game developers and TV manufacturers, we all have to sort of get used to-
Larry Hryb: We figure it out.
Albert Penello: - figure this out, what works, what do customers want-
Larry Hryb: This reminds me a little but, and I know it's not the same in terms of technology, but it reminds me a little bit of the early days of Achievements.
Albert Penello: Yeah.
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Larry Hryb: Where people, you know, Xbox 360 brought on this concept of Achievements and we all had those games like "Well, that does Achievements weird," or, so then the, t-then the game developers started having fun with it and figuring it out and now they're kinda got into this rhythm, right, so, you just like gotta figure it out. There's this new, it's a new tool in the toolbox and they gotta figure it out.
Albert Penello: And showing it to people is really hard because showing people what 4K and HDR looks like, um, is really hard when you're not watching the thing in 4K or in HDR
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: So, you know, how do, how do we market that and be honest? You have, you have to, um ... you have to [fledge 00:33:13] things a little bit to show the differences but you want to do it in a way that's honest-
Larry Hryb: Right.
Albert Penello: So, even telling customers what it looks like, you know, we have to go through that journey of like-
Larry Hryb: It's like describing the smell, you can't really describe a smell, right?
Laura Massey: Right, you just have to smell it.
Larry Hryb: Right, you gotta smell it.
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Larry Hryb: What does HDR smell like, Albert?
Albert Penello: Delicious.
Group: (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: L-like muffins coming out of the oven on a ... warm-
Albert Penello: Like a crisp, spring day.
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah.
Group: (laughing)
Albert Penello: Uh, so yeah. It's, there, again I would just say there's a couple basic things I wanna just sorta remind everybody as they're going through this which is like, there's lots of great TVs and I wouldn't be afraid to jump in, uh, no pun intended, to buying a TV because I think, uh, you can wait forever but there's plenty of good options out there. Um, we have two things that I always point people towards and, Larry, you pointed out one of them which is we have the 4K, uh, um, troubleshooter-
Larry Hryb: Yep.
Albert Penello: - that goes through-
Larry Hryb: On your console.
Albert Penello: - on the console and we have also have, um, a HD calibration utility that's in the video settings and both of those things are super important, um, to make sure not only that you have everything actually in 4K but most people don't know that the TV's, um, the way they're default set up are not really actually the best picture quality. They're brighter, they're sharper than they need to be, um, they look a little unnatural and so we have a great calibration utility that people can go through and really, and Larry I've done this to your TV's, you always see when I walk into a room-
Larry Hryb: Yeah, walk into our studios-
Albert Penello: - I complain about the sharpness on your television-
Larry Hryb: And then we get into this two hour slippery slope conversation. Once you leave then everyone is like "Well, what about this? What about?" Anyway.
Jeff Rubestein: This is like when I go home and my Mom's watching SD stuff in, in stretched out to 16 x 9.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, that's right.
Jeff Rubestein: And the VCR light's blinking.
Albert Penello: There's a whole in-laws thing.
Larry Hryb: Do you remember, by the way are we finally past this full screen video thing? Remember that was in the 90's when you get a video and it was like "Do you want, do you want [inaudible 00:34:55] or full screen?" Right?
Albert Penello: Now the TVs are in the right aspect ratio, so-
Larry Hryb: Yeah, right.
Albert Penello: - uh, but again, so I remind people like use the HDMI cable that comes in our box. There really is a difference in what formats the HDMI can support.
Larry Hryb: Sure.
Albert Penello: There is a quality of cable difference, um ... when you're first getting started plug it right into your television, don't go through an AV receiver, um, because that will eliminate a lot of issues that we see customers have. That doesn't mean you can't try later but start in your-
Larry Hryb: Remove as many, as many variables as you can and just get the signal straight and get it working the way you want it first and then start slowly adding in components or variables, so that you don't have to, like, unwind it.
Albert Penello: Yeah, and, uh, and look when you get it running it's really, uh, you know, we've all seen stuff in 4K and HDR and we don't, you know, I think historically we don't always support every single format war that comes out or every single industry standard, but I think this is one of those cases where I think 4K, personally, is really awesome. I know the team's really behind it, um ... I know we're listening to a lot of feedback online-
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Albert Penello: - um, as people are having set-up issues. The TV manufacturers are being way better about responding and doing patches and updates.
Larry Hryb: Well, that's also the bonus of the fact that we live in this connected world-
Albert Penello: World, yeah.
Larry Hryb: - where your TV's online, it's taken, it's taken a firmware update-
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative)
Larry Hryb: - and it's doing all that stuff, so, yeah. It's good stuff.
Albert Penello: It's a good time. It's good time, good, good Christmas gift. Put it on your Santa list.
Larry Hryb: Yeah. I mean, I need to go out and get a new TV cause I bought mine before the HDR thing ... revolution for lack of a better term, so I'm-
Albert Penello: Do you have a 4K set?
Larry Hryb: I-I have two. I have two.
Albert Penello: But they're pre-HDR.
Larry Hryb: But they're pre-, they were right before HD and some of them are even trying to, uh, super HD, they're trying to pawn them off as like HDR but they're not. I know they're not, come on. (whispers) Come on, don't do that to me.
Albert Penello: That's, yeah.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: So, uh, anyway, so yeah we-we'll, that's good stuff now there's another great resource, uh, which Jeff will put a link to in the show notes which is, uh, there's a great article on Xbox Wire. It kinda preps you for, uh, HDR and w-we, t-the team has updated that haven't they?
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, yes they have.
Larry Hryb: Recently, so, that's good to know. So that's something you need to-
Jeff Rubestein: It has, it lists out, uh, the different games that are already supporting HDR and mentions a few we know going forward are going to, so.
Albert Penello: Yeah, we're gonna have some big app announcements coming up soon. We're always adding new, uh, new 4K content, so there's gonna be more game releases and app releases coming up.
Jeff Rubestein: I need to see NBA 2K17 in HDR. That's always, like, the NBA series has-
Larry Hryb: Jeffrey Dean Chamillionaire
Laura Massey: Yeah, that's what I was gonna ask "What's your name again?"
Group: (laughing)
Jeff Rubestein: Jeffrey Dean Chamillionaire. Uh, which I feel a little weird because now Jeffrey Dean Morgan is the, the uber bad guy on, uh, Walking Dead right now, but whatever.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: There's nothing I can do with my basketball career, but that's always the game I would showoff in HD cause it, this gen, it's one of the consistently best looking games-
Larry Hryb: Yeah.
Jeff Rubestein: - like the one where people walk by and go "Who's playing?" And then you realize "Oh wait, you are."
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Jeff Rubestein: Not the real [inaudible 00:37:43]
Larry Hryb: But it's really, I, you know, first of all, Albert that's really good information and you're always welcome to come on the show, you know, to talk about and give us a state of the state of the HDR. Now, now of course one of the main reasons you came on the show is to really give up all the new Scorpio news. No, no, no.
Group: (laughs)
Albert Penello: Oh, you're killing me, dude.
Larry Hryb: We'll have news on that in 2017 people, people. But it's always, it's always great to have you on the show.
Albert Penello: Scorpio? Never heard of it.
Larry Hryb: It's good. Never, never, what is, what is that?
Jeff Rubestein: What is that?
Larry Hryb: I don't know what that is. Um, you got all those notes there, Jeffrey? You gonna throw in there?
Jeff Rubestein: Oh, yeah.
Larry Hryb: All right, we're gonna, we're gonna stop and do a, a Name the Game, Laura.
Laura Massey: With [inaudible 00:38:12]
Larry Hryb: Cause we really c-, cause I got a bunch of stuff I gotta do some TV, I gotta, I gotta prep for Michael Fassbender.
Laura Massey: That's right.
Larry Hryb: Okay?
Jeff Rubestein: He seems like ... you better give him a good question or he's just gonna throw right back at you. He doesn't have time for a, you know, what's your favorite holiday recipe? He wa-, he wants the real questions.
Larry Hryb: I don't, I, I ask thoughtful-
Jeff Rubestein: I know you do, I'm just saying-
Larry Hryb: - intense,-
Laura Massey: It takes time to prepare.
Larry Hryb: All right, so Laura you ready for Name the Game?
Laura Massey: I am ready. (audio clip)
So those sounds were from Name the Game from last time-
Larry Hryb: Yep.
Laura Massey: - and it was Farming Simular-, let me try that again.
Larry Hryb: Yep.
Laura Massey: Farming Simulator '17.
Larry Hryb: Yep.
Laura Massey: Love that game.
Larry Hryb: I know you do and you and I have yet to do in multiplayer.
Laura Massey: We have not done multiplayer yet.
Larry Hryb: Apparently because-
Laura Massey: We need-
Larry Hryb: - there's no dungeons to raid.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Okay.
Laura Massey: They should add that as a content pack-
Larry Hryb: Yes I know, I know they should-
Laura Massey: - Farming Simulator.
Larry Hryb: - content, yeah, okay.
Laura Massey: Raid the dungeons (laughs) All right, I'm sure you don't care about o-our, our banter.
Larry Hryb: Go raid the pig sty, yeah.
Laura Massey: You want to hear who had won?
Larry Hryb: Yeah who's the winner?! Who's the winner?!
Laura Massey: The winner is John from Iowa.
Larry Hryb: Okay, that's good to know.
Laura Massey: His gamertag is Wafflehouseninja.
Jeff Rubestein: That's a great gamertag.
Laura Massey: (laughing)
Larry Hryb: That is very good.
Laura Massey: Very good!
Larry Hryb: You've been, you've been to Waffle House, haven't you?
Laura Massey: I have, yeah.
Larry Hryb: I have too, Lau-, Jeffrey I've gone to, I've been ... You haven't been to a Waffle House until you've been to a Waffle House in Florida.
Jeff Rubestein: You, you mentioned that nothing good happens after midnight. I've never been to a Waffle House before midnight.
Larry Hryb: Okay.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: And am I right?
Laura Massey: Look who's won-
Albert Penello: Yes!
Laura Massey: look who's about to win.
Larry Hryb: What, h-hold on second, s-stop-
Laura Massey: Hold the presses
Larry Hryb: - a-are you gonna, you, y-you wanna win right-
Albert Penello: Yeah, this is, this is totally legit.
Larry Hryb: Okay.
Albert Penello: So, I-I've fired it up-
Larry Hryb: You started a [inaudible 00:40:31] game-
Laura Massey: His first game.
Albert Penello: Laura said this is, this is-
Laura Massey: It's hard.
Albert Penello: - this is technically, I did not beat the first one, I played, this is my second game of mine. I'm gonna press the King of Diamonds-
Larry Hryb: Yes.
Albert Penello: - and then I'm gonna win my first solitaire game.
Larry Hryb: And I think, and I, then you, I think you have to set, don't you have to approve a winner? Oh, look [crosstalk 00:40:46]
Laura Massey: Oh, it's got the cards!
Larry Hryb: It's even doing the animation.
Albert Penello: So there you go, number two, second game played, won it.
Laura Massey: (sighs)
Larry Hryb: Congratulations.
Albert Penello: Real time.
Laura Massey: Maybe I should give you my phone so you can win (laughs), get me the gamerscore.
Albert Penello: I also spillin' mad info, but-
Larry Hryb: (laughs)
Albert Penello: - beatin' Klondike-
Larry Hryb: You wanna take that one again?
Albert Penello: - at the same time.
Group: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: All right now, Laura, we, we, we named the winner but we didn't tell him what they won.
Laura Massey: Yes, John is very curious about what he has won.
Larry Hryb: So now you've, you went into my, I saw you rustling around in my office the other day-
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: - so you must've found some good stuff cause you were in there giggling for quite some time.
Laura Massey: You have a lot of good stuff in your office.
Larry Hryb: Yes. What, w-what-
Laura Massey: I'm sure you won't-
Larry Hryb: - what did you find-
Laura Massey: - notice the things that is missing.
Larry Hryb: What did you find for wafflehouse?
Laura Massey: (laughs) So, wafflehouse has won a copy of Headlander-
Larry Hryb: Yes.
Laura Massey: - which is a new Double Fine game.
Larry Hryb: Have you seen this? Where you have to be the head off one, ah, you take the head of him and you b-be a robot.
Laura Massey: Oh my gosh, it's just a brilliant concept.
Larry Hryb: All right.
Laura Massey: And also a new game called ABZÛ-
Larry Hryb: Yep.
Laura Massey: - which is ...
Jeff Rubestein: Really good.
Larry Hryb: Oh?
Jeff Rubestein: It's really good.
Laura Massey: Oh, you played it?
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah, uh, it's, uh, it's sorta like an underwater exploration game-
Larry Hryb: All the words I love to hear.
Jeff Rubestein: - but it's totally trippy.
Larry Hryb: Yes.
Jeff Rubestein: It's great.
Larry Hryb: ABZÛ.
Laura Massey: All right and that's not all.
Larry Hryb: But what?
Laura Massey: I know.
Larry Hryb: What did you get?
Laura Massey: He also gets a copy of Dishonored 2.
Larry Hryb: Right. Dishonored 2, Jeffrey you playing that?
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, soon.
Larry Hryb: Soon.
Jeff Rubestein: When I'm done Watch Dogs.
Laura Massey: And-
Larry Hryb: Yes?
Laura Massey: - and-
Larry Hryb: And?
Laura Massey: - a copy of Dead Rising 4.
Larry Hryb: That's right! Cause you need to kill some zombies.
Laura Massey: Exactly, and that's not all.
Larry Hryb: Wait!
Laura Massey: John also gets a Xbox wireless controller ... the blue version.
Larry Hryb: See? See what we're doing here?
Laura Massey: Yeah!
Larry Hryb: This show, this show gives away big stuff.
Jeff Rubestein: Big prizes!
Albert Penello: Big prizes.
Jeff Rubestein: Can we throw in a copy of, uh, the Microsoft Solitaire collection?
Larry Hryb: Oh, that's for free.
Jeff Rubestein: We're, we're looking at Albert's activity feed. He's just, he's unlocked, since the, the cast started, since the show started, 65 Gamerscore.
Larry Hryb: Oh really?!
Laura Massey: What?
Albert Penello: Boom.
Larry Hryb: Well done.
Albert Penello: Can we go back to the beginning? "What are you playing?" I'm playing Solitaire.
Group: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Uh, anyway, so that's, um-
Laura Massey: Should we do another Name the Game?
Larry Hryb: Yeah, we, well you tell me. You have one ready?
Laura Massey: Yeah. All right, let's roll the next Name the Game. (audio of a video game) So that was Name the Game for this week. If you would like to win fabulous prizes, it's super easy. All you have to do is send me an email lollipop@xbox.com and CC major@xbox.com-
Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Laura Massey: - and just tell us what game that's from.
Larry Hryb: And if you don't know what it is and you're frustrated, just send us an email and say "Hello."
Laura Massey: That's true. We always like to hear-
Larry Hryb: We won't enter you but we love to say hello.
Laura Massey: Yes, we love to hear from our listeners.
Larry Hryb: If you have any questions about, uh, about, uh, HDR and 4K, uh, we'll link to Albert. Now usually when I have you on the show I link to your, uh, your Twitter profile.
Albert Penello: Sure.
Larry Hryb: Is that okay? (laughs) Do you even read-
Albert Penello: Better than my, of course! Absolutely, all the time.
Larry Hryb: Okay, okay. I didn't-
Albert Penello: Yeah, like when we launched Xbox One S I really was, like ... you know, twit albertpenello was the, like, 4K set up source.
Larry Hryb: Yeah (laughs)
Group: (laughs) [crosstalk 00:43:34]
Albert Penello: I spent like two days responding to people.
Larry Hryb: Thank you for calling help desk (laughs) .
Albert Penello: That's right (laughs)
Larry Hryb: Anyway, all right, so that's, we-we're doing Name the Game. So did you tell people-
Laura Massey: I did.
Larry Hryb: - to call and all that stuff?
Laura Massey: Yes I did, I told them to call, yeah they have all the instructions.
Larry Hryb: Okay.
Jeff Rubestein: Don't worry Larry, you'll listen to the show later.
Laura Massey: Yeah, you'll figure it out.
Larry Hryb: W-what?
Group: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: I'm trying to keep the train on the tracks here. What do you got over there, Jeffrey?
Jeff Rubestein: Well, I just have, I'm looking at the fact that, uh, i-it jogged my memory, uh, Farming Simulator-
Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jeff Rubestein: - that Stardew Valley is out next week on Xbox One.
Larry Hryb: Yeah, now that's a gaming, game similar to Farming Simulator, is it not?
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, it's, it's more fantastical. It's sort of a ...
Larry Hryb: Are there unicorns?
Jeff Rubestein: Reminiscent of Harvest Moon, in a way.
Laura Massey: Interesting.
Larry Hryb: Are there dungeons?
Jeff Rubestein: Um-
Laura Massey: I'd be good for dungeons.
Jeff Rubestein: - possibly. I actually haven't played it yet, but it's like a farming RPG and it's very popular a-and, and we'll have it next week.
Larry Hryb: Okay.
Laura Massey: I'll have to give that a try.
Jeff Rubestein: No, it's gonna be-
Larry Hryb: No-
Jeff Rubestein: - y-you're gonna be playing this game, this is your next jam.
Larry Hryb: - so I don't know what our, I gotta tell ya I don't know what our schedule is next week, ou-our recording schedule ... because I go to-
Laura Massey: Because you have the trip.
Larry Hryb: - New York. I've got New York, I've gotta come home, we gotta shoot a couple weeks of This Week on Xbox, are you available next week Laura?
Laura Massey: I am.
Larry Hryb: Okay.
Laura Massey: It's on my calendar.
Larry Hryb: Albert? Would you like to join us? Okay, here's the deal Albert, you are welcome to join us if you can unlock another 65 Gamerscore in a week.
Albert Penello: Easy.
Larry Hryb: (laughs)
Albert Penello: That's so many, isn't it?
Jeff Rubestein: Not in Solitaire.
Group: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: It's so many-
Jeff Rubestein: In Jeffrey's cell, you're there.
Larry Hryb: - Jeffrey, Jeff you'll be here next week, right?
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, little bit, so hopefully if we keep it where we normally record I-
Larry Hryb: Yep.
Jeff Rubestein: - I'm good.
Larry Hryb: You're good, that's right cause you're headed, you got some holiday plans. Laura, I know you, you're, you've got some,-
Laura Massey: I do.
Larry Hryb: - a busy holiday schedule. Oh, actually what about you, what are you gonna be doing, uh, Albert? You gonna stay here or you gonna go to Hawaii again?
Albert Penello: Uh, nah (laughs). I wish, I wish I could be going to Hawaii. No, we're gonna do the family thing here.
Larry Hryb: What about you Jeffrey, you're headed back-
Jeff Rubestein: Uh, headed to Europe.
Larry Hryb: You're headed overseas-
Jeff Rubestein: Yeah.
Larry Hryb: - that's exciting.
Laura Massey: Oh, that's fun.
Jeff Rubestein: I'm doing the anti-family thing and, uh, we're going, going to Iceland.
Larry Hryb: I actually just booked it, I'm gonna be headed back East. I'm gonna go see my family, I'm gonna be doing a couple appearances at some Microsoft stores.
Laura Massey: All right.
Larry Hryb: So, uh, Danbury, Connecticut I'm coming your way. I owe you, I've told yeah for three years I'm coming your way. We're gonna do it!
Laura Massey: Awesome!
Larry Hryb: Danbury's in the middle of nowhere, Laura.
Albert Penello: There's a Microsoft store in Danbury, Connecticut?
Larry Hryb: Yeah, yeah.
Albert Penello: Wow.
Larry Hryb: It's a, it's kinda on the west, right on the border to New York State, it's out on 84 and it's a, I've been there quite a few times but it's a, it's a, it's a schlep as we say.
Albert Penello: Do they have like a, like a Kramer of you on the wall?
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Albert Penello: I sort of envision that you would be like the Patron Saint of that store.
Jeff Rubestein: Th-there's a sandwich, there's a sandwich named after him.
Laura Massey: I bet!
Larry Hryb: Th-there isn't but they do take, a lot of the stores take This Week on Xbox and they roll it on a loop so when I go into a store I see myself.
Albert Penello: Terrifying.
Laura Massey: Are you serious?
Jeff Rubestein: It's the number one complaint from the employees.
Group: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: That's a, if you want to sell more stuff, get, press pause! Don't show me! Uh, anyway so we-we've got busy, busy holiday. Hopefully we're gonna do an end of year, um, end of year show. I don't know when, I don't know how, I don't know where but we're still here. The good news is, uh, we have to keep doing this show cause we have this brand new, beautiful studio. So I guess-
Laura Massey: We do.
Larry Hryb: - that means we're gonna be in business for a while.
Laura Massey: (laughs)
Larry Hryb: So, anyway. Do you have anything else you wanna add before we wrap up here? I know I'm kinda rushing people along, but we've got a lot to do.
Jeff Rubestein: All right, well let's do those things and we'll catch up later on devices.
Larry Hryb: Albert, thank you so much for, uh, joining us, and-
Albert Penello: Thank you for having me, I love coming here! And Laura and I are not the same person!
Laura Massey: We're not!
Albert Penello: She decided to show up when I show up.
Laura Massey: We are different people.
Albert Penello: I took a shower last-
Larry Hryb: Yeah, you look-
Albert Penello: night, smell okay, I got my best Batman shirt on.
Larry Hryb: Well, actually we have a little bit of a problem cause Laura and I go back and forth who's Batman and now you, now you're, no.
Albert Penello: I'm Batman.
Laura Massey: He's entered his hat into the ring.
Larry Hryb: I know, he has, hasn't he?
Laura Massey: Sorta push that hat back out.
Larry Hryb: That was accidentally-
Laura Massey: I'm Batman.
Larry Hryb: I'm Batman. Uh, but thank you guys. For Laura, I want to thank you for joining us as always-
Laura Massey: You're welcome.
Larry Hryb: - and you dear listener, I wanna thank you for finding the time for downloading the show and taking the time out of your busy day to listen to this and, uh, thank you for all your support of Xbox and we'll see you guys next time. You can follow us on Twitter, uh, Jeffrey?
Jeff Rubestein: @jeffrubenstein
Larry Hryb: Albert?
Albert Penello: @albertpenello
Larry Hryb: And?
Albert Penello: @lauralollipop
Larry Hryb: Find me @majornelson we'll talk to you guys next time. Buh-bye everybody.
Laura Massey: Buh-bye.
Albert Penello: Bye! (music)

Larry Hryb: Hi. It's Larry here at Xbox Live's Major Nelson, and, uh, wow, we're back. We're back. It's been, it's been almost a month. Actually, I think it's been more than a month Laura.

Laura Massey: It's been forever.

Larry Hryb: Hi La-Laura. Nice to see you.

Laura Massey: Hello. Nice to see you Larry. And wow.

Larry Hryb: You're with me, but for some reason, Jeff now-

Laura Massey: We haven't found Jeff.

Larry Hryb: Uh, that's quite all right. Jeff is, Jeff is globe trotting, but I remember, I told you. I said, "Laura, we've got to do a show." 'cause I hate going such a long time without doing a show.

Laura Massey: Yes. I can't even remember the last time we had a show. Do you?

Larry Hryb: Well, I was ... yeah, I can tell you. It was, uh, no ... Thursday, November, uh, Friday, November 21st. So it was before I left for Australia.

Laura Massey: Friday, November 21st is in the future.

Larry Hryb: Uh, Friday, October 21st.

Laura Massey: Okay. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs) I don't know what's wrong ... wow, I'm really a mess. I still have jet lag. We'll talk about-

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: My trip to. We'll talk about my trip to, uh, I was in Mexico. I was in Australia. I went to Pax Australia.

Laura Massey: You've literally gone around the world.

Larry Hryb: I have. I have. And, I, uh-

Laura Massey: Is it more than around the world?

Larry Hryb: Uh, I think it's pretty close. I flew over 56,000 air miles.

Laura Massey: That's forever.

Larry Hryb: And spent over 70 hours in an airplane seat in 14 days.

Laura Massey: Jeez, that's amazing.

Larry Hryb: Uh-

Laura Massey: Just amazing.

Larry Hryb: But we're ... I'm sure we're excited because we're now sitting here, you know, we talked earlier this week, we celebrated the 15th anniversary of Xbox.

Laura Massey: That's right. Horray!

Larry Hryb: Woo!

Laura Massey: Happy birthday Xbox!

Larry Hryb: And also, another milestone ... we passed the one year anniversary of backward compatibility on Xbox One.

Laura Massey: Right.

Larry Hryb: Did you know that?

Laura Massey: I did.

Larry Hryb: And sitting with us in the studio today, joining us from his backward compatibility laboratory, Bill Stillwell. Hi Bill!

Bill Stillwell: Hi Larry. How are you?

Larry Hryb: Now your team is responsible for running the backward compatibility program.

Bill Stillwell: Yes, the team that I work on runs all compatibility efforts for the platform, as well as also 360.

Larry Hryb: So, I want to welcome you to the show!

Laura Massey: Yes, welcome!

Bill Stillwell: Thank you.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, we're really excited to have you in here because you and I have been working together. Well, I first ... well, I've known you for awhile, but when you told me about ... I want to go back in time. Because you know, I'll never forget this. You were in a different building, and I remember I came to see you in your different building, which is a little bit off-campus in the secret hider bunk-out, bunker. And somebody told me you were working Xbox 360 games coming to Xbox One. This is before we announced it.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: And I was like, "Bill, are we going to do this?" And you were like, "Yeah." and you shut the door, and I remember you brought up on your, on your, uh, on your DevKit how it was working, and it was, it, my mind was blown.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, we, we had it running for a fair amount of time.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: In the begin- in the concept phase. We were really just working with prototypes.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And mostly, we had a group of engineers who were just really passionate about gaming and the kind of engineers that when you tell them you can't do something-

Larry Hryb: Oh yeah.

Bill Stillwell: They sort of take it as a dare.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: They went off, and they went, "Well, we've got some of this here. We've got some of this here." And they put it together and then eventually we got a game running.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Um, and the-

Larry Hryb: Can you say what the first game was?

Laura Massey: Yeah, can you share?

Bill Stillwell: Um (laughs) I will say that one of the first games that we demoed-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Internally was actually Castle Crashers.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Um-

Larry Hryb: Laura, you're a big fan-

Laura Massey: I'm a big fan obviously. (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: Yep. It's a great game too, and it's nice because it gives us the ability to look at things like multi-player, multi ... local co-op, all sorts of different-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: Game modes.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: Um, also not a huge system taxing game-

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: Because we're trying to work through ... 'cause there's not a ton of overhead for the emulator to run on the console itself.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: But we, we started with that, and then we tried a couple other games as well, some I can't talk about.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Bill Stillwell: But, uh, had it running, and then they showed it to the leadership team.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: Showed it to Phil and the whole team, and it was just, "Hey! Just, just so you know, we've done it." And, uh, that-

Larry Hryb: What was that like? Presenting that? That must've been pretty amazing.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, it's, uh, when you work really close with something, sometimes you forget just sort of the big picture around what you do 'cause-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: You're dealing in the minutia-

Laura Massey: Every single day.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, just all the time, and so, um, you lose sort of that experience of the very first time you saw it.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: 'Cause it's been months and then you show it to someone and then you see it again, you sort of get to relive that moment where they realize the impact of what you're potentially doing.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: But even then, we were still looking at it as a technical problem.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And until you start to see user interactions with it, you're not really sure what you have.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: Other than you've done something technically difficult, and you've made it successful, um, that's always rewarding. Just from a career perspective but not necessarily from a, uh, just fan enthusiasm.

Larry Hryb: I got to tell you ... this is, this is actually my, kind of my second time around this, this track because here's why. I remember when I was working on the Xbox 360, and there was a team downstairs. I think that it was the fusion team.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: The fusion team.

Laura Massey: I remember them.

Larry Hryb: And do you remember them?

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: And they were running ... they were working on backward compatibility for original Xbox games, so I remember some of the things ... I would go down and stop by their offices everyday, and I don't know if you remember this Laura, but they had a number on the door.

Laura Massey: Really?

Larry Hryb: They had a number on the door, and the number on the door was how many frames they were running at 'cause they were trying to get to-

Laura Massey: Oh. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: 30 frames.

Laura Massey: I think-

Larry Hryb: I'd go by, and it was five, and then it was seven.

Laura Massey: (laughs) Well, that's-

Larry Hryb: Then it was 12. Then it was 18. It stayed 18 or 20 for a long time. So, I'm, I remember seeing that small team back then doing it and obviously in original Xbox games to Xbox 360, there was an architecture change for those of you who remember that. And it's similar to what happened now. Was another architecture change from the Xbox 360 to Xbox One.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, we, we had to take effectively power PC code and translate it to X- X84.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And there's a whole bunch of other things that have to go into that. And one the things that's different from what we do; we call it the project Fision, which was different than Fusion.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Uh...

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: From Fusion to Fision.

Laura Massey: That's amazing.

Bill Stillwell: Was the focus was more on getting the base Xbox 360 to run and getting that instruction set to consistently reproduce, and then we did that, we're still doing the same thing. I mean, even today, we're still going through looking at games, looking at frame rates-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: And looking at where, uh, the emulator's able to handle load or handle physics engines or where accuracy is done. It does add new challenges. Um, when you change the size of the memory address space, you have to do translations and so maybe floating point calculations don't come out exactly the same.

Larry Hryb: You with this Laura?

Laura Massey: Yes, I am.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Bill Stillwell: Collisions based-

Laura Massey: I'm over there.

Larry Hryb: Engineer talk. (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: Right, we had a, we had a period of time where we had Fortune Horizon running great. Looked flawless. It just didn't have any collisions in it.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: So you just drive right through a regular car. Then you go through and whenever you work on correctness or you work on precision, that takes away from performance.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: And so it's striking, striking the balance-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And making sure that it all runs the way it did on the 360.

Larry Hryb: I want to go back to, to early 2015, mid-2015, when, when I saw it before E3 announced it 20 ... at E3 2015. 'Cause there was, there was this moment where we were like, "Wow, we're really going to do this! We're going to announce it." But there was like ... what was that like-

Laura Massey: [crosstalk 00:06:43]

Larry Hryb: Before, before, before, um, it was announced.

Bill Stillwell: Two things. Two things stand out before E3.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: The first was we were terrified it was going to leak.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: And because you don't think about it when you first start building the prototype, you're showing everybody. "Hey! Look what we've done!"

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: "Look what we've done! People walking by the halls, and you're showing them these games playing-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: And they're like, "Oh, that's really cool." And then you're like, "Oh no, we don't want anybody to know we're doing this."

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Bill Stillwell: Oh, oh, who saw this? Um ... did this ... and as excitement builds for E3, you see all this speculation on Reddit and [inaudible 00:07:11] and others.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, of course.

Bill Stillwell: And the best part about it was every time somebody said, "I bet you they're going to announce 360 games they're running." Somebody else would just say, "There's no way. They already said it was impossible."

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: And so we had this sort of built-in safety valve where people that got it right-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Were just shouted down. "No, you're too ... you're completely wrong!"

Larry Hryb: They can't do it.

Bill Stillwell: "There's no way they can do that."

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: So that was, that was pretty awesome to see. The other part was we, we did Mass Effect as our first game.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: That was the big reveal, and partly that was chosen because it ran.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: It was also ... it's an iconic game.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: It sort of represents the console in a way. And for ... there was a number of things that came together on licensing, et cetera.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: So, we picked that game.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: I love the series.

Larry Hryb: Who doesn't?

Bill Stillwell: But I will also acknowledge that it isn't the cleanest running game. Even on the 360.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: And so then we, we sort of backed ourselves into this weird space where as we were trying to get ready to do the show, and we're doing the videos, and you know how you build the videos up and they go through the demos-

Larry Hryb: Yeah, you're getting ready, and you're rehearsing.

Bill Stillwell: "This doesn't look right!" Or "Why does it look so jerky?"

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: "What's wrong with the emulators?"

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Well, it's actually game.

Larry Hryb: That's actually the game, guys.

Laura Massey: That's a way around 360.

Bill Stillwell: Right, and that's, and people forget that. And we still, we still see that today right?

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: We release a game, and people are like, "I don't like how this looks." or "It doesn't play as good."

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And it's like, "No, it plays exactly the same."

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: "You just don't remember it because it was eight years ago."

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: So, we had endless practice sessions on-

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: Getting that game running on the stage.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Like, "I don't think it looks right! What's wrong with the system?"

Larry Hryb: Right. Right.

Bill Stillwell: Nothing's wrong. It's just we picked-

Larry Hryb: Do you ever want to just bust out an old 360 and put it in there and go, "Guys, so ... Look!"

Bill Stillwell: We actually talked about just swapping out an Xbox One under the covers with a 360-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And see if anybody would notice.

Larry Hryb: Right. right.

Bill Stillwell: So when they still said, "It still looks horrible." Well, it turns out you're on the 360.

Larry Hryb: Exactly.

Bill Stillwell: But we didn't do it. So-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: See, that was probably the best reaction to any of the announcements that year for E3, uh, in the crowd.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: I remember the crowd just erupted in huge cheers.

Bill Stillwell: It was, it was super humbling.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: Um, I've been to E3 before, but it's always been sort of I go there, and I go meet with partners in the back room.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, you're doing your business.

Bill Stillwell: And I never really go out on the show floor. I've never gone to the briefing live. We had gone to the mall the night before.

Larry Hryb: That's right.

Bill Stillwell: We decided to give the fans-

Larry Hryb: That's right. You and I were out there, and, and, 'cause of course, I knew that it was coming the next day. And we-

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: And I couldn't introduce Bill and say, "Hey-

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Here's the guy's that's going to-" So, yo were just kind of in there-

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, I was just some guy that was following him around.

Larry Hryb: Right. I remember.

Bill Stillwell: And Phil was there, and people were like, "Well, he's with them, so maybe he does something."

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: But they had no idea who I was.

Larry Hryb: And we couldn't say who he was. (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: And, and, so, so I, but I, at the time I also, I still do [inaudible 00:09:35] for the 360 console itself, and so there was-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: Some people that when I started talking to them, told them what I did do-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: They were allowed to know about. Um, "Oh, you know, I still love my 360! I still play this game." and you'd hear things like, "I wish they would do Mass Effect again"-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: "Because I love that game, and I still want to play that game."

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: And we would, and they would go through the list of things that they still play, and there's still an emotional attachment to these things.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: Even though they're moved on.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: Or they're moving onto the Xbox One, so then we go to the actual show-

Larry Hryb: The briefing.

Bill Stillwell: And I get to sit there and it was awesome that they brought all of them to sit on the show floor.

Larry Hryb: Right. Right. Right.

Bill Stillwell: Remember-

And then when they announced it, um, you could ... there's a teleprompter that's up and so some of the press are reading ahead a little bit.

Larry Hryb: Right. Right.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: And you ... all of a sudden, there's just this massive intake of breath.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: Because it says "360 Backward Compatibility".

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And then everybody pauses and then the place just erupted.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: And that's where you start to feel the impact of what you do.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And that's one of the things that's more rewarding than just about anything else because I'm, I'm a gamer. I play games all the time.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: My son plays games with me.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Bill Stillwell: This is an art form that we're just immersed in, and then you see how what you're working on brings that reaction to other people. And it's very rewarding.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, I remember, I remember it was a wonderful year that year. Of course now we've ... we announced in 2015, we launched it, and as I said, a year ago, uh, 20 ... November 2015, and here we are in November 2016 ... wow! What a year it's been!

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, it's been a big, it's been a big year for us.

Larry Hryb: Now you've got ... you brought some stats, right?

Bill Stillwell: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: You've got a few stats you want to share with us.

Bill Stillwell: Uh, well, well, we're over 280 games.

Larry Hryb: 280 games.

Laura Massey: Wow.

Bill Stillwell: We're, uh, I don't want to put anybody on the spot, but we're going to try to get 300 as quick as possible.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Bill Stillwell: May get it in by the end of the calendar year. We'll see.

Larry Hryb: Maybe not. We'll see.

Bill Stillwell: Maybe not. Be close. And we've done, and we've launched with 100 games.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Bill Stillwell: Over 100 games. I've done 170 plus games since the launch.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: One of the other things that, uh, a large part of what we work on, um, just from a mechanics physics of releasing a game is we republish everything, so we have ... we're effectively the largest publishing studio-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: At Microsoft. We publish more than anyone else.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: So that also means that a lot of these games, when they came out, they released the game and then a DLC pack came out a few months later-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: And then another Mac pack came out. We have to do it all at one time, and we have to do it all for all regions.

Larry Hryb: All over again.

Bill Stillwell: Every time. Yes.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: And so, we've released a ton of content. Um, the other thing that's really rewarding is we know now we're over 210 million hours of game play.

Larry Hryb: Wow.

Bill Stillwell: From-

Laura Massey: You have played the game 210-

Bill Stillwell: Playing these games again on their consoles.

Laura Massey: Wow.

Bill Stillwell: Or you don't think about this as much 'cause I've been playing games for so long, but for a lot of people, Mass Effect's a good example. The trilogy's out-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: A lot of people are playing it for the first time.

Laura Massey: Yes, that's right.

Bill Stillwell: Because when it came out, they were-

Laura Massey: It was eight years ago.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah. They were too young to play it.

Larry Hryb: Sure. Right.

Bill Stillwell: Or had never played a game, and now for them, and I'm sort of jealous they get to experience that whole trilogy again.

Laura Massey: Yeah. All-

Bill Stillwell: For the first time.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: They can binge.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, they play, they play all-

Laura Massey: Binge play.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, they can play all three of them.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: Um, [inaudible 00:12:24] coming out or whatever it is.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: So, right-

Larry Hryb: Yeah, I mean there's been so much, you guy's have done so much incredible work. And I think that people forget that it's not like you just take ... you go out to, uh, you know, wherever and buy a ... go to someone's house, say, "Oh, we've got this Xbox 360 disc," and hand it to Bill and say, "Hey Bill, can you convert this?"

Bill Stillwell: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: No, that's not the way it works.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: Um, we, we haven't talked a lot about the tech-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: And, and we will at some point go more in detail-

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: We're not ready to really expose all of it, but we do still have to do work on every game. Uh, one of the things that happens is when we get a game, we, we have everything ranked-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: And when something comes up, it's the rank, it's time for this game ... the first thing they do is they put it through, um, a full play-through just to collect, collect enlightenment data to collect shaders and make it so we can package the game and make it run effectively.

Larry Hryb: Now when you say "rank", what does that mean?

Bill Stillwell: Um, well, so, uh, user voice-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: The, uh, website that we have up on the forum, where users can vote for the tiles that they want-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: That is actually our primary, uh, ranking-

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: Really if you will. We look at other things. We look at the popularity of the game.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: How well it sold. And then from there, we started ingesting those games into our system and running them through testing passes.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: Not every, every game comes in in that rank order.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Bill Stillwell: So the ones that are the top of the user voice are the first games that we look at, but they don't come out in that order because we don't hold anything-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And so, we'll get a game that just happens to be ready to go, it'll come through, it'll ingest quickly, it's a short game. It takes, you know, a tester for hours to get through it or six hours to get through it.

Larry Hryb: And you have to play ... and let's be clear, you have to play every single game again.

Bill Stillwell: We play every single game. We play it multiple times.

Larry Hryb: Multiple times. So when you guys make a ... so, you're like, "Okay, we're going to play the game. This worked okay. The shaders, the collisions were wrong, okay - play it again!"

Bill Stillwell: Yep.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: And, and it's not the, it's not, "Oh Man, I wish I could play games for a living." Um-

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: It turns out that it's not the fun way to play a game.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: It's, "Hey, just run into this wall 400 times."

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: Until we know it works.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Um, but we go through all of that and then in some cases, we'll have issues come up and we'll realize that we're not handling a condition correctly in the emulator.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And so we'll take or change the emulator to make the game run better.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: But that may require it maybe destabilizing or it may be a type of change that requires us to do another full play-through again.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Bill Stillwell: So we do continue to work, um, it's important, I think, for people to realize that when a game like Omega 5, which is a fun [inaudible 00:14:36] game that came out today.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Bill Stillwell: We didn't like stop working on a title that you really wanted that was higher in user voice.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: To go do this instead.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Um, we, we pay a lot of attention to what the ranks are and what people want.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: We try to deliver them as fast as we can.

Larry Hryb: But there's also something to point out. You know, you talked about that ... you paying attention to the ranks, it's not just like, "Oh, hey! This particular title is rank number one. It's working. Let's go release it." Because we work in an IP based industry, intellectual property-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: We don't ... you need to go find out who owns the rights to the game. And can you in fact release it?

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, that, that happens a fair amount. Um, a lot of time, we have another part of the team, they only interface with the publisher's third party publishers.

Larry Hryb: So, the business side-

Bill Stillwell: The business side of it.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: And they look to collect, you know, do you still have the rights to this game. Um, it ... in some cases, it may just be the music.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: Um, one of the things with Xbox One, the ability to game DVR and broadcast-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: That's a different music license.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: And so, nobody-

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: Did their 360 contracts with that license in mind.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: They bought the, the single use or the limited use license.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Laura Massey: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Which is not for distribution.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And so they'll have to consider, you know, what's the financial impact or will the licensing company ... the company that licensed from give me a waiver.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And sometimes they actually-

Larry Hryb: So, there's work that needs to be done.

Bill Stillwell: They pursue all that and then at the same time, IP changes hands, people buy rights, people buy studios-

Laura Massey: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Studios go bankrupt.

Larry Hryb: Yep. Yeah, there's ... I can think of a handful of studios that were big back in 360 that don't even exist anymore.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, um, one that we, that we've gotten pretty good at tracking down. Uh, THQ-

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: Obviously released a ton of great 360 games.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: And now all their IP's been scattered and bought by various companies.

Larry Hryb: And I, like, "Okay, we want to find this THQ game was X ... " Now you've got to [inaudible 00:16:17] and go, "Gee, who owns the rights to that?"

Laura Massey: Right. A lot of legwork.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, it takes a long time. Um, and also, there's a little bit of the Wild West in some of these areas.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: Around [inaudible 00:16:27] contracts and so you'll find just really strange, like, one of the things we've learned-

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Bill Stillwell: Is no matter how logical it would seem to write a contract with a company-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Somebody has written one that you're like, "There's no way anybody would ever do that."

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: Oh yeah-

Larry Hryb: They did it. They did it.

Bill Stillwell: Um, you know, where they've said very specifically a date or they've said very specifically a console brand or something like that.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, something like that.

Bill Stillwell: Something ... just like weird stuff.

Larry Hryb: And because we, we respect all the IP right's holders, we have to share it down, and we have to do our due diligence and make sure we get clearance so that we can do this.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, exactly, and, and, and I, I want to say; the third party support we've gotten for the program's been amazing.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: The great partners. They all want to be a part of this.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: It just ... it's hard to figure out sometimes.

Larry Hryb: You have to untangle that mess that happened 10 years ago.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: Or, or we'll find something like, uh, a disc that was part of pack-in for some other promotion that had nothing to do with the actual game-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: But now is also how you could play the game, and we have to find that disc and make sure that it's the same image.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: Um, and then the various ... the other thing that we'll go through is particularly for big games-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: They'll have a game of the year, and then maybe they'll have had a platinum hits, and then sometimes they'll actually include different DLC or something with it-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And we have to figure out all of those because we have to map that structure.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Before we can publish the game too.

Larry Hryb: Are we, oh, can I make a request?

Bill Stillwell: Yes, go ahead.

Larry Hryb: I mean, I, I could go over to user voice-

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Are we going to get Sneaking? (laughs)

Laura Massey: Sneaking.

Bill Stillwell: Uh-

Laura Massey: I remember that game. Yeah! Burger King game!

Larry Hryb: You're still having nightmares, are ya?

Bill Stillwell: [crosstalk 00:17:51] The Burger King games. Uh, so-

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: Interesting fact about those games. When they were shipped, they were shipped ... as a, as a promotional game for Burger King.

Larry Hryb: Right. You had to go to Burger King.

Bill Stillwell: They weren't on our traditional encrypted discs that we use, which we used as the identifier.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: So, I actually have no way of knowing-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: If I get all those games working, I don't actually know when you put the disc in-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: That you've installed that disc.

Larry Hryb: Oh, interesting!

Bill Stillwell: So because of the way we work, we look up the ID-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: The security process or we just decrypt and we go, "This is this game."

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And then we can push the [inaudible 00:18:23] not in the box.

Laura Massey: Oh, I see. Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: I can't tell you what-

Laura Massey: What game that is.

Bill Stillwell: You could've just put in any disc. I have no idea what it is.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Right. Right. You put in Thriller.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: We absolutely want to ship them and so we're still looking in-

Larry Hryb: Trying to figure that out.

Bill Stillwell: Creative ways we can-

Larry Hryb: I'm sure Burger King would be like, "Yeah, bring them back! I don't care!" (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: Maybe we'll do a promotion with Burger King and get them all back out.

Larry Hryb: It's, uh, you know, so, so the good thing ... the good news is, is ... or not the good news is just to be clear is that there's a, there's a, there's, you know, User Voice is what you guys use, but there's a lot of other things. It's not just the publisher saying, "Yeah, you want to do ... we want to work with you." It's actually doing all the due diligence and getting all, making sure legally we're all set.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, absolutely.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, so there's a lot of working going on there. What's, um, what's been your favorite game that you guys have worked on? Do you have one? I mean, it's tough to choose, I'm sure.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, I mean, uh, I play a lot of different games. Sometimes it just depends on what, what I'm feeling that day.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: I've always been a huge fan of Borderlands.

Laura Massey: Mmm. [crosstalk 00:19:15] this podcast. Yes.

Bill Stillwell: It's, uh, it's, I, I still play, and I, I think I bought every version of Borderlands they've shipped. Whether it's PC or 360.

Larry Hryb: Whatever.

Bill Stillwell: Or One directly. And that was one of our first games. They were one of our big partners right off the bat, like, "Hey, how can we be involved? How can we help?" Um, so that's absolutely one of them.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: And then I think that, uh, Reach.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Bill Stillwell: Especially now that we've gotten the new update out. We do update the emulator pretty frequently.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, I want to talk about that is that a lot of people may not know this is you guys don't just fire and forget.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah, we, we, we run it. Every time we do an update, we run through the back catalog a bit. There's a set of ... a key set of games that we test play for compatibility.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: And make sure it still works. And also, when we do discover that we had something that we could do better-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: Um, and it will materially impact one of the games we've already shipped, we'll just, we'll just rerun that game through a mini test pass-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Put the update on it. And then push it back out.

Larry Hryb: And then re-release it.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Finish your update.

Bill Stillwell: And that was what we just did with Reach. We did it ... we did get some feedback that the performance was not where people wanted it, so-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: So we pushed the update out. And I've always loved that series, particularly the end of it because-

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: You knew it going into the game what the story was, right?

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Bill Stillwell: You knew what was going to happen at the end, and I loved the way that they did it where I must've just played that last bit over and over to see how long I could survive.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: 'Cause you're picking up enemy weapons and then more keep coming down.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: And they're all coming down.

Bill Stillwell: And you just, you just keep going as long as you can.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And it's inevitable it's going to happen, but-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: I always liked that story.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: I liked that part of the universe.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it's such, it's such a great program. The, the backward compatibility and what you guys have done. I mean 200 ... hopefully you can get to 280 games or 300 maybe. Maybe. I'm, I'm not telling you when or how or what those titles should be, but I also want to point out that, um, for those of you that don't know, you know, to find out what titles are being released, just follow me on Twitter. Or, when you guys, when you guys send me an email saying, "Hey, we're going to release these today!" Boom! I put them out, so we work ... I want to say, as you would say in the software industry, very nimble.

Bill Stillwell: Yes.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: Yes, you've been a great partner for this too, and I appreciate it.

Larry Hryb: Well, you guys have been great. It's great too that we have such a great partnership, you know, so I tweet them out the moment that they're available, and people just go download them and pop the disc in and away they go. Or if they have the digital copy, they just go ahead and grab it.

Bill Stillwell: Just shows up and ready to install.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, just shows up and ready to install. So, I mean, that's ... we're going to continue to do that. Of course, I'll, you know, it's, it's the big ones, we'll do blog posts for them. And I'm sure you got some other big ones you're working on that you can't talk about.

Bill Stillwell: Yes, we're not done for the holiday season yet.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. That's the most important thing. Now, now what's interesting is the, the Xbox 360 has a fairly finite ... you know, it has a finite catalog.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Right, so, how many games was there? Was there 1500?

Bill Stillwell: Uh, closer to 1800.

Larry Hryb: Oh.

Bill Stillwell: 1800. It's tough to get an exact count because early on, we didn't have digital, and so we can always go back and look at the digital inventory.

Larry Hryb: Well, and there's different regions.

Bill Stillwell: And regions. Right, exactly. But there's roughly 1800. There's a set of them we know we can't do because they use accessories.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: That aren't able to be imported over.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: Or they use the connect. Connect V1.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: But, um, we're still chugging away at it.

Larry Hryb: You got ... there's plenty of titles there for you.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Bill Stillwell: Lots to pick from.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it's going, it's going ... it's really, it's really ... I want to thank you. I want to thank you and the entire team.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: On behalf of the gamers because you guys have done such amazing work, and you had to work so quietly and then obviously you had your moment in the sun and then, it, and then we made the announcement. Then, of course, for the past year, you guys have just been busy chipping away, so just, just do me a favor Bill. Make sure you tell your team, "Just don't, don't read the Youtube comments."

Bill Stillwell: Yes.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: Don't read the comments.

Bill Stillwell: Read some of them.

Larry Hryb: Read some of them, right.

Bill Stillwell: Um, yeah, they, they ... the team's a great team. It's some of the smartest people I've worked with at Microsoft.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Bill Stillwell: And they care about this product. They do.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: They, they look at all the feedback.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: And I'll get frequently, "Hey, did you see this?" "Hey, did you see this?" "What are we doing about this?"

Larry Hryb: Yeah, and you guys will email ... what's great is you guys will email me, like, "Hey, you know, can you post on Reddit about this has been updated or confirm this." So I'm ... we're partners.

Bill Stillwell: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Everybody across the team is partners. And I want to do what I can to help talk about the incredible work that you and your engineers and the business folks are doing because it really is ... it's, it's phenomenal. There's nothing like it in the industry. Right?

Bill Stillwell: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: If you think about it.

Bill Stillwell: It's, uh, we love the leadership support we get from Phil and his, and his [inaudible 00:23:09] to drive this program.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Bill Stillwell: Independent of anything other than just sort of fan enthusiasm.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, I was talking ... I spent the past, uh, last weekend with Phil, and we were down in Mexico. And we had a long conversation 'cause we, you know, we were talking about Skate 3 because you just released Skate 3.

Bill Stillwell: Yes, we did.

Larry Hryb: Matter of fact, I was going to ask you, when's Skate 3 coming out, and I realized it's out-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Bill Stillwell: Just old habit, right?

Larry Hryb: Old habit. You just, "Okay, where's Skate 3?"

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Um, but you know, it's, it's, he's so excited about the work that you guys have done and just the fact that you ... we talked about, we didn't think ... you know, I want to be clear. We didn't think it could be done, and you guys ... i don't know how, you guys, you know, the engineers went off and figured it out, so, God bless you.

Laura Massey: Yeah. Well done.

Larry Hryb: Well done.

Bill Stillwell: It's, it's a good group of ...

Larry Hryb: Well, hopefully I can have you on in another year, and you can talk about some more stories.

Bill Stillwell: Some more of the, more of the games that we've put out and some of the other things-

Larry Hryb: All right, Bill. Well, I'll let you go. Bill Stillwell from the backward compatibility team. Bill, thank you so much for your time today Man.

Bill Stillwell: Thank you.

Laura Massey: And thanks again to Bill Stillwell for stopping by and giving us that great in depth view on backward compatibility.

Larry Hryb: That was, that was the, I think, the most in depth he's ever gone publicly.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: 'Cause you know, this is, this is, it's kind of those guys work, uh, you know behind curtain.

Laura Massey: They do. They're a very secret area.

Larry Hryb: They have secret sauce, and they're working on cool stuff, and I ... I've been working for awhile, and I said, "All right, it's been a year, so let's see if we can Bill out here."

Laura Massey: Yeah it's great.

Larry Hryb: So I'm thrilled Bill was able to join us.

Laura Massey: Yeah, and during the interview, I had thought to myself, "I have a game that I might want to suggest."

Larry Hryb: Which is it ... do you know what it is? Do you want to tell us?

Laura Massey: But I don't ... I don't want to suggest it now.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. So-

Laura Massey: And if you listener also have a game you want to suggest-

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: We talked a bit about during the interview that there is a way to give us that feedback.

Larry Hryb: How is that?

Laura Massey: You can go to feedback to Xbox dot com. Under the "Give Feedback" section, there's backwards compatibility.

Larry Hryb: Over on the right hand side?

Laura Massey: Yep, over on the right hand side. Click "Backwards compatibility" and boom! You're there. You can leave your feedback there.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Laura Massey: You can vote ones that are there, like right now; Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is the top voted one.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Laura Massey: With almost 200,000 votes. If you want to suggest your own, you can do that there, or you can vote on others to bubble them up to the top.

Larry Hryb: And as you heard from Bill, it's not that they look at that ... that's what they use to kind of get them started, and then they go off and do some work, so some things take a little bit more work than others. That's, that's the reality as you just heard.

Laura Massey: Exactly.

Larry Hryb: So-

Laura Massey: All right.

Larry Hryb: All right.

Laura Massey: That's the public announcement.

Larry Hryb: See, it's interesting because I got that question ... we're going to talk a little bit about my trip to Australia.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: I got the question, um, down when I was in Australia during the Q&A about what backwards compatibility game would I like to see. And I, I'm sure you didn't have a chance to watch the stream, but for those of you who did, you saw me answer it, and I said ... 'cause I set you up with that question about what ... and you, you dodged it.

Laura Massey: I did.

Larry Hryb: Which is exactly what I did.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Because I looked at the person in the audience, and I said, "I'm not going to answer that because I'm not going to make a headline for some gaming sites."

Laura Massey: Right.

Larry Hryb: 'Cause they were like, "Oh! Major Nelson's favorite game! Is it coming soon?" And I'm not playing a game.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: So, we're, we're not doing that, so, um, 'cause for some reason, people-

Laura Massey: And plus it's not, like, our voice is not as valuable as your-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Voice.

Larry Hryb: We have one vote just like you!

Laura Massey: (laughs) Exactly.

Larry Hryb: So-

Laura Massey: We want to hear from you. That's more important than what we could say.

Larry Hryb: Did I mention I went to Australia? Did I mention I went to Mexico?

Laura Massey: You've been all around the world.

Larry Hryb: I have been around the world. I've been ... if somebody did the math, and I think, did ... I think you did it. That I've actually been around the world if you add all the, all the miles up, I would've circled the globe.

Laura Massey: That's just nuts.

Larry Hryb: It is bananas.

Laura Massey: But the good news is that you survived Australia.

Larry Hryb: Barely.

Laura Massey: Even though there was a spider on your window.

Larry Hryb: Did you see that?

Laura Massey: Yes!

Larry Hryb: I swear to God. I lost ... I checked into the hotel, and I was like, "Oh, this is beautiful! Let me see what..." 'cause you know, when you get into a hotel, you like open the window-

Laura Massey: Yeah, let's see what the view is. What is this place-

Larry Hryb: And then, then right there in my face, right on the other side of the glass is this spider.

Laura Massey: Oh.

Larry Hryb: Hello Australia! Hello!

Laura Massey: It's like the spider knew.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: Knew that you were there. That we've been talking about spiders for the past two months.

Larry Hryb: And of course the joke is that everybody, uh, every, everything down in Australia, all the wildlife wants to kill you.

Laura Massey: Yes, exactly.

Larry Hryb: As a human.

Laura Massey: Well, I'm glad you survived.

Larry Hryb: Yes. Have you been to Australia?

Laura Massey: No, I haven't.

Larry Hryb: Oh, Laura. What a beautiful country.

Laura Massey: Yes. I would love to go.

Larry Hryb: And I'll tell you ... here, the most beautiful country, I'll tell you Laura, my God is it far away.

Laura Massey: It is far away.

Larry Hryb: It is so far away.

Laura Massey: Did you look in the toilets? To see if the water spins the other direction?

Larry Hryb: You know, I remember thinking that, and I flushed, and then I forgot.

Laura Massey: Oh!

Larry Hryb: Oh, I know why! I know why! We're going to talk about toilets, aren't we? Because the water, for some reason in the hotel room and every place that I used the water closet, it didn't like flush, it like ... the water like gushed down.

Laura Massey: Oh, it doesn't spin?

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it doesn't spin.

Laura Massey: It goes straight down.

Larry Hryb: Yeah!

Laura Massey: Isn't that disappointing?

Larry Hryb: And you know what I mean? You know what I'm talking about where it's like ... and then I was like, "Okay." And then I forgot. Then I forgot about it. So I don't know.

Laura Massey: I see.

Larry Hryb: Um, but it was great to be down there.

Laura Massey: Still a mystery.

Larry Hryb: Great to be down there. Pax, I thoroughly enjoyed my, um, my keynote that I did and I should have the file for the keynote up on, um, I'm going to put it up on my ... I'm-

Laura Massey: Yeah, so-

Larry Hryb: I'm getting the file. I'll have it on my Youtube channel.

Laura Massey: So, if you missed it like myself, I also missed it. I want to see this keynote.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: It's a big moment.

Larry Hryb: This keynote.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: I thought it was a big moment.

Laura Massey: When's it, when's it going to be online? When are you going to share it?

Larry Hryb: Well as soon as they're ... they're, they're getting me the high-def file 'cause the file they showed on Pax ... on the Pax Twitch stream, it was, that was good, but they had ads all over it.

Laura Massey: Oh.

Larry Hryb: So I'm getting the clean file, and I'm going to put it up on my Youtube channel, and I'll link out to it, so I'll-

Laura Massey: Okay.

Larry Hryb: I want you to see that version. So, it was a lot of stories. Um, you ... many of which, Laura, since you and I are good friends, you know most of these.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Um, I think there may be one or two in there that you don't know.

Laura Massey: Oh.

Larry Hryb: So-

Laura Massey: Awesome.

Larry Hryb: There's a little bit something for you, so it was great to be down there. We spent ... I spent a few days by myself, uh, on the show floor hanging out with everybody doing a meet and greet. It was, it was just, it was great. And it was Pax. Imagine Pax in Australia. Enough said.

Laura Massey: Wow. Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Right, the weather was delightful. Melbourne is just unbelievably beautiful.

Laura Massey: Awesome.

Larry Hryb: Um, but my God, is it far away.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: I hate to keep saying that, but it was, it was ... a lot of people ask me about the flight. I went Seattle-LA, LA-Sidney, Sydney onto, Sydney onto Melbourne.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Well, that flight from LA to Sydney is, I think, it's 14-17 hours depending on the tail winds or head winds.

Laura Massey: Right. That's a long time.

Larry Hryb: So, I get onboard at 10 o'clock at night.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: You eat. I take a sleeping pill. I go to sleep. They give you pajamas.

Laura Massey: They did? (laughs)

Larry Hryb: They gave me pajamas.

Laura Massey: Like full pajamas?

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: Not just socks?

Larry Hryb: Yeah, not just socks. I had the ... what am I going to sleep just in my socks Laura?

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Please! I'll get thrown off in Mex ... in, in, in Hawaii. Uh, no, so I slept, woke up, ate again-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Slept another six hours.

Laura Massey: Oh my goodness.

Larry Hryb: Woke up eight and then we landed.

Laura Massey: What time did you land?

Larry Hryb: I think we landed about eight o'clock in the morning Sydney time.

Laura Massey: Okay.

Larry Hryb: A day ahead.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: 'Cause they lost a whole day and then I have to go to another terminal, another basically another part of the airport to get on a Melbourne flight.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: 'Cause Melbourne's another hour away, so it was just a lot of schlepping. A lot of schlepping.

Laura Massey: That's a lot.

Larry Hryb: So, anyway, so I did that, and it was a lot, and of course I came home. Now it's interesting because I came back to Seattle and then was here Friday. I don't even think I saw you.

Laura Massey: No.

Larry Hryb: I was in town for 48 hours.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: And then turned around (sighs) and went to Mexico.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Now, on top of all this, but when I left, I don't know if you remember this, but before I left for Australia, I was coming down with a little bit of a cold.

Laura Massey: Yeah. It's that time of the year.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, so it was exaggerated by my trip. I got back. I got jet lag. I've got a cold. I have ... I may have the flu. I don't know.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: And now I have to go to Mexico, so I have to get on a plane again. And I, I had never ... have you been to Mexico?

Laura Massey: I've been to Mexico, but not the inland part. [crosstalk 00:30:24]

Larry Hryb: I've never been to any part of Mexico. It was just wonderful, so we flew down, Phil and I, and some of the other folks were on the same flight. We flew down via Atlanta down to Mexico City, which seems like it's farther because you're going to the other side of the United States and then back, but it's not really.

Laura Massey: Oh okay. That's good.

Larry Hryb: It's not really because most ... anyway, so we get there, and now I have never been ... I said, I've never been to Mexico, certainly never Mexico City. It is, I believe, it's the high ... it's the, the capitol of the country is the highest capitol in the world. In other words, it's got the most altitude.

Laura Massey: Okay. So, it's the highest above sea level?

Larry Hryb: Yes, thank you. Thank you for correctly stating what I can't. Uh, and so it's like 8,000 plus feet. And it is, and you mentioned, you have ... your brother lives in Colorado in the United States.

Laura Massey: He lives up the mountains. It's about 9,000.

Larry Hryb: And I, I had a lot of problems with that.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: I just didn't ... I was like, "I'm not going to have a problem." I didn't even think ... to be honest, I didn't even think about it.

Laura Massey: Right. You don't. Like that's not something on your list of things to think about when you're flying to Mexico City is the altitude, like I didn't know it was that high.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: So, yeah, it's ... 8,000 is a significant difference.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: When we're used to, what are we, 100 here?

Larry Hryb: I think my house is 200 feet above sea level if that.

Laura Massey: Yes, exactly. And that's a big difference for your body.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: You process oxygen differently at that point.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: People have to bake differently because it's just, it's just-

Larry Hryb: How does, how does your brother bake? Like is it longer? Is it-

Laura Massey: You have to-

Larry Hryb: Is it more water? Is it less water? What do you do?

Laura Massey: There's a little more water and a little longer.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: I think.

Larry Hryb: I remember, I remember when I was growing up, and I remember-

Laura Massey: Yeah, on the back of the box-

Larry Hryb: I remember on the back of boxes.

Laura Massey: High altitude suggestions.

Larry Hryb: Like on that back of that, it was, it was like, what does that mean? So, anyway, but what was interesting is I landed late in the evening, and I had to take a car to the hotel, and it took us, I think it was 20 miles Laura-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: It took us almost three hours.

Laura Massey: There's a lot of traffic.

Larry Hryb: The traffic was in Mexico City was unbelievable. I fell asleep in the back of the car.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Um-

Laura Massey: I suppose you have to. It's three hours.

Larry Hryb: Three hours. What am I going to do? I don't even think I was bothering you. Usually when I land, I'll text you. And if you notice, if you go scroll back and look at your texts I was sending you-

Laura Massey: [crosstalk 00:32:22]

Larry Hryb: I was sending you pin drops of ... I wasn't even like, "Hey, I'm here!" I was just, I'm just like, here's the pin drop. Here's where I am.

Laura Massey: Just, just different places all the time.

Larry Hryb: And it was like, and all of a sudden, so, so it was Melbourne, Sydney, LA, Seattle, Mexico City, some place ... I was ... you got pins, pins like crazy.

Laura Massey: Pins around the world.

Larry Hryb: But yeah, we, we, we went and did, uh, we did fan fests, uh-

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: I was there Thursday. We did, we opened it up Friday night, Phil and I and Aaron Greenberg was there.

Laura Massey: Right. I saw lots of pictures of a ton of fans.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it was ... well, I got to tell you something, I have never ... the fans in Mexico were incredible. I've never met passion like this.

Laura Massey: Right.

Larry Hryb: They were excited. They were wond ... I wanted to spend time with each one of them. We had a great time there.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: I have to be honest with you. I'm not, I'm not just telling you this Laura. People were asking about you.

Laura Massey: Really?

Larry Hryb: Yeah, they wanted to know if you were there. If Jeff was going to be there. They even asked about E; they haven't listened to the show in awhile.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Um, but it was, it was, there was a lot of passion. They listen to the show down there.

Laura Massey: Awesome.

Larry Hryb: So, so hello to all our listeners in Mexico, especially. Shout-out to you guys and girls.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Um, but it was really nice to be onstage and talk to folks. Now if you go back and watch that stream, I was in a really bad way.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Really, really bad way. Like so I had jet lag.

Laura Massey: Jet lag.

Larry Hryb: Jet lag from Australia. I had some, some form of the flu or some cold. I had altitude sickness.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Which was the most terrifying thing in the world. For those of you that haven't been up that high, and I explained this to you before Laura, is, uh, I, I didn't really think about it, I was just like, "I don't know if I'm jet lagged, if I'm sick." I didn't know what, I didn't know what I was feeling 'cause I was a whole collection of things. And we get back ... I think I got back the first, it was the second night after the Friday night, and I, I was exhausted, you know, yawning, and "I'm going to go to bed. I can't wait to go to bed." And one of the things I do when I travel, I'm going to tell you this, I don't think I've ever told you this before - when I travel, um, I usually take a shower before I go to bed.

Because when you take a shower, you're mentally and figuratively kind of cleaning yourself off.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Okay, so I never just get into the bed. I just ... so, I took a nice, warm shower.

Laura Massey: Do you just do this when you're traveling? Not normally?

Larry Hryb: Usually at home, actually, believe it or not, I do it as well, come to think of it.

Laura Massey: I read some studies that say warm showers relax you a lot more so you go to sleep faster.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Yeah. Right, so-

Laura Massey: So can a hot tub. Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, that's also part of it, so I take the shower, and I get in bed Laura, and I never fall asleep. Now I had taken a sleeping pill.

Laura Massey: That's awful.

Larry Hryb: So, I'm like, "I'm just going to go to sleep."

Laura Massey: What I think is the most surprising is that a sleeping pill didn't knock you out.

Larry Hryb: Nothing. So what happened was because the altitude sickness impacted my sleep-

Laura Massey: Your breathing.

Larry Hryb: And essentially I was a prisoner in my own body.

Laura Massey: That's just awful.

Larry Hryb: So I'm lying there, and I'm like, "Please, let me go to sleep. Please let me sleep. I'm tired!" And I would not fall asleep.

Laura Massey: Oh, you poor thing.

Larry Hryb: So I got like maybe ... I think I dosed off for an hour before the alarm went off, and you know, the most terrifying thing, I'm sure this has happened to you, anybody, listeners, this has happened to you where you can't sleep and you're having a rough night, and you're like, "Oh, I'm finally getting to sleep." and then you kind of look at the windows and you see the sun coming up, and you're like, "Ah! No! Not now!"

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: "I'm just getting to sleep!"

Laura Massey: Yes. I've had jet lag bad one-

Larry Hryb: (coughs)

Laura Massey: Night when I was in Denmark visiting people over there.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: And I stayed up the entire night 'cause I couldn't fall asleep.

Larry Hryb: Right. Right.

Laura Massey: I didn't ... I was ... I didn't have any sleeping pills with me, which was just a horrible-

Larry Hryb: Oh, that's a mess.

Laura Massey: Oversight.

Larry Hryb: That's a mess.

Laura Massey: And I was just starting to fall asleep. Exactly that moment-

Larry Hryb: When you're like-

Laura Massey: You look out the window, and you're like, "No!"

Larry Hryb: "Oh no!"

Laura Massey: "I've missed my chance!"

Larry Hryb: "I'm done!" So, anyway, and of course, we had the two days of, I was, I did some streams, I signed a bunch of autographs. It was just a lot of fun but came back, it was ... I love Mexico. I would love to go back. The food was incredible. The people were incredible. The fans were unbelievable. Uh, it was a wonderful time. I don't think it was sunny a moment I was there.

Laura Massey: Really?

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it was all-

Laura Massey: Was it rainy?

Larry Hryb: It was cloudy. A little bit of rain, but it was cool. Much cooler than I expected. It was actually warmer here in Seattle than it was in Mexico.

Laura Massey: That's super surprising.

Larry Hryb: Right?

Laura Massey: Yeah. Yeah, it's really surprising.

Larry Hryb: No, um, so it was a little bit, a little bit crazy there. So, anyway, I want to thank everybody that I saw in my, uh, two weeks and 70,000 or 56,000 miles trip around the world.

Laura Massey: Crazy trip.

Larry Hryb: I'm going to be here for awhile Laura, so-

Laura Massey: Yes, I'm glad you're going to stay put and get some rest.

Larry Hryb: Stay put and get a bit of rest. Let my body get back in action because my body is very angry with me.

Laura Massey: I bet it doesn't know what time it is.

Larry Hryb: I need to play some games. Um, have you played any games? Usually we talk about what we're playing. I haven't really had a chance to play anything. Have you played anything?

Laura Massey: I play ... I've played a few things.

Larry Hryb: What have you played?

Laura Massey: Uh, I think the biggest one I want to talk about is probably Battlefield One. I had a chance to try that out and play it.

Larry Hryb: Did you play multi or single?

Laura Massey: Single.

Larry Hryb: Single.

Laura Massey: The campaign is, is a little different this time.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: They've got the different cam- ... different styles of play.

Larry Hryb: Which, which, which 'cause I think there's six stories-

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: Which ones did you look at or were there-

Laura Massey: I immediately jumped to the second story.

Larry Hryb: Which is?

Laura Massey: Which is the pilot.

Larry Hryb: That's the one I did.

Laura Massey: Yes!

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Uh, I love line play, and-

Larry Hryb: Were you, were you, were you out on a, on a, on the blimp? Did you finish it?

Laura Massey: I didn't get there.

Larry Hryb: Oh no! I'm sorry.

Laura Massey: It's okay.That's okay. That's all right. I got to three. I think three, three of the-

Larry Hryb: Oh, it's fun. Isn't it?

Laura Massey: It's so much fun. I absolutely love flying around in planes. They did a great job with the feel of it and the pacing-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Of the campaign.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: And then it's just a gorgeous game. Like it is, by far-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: The most beautiful game I've seen on this duration so far.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Battlefield.

Laura Massey: Wonderful game.

Larry Hryb: You want to play multi-player with us? I've ... to be honest with you, I haven't even ... I've had zero time to play multi-player. Zero!

Laura Massey: How much of the campaign have you gotten through?

Larry Hryb: I think I'm through three of the six stories. I think I'm ... actually, I think, oh, no I think I'm through four of the six. I think I'm through four of the six right now.

Laura Massey: Okay.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: So, almost done.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, do the one with Lawrence of Arabia. That one's really good. That's the very, the right-hand one, way down.

Laura Massey: Yeah, for this one. This one?

Larry Hryb: Yeah, oh God, that's so good.

Laura Massey: That sounds really fun.

Larry Hryb: Anyway.

Laura Massey: Yep, I also played a bit of Costume Quest too.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: Because it's been a long time since I had a show and it was Halloween.

Larry Hryb: Oh right. It was Halloween. (laughs)

Laura Massey: Yeah. Remember that?

Larry Hryb: It was Halloween. Yeah I do.

Laura Massey: Yeah, it's a long time ago.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Halloween.

Laura Massey: Uh, I just, I love Tim Schafer games. They are just so-

Larry Hryb: Yeah, well, yeah.

Laura Massey: So funny. The best part that I, I got through was, um, so in Costume Quest, you're a kid who is trying to defeat these time lords that have come to try and steal all your candy and banish, uh, basically banished Halloween-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: 'Cause it's, it's a great story, uh, super cute, but the funniest thing is when you go to battle one of the, the time lords, it then turns into a turn-based game.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Laura Massey: And there's you and your party, it's you who's dressed up as super hero-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: It's your brother who's dressed up as candy corn-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: Which I know is your favorite.

Larry Hryb: No, oh yeah, woo-

Laura Massey: It's your favorite Halloween-

Larry Hryb: Who doesn't love good candy corn?

Laura Massey: And you meet in-

Larry Hryb: Corn syrup based.

Laura Massey: You meet with [inaudible 00:38:44] to be part of your party, but the funniest thing are all the jokes.

Larry Hryb: Oh yeah.

Laura Massey: You hear ... you're a superhero, you can fight these time lords, but your brother is just candy corn, and candy corn can't fight anything.

Larry Hryb: Right. Candy corn's nothing.

Laura Massey: (laughs) Candy corn isn't anything.

Larry Hryb: It's not even a candy. (laughs) Can't even fight.

Laura Massey: Exactly. So every time it's Candy Corn's turn, it's just ... it pops up a little text above the candy corn making some kind of joke.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: Or some kind of statement. "Candy Corn is resting on his haunches." "The rate that the stripe of candy corn is a racing stripe." (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Yeah. (laughs) Exactly. How fun. Did you know-

Laura Massey: "Candy Corn ponders its existence." (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Well, that's great.

Laura Massey: Every time, it's a different little-

Larry Hryb: Did you, did you dress up this Halloween Laura?

Laura Massey: No, I didn't.

Larry Hryb: Oh, no!

Laura Massey: I was, I was away for Halloween, so I didn't have a chance to dress up.

Larry Hryb: No! No!

Laura Massey: Next year's going to be great. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Okay. You promise?

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Okay. I'm going to hold you up to that.

Laura Massey: We'll see what I can conjure up next year.

Larry Hryb: So, that's what you've been playing.

Laura Massey: Yep, I've been playing other things that we've already talked about, like Diablo.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, I ... like I say, I'm trying ... I've got so much to catch up on. Bla .. uh, Battlefield of course, um, I finished-

Laura Massey: Titan Fall 2 campaign-

Larry Hryb: I finished the Titan Fall 2 campaign. Haven't played any of the multi-player. Um, I've been kind of checking off because I haven't had a lot of time, and I've had weird, weird time when most of my people aren't on to play.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Um-

Laura Massey: Different time zones.

Larry Hryb: Different time zones, so I've been playing, you know, chipping away at some campaigns.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: So that's what I ... that's really what I've been doing. But I know ... you know, Hallo- excuse me, Thanksgiving here in the United States is next week, which reminds me, we may not have a show again 'cause Thanksgiving, unless we record early. I'll have to talk to ... we'll have to figure that out.

Laura Massey: We'll have to figure that out.

Larry Hryb: Uh, but we'll, uh, we got Thanksgiving coming, so I'm really just going to stay home in my boxer shorts and play games.

Laura Massey: And rest.

Larry Hryb: [crosstalk 00:40:22] Yeah exactly. Chip, chip through that and do that. Looking forward to that. You know, I want to point, uh, I'm sure you know this by now, but we also issued the system update.

Laura Massey: That's right.

Larry Hryb: The Xbox One system update which had a bunch of really great stuff and including the looking for group, clubs, and the, the rare ... have you seen the rare achievement stuff?

Laura Massey: Yes I have.

Larry Hryb: Did you know I worked on that?

Laura Massey: I heard that you did.

Larry Hryb: I did. I did the, uh, I worked with the team on the audio.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: I worked with the team on the animation, so I'm very proud of that, so-

Laura Massey: I think I got a rare achievement.

Larry Hryb: You did? Tell us!

Laura Massey: I don't remember what, what it was. But I remember play ... seeing it pop up, thinking, "Ooh!"

Larry Hryb: And it made the sound.

Laura Massey: It made a different sound. It had different animation. I was like, "It happened!"

Larry Hryb: Yes, that did happen.

Laura Massey: It happened!

Larry Hryb: So, good. I'm glad you got one. Glad you enjoyed that.

Laura Massey: Yeah, I can't remember what it was. Probably Diablo. Probably some game [crosstalk 00:41:08].

Larry Hryb: I'll take a look on your profile.

Laura Massey: Yep.

Larry Hryb: So that happened. Um, we've got a lot of stuff going on. Black Friday's coming up which is a big sales time in the US and frankly around the world. Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so that'll be coming up, uh, after Thanksgiving and to be honest with you, I'm going to be posting them a little early, so keep an eye on Major Nelson.

Laura Massey: Oh!

Larry Hryb: I'm going to have the whole list over there sortable for you. You can buy as many ... one or buy them all! And gold members will save additional ... of course, if you're a gold member, you save additional monies.

Laura Massey: That's great.

Larry Hryb: Right! So, we got a lot-

Laura Massey: Pro tip there.

Larry Hryb: We got a lot going on Laura. (sighs) Oh boy.

Laura Massey: Can you talk about your, this week at Xbox?

Larry Hryb: Oh. Haha! Yeah, this week on Xbox, so this hilar ... we're posting this show on Friday, and this week on Xbox for today or, or depending upon when you're looking at this on the 18th of November is a special crazy Larry edition.

Laura Massey: Crazy Larry.

Larry Hryb: Which always, people always seem to like it. And, um, those ... I've talked about those people always ask for those. Now this is a different crazy Larry. Instead of, look at this one closely, 'cause instead of crazy Larry going crazy, this is more in the mind.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: It's inside the mind of crazy Larry. It's a little more abstract.

Laura Massey: A little more cerebral.

Larry Hryb: A little more abstract, so that was a lot of fun. You saw that one, and you, you enjoyed it.

Laura Massey: Did you get that I was doing a play-by-play?

Larry Hryb: Yes you were.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: When I sent you an IM, and you were, "Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" and I've done something in this one that I have never done in, uh, any other, any other-

Laura Massey: In a video recording.

Larry Hryb: Xbox. In fact, there's only, and that is, of course, I'm dancing a slightly. A little bit.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Last time, the last time I danced publicly was when I was shamed by you at Pax-

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: About how many years ago?

Laura Massey: I somehow tricked you in-

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: To doing a dance battle-

Larry Hryb: Yes. That's right.

Laura Massey: In Dance Central.

Larry Hryb: You, you, you lured me in, you black widow.

Laura Massey: At that point- (laughs)

Larry Hryb: You, black widow, you.

Laura Massey: You had said at that point, you'd promised that you would never do that again.

Larry Hryb: I know, and I, and I, so the, but the dancing I'm putting in the, in the, in the latest Crazy Larry is not, it's kind of, uh, it's kind of a jig. (laughs)

Laura Massey: A jig.

Larry Hryb: You'll have to take a look at it, but anyway-

Laura Massey: At least you're in there for people to look for.

Larry Hryb: It's available, it's available on, uh, on the Youtube cha- .. Xbox channel. You can also find it if you scroll back on my Twitter. You'll see it there as well.

Laura Massey: You can also see it on your Xbox dashboard.

Larry Hryb: Yeah!

Laura Massey: If you are listening to the show on Friday-

Larry Hryb: Or Saturday-

Laura Massey: Or Saturday-

Larry Hryb: Or Sunday-

Laura Massey: It should be there.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it's usually there. It's in the, it's in the ... scroll to the right, and you'll see in the community section, the right-hand side there. I don't know what image they're going to use.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: I hate ... I just, I hate that. I don't know what image they're going to use.

Laura Massey: You talk about the last week on Xbox?

Larry Hryb: Oh, the one where I had to wear farming stuff?

Laura Massey: Yes!

Larry Hryb: Now that was a funny story because the farming simulator came out and our producer, who, uh, is very creative, came out and said, "We're going to have you wear these things." You know, I'm ... I'll try anything.

Laura Massey: You try it.

Larry Hryb: I'll try anything once. And I threw it on, and it was ... it actually, I pulled it off, but I remember, without any context at all, I sent you the photo.

Laura Massey: Yeah! (laughs)

Larry Hryb: 'Cause I figured you'd appreciate it. So I text you the photo, no, "Hey Laura. What's up?" I just sent you the photo blindly, because we're at that point now in our relationship where I don't need to tell you. I'm just sending you stuff.

Laura Massey: No! It's just shock value at this point. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Right. And-

Laura Massey: I'm just like (gasps).

Larry Hryb: Did you drop the phone?

Laura Massey: What is this?

Larry Hryb: You're like, "What the ... what?" And it was the pink oxford shirt.

Laura Massey: The tee shirt, the farming fork-

Larry Hryb: The hat.

Laura Massey: The hat. The animals in your pocket.

Larry Hryb: Yep, the pitch fork.

Laura Massey: The cow, the pig.

Larry Hryb: And the milk.

Laura Massey: Oh, I didn't know ... I was too distracted.

Larry Hryb: A little bottle o' milk.

Laura Massey: I was too distracted by the hat and the fork. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it was a little too much for you.

Laura Massey: To see that there was a bottle of milk.

Larry Hryb: I can farm. I mean, I'm not, uh ... I don't have as much experience as you do.

Laura Massey: (laughs) Maybe not. But I hear there's multi-player.

Larry Hryb: Oh, there is multi-player in the farming simulator.

Laura Massey: In the farming simulator.

Larry Hryb: So, we need to (breathes), we need to investigate that.

Laura Massey: We do.

Larry Hryb: We need to investigate that.

Laura Massey: We need to do some co-op farming.

Larry Hryb: Can I ... maybe I'll wear my overalls and my pink shirt and bring my-

Laura Massey: You have the outfit all ready.

Larry Hryb: And see, I put them up there. See, the pig's over there.

Laura Massey: Oh, there he is!

Larry Hryb: Yeah, and there's, there's the puppet, so-

Laura Massey: The cow over there!

Larry Hryb: And the pig is ... you can't see him, he's around [inaudible 00:44:49], so we got this wall in, uh, the studio here, um, in our workspace where we just put up the "best of". Right?

Laura Massey: Right. The best of your "This Week on Xbox". I see [inaudible 00:44:58] up there.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, I should take a picture, I should take a, I should take a picture of this and then, I mean, you could see, you could see-

Laura Massey: You can see the catalog.

Larry Hryb: You can see the Chef Boyardee stuff from when we launched Xbox One.

Laura Massey: A-ha! There's, uh, the Plants Vs. Zombies sunflower from Garden Warfare.

Larry Hryb: There's the bourbon they gave me from Mafia 3, so there's a lot of stuff up here.

Laura Massey: (laughs) The wall-

Larry Hryb: I should, I should take a photo of that. There's, and this is, this isn't me ... this is probably less than a third of it. Maybe even a quarter of it.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: We got a lot of stuff coming in here.

Laura Massey: We sure do.

Larry Hryb: Um, anyway, so we got that. Black Friday - be sure to keep an eye on my Twitter and my, uh, and my blog. I'll have, I'll have, uh, deals for Xbox One and any other deals that I come across 'cause you know I like to keep you guys up to, up to speed on what's going on there.

Laura Massey: That's right. Keep an eye on Larry's Twitter.

Larry Hryb: Oh, you know what you need to do Laura? I was thinking about this.

Laura Massey: What's this?

Larry Hryb: You need to pay off an award and name the gamer.

Laura Massey: That's right. It's been a month.

Larry Hryb: It has been months. It's been a month!

Laura Massey: It's ... maybe even over a month.

Larry Hryb: It's maybe even over a month, so we apologize ... well, you know, I'm not ... Laura, you don't need to apologize, you've been here. I'm the, I'm the bozo that's been all over the country and all over the world, it's not your fault.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Um, but, let's, uh, let's take a moment and we'll, we'll, we'll do the name the-

Laura Massey: Let's wrap that up.

Larry Hryb: Here we go!

Laura Massey: So that was the last Name the Game we had, and it was Horse Racing 2016.

Larry Hryb: (neighs)

Laura Massey: Probably an easy one.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, probably an easy one.

Laura Massey: [crosstalk 00:46:45] All right, and now, for the winner-

Larry Hryb: Yes! The winner is ...

Laura Massey: The winner is Joshua from Philly.

Larry Hryb: Joshua from Philly, aw, too bad Jeff isn't here. I know he's a Phillies f- He's a Phillies fan.

Laura Massey: Right. So, the gamer tag of Joshua is sauce4117.

Larry Hryb: All right, Sauce4-

Laura Massey: Congratulations. You've won a lot of awesome stuff.

Larry Hryb: You know, I don't even know because you work, you go, you kind of go into my office or my desk, I don't even know which one it is ...

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Uh, and you collect a bunch of stuff. What'd you collect this week while I was away Laura?

Laura Massey: A lot of awesome stuff. Oh my goodness. I haven't given a prize pack away like this in awhile.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: First off, you get a copy of Horse Racing 2016.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, of course 'cause you need that.

Laura Massey: 'Cause you need that. You know, obviously, and then, after that, Skate 3.

Larry Hryb: Yes!

Laura Massey: Which has just come back for back compat.

Larry Hryb: Backwards compatibility.

Laura Massey: And-

Larry Hryb: Yes?

Laura Massey: Gears of War 4.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Laura Massey: Ultimate edition.

Larry Hryb: You ... ultimate edition!

Laura Massey: Not only that-

Larry Hryb: But wait, there's more!

Laura Massey: Watch Dogs 2.

Larry Hryb: Right. Just out now. I'm playing that-

Laura Massey: Which just came out.

Larry Hryb: I just started playing that.

Laura Massey: Just started playing that?

Larry Hryb: I'm so ... I'm hacking my way through it.

Laura Massey: Oh my goodness. I've heard good things.

Larry Hryb: You know, 'cause I ... you know, I, go ahead. Continue.

Laura Massey: (laughs) We should talk about that afterwards.

Larry Hryb: Yes, exactly.

Laura Massey: And-

Larry Hryb: Yes?

Laura Massey: An Xbox stereo headset.

Larry Hryb: Yes!

Laura Massey: Which is a special edition.

Larry Hryb: The new one that, that-

Laura Massey: There's a new one that just came out.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, the arctic white or polar white.

Laura Massey: That was beautiful.

Larry Hryb: Whatever white they're called. Yeah.

Laura Massey: It's wonderful.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it really is.

Laura Massey: And that's not all!

Larry Hryb: What?

Laura Massey: You also get a code to create your own xbox controller.

Larry Hryb: Yeah!

Laura Massey: So, you get an Xbox design lab code.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, you're going to go to designlab.xbox.com and we're going to make, create your own controller. I know you did Laura.

Laura Massey: I did. Yes I did.

Larry Hryb: I happened to see it.

Laura Massey: You did?

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: Where'd you see it?

Larry Hryb: I saw it on the photo you posted.

Laura Massey: (laughs) You saw my Xbox [inaudible 00:48:29] day post.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: Well, I was also wearing a very special present.

Larry Hryb: People seem to like that.

Laura Massey: (laughs) I know. People seem to like it.

Larry Hryb: You, you have one of the very rare, very rare personalized-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Xbox onesies.

Laura Massey: And I love it.

Larry Hryb: Is it comfortable?

Laura Massey: It's super comfortable.

Larry Hryb: Good.

Laura Massey: I wore it while I was playing.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Kept me really toasty.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: All the pockets-

Larry Hryb: Have all the right stuff.

Laura Massey: Have all the right stuff.

Larry Hryb: Can put your phone up here, you know, on your shoulder-

Laura Massey: Yeah, on the shoulder. There's a shoulder pocket.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Yep.

Laura Massey: I didn't realize it had so many pockets.

Larry Hryb: Right. It's got pockets everywhere.

Laura Massey: It's great.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Fantastic. Really special gift there.

Larry Hryb: Good. Well, I'm glad you like it.

Laura Massey: Okay, so do we do another name game?

Larry Hryb: I don't know. (laughs) Do I have anything left?

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: I don't even know if I have anything left.

Laura Massey: Well, I'm sure we can find something.

Larry Hryb: All right, go ahead, and you got another sound clip ready?

Laura Massey: Yep. Let's roll the next name game.

So, that was our new "Name The Game". If you too would like to win some fabulous prizes, it's really simple. All you have to do is send me an email with what game those sound effects are from. Very easy.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: It's going to be from an Xbox One game. It could be from an Xbox one back compat game.

Larry Hryb: It could be.

Laura Massey: That's true.

Larry Hryb: That's true.

Laura Massey: All you have to do again; send me an email, lollypop at Xbox ... I just messed that one up.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Lollypop at xbox dot com.

Larry Hryb: You sure?

Laura Massey: I'm sure this time.

Larry Hryb: Or major at xbox dot com.

Laura Massey: And you can also send it to major at xbox dot com. We will ... if you send it to either of us, we'll make sure it gets into the same pile.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: And of all the correct answers, we'll choose a random winner.

Larry Hryb: Random winner!

Laura Massey: That's right.

Larry Hryb: R-N-D parenthesis ... I'm channeling my inner basic for random numbers-

Laura Massey: Oh!

Larry Hryb: For random number generators. You guys, I was like, why-

Laura Massey: R-D parenthesis ... what's going on here? Not sure.

Larry Hryb: It's my terrible, terrible attempt at verbalizing code.

Laura Massey: That's great.

Larry Hryb: So (clears throat)-

Laura Massey: The inner nerd in me is happy.

Larry Hryb: Somebody, somebody got it somewhere. That's all that matters. Anyway, congratulations to that, to that winner, and, uh, you could be our next winner. Hopefully you will just drop us an email, and if you think you know what that is, it's, it's real simple. Don't hit us up on Twitter because that's not how you enter.

Laura Massey: That's not the best way.

Larry Hryb: That's not how you enter. You can, but it doesn't count.

Laura Massey: Exactly.

Larry Hryb: You can always say hello to us on Twitter.

Laura Massey: You can.

Larry Hryb: Speaking of that, do you know what happened? Did we talk about my million followers?

Laura Massey: (gasps)

Larry Hryb: A million plus followers?

Laura Massey: Yes, let's talk about it.

Larry Hryb: Uh, that's all. That's all. No big deal.

Laura Massey: How many are you at now?

Larry Hryb: I think 1.1.

Laura Massey: Congratulations.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. You're a ... you, you are in a very small group of people-

Laura Massey: Yes, your follower to followee count?

Larry Hryb: Six.

Laura Massey: Right.

Larry Hryb: I think it's six.

Laura Massey: It's astronomical.

Larry Hryb: It's act- ... small. I still have E on there. When should I take him off? Should I take him off?

Laura Massey: I don't know. You were long-time friends.

Larry Hryb: He was! He ... absolutely!

Laura Massey: He is.

Larry Hryb: He is. He still is a friend. Although I, I haven't seen him in awhile.

Laura Massey: I haven't seen him in awhile either.

Larry Hryb: Do you want to go see him over at Pokemon?

Laura Massey: We should.

Larry Hryb: Would you like to-

Laura Massey: We should make a little field trip.

Larry Hryb: We should do ... you know, one of those holiday, mid-holiday three hour lunch field trips-

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Would you like to do that sometime?

Laura Massey: That sounds great.

Larry Hryb: I think I know-

Laura Massey: We can bring the-

Larry Hryb: I think I know where his office is.

Laura Massey: We can bring microphones.

Larry Hryb: We can bring microphones. Oh!

Laura Massey: Little field trip.

Larry Hryb: Take the show on the road!

Laura Massey: Yeah!

Larry Hryb: I like your thinking Laura! Wow, let's just talk to Ian and see if he wants to do that.

Laura Massey: Yeah, see what he's doing.

Larry Hryb: All right, we're going to wrap things up here. I don't really have much more to add. We've had a great, uh, great show. I want to thank Bill Stillwell for coming by and kind of pulling back the curtain on the secret that is backwards compatibility.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: On Xbox One.

Laura Massey: Very interesting.

Larry Hryb: So, keep, uh, I want to thank him for that. That was a lot of fun there. Keep those suggestions flowing at feedback.xbox dot com.

Laura Massey: Yep, definitely.

Larry Hryb: All right, Laura. What are you, what are you going to play this weekend?

Laura Massey: I have so many things to choose from.

Larry Hryb: Going to do some Battlefield?

Laura Massey: Yeah. I want to do some Titan Fall too.

Larry Hryb: Titan Fall 2. Good, yeah, do that campaign. It's a good campaign.

Laura Massey: Yeah. Very good things.

Larry Hryb: Hope you like [inaudible 00:52:44].

Laura Massey: Who doesn't? Who doesn't love [inaudible 00:52:46].

Larry Hryb: Oh, uh, that's fine. I'm ... I'm not saying nobody does. I'm just saying hope you like it.

Laura Massey: Oh. I definitely love it. I loved it in Titan Fall 1.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: And I hear it's just so much better in Titan Fall 2. I don't know how they can make it better, but happy to try it.

Larry Hryb: But check that out.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: You know what I was thinking? Is it-

Laura Massey: Is that-

Larry Hryb: Is it, is it me ... go ahead.

Laura Massey: No, no. No, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt.

Larry Hryb: Is it me or are we like a month away from the new Star Wars movie and tickets aren't on sale yet?

Laura Massey: Yes! I've been checking every single day!

Larry Hryb: Yes!

Laura Massey: I've been checking every single day.

Larry Hryb: I know.

Laura Massey: I've been calling almost every single day.

Larry Hryb: Why, who are you calling? Who uses the phone anymore?

Laura Massey: Right!

Larry Hryb: I don't think in the long ... in the years I've known you, you've been on the phone maybe twice.

Laura Massey: I know! That should tell you-

Larry Hryb: You never pick up the phone.

Laura Massey: How much, how weird it is to [inaudible 00:53:24] 'cause I can't believe it. You know, I'm searching the internet-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: And I'm like, "This is impossible."

Larry Hryb: What is it, when-

Laura Massey: "I'm going to call!"

Larry Hryb: When do they go on sale?

Laura Massey: Nobody knows.

Larry Hryb: Nobody knows.

Laura Massey: Not even the theaters that I call know.

Larry Hryb: It's mysterious.

Laura Massey: They say that they're still waiting to hear [crosstalk 00:53:35].

Larry Hryb: All right, well, we got to figure that out.

Laura Massey: I know, so keep checking every day.

Larry Hryb: (sighs)

Laura Massey: I wanted to do gadgets. Do we have time for gadgets?

Larry Hryb: Yes, of course!

Laura Massey: I really-

Larry Hryb: Oh, oh, yeah! Talk about that one. I totally forgot about this crazy, crazy gadget you have.

Laura Massey: Yes!

Larry Hryb: Which I think I know about, but I really don't because I've only seen clips of it.

Laura Massey: Only seen little pictures here and there.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. The ... once again, in the similar vein of me sending you random photos, you send them to me and I have to decode what they ... what is going on here-

Laura Massey: (laughs) Random photos back. So, I'm really excited about my latest gadget.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: I've gotten a, a electric smoker.

Larry Hryb: Electric smoker because it's for smoking meat.

Laura Massey: For smoking meats.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: As we all know, and we've talked about for a ... you know, for hours on the show-

Larry Hryb: Forevers.

Laura Massey: Seattle-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Just doesn't have great barbecue.

Larry Hryb: And as someone who grew up in Connecticut where there was no barbecue, and somebody, you, Laura, grew up in Texas-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: I trust you implicitly and blindly when it comes to this.

Laura Massey: (laughs) So the solution that I found that's really awesome is to make my own.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: So I am now a barbecue smoker in training.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: So, I got ahold of a, the Franklin barbecue book.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: It's ... Franklin is the famous barbecuist from Austin.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: He has a whole book about how to cook barbecue.

Larry Hryb: Does he have a restaurant?

Laura Massey: Yes, yes.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: Yes, yes, so, this is, this is the-

Larry Hryb: Is that his first name or last name? (laughs) Let's just say Franklin.

Laura Massey: Where-

Franklin's barby ... the name of his restaurant is Franklin's Barbecue.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: It's his last name, I think. I can't remember. I read his whole book, and I can't even remember.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: Uh, his ... he's famous for selling out ver- of meat very quickly.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Because in barbecues, in barbecue, you have to prepare it. You can prepare ... it takes hours.

Laura Massey: It takes, in some cases, you know, over night.

Larry Hryb: So, it's like when you run out, you can't just make more.

Laura Massey: Right.

Larry Hryb: Right, so it's out.

Laura Massey: Wait for the next day.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: So, it's famous for having an incredibly long line. People will stand in line starting at six a.m.

Larry Hryb: So, you've been there?

Laura Massey: I've not been there.

Larry Hryb: Oh. What?

Laura Massey: He opened his restaurant two years after I left.

Larry Hryb: You're getting old Laura.

Laura Massey: I know.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: Right. It's been almost ten years.

Larry Hryb: What?

Laura Massey: Can you believe that?

Larry Hryb: Wow, stop this. Stop this.

Laura Massey: No. January of next year.

Larry Hryb: Stop this!

Laura Massey: It'll be 10 years.

Larry Hryb: Stop this!

Laura Massey: I know. It's crazy. Craziness. But he's famous for having an incredibly long line. People standing in line for over five hours to eat lunch.

Larry Hryb: And is that ... it's downtown?

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: It's Austin. Anyway, so I have his book-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: Secrets of one of the best barbecue restaurants, in my opinion, probably in the world because I grew up in central Texas.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: Um, I actually grew up in the town where Franklin got his first job.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: Uh, cutting meat.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: I didn't realize that the town I grew up in was one of the best barbecue restaurants in the world, so I, that probably tells you where my standards are.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: Normal barbecue, for me, like all the events I would go to growing up, they were catered.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: With barbecue from this restaurant, and that's just normal barbecue for me. And that's the top of the world-

Larry Hryb: So, Laura's had the best.

Laura Massey: I had no idea until I read this book.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, you're like-

Laura Massey: I was like, "Oh, really? My standards are really way too-"

Larry Hryb: They're not, they're not high. They're just, um, yeah, okay, they are.

Laura Massey: They're just astronomical. That just makes me, you know, sad not living in that place anymore. Not able to eat that kind of barbecue 'cause barbecue's very regional. And Central Texas is different-

Larry Hryb: We've talked about that.

Laura Massey: Than different parts of Texas and, you know, different in Carolina-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: And Louisiana ... see all different types of styles. And Franklin, of course, is right at my heart, so I have his book, and I'm trying out his methods.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: In my new electric smoker.

Larry Hryb: So, you've got this book, but you need the smoker.

Laura Massey: Yes. So, the gadget I have is an electric smoker and it's, it's, it's really cool. It's got a blue tooth, uh, thermometer in it, and it, you can connect your phone to the smoker-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: And control the temperature, control the time-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: Control the lights. And it reports back and sends you notifications when it's reached its temperature or lets you know when it's done.

Larry Hryb: So, you need to give me a link to this, so I can ... like on Amazon, so that I can put a link to it in the show notes.

Laura Massey: Yes! Yep, so it's a master built, uh, electric smoker-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: You can name it.

Larry Hryb: What did you name yours?

Laura Massey: Can you see it?

Larry Hryb: Oh! May, may I say what it is?

Laura Massey: Yes, you can!

Larry Hryb: It is, uh, Smokey McSmokeFace ... my God, that thing's huge!

Laura Massey: It's a big smoker. Yeah, it's Smokey McSmokeFace.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: He's cooked ribs and brisket for me so far.

Larry Hryb: Where does he sit? Outside?

Laura Massey: Yeah, he's definitely ... it's an outdoor thing.

Larry Hryb: Put it on your back, put it on your back patio? Wow.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Definitely an outdoor thing. Uh, I smoked the ribs for five hours and the brisket for eight.

Larry Hryb: Where do you get the stuff to smoke it with?

Laura Massey: The wood?

Larry Hryb: The wood, yeah.

Laura Massey: Uh, I got wood chips from a local supermarket.

Larry Hryb: I see.

Laura Massey: I ... this, the thing actually uses very few wood chips.

Larry Hryb: Oh, so it's efficient.

Laura Massey: It's very efficient, yeah, because it's all just built around lo- and cooking low and slow.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: So, the temperature in it never really gets above 250.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: And it is got very efficient ways to smoke, like get smoke out of wood chips.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: And you just fill the whole chamber with smoke.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Looks like a little refrigerator.

Laura Massey: Yeah, it looks like a little fridge.

Larry Hryb: Uh-huh (affirmative).

Laura Massey: And you put some wood chips in the side.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Laura Massey: And you drop them down.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Laura Massey: And it starts heating them up, and as soon as it does, it just fills the whole chamber with smoke.

Larry Hryb: What else can you smoke?

Laura Massey: You can smoke any meat. Any meat. I haven't, I've only tried ribs and brisket.

Larry Hryb: You ever going to smoke cheese?

Laura Massey: I have had them. I have not smoked it myself.

Larry Hryb: I just don't know if it would work. See, I mean-

Laura Massey: It would. It would. Oh yeah.

Larry Hryb: Well, it would melt 'cause of the temperature.

Laura Massey: Uh, it depends on the cheese. [crosstalk 00:59:03]

Larry Hryb: Let's have a smoke fondue.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Hmm.

Laura Massey: Cheeses can ... some cheese can stand up to-

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: 'Cause the lowest temperature it does is 225 or like 200.

Larry Hryb: Okay. Right.

Laura Massey: So, I can, I can experiment and see if I can get-

Larry Hryb: Right below boiling.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Right. Anyway, that's, that's delightful.

Laura Massey: Yep! So, it's super fun-

Larry Hryb: So, you're pleased with it.

Laura Massey: I'm having a ton of fun.

Larry Hryb: See, now too bad E wasn't here 'cause I know, you remember, he was always smoking stuff and-

Laura Massey: Yes, we could have a great conversation.

Larry Hryb: He, we ... now, now we really need to have a road trip to go see him in Pokemon.

Laura Massey: Yep, talk about cooking, cooking things on a smoker.

Larry Hryb: Right, right. That's cool.

Laura Massey: Yeah. So, it's super fun.

Larry Hryb: Good for you.

Laura Massey: That's, uh, my way to bring Texas to Seattle.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: Little bit of home cooking.

Larry Hryb: Love the way the boys have started to talk in this room while we're still trying to do a show. Did you notice that?

Laura Massey: Do they know we're wrapping up?

Larry Hryb: (laughs) Yeah, we hear you. We're-

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: We hear you on the microphones. So, let me turn this microphone down.

Laura Massey: Well, thank you for letting me indulge in my smoker stories.

Larry Hryb: Well, it was a lot of fun. Anyway, well, we'll be back next time, maybe next week, maybe not. We'll have ... I want to make sure you and I and Jeffrey here, we're going to start doing, getting ready for the holidays-

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: And maybe we can even make that trip out to see E and get him back-

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: On the show.

Laura Massey: We'll say hello.

Larry Hryb: Awesome. I think we're overdue with that. All right. Laura, thank you for taking the time for coming out.

Laura Massey: You're welcome.

Larry Hryb: Uh, dear listener, thank you for taking us the time out of your day. Uh, Christmas and the holidays are coming up, so whatever you do, be safe, have fun. See you online. Keep it on my blog at majornelson dot com for all the deals or on Twitter dot com. Laura, how do they find you on Twitter?

Laura Massey: They can find me at Laura Lollipop.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, or you just go find me at Major Nelson, look at one of the six people I'm following.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: She's easier ... probably easier to find there.

Laura Massey: That's the other way to do it.

Larry Hryb: All right, guys. We'll see you next time. Buh-bye.

Laura Massey: Buh-bye.

Major Nelson: (music)

Hi, it's Larry Hryb, Xbox Live's Major Nelson. Welcome to the show. Show number 583. We're sitting here, it's uh, it's my good friend Laura and I. Hello Laura.

Laura: Hello.

Major Nelson: Nice to see you.

Laura: Great to see you too.

Major Nelson: Uh, Jeffery is here. Not here. Not here. Why did I say here?

Laura: He's not here. His chair is empty.

Major Nelson: Well, you want to know why I said that? His chair is empty. Uh, he's here in spirit. Uh, Jeff couldn't join us. He's on the road today. He's got a lot going on, and uh ...

Laura: He sure does.

Major Nelson: In fact, I have a lot going on and you have a lot going on but I was like, [Laura 00:00:47] we need to do a show -

Laura: Yes.

Major Nelson: - because we haven't done one since, like, early October and it's almost end of October now.

Laura: I know.

Major Nelson: So, we've got, uh, we've got a name the game to pay off on, we've got a bunch of other stuff, but, what's really great is we're here doing the show and we actually have, I'm really excited, because we have a special guest.

Laura: We do. I'm excited too.

Major Nelson: We have a special guest who's going to join us, he's, he's been on the show before.

Laura: He has.

Major Nelson: And now I'll have him step up to the microphone in just a minute and you'll probably recognize his, his delightfully romantic brogue.

Laura: Brogue?

Major Nelson: I, I guess that's the best way to say ... Get over here, will you already? I'm vamping as fast as I can. Get over here.

Laura: (laughs) Come! I'm trying to extend as much as possible but it has been a while since he's been on the show.

Major Nelson: So here he is. [crosstalk 00:01:24]

Laura: I'm excited to see you again.[crosstalk 00:01:24]

Major Nelson: So here he is, direct from Xbox Europe is Mr. Graeme [crosstalk 00:01:27] Hi Graeme.

Graeme: Hello!

Laura: Woo! Good to see you!

Major Nelson: Let's turn your mic up, there we go.

Graeme: Thanks, yeah, should sit better as well.

Major Nelson: There you go, nice to see you.

Graeme: (sigh) Gosh, I'm always running in here at the last minute now, so. [crosstalk 00:01:36]

Major Nelson: You are, why, you know we've got meetings all over. You were in town, you know, I don't know if you know this Laura, but Graeme and I were down in uh, Los Angeles last week for a Battlefield stream.

Laura: Oh I didn't know you were there too.

Graeme: Yeah.

Major Nelson: Yeah, it was a lot of fun.

Graeme: Yeah. Why not?

Laura: Well.

Graeme: Were you not watching?

Laura: I wasn't.

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: (laughs) It was embarrassing because I love Battlefield but I was busy that day.

Major Nelson: Well it was [crosstalk 00:01:55]

Graeme: It was fun.

Major Nelson: We, so, so, uh, we'll go into that a little bit. We'll tell you a little bit of the behind the scenes uh story.

Graeme: Yes.

Major Nelson: We've got many behind the scenes stories.

Graeme: Yeah.

Major Nelson: But Jeff isn't here and Graeme, I knew he was in town doing some work.

Laura: Yeah.

Major Nelson: And I asked, before he heads back to Europe- You're headed back soon right?

Graeme: Tomorrow.

Major Nelson: Tomorrow.

Graeme: Yep.

Major Nelson: So I said why don't you come sit in on the show and you gracefully found time your schedule.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: It's always a pleasure to be asked.

Major Nelson: It is.

Graeme: But I've had to run half-way across campus to get here.

Major Nelson: Yeah, we're just ...

Graeme: Almost in time.

Major Nelson: Almost in time. [crosstalk 00:02:21]

Graeme: [inaudible 00:02:21]

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Well I didn't know where you were and Laura was really busy and I said let's get started and you can just join mid-stream and you happened to join us in the first 15 seconds. So you made it.

Laura: Yes.

Graeme: Did you hear me knocking on the door? I'm sorry about that.

Major Nelson: Yeah somebody did, somebody did.

Graeme: Okay.

Major Nelson: But it's okay.

Graeme: This is the only time I ever get to see Laura.

Laura: Yeah.

Major Nelson: That's right.

Laura: [crosstalk 00:02:33] Yeah, that's true.

Graeme: So I have to.

Major Nelson: You know, hey, guess what Graeme? The only time I get to see her too.

Graeme: Oh great. (laugh) Yeah.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: (laughs)

Laura: It's not that bad.

Graeme: You're busy.

Major Nelson: Uh, yeah no, it's nice. We've got, we've got a busy week with a Battlefield's out. We've had ah Nintendo announced a new ah, console.

Laura: Yes, I saw that.

Graeme: Yeah, yeah.

Major Nelson: Yeah, we saw that. We'll go over that. We've got a lot going on with uh, pre-sales. New Red Dead trailer.

Laura: Yeah!

Major Nelson: Did you see the new Red Dead trailer?

Graeme: I did, of course.

Laura: Who hasn't?

Graeme: Of course I did!

Major Nelson: You know, let's get into that news in a minute.

Laura: Okay.

Major Nelson: Let's talk about what we're playing first.

Graeme: Yes.

Laura: Yes.

Major Nelson: And as a guest is it okay if we have Graeme up first?

Laura: Yes. Absolutely.

Major Nelson: And as our guest we'd like you to fill us in on what you're playing? I mean-

Graeme: As I always say, when I'm on here.

Major Nelson: Yeah?

Graeme: I've been traveling.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: So I haven't been playing anything!

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: But I'm, Forza Horizon 3.

Major Nelson: Right.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: Still absolutely in love with that game. And yeah. On Friday night last week when we were still in LA I went and, the production team had an Air BnB. It was beautiful, in Venice. It was a really nice place they were staying'. And they actually had a Xbox One S.

Major Nelson: Oh good!

Graeme: So I basically went over there, we had a BBQ. And we, we only had one controller. So we did that really old-school thing of actually passing it around.

Major Nelson: Passing it around.

Laura: Oh yeah.

Graeme: Just playing one controller.

Major Nelson: You know what, it's simple but effective.

Graeme: It was great.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Because we were just going around the whole map doing um, the PR stunts in that way.

Major Nelson: Yeah, yeah.

Graeme: And just passing the controller until we completed it then moving on to the next one. We had such a good time.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: It was lovely to actually be traveling, be somewhere different, be able to sit down and play Xbox.

Major Nelson: In Venice Beach none the less which is quite delightful.

Graeme: Yeah. It was really nice.

Major Nelson: The weather was behaved, didn't it?

Graeme: Ye- It was so, uh, you know this morning,

Major Nelson: Yes.

Graeme: It was absolutely tipping it down with rain here.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: And it felt so weird to me.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: I looked out the window and was like what is that?

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: After being in LA for a week [crosstalk 00:04:07] and then Seattle.

Major Nelson: Oh, that's Seattle baby, that's Seattle.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: Yeah, I never come prepared for rain here as well which is just a ridiculous thing.

Major Nelson: Really?

Graeme: So um, but yeah no last week was just-

Major Nelson: Do you need to borrow some Wellies or something?

Graeme: I think I'm over-doing it.

Laura: Like a raincoat.

Graeme: Yeah, a sewester.

Major Nelson: Oh, I don't know what that is but okay. (laughs)

Graeme: Well isn't that a thing over here?

Laura: No.

Major Nelson: No.

Graeme: Like a big yellow, like a fisherman's ...

Major Nelson: Oh yeah.

Graeme: You know, waterproofs. Ah so far it's all right. I'm just absolutely, I just love that game so much. And the one that I'm looking forward to playing a lot of.

Major Nelson: Yes.

Graeme: Which comes out tomorrow.

Major Nelson: Yes.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Graeme: Is Civilization VI.

Laura: Oh!

Major Nelson: The six, yeah, you know. I, I knew you were going to bring that up.

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Because it does come out tomorrow.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: So you're going to play that probably on the way back aren't you?

Graeme: Yes, that's the idea.

Major Nelson: You're going to try to do that.

Graeme: I'm going to try to pre-download it. Over night tonight, and then have it ready for the plane tomorrow.

Laura: Mmm. It's a perfect plane game.

Graeme: It's a 10 hour flight.

Laura: Yeah. Plenty of time.

Major Nelson: So you'll, when do you land? Saturday morning right?

Graeme: Yeah it's like 7am, Saturday morning

Major Nelson: And then, then how far away are you from the airport in London?

Graeme: Uh, about an hour?

Major Nelson: Oh boy.

Laura: That'll be a long travel day.

Major Nelson: We he had quite the, quite the problem coming out here.

Laura: Really?

Major Nelson: His car broke down on, was it the M4?

Laura: (gasp)

Graeme: Let's not do that again. It was the M4, yeah.

Laura: Oh no!

Major Nelson: (laughs)

Graeme: The actually closed the whole M4.

Laura: For you?

Graeme: No I wish it was.

Laura: Okay. (laughs)

Major Nelson: (laughs)

Graeme: I left my house at six o'clock in the morning so I thought, this'll be great. I'll just shoot along the M4.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: It'll take me like 45 minutes to get to the airport, and then it was closed. And then all the warning lights on my car started blinking.

Laura: Oh no.

Graeme: As I was sitting in steady traffic. Not steady traffic, stopped traffic. Um. So yeah, I had to pull off the road and ...

Major Nelson: He missed his flight.

Graeme: I missed my flight.

Laura: You missed it?

Graeme: Yeah.

Laura: Oh no!

Graeme: Had to like reschedule the flight.

Major Nelson: [inaudible 00:05:37][crosstalk 00:05:37]

Laura: Oh no.

Graeme: It was so much [crosstalk 00:05:38] but you know, I got there in the end so it's all right.

Major Nelson: Well I'm so glad you made it.

Graeme: Fun and games.

Laura: Yes.

Graeme: But Battlefield was the other one right?

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: We work these events right? And it's so much fun.

Major Nelson: Yeah. It's a ton of fun.

Graeme: It's a real privileged.

Major Nelson: We, we're privileged to be able to play games and, and, just talk about the games and have fun.

Graeme: But there's always a frustration right? That we are, we have the game in front of us.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Graeme: We're talking about it the whole time, and you just like.

Major Nelson: Want to play it.

Graeme: Even, even we got to play it on stream a few times, but you just like. And then they're like, okay, on to the next thing and you're like-

Laura: Yeah.

Graeme: Can't I just play for another four hours? (laughs)

Laura: Exactly.

Major Nelson: We just want to play a match, and just really-

Graeme: Exactly.

Laura: Get into it.

Major Nelson: Invest in our characters.

Laura: Yes.

Major Nelson: We just, we just didn't have time. I mean, this is, this is, this is part of the problem.

Graeme: And it was a good opportunity for us to like, renew our Battlefield rivalry.

Major Nelson: Right.

Graeme: And we didn't really get a chance.

Major Nelson: No, we didn't.

Graeme: Every time we played, was, they put us on the same team.

Major Nelson: So [crosstalk 00:06:20] why don't-

Laura: [inaudible 00:06:20]

Major Nelson: Why don't, let's talk about this a little bit. So Graeme and I go down to LA.

Laura: Yes.

Major Nelson: We go to DICE in Los Angeles.

Laura: Right.

Major Nelson: To do the stream.

Graeme: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Major Nelson: And we're doing, we did two streams, two different days. I have to apologize I've, I got a cold since I was down there.

Graeme: Well do you know what, I'm suffering a little bit.

Laura: Ah.

Graeme: So, I think we've shh ...

Major Nelson: So that's why we need to keep Laura away.

Laura: Yes, I'll scoot further away.

Graeme: We've both got it from somewhere.

Major Nelson: Well, so.

Graeme: Further away.

Major Nelson: We go down to LA and we're doing the stream. And the first stream we showed off um, what did we do? I don't even remember the first day. It seems so long-

Graeme: The first day we were really introducing the streams.

Major Nelson: Sure.

Graeme: And EXS and preview.

Major Nelson: Sure.

Graeme: And the [inaudible 00:06:51][crosstalk 00:06:52]

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: The console.

Major Nelson: And then the next day, Laura.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: We have Snoop Dog on.

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: (gasp) Awesome.

Major Nelson: Well, I don't think he'd agree with you on that one but. (laughs)

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: (laughs) Oh, Snoop.

Major Nelson: So what happens was, is, during the stream, before Snoop shows up.

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Graeme and I are playing.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: You know, he's got his, I, I have my monitor, Graeme has his monitor, our two controllers, we're kind of talking, we're showing off the map. We're going through it. (clears throat) And, it's a very small studio. I mean tiny. Like probably a quarter of the size of this room. So we've got four people packed in, plus the gear, plus the cameras, plus the crew, it's bananas, isn't it?

Graeme: Yeah. It's always tight like that.

Major Nelson: And. It's, it is.

Graeme: It's part of the glamour of it.

Major Nelson: It's never, it's never, yeah. Behind the scenes is very, very, uh, glamorous. So-

Laura: Is this the behind-the-scenes story?

Major Nelson: Oh yeah.

Laura: That you were hinting about earlier?

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: Okay.

Major Nelson: So-

Laura: I'm really looking forward to this.

Major Nelson: So Snoop shows up and he, you know. They bring him onto the stream. We didn't even get to see him before hand. He just, on the air, walks right into stream. So we didn't get-

Laura: Wow, so you didn't even get to meet him properly?

Major Nelson: Properly, precisely.

Laura: Right.

Major Nelson: So and I, I, of course I've known, because we did a stream together in Los Angeles, and I've run into Snoop [crosstalk 00:07:54] [inaudible 00:07:54]

Graeme: You go way back.

Major Nelson: Yeah. So, he's-

Graeme: You've recorded with him before, yeah.

Major Nelson: He sits down.

Graeme: Dropped a few verses.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: They got cut from the album. Thanks for reminding me.

Laura: Yeah. (laughs)

Major Nelson: Ah, we, we, and so Snoop comes in and she starts playing Battlefield. And in a word.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Major Nelson: He's terrible.

Laura: Oh no!

Major Nelson: He just was having a really hard time. He's like, spawning in and he's dying and ...

Graeme: It was, painful.

Major Nelson: It was very painful.

Graeme: I mean I really felt for him. I mean one of the first things he said was, "Someone's just shot me in the back. How do I stop them from shooting me in the back?" And I was, you know, I was sort of like well, turn around?

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: But you know, I didn't want to like, he's, he's just turned up, it's Snoop Dog, and it's like-

Laura: Right.

Graeme: I, you know, how, how should I address, Mr. Dog in this instance.

Laura: Because he, he didn't even get to do the tutorial, did he, he just-

Major Nelson: No! No, he just, here's the controller and he's mid-match.

Graeme: Yeah.

Laura: Wow.

Major Nelson: And he was-

Laura: That's rough.

Major Nelson: I mean, for anybody that's hard.

Laura: Yes, that's rough.

Major Nelson: So he was, he was, so we were trying to help him out a little bit and we got him, you know, in the right squad. Well. So after about an hour of this, um. We were, because it was so small, like, I had to step out for a minute.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: And then Graeme stepped out and a couple, anyway. Graeme comes back in towards the end of the stream and we realize, he was playing with Graeme's controller and Graeme was using inverted controls.

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: Oh no.

Major Nelson: (laughs)

Graeme: As you should.

Laura: What?

Graeme: I, I had so much respect for Snoop that I assumed that he would play ...

Laura: Normal, all the way.

Major Nelson: Up is up, down is down.

Laura: Up is up, down is down.

Graeme: No, I don't play like that.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: So ...

Laura: It's normal.

Graeme: Inverted is truth.

Laura: Why is it called normal?

Graeme: So let's move on from that.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: Well that, because that's a conspiracy by the way. I don't want to get into that but, it does disgust me that often it seems to be labelled as some kind of perversion, almost, to play inverted.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: (laughs) That's right.

Graeme: Yeah.

Major Nelson: It's uh ...

Graeme: It's not right, it's not right. It's a life choice.

Laura: You're upside down.

Major Nelson: So if you, if you were watching the stream last week you saw Snoop, he was struggling.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Thanks to Graeme's poor choice of controller schemas.

Laura: Because he was inverted.

Graeme: I apologized to him on Twitter.

Major Nelson: (laughs) You did?

Graeme: He, he didn't tweet me back.

Laura: He didn't respond?

Graeme: Yeah.

Laura: Was he burned?

Graeme: I think there is, beef between me and sort of, inverted beef.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Ugh, ugh. Anyways so I was up, otherwise it was lot of fun and I mean a lot of people are playing the game and tonight-

Graeme: You know the other dude he had with him though, Jesse.

Major Nelson: Yeah, Jesse was legit.

Graeme: Jesse as well was just, was like, he's Prank vs. Prank on YouTube?

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: He's got like 10 million YouTube subscribers.

Major Nelson: Right.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Graeme: He was legit. He knew what he was doing.

Major Nelson: He sniped a couple there which were like what?

Graeme: And as the stream went on he just kept getting better and better and better.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: So there was one point where me and Alex, Goldenboy, were sitting next to Jesse, and we were like, let's just adopt Jesse.

Laura: Yeah. (laughs)

Graeme: As our guy, and we'll leave Larry and Jose with him.

Major Nelson: And Snoop.

Graeme: C'mon Jesse do this!

Major Nelson: We're trying to upright that one.

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: It was hard.

Graeme: Yeah, it was fun though man.

Major Nelson: So what else are you playing other than not-Battlefield?

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Graeme: Uh, so not Battlefield... So XCOM 2 was the other one I kicked off just before I left.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Okay, did you name, did you name your char- You know

Graeme: I was, I didn't really get there yet.

Major Nelson: All right.

Graeme: Because I've been waiting on that to come to Xbox One for the longest time. I'm so delighted it has. I played like the first couple of tutorial missions. So I'm just going to get into it. But that's, you know, that's top of the list when I get back.

Major Nelson: Right.

Graeme: And Gears.

Major Nelson: Gears of War.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Graeme: I want to get through Gears, play through the first couple of acts on that. Um, there's just so much at this time of year.

Laura: There is. This time of year is the game season.

Graeme: And the other one that, that weirdly, I got hooked into about four weeks ago, which is like the worst timing, is The Witcher 3.

Major Nelson: Oh boy.

Laura: Oh, what?

Graeme: Yeah. Because I started it when it came out, you know. Played for a couple of weeks. Maybe, sort of 10, 15 hours in. Was absolutely loving it.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: And then other things happened and I was pulled away from it.

Major Nelson: That game, that game is, that's that's one of the finest so far, this generation.

Graeme: It, oh, it's so good. It's so good, and still, you know, even a year on. Every time I boot it up, and your game loads in, and you're in, anywhere in the map.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: It just looks so unbelievably, it's just-

Major Nelson: You just have to stop for a moment.

Laura: Beautiful game, yeah.

Graeme: Yeah. But it was because of GWENT, uh.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Graeme: Because I'm doing some work on GWENT at the moment.

Major Nelson: Right. It's coming out as a stand-alone game later.

Graeme: Uh, absolutely.

Major Nelson: I don't know when it's coming out.

Graeme: Yeah, it's, well. I think um, betas are kicking in quite soon, stuff as well.

Major Nelson: Yeah, yeah.

Graeme: So that's exciting. And I thought well, that reminded me that I needed to go back to The Witcher 3 and play it.

Major Nelson: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Graeme: But also learn more about GWENT and The Witcher 3 as well.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: And I went and did a bit of GWENT and then I was like, oh right. I better just get back into this. So yeah. So. Basically what I'm saying is I need about 9 weeks off.

Laura: Yes.

Graeme: When I go back.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: And that's not going to happen.

Laura: I feel the same way.

Major Nelson: Well you're, you're not shy about taking you time off.

Graeme: Don't be like that.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: Have you heard this story?

Laura: Yes!

Major Nelson: (laughs)

Laura: I think he told it on the show last time.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Oh, what! Don't tell her that story!

Major Nelson: I told her how a guy came up to us and said, at gamescom, he's like "I emailed you but I got, you said you were out of office."

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: You paid him significant amounts of money.

Major Nelson: I, I, it was the funniest moment.

Graeme: It was just, the time was so, it was like out of a sitcom wasn't it?

Major Nelson: (laughs) Right.

Graeme: The timing could not have been more perfect. Because we were literally just talking about it in private.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Oh boy.

Graeme: Who says that. And it's Christmas soon is it? So I'll get some, some time then.

Laura: It is.

Major Nelson: Are you, do you have any more travel? I mean is this your last big trip for the year?

Graeme: I think this is the last one for the year actually yes.

Major Nelson: Good.

Graeme: Because things, you know, from an event point of view are settling down now right? And launches and things.

Major Nelson: Oh please.

Graeme: So uh, so yeah. We'll get home and um, you know. Do some planning for the start of next year.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: The end of year, and, uh, yeah.

Major Nelson: Well that's kind of why you're in town right now, you know. A lot of people, you know, forget, that, you know. Sure holiday 2016, that planning started for us in Xbox months and months ago.

Graeme: Oh yeah.

Laura: Mhmm

Major Nelson: So you're actually planning next year. And, I don't know about you but, I was in a meeting the other day about E3.

Graeme: Mmm.

Major Nelson: Right?

Graeme: I've started here, we've talked about it, yeah.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Thing's mentioned, so.

Major Nelson: So it's um ...

Graeme: That's a scary thought, isn't it?

Major Nelson: I already know one thing that's coming out at E3. I'm really excited.

Graeme: What is it?

Major Nelson: I'm, I, (laughs)

Laura: (laughs) Ah ha, almost. Really close.

Major Nelson: Nope, nope nope nope. Really excited. That's all I can say.

Graeme: Yes.

Major Nelson: All right Laura, what are you playing.

Laura: So, I've had, a, a few hours to dedicate to gaming this week. Which is very exciting.

Major Nelson: I'm looking over here at your gamer card.

Laura: Oh you are?

Major Nelson: Yeah we're, we're just comparing. So that's-

Laura: Which, which scores are you comparing?

Major Nelson: You're, you're over here.

Laura: Well, I mean my gamer score's not the best. I'll say that.

Major Nelson: That's fine.

Laura: But at least I have, all like, I'm getting pretty close on the Turing Test. Which I am really enjoying. It's, again, fantastic puzzle game.

Major Nelson: You, I, I'm really ahead of you on Bridge Constructor. That's just wrong.

Laura: What?! How's that possible?

Major Nelson: I don't know. You've got 7% I've got 52.

Laura: I didn't get much achiev- I mean, what? What?

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: Okay, I need to go back into that game.

Major Nelson: And now conversely, you're smoking me in Diablo. You're 71% I'm 52. I actually thought you'd be higher than that.

Laura: Yeah, you'd think so too.

Major Nelson: (laughs)

Laura: Some of those achievements are pretty hard.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: They are pretty, pretty difficult but, still really fun. Maybe I'll go back one day.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Laura: And actually get the, the hard ones. Make a mission of it.

Major Nelson: Um, anyways I'm sorry. So other than-

Laura: Yeah, you're completely distracting me.

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: Talking about and comparing gamer scores. You have 100% on Inside?

Major Nelson: Well who doesn't?

Graeme: I didn't know I can do the uh, get all the secrets things.

Major Nelson: Yeah, yeah. I had to. I had to do that.

Laura: Yeah, you can do secrets.

Graeme: So I haven't seen the alternate ending.

Laura: Because it's very similar to Limbo.

Graeme: Yeah.

Laura: Where Limbo is all about finding the eggs.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Laura: With Inside you have to find all the secret areas.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Laura: And I've only found a few.

Graeme: So good.

Laura: Looks like, four.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Laura: And there are 14?

Major Nelson: Yep.

Laura: Yeah. I have some, some exploring to go to.

Major Nelson: Yes you do. I'm not judging.

Laura: But I'm beating you on threes.

Major Nelson: You are, you are beating me on threes, 27 of them. Anyway.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: So, what else are you-

Laura: I'm good at some things.

Major Nelson: What are you, what are you playing that's not captured here? You got any, any ...

Laura: So, everything is captured there.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Laura: So I've got The Turing Test which I'm almost done with.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Laura: You've got 100%. Way to go.

Graeme: I need to play that.

Laura: It's really fun. If you like puzzle games it's, it's a really really really good one.

Major Nelson: So Laura, I'm actually, you are the in-house, resident, puzzle expert.

Laura: Thank you.

Major Nelson: I, I am a puzzle hack.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Like I'm one of those guys who's looking around like "I don't understand it", you know. Like if we were in school together Laura, I'd be coming up to you going "How do you do this?"

Laura: Ah, I see.

Major Nelson: You would've, you would've been the smart girl in class.

Laura: You got through it. Did you have to do any ... Tutorials?

Major Nelson: It was a little frustrating, I mean, some of them. It was a classic, good puzzle game, where it's like, you have to go away and then you wake up at four o'clock in the morning; "I got it!"

Laura: Okay. (laughs)

Major Nelson: You know, and you've gotta run down and turn the console on.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: So, it's, it's got those moments.

Laura: Yeah. One thing that I usually do and I found myself doing this, was I always have to go walk the entire puzzle, before I do anything. Do you do that Larry?

Major Nelson: What do you mean "walk" the entire?

Laura: Like, look at all the rooms.

Major Nelson: Oh yeah.

Laura: And see where all the switches are.

Major Nelson: Yeah, no, you have to understand what all of the, what, what's you're tool box with.

Laura: Yeah, before you go and switch the switches.

Major Nelson: Right.

Laura: And things like that because-

Graeme: You're like a racing driver, walking the track.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Before the race.

Laura: Visualize yourself, driving the curves. Flipping the switches.

Graeme: I really like the, the team that worked on Turing Test are great. Based in Darby in the UK.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Graeme: I've been up to see them a couple of times.

Laura: Oh yeah.

Major Nelson: Yeah they're great guys up there. [crosstalk 00:15:59]

Graeme: [inaudible 00:15:58]

Laura: Oh cool.

Major Nelson: I remember I see them, uh, usually at uh, at gamescom and whatnot.

Graeme: Yeah, yeah.

Major Nelson: And of course they've done- What did they did, uh ...

Graeme: Pneuma.

Major Nelson: Pneuma.

Laura: Pneuma: Breath of Life.

Major Nelson: Breath of Life, which I also finished.

Laura: Yes.

Graeme: Yeah.

Laura: And I got 100% on game. Did you get 100%?

Major Nelson: I did. I did Laura, so.

Laura: There it is.

Major Nelson: Hmm.

Laura: So getting close on The Turing Test. The other one I tried out this week was ReCore.

Major Nelson: Hmm.

Laura: Have you guys played it yet?

Major Nelson: Yep.

Graeme: I haven't played it yet, no.

Laura: Oh.

Major Nelson: Yeah, I've, I need to go back and finish that.

Laura: So I really enjoy it because it just scratches that itch for me. Because it's a first person shooter, RPG.

Major Nelson: Yeah, you know, it's funny. I was talking to, I was in Phil Spencer's office the other day. He was showing me some stuff, and he loved- He had it up because he's, he said "It's a gamer's game."

Laura: Hmm.

Major Nelson: Which is exactly right.

Laura: For me it's, there's a crafting element to it. So you can go around collecting materials, and collecting cores, and upgrading your bots. And, I find myself, similar, similar to how we think of Fallout where I had to go (laughs) and just farm for things.

Major Nelson: Right.

Laura: I found myself doing that as well. Just going around, killing bots to farm for their materials and other cores.

Major Nelson: Sure.

Laura: So I can upgrade my, my dog, you know.

Major Nelson: Right.

Laura: My little dog-bot. He's so cute.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Laura: I really, you know, it's fun. It's super-super fun.

And then I popped in Forza Horizon but I haven't gotten too far into it yet.

Graeme: Oh, it's amazing.

Laura: I know. It's beautiful.

Major Nelson: (laughs) [crosstalk 00:17:09]

Graeme: (laughs) I think the way I said that I was an idiot.

Laura: It's just beautiful.

Graeme: Yeah, it's-

Major Nelson: Appropriate though.

Laura: It's such a gorgeous game.

Graeme: Yeah, yeah.

Laura: Yeah.

Graeme: It is. I genuinely think it's the, possibly the best looking game on Xbox One at the moment?

Laura: Yep.

Graeme: Gears is, is up there as well.

Major Nelson: Let's talk about Gears.

Laura: I haven't, I don't have it yet.

Graeme: Oof.

Laura: I'm really looking forward to it.

Major Nelson: So I did the, I did the live event two wee- Jeez, two weeks ago already.

Graeme: Yeah ...

Laura: Oh.

Graeme: Time flies.

Major Nelson: I did the live stream which was cra-zy.

Laura: It was.

Major Nelson: You didn't watch it did you?

Laura: I saw pictures.

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Yeah, it was, it was bananas. So we did the live stream. It was uh, a lot of fun down there in LA and, it's, it's- As you said it's a great looking game. I'm kind of a, you know, I'm using the play-anywhere to it's fullest extent. I'm playing on my PC, I'm playing on my console, going back and forth.

Graeme: Ah.

Major Nelson: Completely seamless. Doing hoard mode. Bunch of us were on PC, a bunch were on console. Didn't matter.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: We were just having fun.

Graeme: That's really good.

Major Nelson: We should play sometime.

Graeme: I'd love to.

Major Nelson: Hoard mode.

Graeme: We always say that don't we.

Major Nelson: Well, well the problem is, is we would, but the reality is that because of the time zone difference its-

Laura: It's a little difficult.

Major Nelson: It's very- Eight hour, are you, what's, what time is it right now? (laughs)

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: Eight hours plus, so, oh god. I don't know. After ten isn't it?

Laura: Yeah.

Major Nelson: Yeah you're, you're starting to fade aren't you?

Graeme: Ten pm. No, I feel a bit, I've been out here for so long that I feel good. I'm going to suffer more when I go back.

Major Nelson: Have you, have you- That's right after it's been two weeks. That's right.

Graeme: Yeah, but. Uh, yeah. The time difference is a challenge for us though. And then like, my time is still a little bit limited with the, the two wee boys at home. You know?

Major Nelson: Right.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Major Nelson: Unless it's Lego which I see you playing all the time.

Graeme: Yeah ... Well, Disney Infinity is still the one. I mean, I, I would love to know how many hours I've got logged on Xbox Live on Disney Infinity.

Major Nelson: Ugh.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Major Nelson: It's just ...

Graeme: It must be an insane number now. And then you see these people talking about how many hours they've put on World of Warcraft.

Major Nelson: Yeah. That's you on Infinity?

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Graeme: That's me for Disney Infinity. Well it's mostly Finn.

Major Nelson: Right.

Graeme: Uh, my son. But uh, yeah. I'm not even joking. He literally, (laughs) I'll back track. That's not what literally means.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: He almost has every single Disney Infinity figurine. Ever produced.

Major Nelson: Really?

Laura: Wow.

Graeme: Like we're getting to the end of a very long list now. And of course, you know, they've stopped production.

Major Nelson: Well, right.

Graeme: Um, which is a heart-breaker. Uh, so yeah we're almost there.

Major Nelson: All right then.

Laura: Does he get you the achievements?

Graeme: It's, you know what-

Major Nelson: Yes.

Graeme: Yeah, some of them.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: I, I have you on my friends list I see it.

Graeme: It's not as good for achievements as you'd think it would.

Major Nelson: No, it's really not.

Graeme: It really isn't. Um. Uh, but yeah. He gets a few on there for me.

Laura: I see.

Graeme: I try and like, mold him to- Wouldn't it be good if you start doing that thing? Rather than that random thing?

Laura: Collecting all of these things. (laughs)

Major Nelson: Point him in the right direction.

Graeme: Start farming coins or whatever.

Major Nelson: I'm sorry Laura, we got away from what, what else you're playing.

Laura: Oh that's it. That was it for me.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Laura: Forza Horizon.

Major Nelson: So I'll just quickly tick through what I'm playing; Battlefield, ah, dipped, kinda went back into Red Dead because that was announced.

Graeme: Oh yeah.

Laura: Yeah, yes.

Major Nelson: Coming to Xbox, in late 2017.

Laura: Next year.

Major Nelson: So excited about that. So I have a friend of mine who I worked in radio, many many years ago, who is scoring it, and he's been texting me.

Laura: *gasp*

Major Nelson: And I, I can't really share the texts but he was, he's very excited.

Graeme: He's got insider information.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: Wow.

Major Nelson: Uh.

Laura: I'm jealous.

Major Nelson: Uh, Gears of War I'm about 3/4 of the way done with that campaign. I've been playing Forza Horizon. Mafia 3 is a game that I just keep going back to.

Laura: Oh yeah.

Major Nelson: Of course I did the press event last year. It was a year and a half ago and uh, at gamescom. Did that. Firewatch.

Laura: Oh.

Major Nelson: Checking out The Witness.

Laura: You've been playing Firewatch.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: What do you think?

Major Nelson: I, I'm having a great time with it.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Major Nelson: It's just, it's, I need to get back to it.

Laura: Yeah.

Major Nelson: There's just too little time and so many games right now.

Laura: So many game's you're playing.

Major Nelson: Yeah, so.

Graeme: I've played day one of Firewatch and loved it, yeah.

Major Nelson: Did you?

Graeme: Yeah, I'm quite surprised at how much I liked it, actually.

Major Nelson: Yeah,

Graeme: You know, I was expecting it to be good but, yeah, so atmospheric.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: Yes it is.

Graeme: Different.

Laura: It's gorgeous.

Graeme: Yeah.

Major Nelson: Yeah, of course The Witness, again, another puzzle game.

Laura: Yes.

Major Nelson: Did you finish The Witness?

Laura: I have not finished it.

Major Nelson: So you didn't finish it on console or PC right?

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: Right.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Laura: I got half-way through on PC and then things got in the way.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Laura: Like real-

Major Nelson: Life?

Laura: Yeah, life got in the way. Itching to get back though.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Laura: Super fun.

Major Nelson: Anyways.

Laura: I love puzzle games.

Major Nelson: That's kinda what we're playing. We've got a bunch going on. A bunch of stuff is out now uh, I mean. It's been, it's been a real crazy time in terms of what we've, what we've got out now. We talked about Battlefield 1 is out, Hopiko, I mean, just go to my blog. The Big Butcher is out, Team 17 Indie Collection is out, which is huge. Rockband Rivals bundle is out.

Graeme: Oh yeah.

Laura: Oh yeah.

Major Nelson: Batman: Return To Arkham, I mean.

Laura: Yes, I saw that.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: The Batman bundle.

Major Nelson: It, look, all you need to do is follow me on Twitter. I'm @majornelson, follow my blog, MajorNelson.com, or, This Week On Xbox. You've seen this show Graem?

Graeme: Yeah, in fact I've seen the latest one before it goes live.

Major Nelson: That's right, because you help us. We have different people look at it just to make sure that I've-

Graeme: Yeah and I've put some UK eyes on it.

Major Nelson: Yeah you do.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Which is good.

Graeme: I've tried to, edit you out of it as much as I can.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: You know, you know- You know there was-

Graeme: That's not true.

Laura: Edit you in.

Graeme: (laughs) Yeah!

Major Nelson: There was, it was a-

Graeme: Try to find some stills of me

Laura: Some green screen. (laughs)

Major Nelson: We, I would like to have you, I would love to have you sit in on the show sometime.

Graeme: I know. Well, we did it at gamescom didn't we?

Major Nelson: Yeah, we did it at gamescom and that was a lot of fun.

Graeme: That was fun, yeah.

Major Nelson: We need to do that, more of that.

Graeme: Yeah.

Major Nelson: But anyway, so yeah, just, you know how to find out what's going on. We certainly have much going on for the holiday, we have a bunch of great bundles that are out.

Graeme: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Major Nelson: You know these wonderful Battlefield bundles.

Graeme: Oh my gosh.

Laura: Oh yes.

Graeme: So many.

Major Nelson: The green?

Graeme: Yeah.

Major Nelson: What color green is it?

Graeme: Eh, it's kind of a dark green?

Major Nelson: It's a dark green.

Graeme: Yep.

Major Nelson: It's a dark green camouflage.

Graeme: It's almost like what you might see, sort of, with the armed forces, kind of.

Major Nelson: Precisely.

Graeme: Kind of that color?

Laura: Mmm.

Major Nelson: Yeah. And there's-

Graeme: It's really nice.

Major Nelson: Yep. And, and sales are going, you know. I, I wanted to get you in here because one of the things is with the Xbox One S, I'm sure you read this Laura, a lot of the listeners have read this. Xbox One S is selling quite well in the UK.

Graeme: Uh, indeed it is.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: As it is over here as well.

Major Nelson: Yeah, you know.

Graeme: I was looking at, we were doing some social post yesterday and, best selling console in America.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: All right.

Graeme: But yeah, doing really well in the UK as well, so.

Laura: Very good.

Major Nelson: You kinda need, you kinda need to be waiving a flag when you say that.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: (laughs) Well the, we were talking about it yesterday. We wanted to do like a Born In The USA sort of pastiche.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: With the American flag in the back and the Xbox Ones.

Major Nelson: American eagle-

Graeme: I'm not sure we'd get that signed off, but, yeah. It's a cool message. But yeah, it's, things are going really well in uh, in the UK and Europe just now as well. And I think it's Xbox One S is just-

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Captured people's imaginations right? I mean it looks beautiful.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Graeme: It's got great features in there and 4k is amazing.

Laura: Mm-hmm. (affirmative)

Graeme: Ah, yeah, so it's good times. It's like, you know it feels like there's real sort of energy and excitement in the community and momentum.

Major Nelson: There's always energy and excitement and just, feel, you know, there's even more so which is great stuff to talk about.

Graeme: Yeah. It's great.

Laura: All kinds of games to play, especially this holiday season.

Graeme: Well that's the other thing as well right? It's one thing having the hardware but the lineup of games is great as well.

Laura: Yes. It's incredible.

Major Nelson: It's relentless.

Laura: It's relentless, it's almost stressful, today.

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Well, we are getting into a, you know, we're now in about another two or three weeks it kinda peters out in terms of game releases that doesn't, you know, the backlog is, will be officially there.

Laura: It will be very high.

Major Nelson: You know next week is going to be difficult because I'm headed to New York. We've got a big event in New York.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: Not an Xbox, more of a Microsoft thing I was asked to attend so um, I'm going to go there and uh, see what we got to announce. I don't know. I honestly don't know.

Laura: All right.

Major Nelson: I'm, I'm going in with open eyes and blind.

Laura: I hear there's cool stuff.

Major Nelson: And then I come back, and, I go to Australia.

Laura: That's right.

Graeme: Wow.

Major Nelson: I'll be doing story time for PAX Australia. Very excited to go down to Melbourne. Um, I've got a bunch of stories. Some of, some of the stories you've probably heard me tell on the air here but there's some that have never before been told, that I'll be telling.

Laura: Oh, during your keynote?

Major Nelson: Yes, during the keynote, some of those.

Laura: Oh.

Major Nelson: Ah, and then I come back and then I'm going to Mexico.

Graeme: Wow.

Major Nelson: We have a Mexico fan event coming up in mid-November.

Laura: That's right.

Major Nelson: So, so that's kind of my travel schedule for [crosstalk 00:24:00]

Graeme: A lot of travels, definitely.

Laura: Is that, is that the first time we've talked about it?

Major Nelson: Uh, I believe so. Yeah.

Laura: All right.

Major Nelson: I think I tweeted out that I was going to go and Phil, he's like yeah, you need to go. Okay Phil!

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: On it, booking now.

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: So, uh, yeah. So Phil and I are going to be down there and some of the other members of the team as well, so.

Laura: That's very exciting.

Major Nelson: So I've never, I've never been to Mexico.

Graeme: Neither have I.

Major Nelson: Have you been?

Laura: I've been. Yes, a few times.

Major Nelson: [inaudible 00:24:19]

Laura: But only to the coastal areas.

Major Nelson: Yeah, you've only been to the resort areas right?

Laura: Right.

Major Nelson: You haven't been to Mexico City.

Laura: Right.

Graeme: Maybe I should drop [inaudible 00:24:26] and the team down there as well so.

Major Nelson: Yeah, why don't you come join us.

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: You know Phil, just email him.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Maybe I should drop my wife a note first.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Yeah exactly, yeah.

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Well as we know, we must approve these things by the higher authorities.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: Isn't that, that's quite a good one as well, isn't it, because it's mid-November.

Major Nelson: Yeah, it's mid November. I think like the 11th or 12th.

Graeme: Which is very close to the 15th year anniversary-

Major Nelson: Of Xbox.

Graeme: Of Xbox.

Major Nelson: Yeah. That's coming up.

Graeme: So that's quite a celebration.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: That's cool.

Major Nelson: Fifteen years.

Graeme: Fifteen years.

Major Nelson: To think that I've been here for over 13 of them.

Graeme: (whistles)

Major Nelson: So. Anyway.

Graeme: Wow.

Laura: Wow.

Major Nelson: Enough of that.

Graeme: You don't look a day older.

Major Nelson: Thank you.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Hmm. I don't-

Graeme: I mean, you look 13 years older but, not a day older.

Laura: (laughs) Not a day older than that.

Major Nelson: (sighs) Anything else you want to say there Graeme?

Graeme: I've, I mean I've been here 10 years. I don't know why I'm throwing shade on ye. (laughs)

Laura: Longer than 10 years.

Major Nelson: And Laura's been here longer than that.

Laura: I've been, I'm coming up on my 10 year.

Major Nelson: Are you?

Laura: Yep. In February.

Major Nelson: My lord.

Graeme: Congratulations.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: I remember, I remember when Laura-

Laura: Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Major Nelson: I remember, I remember a very young Laura when she's walking by our office going, "And you are ...?"

Graeme: We're the old ones.

Laura: Who are you?

Major Nelson: You are, what do you do?

Laura: Wha- What's your name?

Major Nelson: Developer what?

Laura: Oh, I was asking you those questions. Who are you/

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Oh exactly. I still get asked that question here.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: It like, I still get asked- We were kinda looking at each other like wait a minute.

Laura: What do you do? (laughs

Major Nelson: It's a weird story isn't it? It's a weird story.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: It is.

Major Nelson: We could tell stories.[crosstalk 00:25:43]

Graeme: [inaudible 00:25:43]

Major Nelson: Anyway, we've got a lot of games coming up, a lot of travel coming up.

Graeme: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: So I just want to make sure people that the, the store, our or excuse me. The ah, the shows are going to be a little bit sporadic as the often are during these travel times of the year.

Laura: They are.

Major Nelson: Like I say, Jeff is traveling. That's why I was so thrilled that uh, well that uh, you know. You- It's not even a replacement I mean it's an upgrade. We get Graeme.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: It did sound like you were going towards last minute, desperation.

Major Nelson: No! No we moved heaven and Earth to get you on.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: Okay.

Major Nelson: We, we, we accommodated your schedule, because we know how busy you are.

Graeme: That is true actually, yeah. I appreciate that.

Major Nelson: So you know what we're going to do right now is we have a Name The Game Laura.

Laura: That's right, we still have to pay that off.

Major Nelson: We said, that we would Name The Game which is, you know, it's a, it's a feature we do here. You know that right?

Graeme: Yeah.

Major Nelson: Okay, just want to make sure, you know, Graeme.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: Come on.

Major Nelson: We do feature Name The Game, and Laura, you have the Name The Game from last time right?

Laura: I do.

(fast car sounds)

(Male Voice: Left! Left! Right! Watch out for that, argh!)

(helicopter sounds and car sounds)

(sounds fade, slow-motion helicopter sound remains)

(car sounds fade back in)

So that was Name The Game from last time. And it was a pretty easy one.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: It was Forza Horizon 3.

Graeme: Hey!

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Hey! Hmm, maybe it was the revving engines that was the give away.

Laura: Yeah, it could've been, maybe. Pretty simple one, but ...

Major Nelson: Well we also, well that means we have a winner!

Laura: We do have a winner, and the winner is, gamertag: patworks89, and he is from Syracuse, New York.

Major Nelson: Syracuse, my old stomping ground.

Laura: That's right.

Major Nelson: Upstate in the uh, uh the what was that 315 area code? Great.

Laura: Yeah.

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: So congratulations to patworks, we have a big back of prizes for you.

Major Nelson: What do we have? What, what did you, where, so I don't know how this works because every week we come in, and some how you have access to my prizes and like-

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: I think you go to my desk when I'm not there and just, we're going to use this, we're going to use this, we're going to use this.

Laura: Exactly, and just pilfer. Now this.

Major Nelson: What'd you pull out this week Laura?

Laura: So this week we have a WW3 2K17 full game, a copy of that for PatWorks

Major Nelson: Wrestling is big over there in the UK isn't it?

Graeme: Yeah it is, it is, it's a big deal.

Laura: It is. Not only that we have a Just Dance 2017, so if wrestling's not your thing, and maybe dancing is?

Major Nelson: Maybe dancing is.

Laura: Enjoy, Just Dance 2017.

Major Nelson: Different type of dancing.

Laura: And that's not all, we also have a full copy of Gears of War 4 Ultimate Edition.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Whoa.

Laura: And-

Major Nelson: Wait, what more?

Laura: And-

Major Nelson: You're cleaning me out, Laura!

Laura: All right, all right, Forza Horizon 3 Ultimate Edition as well.

Major Nelson: Woo!

Graeme: What a line up.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: That's brilliant.

Laura: Look here. That's not all.

Graeme: What?

Major Nelson: Wait a minute-

Laura: Patworks, you also get a Xbox wireless controller, the blue version.

Major Nelson: Yes, you found that did you, huh?

Graeme: Nice.

Laura: I did.

Major Nelson: It was in my desk.

Laura: Yes.

Major Nelson: Well congratulations ah, when you play Name The Game you could win all sorts of cool stuff.

Laura: You can.

Major Nelson: Including just like Laura said, so.

Laura: All kinds of things that I find.

Major Nelson: So, so we're going to do one right now ah, but. I have no idea. You're going to have a long time because we're not going to be doing a show for a few weeks.

Laura: Yes. That's true.

Major Nelson: So you're going, you're going to have quite a while. So it's gonna be, let's make it exceptionally difficult.

Laura: Yeah. You'll need to do your research for this one.

Major Nelson: Okay. You ready?

Laura: Yeah. Let's roll it.

(gunshot, then rock music, crowd sounds)

So that was Name The Game. If you too would love to win fabulous prizes-

Major Nelson: And who wouldn't?

Laura: Who wouldn't, exactly. All you have to do is send us an email with what game you think those sounds are from.

Major Nelson: Yes.

Laura: Our email addresses are lollipop@xbox.com and major@xbox.com.

Major Nelson: Yup. Send it to both of us.

Laura: It's easy as that.

Major Nelson: Yeah, let us know. One entry, one entry per person please. Let us know uh, where you're from, what your guess is, and any, you know, tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

Laura: That'll be fun.

Major Nelson: Right?

Laura: Perfect. We always love learning about our listeners.

Major Nelson: Right.

Laura: Where they're from, about their lives.

Major Nelson: We have so many listeners, and they're from all over the world.

Laura: Yes.

Major Nelson: What's an interesting fact about you, Graeme?

Graeme: When we did, we did one of those ice breakers at a meeting the other day.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: And the one we had to do was, ah, your first concert you went to.

Laura: Hmm.

Graeme: So that's quite a good one. Do that.

Laura: Yes.

Major Nelson: What was it?

Graeme: Um, mine's actually not that embarrassing.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Graeme: Uh, it's a band called Biffy Clyro. Who, I don't think, I think they've done alright over here but I think they're a bit, a bit more indie over here.

Laura: I haven't heard of them.

Major Nelson: Nope, not, not with these two demographics.

Graeme: Yeah.

Laura: And yours is pretty good, being from radio.

Graeme: Ah he's going to show off aren't you?

Major Nelson: Right. So, well let's do yours first.

Laura: My first concert?

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: Oh my goodness.

Major Nelson: Come on. How do you, I mean, you know.

Laura: Uh, Yellowcard?

Graeme: Yellowcard?

Major Nelson: Yellowcard?

Laura: Yeah.

Major Nelson: Okay. That's a good one. Well, you know mine.

Laura: No I don't.

Major Nelson: You don't know what mine is? Oh.

Laura: No.

Major Nelson: Mine is, this is actually really embarrassing. Um. It's Bruce Springsteen.

Graeme: How, what is embarrassing about Bruce Springsteen?!

Laura: How is that embarrassing?! It's Springsteen!

Major Nelson: Because, it was, it was, I I I, I'll never forget this. It was in uh, when I was, it was a girlfriend, a former girlfriend, she said "Hey, I want to go see Bruce Springsteen." I was like "I don't know, I'm not a Bruce Springsteen, I'll go see him, whatever". You know, I wanted to be with her. So we go.

Graeme: That's nice. Smoke in my eye.

Laura: I know! (laughs)

Major Nelson: And my very first concert. And Bruce, I think he went six hours.

Graeme: Yeah.

Laura: Wow.

Major Nelson: Because he plays these legendary ...

Laura: What?

Major Nelson: And I was like, is this the way all concerts are?!

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: No, they're not. Um, but it was an amazing, amazing, amazing experience. So.

Laura: Is that what got you hooked into radio?

Major Nelson: Uh, (laughs) you know what got me hooked into radio, you know that story. Uh, no, that just I mean, I've always, I've always, I mean, who doesn't love music? I like, I'm a pop music guy.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: So, um, but that, that didn't, that really wasn't it. I mean, I love going to conc- When I worked in radio I did a lot of different concerts.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: I mean you name anybody in the 90s I did the show.

Laura: Okay.

Major Nelson: Um, so.

Laura: Yeah.

Major Nelson: Yes I did Robbie Williams' shows.

Graeme: Did you?

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Very good. He puts on a good show.

Major Nelson: Big in the UK, not so much in the US.

Graeme: Did you let him entertain you?

Major Nelson: Yes.

Graeme: Oh good.

Major Nelson: Precisely.

Graeme: I'm reading Bruce Springsteen's autobiography just now.

Major Nelson: Oh, is it good?

Graeme: It's amazing.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Graeme: It's so good, yeah.

Major Nelson: All right.

Graeme: I'm about half-way through it at the moment. So I've been reading it on my trip and it's really good. I love it.

Major Nelson: So anyway, if you're a listener, if you want to tell us what your first concert is, we'd love to hear.

Graeme: Yeah.

Laura: Yeah.

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: [inaudible 00:32:41]

Major Nelson: I'm sorry Springsteen.

Laura: Bringing it back.

Graeme: I'm still confused about who Yellowcard are.

Major Nelson: Yeah, what is-

Laura: There is, they were a smaller band, and I lived in Austin so music-

Major Nelson: Oh-

Graeme: Oh, so yeah.

Major Nelson: Yeah, yeah.

Graeme: It's a hipster band.

Major Nelson: Did they, did, although Laura doesn't really strike you as a hipster does she?

Graeme: Laura's him.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: I didn't say that she wasn't him!

Graeme: Come on.

Major Nelson: I said she's not a hipster. Hipsters are a little different.

Graeme: I think, I think if you're automatically him aren't you?

Laura: Thank you. I would agree with you.

Graeme: Swept up with the hip wave.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative). I would agree with that.

Major Nelson: (laughs)

Laura: Well anyway, you can look them up on the internet.

Graeme: (laughs) You don't look convinced.

Major Nelson: Oh boy, oh boy. That's uh, anyway, so what else do we have? Wow!

Laura: Where are we?

Major Nelson: I don't even know how we could top that. I'm looking forward to seeing uh, what we've got next week.

Laura: Exactly.

Major Nelson: You want to talk about the Nintendo announcement? They-

Graeme: Yeah.

Major Nelson: What, what's the name? What was it?

Laura: Switch, isn't it?

Major Nelson: Switch, that's right.

Graeme: Switch.

Laura: Yup.

Major Nelson: Did you watch their trailer?

Graeme: I, uh ... It was a bit of uh, sorry. It was a bit of a strange one, because it was 7am time here.

Major Nelson: Locally, here, Pacific, yeah.

Laura: Yeah.

Graeme: So I got out of bed for it.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: Literally.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Graeme: Um, yeah. Really, really, uh, intrigued. I think, I, I love the way that they are going after the audience that they already kind of know and love.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: You know, and they're bringing the two parts of what they're already doing together in such a seamless way.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Graeme: And like, for, for people who travel a lot like for you for instance, right, over the next two months?

Major Nelson: Forever.

Laura: Yeah. (laughs)

Graeme: That's an interesting proposition.

Major Nelson: Yeah, yeah.

Graeme: To be able to do that.

Laura: Take your console with you.

Major Nelson: To actually travel-

Graeme: Yeah.

Laura: Amazing.

Graeme: And of course we've got Xbox Play Anywhere which give you some of that.

Major Nelson: Sure.

Graeme: Um, in a really compelling way. But yeah, no, I thought it was great and nicely, nicely put together trailer. The one thing that I just can't stop thinking about is that poor dog. You know, the dog.

Laura: Which one?

Graeme: The guy's playing Zeldah.

Major Nelson: Yeah, yeah.

Graeme: And it's like dawn, in his apartment, he's obviously been playing it all night and this big dog wanders over and barks at him, like "Can I get some attention?" So he takes, he takes the Switch and he goes out to the park with the dog, but then he's just sitting on a park bench, playing Zeldah.

Major Nelson: And the dog disappears?

Graeme: And the dog's not there!

Major Nelson: (laughs)

Laura: Oh no!

Graeme: I'm worried about this dog everyone. Is the dog okay? Is it getting the attention he needs?

Major Nelson: Has anybody seen the dog from the Switch spot? Please speak up.

Graeme: So as excited as I am about it that's my over-riding concern.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Laura: Yeah.

Major Nelson: So Laura, you saw it right?

Laura: Yes.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Laura: I love that, they're willing to try things that are new.

Graeme: Yeah.

Laura: Right? They are still trying to innovate.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Laura: And not follow along with the way the industry is going. They're trying things that are really new.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Laura: And I really respect that. Out of, you know, out of a company.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Laura: Taking risks like that is really difficult.

Major Nelson: And that's fun, that's why I, I was very excited to see what they do. Then of course we talked about it earlier in the show, Red Dead Redemption 2, that trailer dropped an hour later. What a crazy, we're recording this right now on a Thursday, what a crazy day in the middle of October. We have these big pieces of news, right?

Laura: Right?

Major Nelson: And there's even more.

Graeme: It's just brilliant. Yeah.

Laura: Ah. There's just so much happening. So many things to keep on top of.

Graeme: It's been fun watching what Rockstar's done over the past few days.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: They really built it up.

Graeme: Yeah, they literally just put up, you know, a red image with they're logo on it on Sunday afternoon-

Major Nelson: And the internet melted, it caved it.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: It just absolutely broke the internet.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: And it's uh, but you know, it's incredible. As a, as a company, as a developer and publisher, have that power. But they deserve it, right?

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: Because, I, you know I love the way that they just manage everything so closely in their communication of new stuff like this.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Graeme: You know, its, they don't need to do a lot because they can just do something like that.

Laura: Right?

Graeme: And just (makes explosion noise), it just explodes.

Laura: Just put out a red picture.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Graeme: Yeah and then the beautiful art the next day.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative). The silhouettes.

Graeme: And then all these spin offs, did you see all of the sort of memes of, of that piece of art?

Major Nelson: Yes. (laughs)

Laura: Yes, yeah.

Graeme: I thought is was pretty cool. I think Recore did one actually.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Which was nice.

Laura: I saw that.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Um, yeah, and then the trailer this morning right?

Major Nelson: Yep.

Graeme: You saw that right?

Major Nelson: Looked delightful.

Laura: Yeah that was, wasn't that your favorite game of the year when that came out?

Major Nelson: Oh yeah. In fact Red Dead was one of my favorite games of last generation.

Laura: Oh man.

Major Nelson: I mean, I've, I make no, no bones about the fact that at the end of that game, I cried. It was emotional.

Graeme: Well, I was talking to someone about this the other day, like it had quite a strange pacing that game right? You know, quite, ah, deliberate start to the game.

Major Nelson: Sure.

Graeme: And then there was that section when you're at the, the McFarland ranch I think it was?

Major Nelson: Yep, yep.

Graeme: And it's quite, it's quite slow.

Major Nelson: Sure.

Graeme: But really compelling.

Major Nelson: Right.

Graeme: And, and then sort of interesting pacing at the end. But the result of that I think was like a much more, like um, sophisticated narrative right?

Laura: Mmm.

Graeme: At the end, it was a real gut-punch right?

Major Nelson: Well that's, that's-

Graeme: Like proper emotional stuff.

Major Nelson: To that point, I mean, you know, when it came to back ward compatibility in August, I fired up my con- my Xbox One and started, and I went like, I wonder where my game save is? And apparently I never saved my game to the cloud, because if you saved on your Xbox 360 you would just pull them down.

Graeme: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Major Nelson: So I started playing and I was like oh, I guess I don't have my game save here, never mind.

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Six and a half hours later ...

Graeme: (laughs)

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: That's how powerful it is. And there's just something, the characters are so well defined. Nigel West Dickens is just so brilliant.

Graeme: Yeah.

Major Nelson: All of the single characters, the voice work is, everything about that game, is just top-notch class.

Graeme: Yeah, it's beautiful.

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: Beautiful, beautiful game. What did you read into the new trailer?

Major Nelson: You know, I don't want to, I don't really want to say anything.

Graeme: Right.

Major Nelson: Because I kind of know a little bit more than I should.

Graeme: (gasp)

Laura: (gasp)

Major Nelson: I, so, I'm not going to say anything.

Laura: Oh, insider knowledge.

Major Nelson: I'll just say that I'm, I'm, I'm very excited.

Laura: Oh. I'm jealous.

Graeme: The one thing I'll say, I mean I don't know anymore than I should.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: So I'm just coming to it completely fresh. I, the vibe I got from it was quite Revenant-y.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: You know The Revenant?

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: There's a couple of shots in it where there's like embers, you know.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Graeme: Swirling into the sky. That really reminded me of the cinematography in that film, and I think, so that's exciting. I think that, you know, the, it's a slightly different part of America by the looks of things. It's more this kind of heartland, like the middle of America rather than the extreme, wild, West? The frontier, West? Um, so I think that's an interesting one to-

Major Nelson: Well, what, it's interesting you bring that up because Laura, you know. I grew up in New England, and Laura grew up in Texas, which is kind of the West.

Laura: Kind of?

Major Nelson: Kind of more, more so that I grew up.

Laura: Maybe? I suppose so, that's true.

Major Nelson: So obviously the West has an appeal outside of the United States.

Laura: It does, really?

Graeme: Absolutely, yeah.

Laura: Huh.

Graeme: I mean Westerns are, yeah, I've run, in the UK everyone's always loved Westerns. And I think even if you go into, like, countries like maybe Germany?

Major Nelson: Yup.

Graeme: There's a real kind of passion for the idea of the cowboy and the-

Major Nelson: I wonder why that is?

Graeme: Well, it's just a romantic notion isn't it?

Laura: I think so.

Graeme: I mean that's why Star Wars is, is universal right? Because it's essentially a Western in space.

Major Nelson: You know Laura has cowboy boots right?

Graeme: Is that right?

Laura: Yep, and a hat.

Major Nelson: I was getting to that!

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: That's Texas isn't it?

Laura: I have to.

Major Nelson: I don't know this Laura, because I'm known you for a long time, I don't think she has a six-shooter...

Graeme: Hmm.

Laura: Well not me, not me, my family does.

Major Nelson: Oh.

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: There's, there's a family six-shooter?

Laura: Yeah.

Major Nelson: Wow.

Graeme: That's cool.

Major Nelson: Yeah, so.

Graeme: So what you're saying is you could get a loan of it if you needed to.

Laura: If I needed to, for you know, a photo shoot or something.

Graeme: Watch out.

Major Nelson: Yeah, look, watch it.

Graeme: Can you do that fanning? The bang-bang-bang-bang?

Laura: No.

Major Nelson: Have you ever tried?

Laura: No. (laughs)

Major Nelson: No?

Laura: That's really dangerous.

Graeme: That was always one of my, like, the, the um, they call it dead eye in the- ?

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: In Red Dead Redemption.

Major Nelson: Yeah.

Graeme: Where it's slow-mo'd and you can tag your targets. What an amazing mechanic that was.

Major Nelson: Yep.

Laura: Yep.

Graeme: So satisfying, every single time.

Major Nelson: Anyways, so, that's, that's out, we talked about that. Of course Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, that beta is out this week.

Graeme: Mm-hmm (affirmative)..

Laura: It is?

Major Nelson: So, you know, can always play Call of Duty on Xbox, it's uh- You know, here's what you need to do. I talked about this at the top of the show. You can go to my blog, you can follow me on twitter, or just watch This Week On Xbox, on your console, on YouTube. It's all there, I'll tell you everything you need to know, in like 10 minutes.

Graeme: This is a good episode this week, as well.

Major Nelson: Did you like the episode?

Graeme: I did, I really liked it, yeah.

Major Nelson: [inaudible 00:40:05]

Graeme: I gave you a good review.

Major Nelson: Did you?

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: I never tag you on the email.

Major Nelson: Right.

Graeme: I always just send it straight to Brady.

Major Nelson: That's right, the producer.

Graeme: But I'm like, you know, it's a good one.

Major Nelson: You gonna, you gonna give me the thumbs up? You gonna thumbs up and subscribe? (laughs)

Graeme: Three and a half stars. (laughs)

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: Is that Brady there?

Major Nelson: That's Brady!

Graeme: Oh my god!

Major Nelson: That's Brady right there!

Graeme: Sitting right next to me and I've never met him before.

Major Nelson: You've really? Oh well we'll do that after we've gotten off the air. So ...

Graeme: Well I'm glad I emailed him today, because, I've been a slack on my feedback for a few weeks.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: Yeah. You have been that would've been, talked about that so.

Graeme: So that would've been embarrassing. Whoa.

Major Nelson: Okay we're going to wrap up the show here. I want to thank you Graeme for coming and sitting in.

Laura: Yes.

Major Nelson: And thank you listeners for joining us, and Laura, thank you.

Laura: You're welcome.

Major Nelson: Graeme, how do people find you on social media?

Graeme: Uh, I'm at aceybongos on Twitter and aceybongos on Instagram as well. And of course, on Xbox Live.

Major Nelson: Yes.

Graeme: Aceybongos.

Major Nelson: You can find Laura at:

Laura: At lauralollipop on Twitter.

Major Nelson: You just look for the cute kittens.

Laura: That's right. I didn't put up the kittens.

Major Nelson: Did you hear about this?

Graeme: No?

Laura: Did you hear the story about the kittens?

Graeme: You've got kittens?

Laura: Okay, so, October for Microsoft is the giving campaign month. Microsoft's really big into charity and encourages employees to donate money to charity, Microsoft matches one-to-one, you know, donations of money and of time, which is really awesome. And, so all of our co-workers try and generate excitement for different activities to raise money and one of our co-workers organized the, Seattle Humane Society to visit our building.

Graeme: Nice.

Laura: Brought three kittens.

Graeme: Oh no.

Laura: And was saying donate you know $5, $10, whatever you'd like to the Seattle Humane Society, and you can snuggle with a kitten for five minutes.

Graeme: Oh my goodness.

Major Nelson: Just five minutes?

Laura: Yeah, just like five minutes.

Graeme: That's not bad.

Laura: You could sign up for multiples, but, because it was just so much demand for the kittens, they had to-

Major Nelson: That's good news.

Laura: They had to cut it into five minutes slots.

Major Nelson: Sure.

Laura: So you could sign up for multiple slots and donate multiple times.

Major Nelson: So there's a photo of Laura playing with kittens on her Twitter.

Laura: So I got to play with kites today.

Major Nelson: Now you don't have a cat?

Laura: I don't.

Major Nelson: Have you ever had a cat?

Laura: No. I've only had a dog, growing up.

Major Nelson: Okay.

Laura: But not a cat.

Major Nelson: All right, so do you self identify with dogs or cats?

Laura: I'm a dog person.

Major Nelson: I am too.

Laura: Yeah. But kittens are still super cute.

Major Nelson: Of course they are.

Laura: Fluffy, cuddly. Fun way to spend five minutes.

Major Nelson: I have a, um, my cat story isn't, I've told, I don't think I've ever told this one here. My sister's a veterinarian. Um, I don't know if I've ever told you this. My sister's a veterinarian and she, uh, she has like three or four dogs, she's got a couple of cats, and this one particular cat she has is a Savannah cat.

Graeme: Okay.

Major Nelson: Which is about two steps removed from a wild animal. Laura's showing Graeme-

Laura: I'm showing Graeme the picture of the kittens.

Graeme: Yeah sorry. You might have heard me mouthing oh my god.

Laura: (laughs) They are so cute!

Graeme: So cute.

Major Nelson: So this, so this Savannah cat is a, a very, it was essentially almost a wild animal. So I go visit my sister when I go home to Massachusetts, um, like I won't sleep at my sister's house because I'm pretty sure this cat's going to kill me in my sleep.

Laura: Wow. (laughs)

Graeme: (laughs)

Major Nelson: It just looks at me sideways.

Graeme: Yeah.

Major Nelson: It's like I know what you're up to, I'll get you.

Graeme: (laughs) All cats are like that.

Laura: All cats are like that.

Graeme: That's what cat's do.

Major Nelson: Yeah, cat's, they all, they all give you the sideways glance.

Graeme: Oh yeah.

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: You've never met my cat before right?

Major Nelson: No!

Graeme: I think I told you about it last time I was on here actually.

Major Nelson: No, maybe you did.

Graeme: It's not a big deal actually he's just called Boba Fett.

Laura: That's pretty good.

Major Nelson: Oh yeah, I do, I do recall that.

Laura: That's a great name.

Major Nelson: So you only, you don't have a dog?

Graeme: We're going to get one next year I think.

Major Nelson: Good.

Laura: Oh.

Graeme: Yeah. I haven't told Boba Fett that yet.

Laura: Uh oh.

Major Nelson: Well that, that'll be a fun conversation.

Graeme: So uh, he might jump into a sarlacc pit before that happens.

Major Nelson: (laughs)

Laura: (laughs)

Graeme: But um, yeah, I think we're going to get one.

Laura: Have you planned a name for the dog?

Graeme: Uh, I didn't think about that. We're going to have to stick with the theme aren't we?

Laura: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Graeme: What's a good name for a dog?

Major Nelson: Well if you ah, if you have any great names for the dog send it to major@xbox and I'll forward it. Or hit up Graeme on Twitter.

Graeme: Chewie is quite good

Laura: Yes it is.

Graeme: Or Jango.

Laura: Mmm.

Major Nelson: There's a, there's a great, there's a lot of great names to choose from.

Graeme: Uh yeah.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: So, you've already taken, you've already taken-

Graeme: Is that like your way of telling me to stop listing off potential dog names?

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: You've already taken the name Finn.

Graeme: Yeah that's true. Yeah.

Laura: (laughs)

Major Nelson: So, anyways. So that's how you find Laura on Twitter again at:

Laura: Lauralollipop

Major Nelson: And you find me at majornelson, they've got to find me. All right gang, we'll see you when we see you. We don't know when it is, but we'll see you next time. Graeme thanks for stopping by, Laura, thank you for finding time.

Laura: You're welcome.

Major Nelson: And you dear listener, thank you. We'll see you guys next time. Bye bye everybody!

Laura: Bye bye!

(music swells)

Larry: Joining me today is Greg Foertsch. He is the art director for XCOM He's a, we're, we're connecting, uh, via, via Skype over to Firaxis. Greg, great to meet you and, uh, welcome to the show.

Greg: Thanks, great to meet you too.

Larry: Well, we got a great week for you guys. You have XCOM 2 out. It's, uh, out on all, a bunch of different platforms, um, but I wanted to get you on and talk about it. This is, this is quite the beloved franchise, my friend.

Greg: (laughs) Yeah, we, uh, we love it a little bit here too. We're, we're super happy that it's finally out on the consoles. That was a, you know, something we really wanted to have happen.

Larry: Tell us, uh, tell us about what we can expect, uh, from XCOM 2 and what has changed since the last installment and what some of you guys have learned at the, at Firaxis?

Greg: Wow. So, uh, from Enemy Unknown, everything's changed. Like the, the whole game is, is, is, is different as far as it's, it's canon goes. Uh, you know, it starts out twenty years in the future. You've, you actually lost the war, uh, early and you're now a resistance group, uh, fighting, fighting back against an alien occupied, uh, earth. So, it kind of turns everything on it's head. Um, you know, all of the game play mechanics are still, are still pretty, pretty consistent. Um, but, but there's a lot of new wrinkles in, in the game so it's a, it's a very different, uh, experience, uh, then, then, uh, then just a normal sequel. Um, but it really builds on XCOM but it, but it's got a lot of twists to it.

Larry: Now, I want to point out a lot of folks may be going, "Wait a minute, XCOM 2. That's, that's been out already." Well, yeah, it has. It's been out on, on PC and you had it available for, for Windows OSX and Linux but now you're coming to console. What are some of the changes that you, that you made? I mean, certainly you adapting it for the controller but are there any other changes?

Greg: Um, yeah, really, I mean it's, it's pretty much the same experience as the, as the PC other than the controllers for it. Um-

Larry: Sure.

Greg: You know, it's, uh, you know, all the maps are generated in the same way. Uh, there's a lot of, a lot of really, really similar stuff. It's, again, the UX is, is a little different.

Larry: Yeah. Okay.

Greg: Um, but, but in general, it's, it's, you know, it's XCOM. It's, uh-

Larry: (laughs)

Greg: It's the game. It's just now on a console. So, uh, it's, you know, we really want to keep it, uh, retain all, everything that XCOM was, uh, XCOM 2 was on the PC and just bring it to console, so ...

Larry: Now, I also want to point out the director of the game is Jake Solomon. I've had Jake on this show in the past, so it's great to, great to branch and have you on as well. Uh, Greg, what, what, what, what would you, you know, as the, as the director of art for XCOM 2, what, what are you, what are you looking to do here, and how do you kind of maintain the connection to previous XCOM games.

Greg: Well, I think, you know, the, the one thing that's interesting about XCOM games, you know, whether it's Enemy Unknown XCOM 2, you know, reaching back to the original game from 1994, um, you know, at our core, we, we really retain a connection through, through sci-fi lore.

Larry: Sure.

Greg: And so, you know, with, with, with, you know, Enemy Unknown and 2, um, both games really, really kind of tie into that, so what we really cross over and share with, with the original game from '90, '94 is that, is that connection. There's things that resonate with players. You know, you know what a sectoid is. It's a little gray alien, and everybody kind of has seen that, and, and so our challenge to make it not look like what you've been but still retain that familiarity. And same thing with like even the environments. You know, everybody knows what the gas, the gas station down the street looks like, right?

Larry: Sure.

Greg: But, um, but, you know, we give it a little twist of fantastic, uh, and, and add something different to it. So, um, for us, you know, we're really trying to, you know, with XCOM at its core, artistically, um, uh, from, from the creative end of it is, is trying to touch on things that resonate with people, um, connect with them, and then, and then twist it, uh, as we get deeper. And so, you know, the aliens all sort of start to get a little stranger, uh, as you go, and you get a little more abstract with them. But, but you've got to, you've got to kind of enter into what people already understand, uh, so, uh, and I think that that works, you know, I think that actually kind of applies, not just from a, from an artistic perspective, but even from a design perspective, uh, of the game. So that's, that's kind of how we always approach it, um, you know. [crosstalk 00:04:09]

Larry: I want to ... Yeah, no, I want to talk a little bit about some of the, the, the new key features of XCOM 2 because I, I, I know you guys have done a lot of work on it. I thought you could perhaps hit on a few of those.

Greg: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah. Um, so, so some other features, you know, the, the maps are procedurally generated now, so, uh, every time you play, the, the map is going to be different. Uh, you can't kind of setup and know, "Okay, I've already done that before, and I've already done this before." Everything kind of feeds in differently. And of top of that, uh, the missions come in procedurally onto them as well, so, uh, there, there is, uh, a lot of wrinkles when it comes to playing the tactical game, uh, uh, reinforcements come in, um, so you can ... But that, that changes up stuff. Uh, there are some timer mechanics as well, like you've got to get in, get out quick. Um, but yeah, all the missions, the mission, the mission objectives are very different. They're procedurally generated. Uh, when you get to the strategy layer, um, even that has a lot of procedural, uh, stuff in it too. So as you're playing on, on the strategy layer and you're moving your, your ... You have a flying base now, by the way, which I haven't mentioned.

Larry: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Greg: Um, but, uh, so you're actually moving your base around. You're no longer underground. Um, but as you're moving around the map, there are points of interest that you can go check out, and, uh, things that happen procedurally there. There's also Dark Events that happen, which are things that favor the aliens. They're little mod up game play modifiers that change. So each time you play the game, um, it ... You're not really sure what's going to happen. It's a little more unpredictable, um, and that's something, again, we wanted to kind of have permeate the entire game, not just the tactical maps, but, but even at the strategy layer.

And I think, to me, the, the strategy layer is one of the, the, the more compelling, uh, changes because it really keeps the game fresh, and, and, and it's one of those games that, um, you know, a lot, a lot of games that you play, you play through it, you're done, right? Um, the, the thing that really makes XCOM XCOM is that you, you know, everybody you, I've talked to has played it, and they talk about their third, fourth, fifth, you know, tenth play through. Um, and, and that's just really, in this day and age, that's, that's really kind of different for, um, for games, especially games on consoles.

Larry: Yeah, absolutely. I mean most people play it. You play it and forget it. But now you guys are creating this experience to kind of go back and do things a little bit differently. I, I, I've seen the ... I, I haven't had a chance to play it yet because I've been real busy this week, but I want to talk about this, this feature called XCOM On the Run. Explain that to us.

Greg: Okay, so, uh, XCOM On the Run is really that, you know, as I mentioned a little earlier, you, you now have a base that moves around. You've got this ship that flies around the world as opposed to being in one location. In Enemy Unknown, you were one location, underground in a bunker. Uh, with XCOM 2, you're now moving around the globe, inspiring the resistance. Uh, you have a ship called the Avenger, which is actually a, a callback to the original game from '94. They had a, they had a, a ship in it called the Avenger, and so, but what the Avenger is is an alien supply ship that's been repurposed. Uh, it's one of the things that, that Dr. Tygan worked on, um, early, while the, while X ... After XCOM had lost to give them an advantage, and so, uh, you have this repurposed alien supply ship that's flying acloss, across the globe, uh, growing, growing support, and, uh, you know, spreading the resistance.

Larry: Uh, it's, it's, you know, when you talk XCOM as I, I talked about earlier, it's got, it's got years of, of legacy. Um, tell me about some of the members of the team that have been around for a long time and, and what they're working on the different legacy, different titles. Like, for instance, tell us a little bit about your background.

Greg: Uh, are you calling us old Larry?

Larry: No, I'm not. (laughs) The old guy calling you guys old. I'm calling you experienced. (laughs)

Greg: (laughs) Uh, I know. Uh, we're, we're, uh, we, we are a, a, a mature team in that sense. We're, we're, you know, we, I've been, uh, God, I've been with Sid for I think 22 years now and at Firaxis for almost 20. Um, and, uh, uh, so and, and then, uh, so I, I date back to MicroProse.

Larry: Wow.

Greg: Uh, I came in [crosstalk 00:08:11] after XCOM had, had shipped. [crosstalk 00:08:14]

Larry: You realize there's a bunch of people that are listening to this show right, and they're furiously going to Wikipedia looking up MicroProse. (laughs)

Greg: Yeah, Micro ... Wow, that's [crosstalk 00:08:21]. I should have called it FPS Studios, which is what, you know, like it was really known as-

Larry: Right.

Greg: ... To some people. But, but no. Uh, so I, I go back all the way there. I, I started, uh, at Firaxis, uh, when we were like 12 people, so, um, I came over like right when we started.

Larry: Wow.

Greg: Uh, you know, I've worked on pretty much everything we had done up to Civ V. Uh, that, at that point, I was into XCOM and, and, and XCOM's kind of been my baby for, for, ever since. Um, but yeah, so I've done, I've done a ton of, ton of stuff. Um, you know, worked on all, all sorts of strategy games and, and simulations from tanks and that sort of thing, uh, to golf games to, to Civ-

Larry: (laughs)

Greg: To, uh [crosstalk 00:09:04].

Larry: You've got, you've got quite a, quite a storied background.

Greg: Yeah. It's, uh, we ship a lot of product. (laughs) So ...

Larry: You know, too, you mentioned working on Civ, which, which also, you know is, is, is in the news lately. What, what did you learn from the Civ team that you brought to XCOM?

Greg: You know, I mean it, it, it's funny. I think that Civ is another game that people play over and over and over and countless hours in, and, and that's one of the things that, that, as a studio, we all try to, uh, strive for. You know, we want to make an experience that people keep coming back to over and over. Um, and, and that's one of those things that, you know Civ, Civ just does so well. Um, you know, that one more turn, uh, mentality, you know, we, we, we kind of, we, we've kind of adopted the one more mission, uh, kind of motto. You know, we want, you know, everybody to play one more mission before they go to bed.

Larry: Yeah.

Greg: Um ...

Larry: Well, I think from, from everybody that I know that plays this, that's exactly the attitude. They're like, "Just one more," and it's 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning.

Greg: Yeah, and that, and that's kind of, you know, and all of us on the management, uh, on, on the team, the XCOM team have, have all worked together for so long. Uh, we've all, you know, I'm not the only one that's worked on those titles, you know, so, uh, you know, we, we share those experiences and, um, you know, we, we're, we're friends inside and outside of the office. You, we've worked together for, you know ... God, I've worked with Jake for, I don't know, maybe 15 years now, something like that, and, uh, uh, you know, my, my art team, you know, my, most of my leads have been here for 10 and 12 and 14 years. And, uh, so it's, you know, we have this ... You know, we understand each other, we understand the game, uh, I think we communicate really well, and, and, and I think that all that kind of shows up in the, in the final product. You know, I think that that, that that stuff is, it just it adds to the, to the recipe, you know, when you, when you make these things and-

Larry: Right.

Greg: Uh, so yeah. It's, it's a, it's a fun group and, you know, again, we've ... We're older (laughs).

Larry: (laughs)

Greg: In that sense.

Larry: Experienced.

Greg: Uh, but yeah. Experienced, we're experienced in that sense. But, uh, but yeah. I mean, it's, it's great. I mean, you know, we're, we're really kind of a family here, and, uh, you know, it's a lot of companies say that, and they, it, it, but, but, you know, we, we really are, you know, so.

Larry: Well, that's, that's great. Well listen Greg, I'm going to let you go. I appreciate you coming on to talk about, uh, XCOM Enemy ... XCOM 2, uh, we were talking about XCOM Enemy [crosstalk 00:11:27]. XCOM, but we were talking about Enemy Unknown a moment ago. But XCOM 2, it's, it's been out on PC for a little bit, but it's now available on console. And I want to thank you, uh, for taking the time to chat with us today, and, uh, congratulations on the launch.

Greg: Thanks. No problem Larry. Thanks for having us.

Larry Hryb: Hi there. My name is Larry Hryb, Xbox Live's Major Nelson. Welcome to show number five hundred and eighty. We are here. Uh, Jeffrey's here. Hi Jeff.

Jeff Rubenstein: Why, hello.

Larry Hryb: Now you know when we do the show, uh, we have guests and special guests.

Jeff Rubenstein: I, the, we have the specialist guest of all.

Larry Hryb: We have a special guest here today. Making a rare appearance is Laura Massey.

Laura Massey: Hey.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: It's not that rare, is it?

Larry Hryb: No. (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: See, we're already getting knocked down. We're already-

Larry Hryb: Hey, hey.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: This is not gonna be one of those shows.

Larry Hryb: Well, well it ha-, you know, w-when I look back on the calendar you haven't been on in about a month or so-

Laura Massey: It has been about a month.

Larry Hryb: You, you've be-, you've been a busy and-

Laura Massey: It's been very, very busy. Been on vacation. Trips.

Larry Hryb: Jeff and I got in all sorts of trouble when you were gone.

Laura Massey: I heard on Twitter.

Jeff Rubenstein: Spider trouble.

Larry Hryb: Spider trouble.

Laura Massey: No thanks.

Larry Hryb: Do y-, are you noticing all the spider uptick in the northwest?

Laura Massey: There's a spider uptick?

Larry Hryb: Well, because, apparently when it's, when, uh, we're s-

Jeff Rubenstein: Don't you watch the news?

Larry Hryb: We're gonna, we're go-, when it's, when it-

Laura Massey: How big are these spiders?

Larry Hryb: No, when it, well when it gets colder they go inside.

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:01:20]

Laura Massey: Oh, I see.

Jeff Rubenstein: Inside my car.

Larry Hryb: And the stro-, the story that, and again I, apo-, apologies listeners, because clearly Laura hasn't listened to the la-, the last show.

Laura Massey: No. The Twitter was saying, don't talk about spiders! So I was like, I'm not listening to this show.

Larry Hryb: Okay, we're, so, so if you don't like spiders, uh, don't listen for the next sixty seconds. I'm gonna give you the context.

Laura Massey: Okay.

Larry Hryb: When I was finishing up Deus Ex, I was, again this was on the last show, I was really into the last, it was like a Boss fight, and I'm doing it, and apparent-, and I, I finished and I was like, oh, all done, the achievements in, uh, the, the credits are rolling, and my back starts crawling.

Laura Massey: (gasps)

Larry Hryb: I'm like, what's going on here? And I go into the bathroom, I pull my shirt off, and I had these welts on the back.

Laura Massey: (gasps)

Larry Hryb: Apparently a spider, during my boss battle-

Laura Massey: What?

Larry Hryb: ... Was attacking me and I didn't even, it was under my shirt.

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:01:59]

Laura Massey: Oh my gosh.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, so it was ...

Laura Massey: It bit you. Ugh!

Larry Hryb: You know what? You know what? I didn't even do this for Jeffrey.

Laura Massey: Ah. [crosstalk 00:02:06] pictures?

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:02:06] pictures?

Larry Hryb: I think I've got photos.

Laura Massey: (laughs) Oh my God.

Jeff Rubenstein: Look, I can't, if I want to be grossed out I can go to WebMD. I don't need the ...

Laura Massey: Ugh. Insane. Is this a spider bite? Yeah, just don't search spider bites for images. Oh God.

Jeff Rubenstein: No. Yeah. Yeah.

Laura Massey: Ahhh!

Jeff Rubenstein: Ahhh!

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: Ugh. No thanks.

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:02:20] watching the surgery channel. Now is that necrotic?

Larry Hryb: No [crosstalk 00:02:20]. I don't know, anyway.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: So that's, that's what, and so it, it just started down this whole rabbit hole, well, spider hole.

Laura Massey: Spider, a spider rabbit hole.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it was terrible but, uh, anyway. Welcome back, nice to see you.

Laura Massey: I am glad to be back. Happy to be back

Larry Hryb: You, you are, uh-

Jeff Rubenstein: We'll fix that.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: We'll fix that. (laughs) It is a crazy time of the year, you know. We're in September, finally. September.

Laura Massey: Finally.

Larry Hryb: Where d-, where'd the year go? Twenty sixteen.

Laura Massey: It's now autumn.

Larry Hryb: It ...

Laura Massey: Isn't it?

Larry Hryb: In some parts of the country ... or world.

Laura Massey: World. The, the northern hemisphere.

Larry Hryb: The northern hemisphere. And I'm going to the, I'm go-

Laura Massey: [crosstalk 00:02:49] world.

Jeff Rubenstein: Do they call it spring in the southern hemisphere?

Larry Hryb: I believe they do.

Laura Massey: They might.

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:02:52] I know the weather is like that.

Larry Hryb: Whether, do they ca-, or, or, you know, when you're growing up, does autumn mean spring, right?

Laura Massey: Oh. Interesting.

Jeff Rubenstein: Right. Yeah. Yeah, that's what I don't know.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: Like, is red blue?

Larry Hryb: Well you know what? I'm gon-, exactly, I'm gonna find out when I go down there. I'll be go-, I'm gonna-

Jeff Rubenstein: When you're in Australia. You're ha-, take in some of that warm winter weather.

Larry Hryb: I am.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). (laughs)

Larry Hryb: I've decided to already get outta here and I'm going down to Australia, which I talked about last week. I told you that, Laura, right?

Laura Massey: Yeah, you did.

Larry Hryb: Going down at the beginning of, uh, beginning of, uh, November. But anyway, uh, let's, let's jump right in, talk about what we're playing. It's been a heck of a week of game releases and ...

Jeff Rubenstein: Oh, has it ever.

Larry Hryb: Finishing up games and playing games. And, Laura, I'm gonna let you go first since you're back. You, I don't know if you've, if your time has given you the ability to play some games, 'cause I know you've been busy.

Laura Massey: Too much time to play games. It hasn't, unfortunately. I've been watching all of the games get released and taking down, like, okay, it's definitely on my list. I want to play that on Xbox, play that on Xbox.

Larry Hryb: Now I sent you, I ...

Laura Massey: You sent me a witness code.

Larry Hryb: And another one for, did you get The Turing Test?

Laura Massey: No.

Larry Hryb: Ooh.

Laura Massey: But I saw you play that on Twitter.

Larry Hryb: I finished it.

Laura Massey: I want to play that one so bad.

Larry Hryb: I know you-, the whole time I was playing it, I'm like, Laura's gonna love this game.

Laura Massey: (sighs)

Larry Hryb: (gasps) Laura's gonna, Laura's gonna love this game. Yeah this is, this is a-, this is all you.

Laura Massey: So, are you human or are you computer?

Larry Hryb: I don't want to answer that question.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Oooh. Hey.

Larry Hryb: It was, it's, it was really good. It was, it was, uh, from the same guys that brought you Pneuma: Breath of Life.

Laura Massey: Oh yes.

Larry Hryb: But the, but there's much more of an-

Laura Massey: The puzzle game.

Larry Hryb: There's much more of a narrative in this one, which, to your point, you know, what are you?

Laura Massey: Exactly.

Larry Hryb: And the-, and I'll tell ya. Jeff, have you played it?

Jeff Rubenstein: No.

Larry Hryb: The, the voice acting is phenomenal.

Laura Massey: Oh, awesome.

Larry Hryb: There's the computer and then there's the, there's the, the female, I guess she's the protangonist. (clears throat) But the, the ma-, the voice sh-, her voice is, I don't know who the actress is, is unbelievable. It's so good.

Laura Massey: Nice.

Larry Hryb: And his voice, he is Jeremy Irons. He sounds like Jeremy Irons. You know, Scar from, from the Lion King?

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: And among other things.

Jeff Rubenstein: Among other, yeah.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: He's always a bad guy.

Larry Hryb: But, but, but it, but it sounds, it sounds like, it sounds exactly like him.

Laura Massey: Wow. [crosstalk 00:04:44]

Larry Hryb: Anyway, so ...

Jeff Rubenstein: Is he the bad guy in Lethal Weapon 2?

Larry Hryb: No, that was, uh, Alan Rickman.

Jeff Rubenstein: Not Lethal Weap-, oh no, um, Die Hard 2.

Larry Hryb: That was Alan Rickman.

Jeff Rubenstein: No that was Die Hard 1.

Larry Hryb: Oh that's a good question. I think you're right. I don't know. We'll, we'll check that. We'll fa-, go ahead and fact check that.

Jeff Rubenstein: I'm looking.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Anyway, so g-, I'm sorry, back to what you're playing, Laura.

Laura Massey: (laughs) So I wanna play, The Witness is now out on Xbox One. Super wanna play that on Xbox One. I played a bit on PC.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Didn't finish it.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: But now it's got Xbox achievements ...

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: ... that I wanna go get.

Larry Hryb: Yes you do.

Laura Massey: Should be super fun. Uh, a bunch of awesome Steam games came out on Xbox One recently. Dear Esther came out.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, yeah.

Laura Massey: Uh, Firewatch.

Larry Hryb: Ooh, fact, later on in the show we've got an interview with, uh, Sean from, from El Campo.

Laura Massey: Oh awesome.

Jeff Rubenstein: Vanaman.

Larry Hryb: Did you know that?

Jeff Rubenstein: I did know that.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, he was, he was great. We ha-, we had a great, we did that, uh, a few days ago. He's fantastic. So he'll be on.

Laura Massey: Yeah, I played.

Larry Hryb: Have, have you played that?

Laura Massey: Yes, I played it.

Larry Hryb: Did you finish it?

Laura Massey: I fin-, I finished it.

Larry Hryb: You did?

Laura Massey: On PC, yes.

Larry Hryb: When did you finish it?

Laura Massey: I don't know. When it came out originally.

Larry Hryb: Every time I, every week I ask you what games you're playing and you never mentioned that. Now you drop that you finished it?

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Wow, okay.

Laura Massey: Sorry, I guess I forgot to mention that one.

Larry Hryb: Apparently. Got anything else, you got any other ones?

Laura Massey: Usually when I go to what I'm playing I look at my Xbox One app.

Larry Hryb: Right, right.

Laura Massey: To see [crosstalk 00:05:46]

Larry Hryb: Well, well it also, it also tracks Steam games.

Laura Massey: It does?

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Oh.

Larry Hryb: Well, one thirty-two games.

Laura Massey: Oh, I see.

Larry Hryb: It's the beauty of the Xbox app on the PC.

Laura Massey: Okay. Yeah, very good. So lots of great games have come out that I wanna play and unfortunately haven't had a chance to play them 'cause I've been traveling. Did you tell the folks that are listening what I, what I was doing last weekend?

Larry Hryb: Uh, I think they knew because I'm, I'm, I'm not even talking to you right now I'm so angry.

Laura Massey: (laughs) You're not angry, are you?

Larry Hryb: I'm, I'm, I'm, I, I'm so-, wanna fill her in?

Jeff Rubenstein: Fill us in.

Larry Hryb: Tell, tell us, you went to Jeff's favorite state in the union.

Laura Massey: I went to Florida.

Jeff Rubenstein: Oh, hey.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Welcome. Did, did you go through quarantine?

Larry Hryb: Uh, it's, I do-, I don't think, she, she didn't go down tha-

Laura Massey: No, I didn't.

Jeff Rubenstein: You can't bring any of those, uh, those oranges back.

Laura Massey: Oh, I see.

Jeff Rubenstein: You're gonna bring citrus canker out here.

Laura Massey: (laughs) Citrus canker. Oh no, it doesn't grow out here.

Larry Hryb: But you were down there for?

Laura Massey: I was down there for the launch of Destination Mars-

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: ... which is a experience on HoloLens.

Larry Hryb: That you worked on.

Laura Massey: That I worked on. Well, I didn't work on that one specifically. I worked on the product that inspired it, which is called OnSight.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Yup.

Laura Massey: Which is a science, scientist's tool to explore Mars that JPL uses.

Larry Hryb: Yup.

Laura Massey: JPL, of course, is a part of NASA ... to explore Mars. And the JPL team wanted to give that a similar experience to the public.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Laura Massey: Because right now only the scientists can walk around on Mars.

Larry Hryb: You took me to Mars.

Laura Massey: I did take you to Mars.

Larry Hryb: Thank you very much for that.

Laura Massey: Yeah. I gave you a demo of that.

Larry Hryb: Yes, yes you did.

Laura Massey: When we, when we were building it.

Larry Hryb: And then you threw me off Mars.

Jeff Rubenstein: (clears throat) I, I haven't done it.

Larry Hryb: Oh you haven't been to Mars?

Jeff Rubenstein: No.

Larry Hryb: Oh, it's delightful. Especially if, when Laura brings you and Laura gives you the tour. It's phenomenal.

Laura Massey: (laughs). Thanks.

Jeff Rubenstein: I've only been through the eyes of Matt Damon.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Nobody gives-, Laura, Laura is the tour guide of Mars.

Laura Massey: That's very kind. Thank you. Ah, so JPL with the collorabation of Microsoft and a team I didn't work with, uh, took that OnSight program and brought it to-

Larry Hryb: Created a, created a consumer version.

Laura Massey: A consumer version.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Exactly, which is hosted by Buzz Aldrin.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: Of, of course, he knows no introduction. But if you don't know, he's the second person to walk on the moon.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Which is awesome. And Erisa Hines, who is a Curos-, Curiosity Rover driver, so she actually tells the Rover where to drive on Mars.

Larry Hryb: I'd imagine ...

Laura Massey: So both those people are the hosts of it.

Jeff Rubenstein: Gotta be tough. That's a, that's some serious lag.

Larry Hryb: That's a some, that's some intergalatic lag.

Jeff Rubenstein: (laughs)

Laura Massey: (laughs). The good news is that it isn't, isn't what you think, which is, uh, live driving.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: The, there's smarts on the Rover where it figures out where to go.

Larry Hryb: It's like, hey, go, go from point A, go to point B, and then it, it eventually gets there.

Jeff Rubenstein: I was like, now she's gotta think 9 minutes ahead.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: And put in the, she just steers blind.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Yeah, I'm sure. She's making all these martian callbacks. You getting it, you getting this, Laura?

Laura Massey: Exactly. [inaudible 00:08:14]

Jeff Rubenstein: Did you get to go to the uh, vehicle, vehicle assembly building while you were there?

Laura Massey: We didn't go inside of it. We drove past it.

Jeff Rubenstein: It's huge, right?

Laura Massey: It's the biggest building I've ever seen.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah.

Laura Massey: It's really big.

Larry Hryb: You, you know, the weath-, it has it's own weather. That's what I've heard.

Jeff Rubenstein: God.

Laura Massey: I'm sure it does.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, like, apparently it rains in there sometimes.

Jeff Rubenstein: Like inside the building.

Larry Hryb: Inside. Inside the building.

Jeff Rubenstein: 'Cause it's big it, it, like, the wa-water c-can condense, yeah.

Laura Massey: What?

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: It rains inside that building?

Jeff Rubenstein: We may be just spreading rumors, but I've heard that same rumor.

Laura Massey: (laughs).

Larry Hryb: Okay, so if you've heard it and I've heard then, then that's, that's, so yeah, it's, it's, it's um, obviously it's a massive building.

Jeff Rubenstein: I'll, I'll put a link to it.

Larry Hryb: Go put a link to the- (laughs) it raining inside the ...

Laura Massey: Oh my goodness. Oh, well.

Larry Hryb: Hey, now you've never been there.

Laura Massey: I had been there once before a while ago.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: To the Kennedy Space Center, we're talking about. And that's where, where Destination Mars was, was being launched [crosstalk 00:08:56]

Larry Hryb: So the visitor's center. I've been to the visitor's center.

Laura Massey: You have.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. I went there to watch the, uh, one of the shuttle launches. It was phenomenal.

Laura Massey: Oh really?

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: So you went to, did you go to the second, there, so, there's two centers. There's the one where you enter then take a bus tour and it drops you off to where the Saturn five rocket is.

Larry Hryb: (sighs) We didn't do that.

Laura Massey: Did you go to the, the big building with the Saturn five rocket inside of it?

Larry Hryb: We did not, unfortunately.

Laura Massey: Okay.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it was, it was late at night. It was, I was with my mother and it was crazy.

Laura Massey: Okay.

Larry Hryb: So.

Laura Massey: But you saw a rocket launch at night. That's pretty sweet.

Larry Hryb: Well actually, we never did.

Laura Massey: (gasps) What happened?

Larry Hryb: 'Cause it was, it was scrubbed.

Laura Massey: Oh.

Larry Hryb: 'Cause the weather.

Laura Massey: Oh, that's too bad.

Larry Hryb: So we waited until 3am and then it was scrubbed.

Laura Massey: Oh no.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, that sucked.

Laura Massey: That's disappointing.

Larry Hryb: Anyway, enough about that.

Laura Massey: But yes. So, Destination Mars on HoloLens is now at the Kennedy Space Center.

Larry Hryb: So if you're, he-, if you're planning a trip there you can actually go check it out, right?

Laura Massey: Yes, you can.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: It is, uh, included in the price of the admission ticket. You just gotta go get a reservation-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: ... for the, that day. And then you can go and experience Mars. It's open until ... I believe January 1st. So you have to get in-

Larry Hryb: And then what happens?

Laura Massey: ... this year. I'm not sure what happens after that.

Larry Hryb: It's only gonna be there for a few months?

Laura Massey: Yeah, for three months.

Larry Hryb: What? I can't i-

Laura Massey: So, plan your trips now.

Larry Hryb: I can't imagine something more popular's gonna supplant that, but what do I know?

Laura Massey: I know.

Larry Hryb: Unless they're gonna put you on a rocket and send you to Mars.

Laura Massey: (laughs).

Larry Hryb: Why would you, why would they, anyway. All right.

Laura Massey: I don't know. We'll see. We'll see what happens after January 1st, but that's the current planned, ah, hours for ...

Larry Hryb: Was it hot enough for you down there?

Laura Massey: Oh my gosh, was it hot.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: It was really, it's more humid.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Well, you're-

Laura Massey: And it's been a while since I've been in a humid environment, so I've, you know, you forget wh-what it's like. You forget that when you're inside it's really nice and cool-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: ... and when you go outside, your glasses fog up.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: It's like, ye-yeah.

Laura Massey: You can't see.

Jeff Rubenstein: It's like breathing through a straw.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Like, especially when you first get there and you're like- (gasps) How do you do this?

Laura Massey: (laughs) Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: You walk off the plane, you're just hit with it. You're hit with the, the shower that is the humidity.

Larry Hryb: Yup.

Jeff Rubenstein: Ha-, ha-, yeah. And then you start counting your days by shirts. "Oh, today was a three shirt day."

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: I only had to change my shirt twice.

Larry Hryb: Yeah that's like, that's like when I go down there. I mean, this is too, TMI, but I mean you gotta bring like 2 or 3 pair of underwear.

Laura Massey: Oh.

Larry Hryb: 'Cause you're sweatin' through it.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah there was a Lewis, a Lewis Black, uh-

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: ... jag on that one before.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: That's right. Anyway. Uh, well, welcome back.

Laura Massey: Yes. So that was super fun.

Larry Hryb: Yes, that, so long story short, so y-, you met Buzz.

Laura Massey: I did meet Buzz.

Larry Hryb: Now is he, does he look as cantankerous or is he as cantankerous as he looks?

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: Okay, yeah. I could tell.

Jeff Rubenstein: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: He does. He, yeah. But it was super honor to meet him.

Larry Hryb: Of course it was.

Laura Massey: I never thought it, you know, I would ever be able to meet someone like that, but I touched a man who touched the moon.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: It's awesome.

Jeff Rubenstein: Did, did, did he pull like a moon rock out of your ear?

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Come here, kid.

Jeff Rubenstein: You got somethin' in there.

Larry Hryb: S-sit on my lap. Look at this. A moon rock. (laughs) What's tha-, how'd that get-

Jeff Rubenstein: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Oh boy.

Laura Massey: Oh, no. That would have been sweet, but no.

Jeff Rubenstein: This is why I can't go to the moon, 'cause that's what I would do.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: Oh yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: Squirrel away a whole bunch of moon rocks.

Laura Massey: Just keep 'em all in your ... pants.

Jeff Rubenstein: Keep that one. Keep it under your hat.

Larry Hryb: Buzz is a, yeah, Buzz is a ... I've, I've, I've-

Laura Massey: He's a legend.

Larry Hryb: Y-yeah, enough said.

Laura Massey: Yes, exactly.

Larry Hryb: Enough said, so.

Laura Massey: Yeah, so he gave a little speech to open Destination Mars.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Laura Massey: And then he cut the ribbon.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: To officially open it.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: So ... It was a, it was a really fun and special moment. I was very honored to be there.

Larry Hryb: So when you go there, I, I hope when you go there, that the snack bar only is serving potatoes.

Laura Massey: (laughs).

Larry Hryb: That's for you, Jeff. (laughs)

Laura Massey: That's, that's for Jeff. That's for Jeff.

Jeff Rubenstein: Wait, I don't get it.

Laura Massey: Potatoes. Potatoes on Mars.

Larry Hryb: The Martian?

Jeff Rubenstein: Oh yeah.

Larry Hryb: (laughs) Wow.

Jeff Rubenstein: Lil' slow.

Larry Hryb: Wow.

Laura Massey: (laughs) That took a while.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: That took a while.

Larry Hryb: You should have seen the look gave, he's like ...

Jeff Rubenstein: I had nothing. I was completely blank.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: That's right, I was [crosstalk 00:12:09] I'm just thinking about NASA. I'm like-

Larry Hryb: Way to kill the-, wa-, wa- (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: No, the potatoes in Florida are no better than the potatoes here. I can assure you. We're closer to Idaho.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs) Way to kill the joke, Jeff.

Jeff Rubenstein: Sorry.

Larry Hryb: Whomp, whomp, whomp. All right.

Laura Massey: Oh, one, one fun fact.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: If you do go to, to, Kennedy Space Center and check it out, you might see a familiar face. They play a video while you're standing in line.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: A video on loop.

Larry Hryb: The queue.

Laura Massey: Yes. And they play a video inside and my face is in the video.

Larry Hryb: You're in the video? Nice.

Laura Massey: Yeah, I'm in the video. [crosstalk 00:12:36]

Larry Hryb: Do I know this video?

Jeff Rubenstein: Why wasn't I in this video?

Laura Massey: It, it- (laughs)

Larry Hryb: No, no, it, this, so, I've, I've se-, no, I've see-, I remember the reveal video. I think you were va-, so, it's a similar, s-

Laura Massey: I was in that one and they used that footage.

Larry Hryb: Okay, cool. So this, this is, uh, so it ma-, if you se-, here's the deal. I need somebody to tweet me a photo, and Laura-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: ... a picture of that if you're going over the next few months, okay. I need to see this.

Laura Massey: Yes. If you see my face ...

Larry Hryb: So, whi-whip out your phone and, how far are you in the video, do you remember?

Laura Massey: I am at the first third.

Larry Hryb: First thi-, how long is it?

Laura Massey: First third. It's a, um, couple minutes.

Larry Hryb: Okay, so you're right at the be-, right at the beginning of it. So-

Jeff Rubenstein: Ask them, roll it back, pause.

Laura Massey: Yeah. Pause. I g-, shot.

Larry Hryb: So.

Jeff Rubenstein: You're fine with it. We checked.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: I need you to check that out. Anyhow, that's exciting.

Laura Massey: Yeah, super exciting.

Larry Hryb: That's exciting. Good for you.

Laura Massey: It was really really fun and super honored to go and, and ...

Larry Hryb: You didn't even tell me this. I was like, I looked on Twitter, I'm like, wait a minute, what? Went in where? Wh-, how? With who? W-T-F. Anyway.

Laura Massey: Sorry we didn't invite you down.

Larry Hryb: No, it, please, I don't think you are.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Thanks for saying that, but I don't think you are. (laughs) That's very kind of you.

Laura Massey: (sighs) So that's what I've been up to.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: Recently.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: Lots of traveling.

Larry Hryb: Jeff, you, you touched any strange spacemen lately? Cranky spacemen? (laughs)

Laura Massey: (laughs) Cranky spacemen.

Jeff Rubenstein: Not while I was awake.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Oh, boy. Ugh, boy. Yes. All right. I'm sorry, you, you, you finished with what you're playing?

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: You, that's, that's, okay. What about you Jeffrey, what are you playing?

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah. I can't follow up, I didn't meet anyone even remotely f-, other than you. Remotely famous.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Ah, so ... I got, actually, you know what I did, I did touch some spacemen.

Laura Massey: You did?

Jeff Rubenstein: With, with my new, with my new legendaries that I pulled out of Destiny.

Laura Massey: Oh, very good.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes. Uh, so, jumped into, obviously, the, the, um, Rise of Iron rose this week. And as expected, even though I hadn't, I hadn't really pl-, played a lot of Destiny in the last six months. Uh, right back into it. And it's sor-, that's, that's my Diablo.

Laura Massey: Oh.

Jeff Rubenstein: I look at you and I get you no-

Larry Hryb: Oh, that's great.

Laura Massey: I understand.

Jeff Rubenstein: Eh, do you just, you just pick right up. It took me, you know, a good hour, like, wait, what is this unit of, you know, some sort of trading resource.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: That it's, it's, there's just, frankly an astounding amount of things that you can trade for one thing or another and it's like, no, that's from the Taken King or that one's from whatever. Um, so just figuring out what to do. But, um, played through. Uh, finished the Rise of Iron quest line last night and, eh, the final, the final battle is actually really awesome.

Larry Hryb: Who'd you do it with?

Jeff Rubenstein: Uh, played it with, uh, couple good folks from the, from our LA space.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Jeff Rubenstein: The LA office.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: So, um, they, um, they've taken me through the, uh, previous, previous raids and stuff.

Laura Massey: Okay.

Jeff Rubenstein: And, and, when the raid unlocks-

Larry Hryb: Yeah, they, I remember, they carried you.

Jeff Rubenstein: They did.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: They did. It was only ... however many sets of folk [inaudible 00:15:07]. But, uh, yeah. So, we'll be tackling the new raid, I guess, is that this weekend? Or whenever that comes out, we'll be, we'll be [crosstalk 00:15:14].

Larry Hryb: Don't ask us, I don't know, I don't know if Laura knows, I don't know.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: Gotta get you back into that.

Larry Hryb: I gotta, I'm-, I'm headed, uh, I'm headed to LA this weekend.

Jeff Rubenstein: That's true.

Larry Hryb: I have no time for that.

Jeff Rubenstein: That's not gonna, that's not gonna happen. Uh, played also a lot of, uh, Forza Horizon 3.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, we, Jeff and I played a little bit of that. Uh, Laura, have you played it?

Jeff Rubenstein: So good, so good.

Laura Massey: Not yet.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah. That's ... top priority.

Larry Hryb: Oh boy. Ohhh boy. Oh boy. Just it looks good, plays good, it's just, there's nothing-

Jeff Rubenstein: Sounds good.

Larry Hryb: ... There's nothing like, uh, there's nothing like plowing through the Australian outback-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: ... In a, uh, Centenario. Going about, you know, a hundred miles an hour.

Laura Massey: Nice.

Jeff Rubenstein: That car's unreal.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: They've-, were you the one that was saying that the only way you could get a Centenario-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: ... Would be if you already were-, yeah.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, yeah. So, so, the, this car which we had at E3 earlier this year when we announced for the Forza Horizon 3, the, uh, Lamborghini Cent-, Centenario, 'cause you have to pronounce Italian, Centenario-

Laura Massey: Uh, huh. [crosstalk 00:16:03] movements-

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:16:03]

Larry Hryb: ...I had to pr-, I had, I actually, so I actually had, yeah, you have to, I actually had to rehearse this because when I knew what it was, I had to sit down-, my wife speaks fluent Italian so sh-she's, like we're sitting at the kitchen table-

Laura Massey: Coaching you.

Larry Hryb: ... And she's like, Centenario. And she does it really nice, not like Centenario. No, no, no, again. So anyway, rehearse that, so I had it at E3. But in any event, this car is phenomenal and the only way you can buy one of them, first of all they're all sold out, is apparently you had to pre-own like three or four Lamborghinis. You had to be an existing owner-

Laura Massey: Oh my goodness.

Larry Hryb: You couldn't just waltz in and go, I want one of those.

Laura Massey: That's exclusive.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. Wicked exclusive.

Jeff Rubenstein: We ha-, we had one at the booth and just in, it was maybe the most impressive vehicle I had ever seen.

Laura Massey: Wow.

Jeff Rubenstein: And without it even moving.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, th-those Lamborghinis, I mean we seen them all, you know, in, in games and in pictures. They look like they're going a hundred miles an hour when they're standing still.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: They're just such beautiful, beautiful, they have such wonderful lines so.

Jeff Rubenstein: So depending on when you're listening to this-

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: Um, you can already play Forza Horizon 3. Um, if you're listening to this before, uh, Tuesday, September 27th-

Larry Hryb: And.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... There is the Forza 3, ultimate edition-

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... Which you could play right now as we record this. Uh, everyone else can play, uh, if you're having other, uh, other versions of the game, uh, starting this Tuesday.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: And, uh, the reviews were stellar. I, I think possibly higher than any other Forza game.

Larry Hryb: I think you're right.

Jeff Rubenstein: Um, which is really saying something.

Larry Hryb: And I, and I think it's now is a good time 'cause, you know, if a Forza game comes out that I need to again ... that's an interesting sound, I don't know what that is. Uh-

Jeff Rubenstein: Oh I know where you're going with this already.

Larry Hryb: Uh, that I have to apologize in advance for my Drivatar.

Jeff Rubenstein: (laughs)

Laura Massey: Uh, huh. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Uh, he is a little aggressive. Uh, you've run into-

Jeff Rubenstein: I, I've, I, well that and I've already gotten the same complaint about mine.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: Is it a little aggressive or ... a lot?

Larry Hryb: Uh, so listen, I grew up driving on the east coast of the United States. That's just the way it is up there.

Jeff Rubenstein: It, it's, it's totally different.

Larry Hryb: I'm used to driving in New York, I'm used to driving in, uh, you know, Boston. It's like, get out of my-, the horn is there for a reason.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: [Speed 00:17:57] of warranty can customize your horn!

Larry Hryb: Da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:18:02] there's a, there's a, I'm actually looking forward to less about what cars I'm going to unlock and more about what horn I'm going on.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: So I do, you know what I also have, is I was taken for a spin last time was the Warthog.

Laura Massey: (gasps) What?

Larry Hryb: Yeah, so for the first time ever-

Laura Massey: [crosstalk 00:18:15]

Larry Hryb: The Warthog, yes, did, do you not see the videos? I did one, I did an amazing video with the Warthog.

Laura Massey: No.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: I missed it.

Larry Hryb: Well, see, you, you don't remember this-

Laura Massey: Show me.

Larry Hryb: ... I told this story a couple weeks ago. We, when we were down at, uh, when we were down at, uh, Turn 10, we were doing a video to announce that you can, for people that, anybody that plays, uh, any Halo game on Xbox One.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: So that the Master Chief Collection or Halo 5: Guardians, you'll get a code, a five-by-five code in your, in your message center on Xbox.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: And you can, and you can use that to, to unlock the Warthog and you can drive it in game.

Laura Massey: Awesome.

Larry Hryb: So it's phenomenal. But when we did the unveil, and I'll se-, I'll send you the video Laura, um, is we were there and it was, uh, it was just funny moment 'cause we were shooting, it was shooting with Dan Greenawalt at Turn 10. He says, he's like, "Oh, I have a surprise for you," and I said, "What is it?" He says, "Oh, it's right over there," and we turn and the Warthog is supposed to drive up at that point.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: So the c-, so the camera turns to look at the Warthog and all you here is, vrrrr-vrrrr-vrrrr-vrrrr ... rrrr-rrrr.

Laura Massey: Oh, no! (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs) Rrrr, and then you hear the driver go, "Hold on!" (laughs)

Laura Massey: Oh no. (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:19:16]

Laura Massey: [crosstalk 00:19:17]

Larry Hryb: I have to, I have to fi-, I have, I have to find that outtake somewhere. It's never been [inaudible 00:19:20]. But anyways, but yeah-

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: ... The Warthog is in there so I was driving that all over, all over the Australian creation. It was a lot of fun.

Jeff Rubenstein: Man, that game is so good.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, so.

Jeff Rubenstein: You l-, you like racing-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... It literally has everything.

Larry Hryb: And of course, let's be clear, this is an Xbox Play Anywhere title Laura, which means if you buy it on Xbox you get the Windows 10 version, it's included at no additional cost.

Laura Massey: Awesome.

Larry Hryb: Uh, you can play cross plays, so if I'm on my PC and you're on your console or vice versa we can play together if you'd like. Uh, also your game save goes back and forth.

Laura Massey: Awesome.

Larry Hryb: So it's, it's fully embracing, it's really really starting -

Laura Massey: Great, so you can go between PC and Xbox.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, absolutely.

Jeff Rubenstein: Um, and so what I would say is if you're looking forward to being able to play, uh, Forza Horizon 3 on your PC, um, there are some new drivers that Nvidia released this week, that, uh, will increase your performance, we'll link to that.

Larry Hryb: Video drivers, not, not Drivatars.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah, I didn't really think about that-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: But yeah, yeah.

Larry Hryb: Just wanna make sure ...

Jeff Rubenstein: Thank you, appreciate that.

Laura Massey: The clarity. [inaudible 00:20:13] clarity.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. So that's, uh, that's an Xbox play they worked on. What else you playing Jeffrey, are you ...

Jeff Rubenstein: Uh, still playing through ReCore, still, I'm so close-

Larry Hryb: ReCore.

Jeff Rubenstein: And, and yeah.

Larry Hryb: Have you played ReCore Laura?

Laura Massey: Not yet. I really wanna play, play that.

Larry Hryb: Okay Laura, you might wanna st-, play some games.

Laura Massey: I should play some games.

Larry Hryb: You could even get your console hooked up.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Just gotta ...

Laura Massey: Ye-yes it is.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: Thanks for clarifying that.

Larry Hryb: Just wanted to, just wanted, just wanted to make sure, you know, you've just been so busy with ... doing other stuff.

Laura Massey: Lots of stuff.

Larry Hryb: Doing other stuff.

Jeff Rubenstein: And, uh, the, the last game that I am playing, I'm so close on Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

Larry Hryb: [crosstalk 00:20:42]

Jeff Rubenstein: I got to the point yesterday where I was jumping on a plane and they were like, uh, before you do this, uh, finish all your side missions, this is it.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Hmmmm.

Jeff Rubenstein: I'm coming up on the end game.

Laura Massey: I see. So all you need is a spider now and ...

Larry Hryb: Yeah, exactly.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes!

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: [crosstalk 00:20:56]

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:20:56] wolf spiders. That's what we have-

Larry Hryb: I don't know what it was ...

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah. They're nasty.

Larry Hryb: You should've seen me jump outta that chair.

Laura Massey: Oh, gosh.

Larry Hryb: I've never moved faster.

Laura Massey: Ugh, ugh.

Jeff Rubenstein: So we had that whole conversation and then on-

Laura Massey: My skin is crawling.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... On Monday, um, I was dri-, usually take the bus but I drove in on Monday. And, uh, 'cause I had to drop my kid off at school and she was like, spider in the car. And I was like, you gotta be kidding me.

Larry Hryb: [crosstalk 00:21:17]

Jeff Rubenstein: She just smashes it, it was on the back of the headrest-

Laura Massey: (gasps)

Jeff Rubenstein: So that thing was, was ready to pounce.

Laura Massey: (Laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: It was in the kill position ...

Larry Hryb: It was, it was ready to go right on ya.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: But she just, she saved you.

Jeff Rubenstein: She did. Like-

Larry Hryb: Thank you.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... She had, she's not like me, she's-

Larry Hryb: God, no more spiders.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... She has no fear of bugs.

Larry Hryb: No more spiders. No more spiders.

Laura Massey: That's very good.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Raising right. (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: I don't know how I didn't ruin that generation.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: I'm sure I'll find a way.

Larry Hryb: All right, uh, so quickly what I'm playing, uh, Forza Horizon 3, we talked about that. Uh, BioShock, BioShock- [crosstalk 00:21:41]

Laura Massey: (gasps) Yes!

Jeff Rubenstein: Oooh.

Laura Massey: [crosstalk 00:21:41] of the whole pack.

Larry Hryb: Yes. Ugh, so good.

Laura Massey: They're so good games.

Larry Hryb: So good. Playing that and of course I finished The Turing Test. Uh, been playing The Witness, ReCore. You know something we need to do, Halo 5: Forge came out whilst you were gone Laura.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Um, and there's-

Laura Massey: On PC?

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, on PC. It's free.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Uh, and it has an achievement for getting seven players into a ga-, it's like a hundred point achievement for getting seven players into a custom game.

Laura Massey: Lot of points.

Larry Hryb: So we need to do this.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: I've cracked into the top five of my achievement list for the month.

Larry Hryb: You have?

Jeff Rubenstein: So we need to keep that going.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Laura Massey: Yeah. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: All right, well we'll have to take a look at that. So-

Jeff Rubenstein: I-I'm only, I'm only thirteen thousand points behind, um, behind Stallion83 for this month. He's-

Larry Hryb: Yeah, I'm seeing you as number four, you've got 1850, I've got 1805.

Laura Massey: Thirteen thousand?

Jeff Rubenstein: That's pretty good.

Laura Massey: Thirteen thousand points or thirteen hundred?

Jeff Rubenstein: Thirteen thousand.

Laura Massey: What? For a month?

Jeff Rubenstein: He is the world's gamer score leader.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: Oh my gosh.

Larry Hryb: Yes, yes, that is his, that is his job.

Laura Massey: That's impressive.

Larry Hryb: So anyway, so yeah, it's been, it's been crazy. Of course we got some releases coming up this week. Jeff do you have the latest le-, release list [crosstalk 00:22:39]?

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah [crosstalk 00:22:39]. We can actually just quickly look back, we've mentioned Firewatch just came out.

Larry Hryb: Yeah and I want, I actually w-, w-, I wo-, I wanna make sure we get to this, I got, I got the interview queued up.

Laura Massey: It's the interview, right.

Larry Hryb: So we'll get to that in just a moment.

Jeff Rubenstein: Sure. Uh, NBA 2k17 is, uh, now available. And, uh, EA, EA Sports NHL 17 is also available. Um, what we've got coming up this month. All right, this week, this week EA Sports FIFA 17.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: With, uh, we talked about last [crosstalk 00:23:03].

Larry Hryb: Available now if you have EAX, uh-

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes, and this is the first one, uh, first FIFA game to use the frostbite engine. So there are, like, real tangible differences in the way the game feels and, uh, from what I've played- [crosstalk 00:23:13]

Larry Hryb: Is the stadium gonna crumble down?

Jeff Rubenstein: Uh, I, I, I-

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: I'm hoping that if you hard the ball hard enough-

Larry Hryb: Boom!

Jeff Rubenstein: ... Y-you get to [inaudible 00:23:18], like goodbye. Uh, XCOM 2.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: Is also coming out.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: Oooh.

Jeff Rubenstein: So, uh, this is a game that I played earlier this year, beat earlier this year. Uh, on PC. Um, they always give me the XCOM games. I think I bought XCOM: Enemy Unknown slash Enemy Within on five different platforms.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: So, and, I mean, so they've got me. Uh, I'll be picking this up again but XCOM 2 is really really good. Um, it is actually better than Enemy Unknown. So if you played the last one you will love it. If you like strategy sort of RPGs with super high stakes, um-

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... You will, you will love that as well.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: So those two, FIFA, uh, XCOM, and Forza, those are your big releases for this coming week.

Larry Hryb: That's good. Speaking of XCOM you know who loves XCOM is E.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Oh, you know I gotta get him back on the show for those of you that missed it, he has a new job.

Laura Massey: I saw.

Larry Hryb: He's working at Pokemon.

Laura Massey: That's great.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: He's working, he's working with Niantic, right?

Larry Hryb: Yeah, he's working, he's working with those guys so he's, uh, I know he's doing, he's doing IT stuff.

Laura Massey: Okay, I imagine he's doing-

Larry Hryb: I asked him if he wants to come back on the show-

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: ... And he's, he's just always walking around trying to find Pokemon. So-

Laura Massey: Okay [crosstalk 00:24:20].

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:24:20] plays Pokemon Go all the time.

Laura Massey: If you look [crosstalk 00:24:24]

Larry Hryb: Well I can tell you if anybody follows him on Twitter, it's what he did all summer long.

Jeff Rubenstein: Do you, have you heard-

Larry Hryb: Which apparently was a job interview, so ...

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Have you heard the song?

Larry Hryb: No.

Jeff Rubenstein: You don't know that that was quoting the song. The Poke-, it's one minute long. I have to play it for you. It's the worst thing ever.

Larry Hryb: Are we really gonna d-, okay go ahead.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes!

Larry Hryb: If you, if you wish to.

Jeff Rubenstein: It's an ear worm.

Laura Massey: What?

Jeff Rubenstein: Twenty-five million views. On that. It's, it's-

Laura Massey: Does that ...

Jeff Rubenstein: ... It's, uh, a boy from, I think the Czech Republic and it just goes on and on and on.

Larry Hryb: And on.

Jeff Rubenstein: But now, well, we've been using it to troll the people in the office.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: You've been missing that. Dan on the surface team-

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... Played it for me once and it, it gets in your head. I only played- [crosstalk 00:25:08]

Larry Hryb: Play it again.

Laura Massey: Oh no.

Jeff Rubenstein: (laughs) I can do that.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: It, it, it's-

Jeff Rubenstein: It's just a preview there.

Laura Massey: And that just loops?

Jeff Rubenstein: It's a guitar solo in it by the way-

Larry Hryb: Is it, is that the whole thing?

Jeff Rubenstein: N-, it has a, it has verses.

Laura Massey: Oh.

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:25:26]

Larry Hryb: 'Cause that, that's like, that's like, that's like the bridge, you know, like a stinger or something we would use.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes, uh, so the, well when you're on Bing and you just mouse over-

Larry Hryb: The videos.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... A video, it'll play the first few seconds.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: I love you guys, so that's all I did. But I will ce-

Laura Massey: That's kind.

Larry Hryb: Okay, just, just-

Jeff Rubenstein: It's up to thirty million views now

Laura Massey: Oh wow.

Larry Hryb: Wow. My lord.

Jeff Rubenstein: It's a phenomenon. And we have to make sure E hears it. Nonstop. In his streams. [crosstalk 00:25:48]

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Okay. So we'll [crosstalk 00:25:48] make sure he has. Could you put that in the show notes?

Jeff Rubenstein: Can do.

Larry Hryb: Because that's-

Jeff Rubenstein: I'm sorry.

Larry Hryb: Apologies in advance, uh, we talked about Firewatch, Firewatch is out now, which is a game where you play a, uh, by the way the writing in that is extraordinary.

Laura Massey: Yeah. It is.

Larry Hryb: It's funny 'cause I was, I was-

Laura Massey: The voice acting is great.

Larry Hryb: ... I was, ye-, without a doubt. I was explaining this to my wife, I'm like, "hey, I'm playing Firewatch." She says, "oh, what is it?" I said, "well, it's, it's a, it's a game where you're, you're playing as a fire watcher in the late '80s and you, you know, your wife has dementia." And I started explaining this, I'm like, she looked at me like I was out of my mind. She's like, "what?" (laughs) She's like, "wait a minute, what?" It was just this, anyway, but the writing is really fantastic.

Jeff Rubenstein: When do you eat the power pellets and run away from the ghosts?

Larry Hryb: Yeah, exactly, it's, it's [crosstalk 00:26:30].

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:26:30] Games' come a long way.

Larry Hryb: They certainly have, they certainly have.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: But uh, Firewatch, so why don't we take a break here, we'll get Sean in here, talk a little bit about Firewatch, now out on Xbox One. And he'll give us the update there, how's that sound?

Laura Massey: That sounds great.

Larry Hryb: As promised, uh, joining us on the line from San Francisco's Sean Vanaman, Sean welcome. Welcome to the show. It's great to, great to talk to you.

Sean Vanaman: It's great to be here, thanks for having me.

Larry Hryb: Now, really exciting, Firewatch is out now on Xbox One, and you're, you're the writer of Firewatch, right?

Sean Vanaman: Yes, yeah. I wrote the game every single word of the game pretty much, uh, maybe, there's probably a couple in there that I didn't. But, uh, yeah, and then I did a lot of the creative direction on the game with the studio co-founder Jake. And, uh, we're a small studio, we're like, uh, ten people, so you do everything. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: There's like, like, yeah. Um, gameplay, scripting, and whatever there is to be done, yeah.

Larry Hryb: Now, now, these folks are probably familiar with your title Firewatch, it came out earlier this year, uh, on, on, other consoles, on Playstation. And it was also out on PC, but now it's coming to Xbox One, or it's on Xbox One. Let's walk us through, you know, what the game is all about and what Xbox One players can kind of expect from the experience.

Sean Vanaman: Yeah, um, it's funny, the best way to de-describe the, I can describe the game really quickly and then I can kind of talk about some of the, like, people who worked on it and the sensibilities they have and I think it may give people a good sense. So, like, um, Firewatch is a single player, first person ... narrative, exploration game set in the woods where you hike and climb and, uh, run around, looking for sort of clues to a mystery. You play as this guy Henry, who has taken this job as a fire lookout in Wyoming in the '80s, to sort of get away from his life that's sort of not gone well and then, like, weird stuff starts to happen. And then in the game, you have a, uh, a boss named Delilah who's sort of your only lifeline to the outside world. And as you explore and talk to her, your relationship changes and evolves and the whole goal was to set out to make a, like, really, like, tight thriller, like psychological thriller with a, like, incredible character story underneath it.

Um, Jake and I had been creative directors and co-writers on The Walking Dead season one Telltales. So we, like, felt like we, like, character stuff has always been our strength and then-

Larry Hryb: You kind of understood what you needed to do. (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: ... Yeah. (laughs) Yeah. So just a, just go for the gut at every time, every time you can break somebody's heart, do that. Um, but uh, there's maybe a little bit less of that in Firewatch. But it's still got some, uh, heavy emotional things. Um, I promise people right now live exclusive on this podcast, that-

Larry Hryb: All right, here we go ladies and gentlemen, here we go.

Sean Vanaman: ... (laughs) If I get to write another game, I'm writing another game. Uh, it will be less of a bummer all the time. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs) Good to know.

Sean Vanaman: Um, but, uh, that's like, at least that's like a personal goal I'm setting for myself. But we'll see how far I'm able to actually do that.

Larry Hryb: I think, I think you can achieve it. I wanna talk about, you know, the concept of the game. 'Cause, 'cause folks outside the country or maybe that aren't familiar with this, this part of the United States, is the-, being a firewatch, this is actually a role that still exists today. This isn't just from the '80s. Can you explain what that is? 'Cause obviously you've done your research and, and, and how you've kind of wound that into a game narrative.

Sean Vanaman: Yeah, um, so, this job being a lookout is pretty straightforward in that you, uh, sit in isolation in a wilderness area, in a tower. And watch for fires. And-

Larry Hryb: And that's pretty much as exciting as it sounds, right? (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: That's about where it goes. And, I mean, you're talking sometimes like upwards of a hundred thousand acres of these, uh, like ladies and gentlemen are covering. Which is, pretty, like, a substantial chunk of the wilderness. Also I think possibly, uh, like, our friends in Europe who maybe haven't been to the US or haven't been to the West at least, or been maybe to like cities or big coasts, um, there's so much space here. Like our, like, Xbox players in Russia are like, we're familiar with lots of space.

Larry Hryb: Right. (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: But, um- (laughs) There is so much land, uh, and when you're in the middle of it, you will never feel more alone. And that was-

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it's completely, it's thousands of acres of uninhabited wilderness.

Sean Vanaman: ... Like you will die and the world won't care, no one will come and save you. There is nothing there. I guess Australians would probably understand that too. Um-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: But um, uh, yeah, so, it was sort of that feeling that we wanted to, we thought was a good feeling, it's a feeling you have in a lot of games.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: It's like the way I felt when I played BioShock. Like BioShock is a huge inspiration on this game.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: Like our gameplay programmer, um, worked on the BioShock series, for instance.

Larry Hryb: No big deal. (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: So, uh, he's, he's good. Um, but, um, that feeling of, I'm so alone here and everything that's happening to me is, uh, I can't bounce off of reality, I have to sort of frame it in context of where I am right now, was a feeling that I really like in those games. It's the stuff that I like sometimes in half life. Those are big, like, touchstones for us, so. There are parts of those games where, like, I'm not crazy shooter guy.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: Like, I like, I like a good, like, I mean I love Dishonored, I also love the BioShock series, and I like Half-Life. But, um, we wanted to make a game that sort of felt like some of those moments in the BioShock series, where you don't have a gun and you're just thinking in wonderment, in curious about what's happening around you. You're like infinite, the opening advancement-

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Sean Vanaman: ... Is like stunning with that. So, um, yeah. That was always a big inspiration for us. So if you like those sorts of moments in those games, like Firewatch is probably for you.

Larry Hryb: So, so you're, you're hanging out, you're on the top of this, soon near top of this mountain, with your, you know, with your binoculars, looking over thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of acres, looking for a fire. How do you make a story out of that?

Sean Vanaman: Great question. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: Um, you make stuff happen. (laughs) Um, that's sort of something I've always done, where it's like, hey, we have this set up, and honestly like, the inspiration for Firewatch was like, I grew up in Wyoming, I thought fire lookout towers were cool. Um-

Larry Hryb: Have you ever been up in, you must have been up in one?

Sean Vanaman: Oh, yeah. Yeah. I've been to some when I was a good and then we took the team to a bunch during development. There is a couple in Yosemite, there is one not too far actually from San Francisco, which is weird. Up in [ber-and 00:32:59], it's still used and it actually looks over a residential slash wilderness area, which is pretty cool. Um, and, uh, I just thought they were like evocative and a really interesting place. They also do a thing that you want in game design and level design, which is like, oh, that's where I'm going.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: You know. And oftentimes like, oh, I need to return to my, to my home base. So it does a lot of cool stuff, um, and then, in terms of how do you make a story about that, uh, that was like the first question. And it was, okay, what's his problem, what's her problem. (laughs) What do they want and then what has happened in the world. You just start asking yourself those questions and you pitch yourself bonkers ideas.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: Um, and, then you start figuring out what the tone of your game is. So in this game, uh, in the first day of the job, like, you're basically assaulted. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: Like your tower, your tower is-

Larry Hryb: It's under attack.

Sean Vanaman: ... Under attack.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: And you're like, what did I do?

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: And, uh, you're like is this a misunderstanding? Did I just, like, anger, these hikers that I just met? Was it some guy I just saw? Like, what, why would this- is this a bear? Um, and when you start having those questions as a player, and as a storyteller, you're like, okay, now we have a story. Like, why? The answer is just like why did this happen.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: And then when that answer-, question gets answered you better have like two more questions. So that's always the way I've tried to write, you know. Um, and, uh, we also write a lot of stuff that players, some players aren't going to see. You know, we try to write stuff that- there's a real core na-, like story, that you're definitely gonna experience. Um, the world is open so you can hike and go wherever you want. But obviously, like, as you get to places, story stuff's gonna happen.

Larry Hryb: Sure.

Sean Vanaman: But um, like, questions and, uh, plot points of the game, um, don't happen in cut scene. They happen, like, totally as you discover that. We really tried to keep like non-player interactive stuff to a bare minimum this game. That was a huge goal of ours, so, you've very few, like, maybe seconds worth of hands off the controller, cut scene type stuff, like-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Sean Vanaman: ... Not much at all.

Larry Hryb: Now, one of the things that I, you know, we recall when it came out, um, you know, is that, last year, is that it's so beautiful and I saw people making these great wallpapers out of it and going on and on. Talk about the art style a little bit and how your art is captured. What, what the, what the style you were looking for.

Sean Vanaman: Yeah, um, you know, like so much of the way we do, like, game and creative direction is just like, what are you good at? And, um, our, uh, main illustrator and our, our 2D artist and our 3D artist are a guy named Olly Moss and then a woman named Jane Ang. And Olly just has a really distinct color-based graphic style and he, I think he-

Larry Hryb: It's very bold.

Sean Vanaman: Yeah, it's incredibly bold. And he wanted to, he's also from England. So he was like, getting familiar with the American West while making this game. And he wanted to recreate that feeling of, like, when you're standing, looking out into the wilderness and, uh, like those, like, layers of depth of just mountain after mountain after mountain after mountain and he had done a lot of, his style just had that in it. And he's like, I wanna apply that sort of, like, color-based layered style to a 3D game. And then Jane and our programmers, uh, Apollo and Ben said, like, okay, well let's figure out what we can do to actually, like, make the, like, 3D geometry sort of fade into what would be, like, a Olly Moss illustration-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: ... As you go further into the world. And I think, um, I'm pretty just stunned at how they pulled that off, because when you're, let's say you're like in a valley, all the things around you just look 3D and like a video game.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: But then through use of just, uh, shaders and a thing we call stylistic fog, they were able to like just sort of blend into these illustrations almost.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: Um, and it makes the world just feel enormous. (laughs) It's like so good.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, I mean, that, that's a part of the tools that a good artist has, is they know how to do, it's a little bit of stage craft, isn't it?

Sean Vanaman: Yeah, I mean that's so, it's so, it's so similar to stage craft. Like I mean, I think a great video game, like, 3D artist and like a, like, stage crafts person have, like, just tremendous amounts in common. Um, you know, when you're making a 3D game like ours where you can just whip your head around at any time and look around, you don't get the sort of benefit of fixed perspective that, you know, you get in, like, a game like Inside, which I am ob-, like ob-, stupidly obsessed with. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Did you finish it yet?

Sean Vanaman: Uh, so I play this game in twenty minute chunks.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Sean Vanaman: I play twenty minutes a night because I get to a point where I'm so overwhelmed with the craftsmanship of the game that I get angry-

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah.

Sean Vanaman: ... As a developer.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: And I go, okay, all right, I just need to not for a second. So I'm pr-, I'm finishing it tonight.

Larry Hryb: Okay, well, then your mind is about to explode.

Sean Vanaman: Yes. I know, I can't wait. It's just a wonderful game. Yeah. So that's the art of Firewatch.

Larry Hryb: How many of, uh, you know you talked about the other games you worked on, The Walking Dead. And that is a, it's fairly prescribed in terms of the dialogue trees and so forth. And this is a, you know, certainly the narrative is very strong. How did you, how did you make the transition from something like that, which is fairly rigid to what could essentially be an open-world type game.

Sean Vanaman: Um, that's a great question. Um, I think I made that transition clunkily. (laughs) I don't know. I think I, I look back now and I like all the things I learned making Firewatch. Um, Firewatch is also a game that if we had any diligence we probably wouldn't have tried to make. 'Cause we're like, oh, we know how to make games. Like, let's use a new engine to make an open-world, first person story-driven game.

Larry Hryb: What could go wrong?

Sean Vanaman: Raise your hand if you've done that. (laughs) Uh, but, um, I thought about it, um, very similar, actually I think about it from a sitting down at my computer, not a technical side but from a sitting down at my computer perspective. Um, in the same way, which is, okay, we have this, like, collection of moments. Let's say the game has got, like, two hundred and fifty moments and one of them can just be a two second back and forth with Henry and Delilah. Or one could be a like a bonkers set piece, that, you like as you're walking down a path something crazy happens. Um, I just sort of try to make all those moments as detailed as possible. And I try to write them really well, the same way I would on the Walking Dead. And then, um, the things that we do differently is, I then sort of think, okay, inside of this moment, which of the stuff can I like changed based on stuff that's already happened.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Sean Vanaman: So when it does happen to you, it feels even more personal.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: And then I do, and then I just write little branches and I kind of have like a mark-up or like a code I write, in like a, basically like programming, I just write a code.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: And then I go, okay, I've done that and now, what ca-, what are all the things in the world that could cause this one moment to happen. And then I like make a list of, like, this has to be true, this has to be true, this has to be true. And now-

Larry Hryb: It's gotta be believable.

Sean Vanaman: ... Yeah. Well this sort of like player has to have been here, player has to like already have this item, player has to have had this conversation and made this choice for this moment to happen. And then you just sort of drop them in the world. Like, literally, like I drop them as like cubes, they're just like triggers you hit.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Sean Vanaman: We ended up, like, tuning it way way mor-, way more, but this was like a first pass so I just literally go in and I, I'm dropping clear cubes on top of a map. And I'm like, it should happen here, it should happen here.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: And then we play it, you know.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: So that was the whole new part, but um, the writing stuff is just like, yeah, just trying to write with brevity, try to make, try to give it enough stuff in the script and the actors, who are brilliant in this game. Like, h-, can latch onto. And, um, then, cross your fingers, which is like most of The Walking Dead was just like, we didn't know what we're doing.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: We had thought, we were like, oh, well, this game will hopefully find an audience. (laughs) You know, like-

Larry Hryb: And how. (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: ... Do good and cross your fingers.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Sean Vanaman: Um, so, yeah, the actors in this game is a guy named Rich Summer, who is, uh, was on Mad Men from the first episode to the last episode, which is really cool. And then Sissy Jones plays Delilah and she is from The Walking Dead season one. She played, um, the Belgian woman Katjaa, she was like, she's in tons of stuff now. She was in Adrift, she's in, uh, bunch of other Telltale stuff, yeah. She's awesome.

Larry Hryb: I wanna ask you, um, you know, you talk about Firewatch, which takes place in the '80s, in the late '80s, correct?

Sean Vanaman: Yeah, '89.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. How, how do you feel about, um, what is it, Stranger Things? On Netflix.

Sean Vanaman: Oh man. Um, so, Stranger Things- (laughs) Okay. This is how I feel about Stranger Things. Stranger Things is incredible because Stranger Things is like, I feel like I'm walking through the woods and there is like a trap that's been baited perfectly to catch me. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: I'm like, like why, why is that so well-made? Why is that exactly the way it should be?

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: I was never like a huge Goonies fan, which I know is probably-

Larry Hryb: Yeah, it's funny, neither was I.

Sean Vanaman: Yeah. So I feel like I'm, I don't have the sort of like gushing emotional, like, attachment to Stranger Things, but like, I love, like, I watched the whole thing and I love how well it's made, I love that it got made, I like that that's like where we are now, that Netflix can let people make stuff like Stranger Things. Um, and, uh, you know, I think they do a, maybe ... Firewatch is a good game and you should totally buy it. So I'm being critical when I say I think maybe they do a better job, like a better job-

Larry Hryb: No, I, the only reason I wa-

Sean Vanaman: [crosstalk 00:42:48]

Larry Hryb: ... I don't wanna draw any parallels, just Firewatch because it takes place in the '80s and it's narrative driven and I mean I don't wanna give too much away about your story.

Sean Vanaman: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: But I mean, it's, it's got this parallel, everyone is talking Stranger Things right now-

Sean Vanaman: [crosstalk 00:42:59] (laughs) Yeah, um, yeah. I think, I think, um, if you like gen-, '80s genre stuff, we go for it. You know, like, we have, like, the actual, there's a band in the game, there's a bunch of like diegetic music and that band is a modern band from LA. Um, and they sell cassette tapes at their shows because they like record all of their audio to cassette first. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Let me just tell you something. I, I, listen Sean, I don't know about you but I lived in the '80s and I had cassettes. They're terrible.

Sean Vanaman: They're awful.

Larry Hryb: It's okay they went away.

Sean Vanaman: They're awful, I remember the first CD I ever got, which was Simpsons Sing the Blues, by the way. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs) Nice, well done.

Sean Vanaman: And I remember hearing it and going, like, oh my God. Like, what, like why does this not sound like trash and why is this not falling apart. Uh-

Larry Hryb: And I don't have to rewind it or flip it over? Cool.

Sean Vanaman: They're a nightmare. They, I, I hope it's like vinyl. I have a bunch of vinyl now 'cause that's a cool thing everyone has now.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: 'Cause vinyl's on the come-up. Um, vinyl's great. But, like, I hope cassettes don't do that. I hope it's not like in five years-

Larry Hryb: They don't need to.

Sean Vanaman: ... Like Urban Outfitters is like we got cassettes now.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Sean Vanaman: 'Cause don't get suckered into that, ladies and gentlemen at home. It sucks.

Larry Hryb: You heard it here first.

Sean Vanaman: It's a nightmare.

Larry Hryb: You heard it here first, so.

Sean Vanaman: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Anyway, well listen, it sounds great. I know that it, it's out and I know that you had, you had-, you said before we got started you wanted to talk a little bit about, um, the release in Europe.

Sean Vanaman: Yeah. We're a little bit delayed in Europe because of a ratings snafu. Uh, there's-, our game's a weird game to rate. They did a fine job, it's just like the most bureaucratic nonsense. But it'll be, um, it's, it's coming. It'll be there ASAP. If not, like, today, mmm, in a couple days.

Larry Hryb: Very soon.

Sean Vanaman: Yes. So please, keep checking your Xbox store dashboards. Also at Campo Santo on Twitter, we will tweet, like, it'll be an obscene storm of tweets the moment it's out in Europe.

Larry Hryb: And one would almost say it's a firestorm of tweets. (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: One would almost say that.

Larry Hryb: And I'll, obviously I'll tweet it as well when you guys, or retweet you guys once it's available, just to let our, the Xbox owners in Europe know that, hey, you can now get your Firewatch on.

Sean Vanaman: Yes. Oh! And, um, also, just last thing is that, um, like, we were, we've been like so excited to come to Xbox-

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Sean Vanaman: ... Since like launch day on February 9th. And, um, we, the game has a bunch of new stuff in it too. The game has this crazy, like, multi-hour, uh, scavenger hunt slash making-of mode, where you hike through the wilderness and go on a scavenger hunt and find cassette tapes, crappy cassette tapes-

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: ... Of, like, stories of how we made the game, interviews with the cast, and then also like museum set pieces of like, here's how our lighting works, um, out in the woods. And then we also, uh, for Xbox owners we're shipping with a, on a free-realm mode that has a day-night cycle, and secrets to find out in the woods, um, and a bunch of new achievements. So that's all coming to Xbox, um, basically like, uh, for the first time ever. So, yeah.

Larry Hryb: Well I gotta tell you, on behalf of everyone at Xbox, we're really excited to have, have you on the console and I know that, uh, everyone's really excited about this game and I know that my, my, my activity feel on the console's just gonna fill up with all wonderful screenshots of this game. And I, I, you know, maybe I should stream it for a little while on Bing when it-, you know, but, uh, can't, can't wait to get my hands on it like I said, I've played it on the other platforms. I'm really excited to see what you guys are gonna do here, especially with some of that cool new stuff.

Sean Vanaman: Yeah, the new stuff is so good. We started it as just, like, oh, wouldn't it be fun if, and then we built full-featured modes that we're really really thrilled about, so. Um, definitely check them out. It's also a very streamable game.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Sean Vanaman: Um, people have streamed, like, there's some good streams out there, uh, from like Markiplier and PewDiePie and stuff. They're, like, it's a very streamable game. Because you can sort of act as Henry the whole time, so.

Larry Hryb: Now I gotta ask you one question before I let you go, 'cause-

Sean Vanaman: Uh, oh.

Larry Hryb: ... You wrote, you wrote a game many many moons ago ...

Sean Vanaman: Oh, god! (laughs)

Larry Hryb: ... That I really, I'm a huge huge Wallace and Gromit fan.

Sean Vanaman: (gasps) Oh my god! (laughs)

Larry Hryb: And you were one of the co-writers on that game, what was it like to work with, with Aardman?

Sean Vanaman: Oh man. Uh, difficult.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: Because that is, it's like, what is like to write for a national treasure-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: ... When you're twenty-four years old-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: ... And don't know any of their language really. Um, it was awesome and-

Larry Hryb: It was a learning experience.

Sean Vanaman: ... I was like so, I was just young and dumb. Like I didn't understand, like, what an opportunity I'd been given.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: Um, I was, like, I liked Wallace and Gromit, um, and, uh, I just tried to do right by the people at Aardman because they were so passionate and, um-

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: ... Uh, like, protective of Wallace and Gromit. And I think that, like, I ended up, I was, I ended up having a great experience. Uh, and I went to England for two weeks and recorded the whole cast, uh, which was awesome. Um, for, uh, any listeners who don't know what Wallace and Gromit is, it's a clay-mation British, like, sort of like, shorts series that has come over the past fifty to twenty years.

Larry Hryb: And if you haven't seen it, you're missing, you're missing some incredible storytelling, animation, and frankly comedy.

Sean Vanaman: They're delightful.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Sean Vanaman: They're funny, it's like, got the sort of like Pixar thing, where it's like, I'm an adult and I'm laughing at a joke my kid doesn't understand and they have shorts and then they have a couple features, um, that are great. Um, really really wonderful. That was my first actual shipped game I ever wrote.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Sean Vanaman: Because I wrote, made a bunch of stuff that I never shipped before that. So, uh, Wallace and Gromit was like the, I'm gonna ship a game goal and then I shipped Wallace and Grommit, Episode 3: Muzzled, on the Xbox 360. It was an Xbox exclusive. (laughs) Um-

Larry Hryb: I do remember that, that's, that's [crosstalk 00:48:43] 'cause I, being a big fan of Wallace and Gromit, when I remember that game coming to 360, I was like, oh, my God, and I played, and I just had the greatest time with it. So I just wanted to, wanted to thank you. And of course you've done a lot of other stuff, you've done Tales of Monkey Island and-

Sean Vanaman: But that's, that's, that's, that's the peak. Let's talk, Wallace and Grommit, I peaked early, man.

Larry Hryb: (laughs) That was your first, one of your first big projects, you can't peak then.

Sean Vanaman: I, I did, sorry. Walking Dead is trash. (laughs)

Larry Hryb: All right, Sean, I'm gonna let, you know what, I think that's-

Sean Vanaman: Off the record.

Larry Hryb: It's off the record, all right.

Sean Vanaman: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Sean Vanaman, I appreciate you taking the time, uh, you're of course the man behind the studio that's bringing us Firewatch this week, uh, on Xbox One and then coming out shortly, very very soon, Xbox One over in Europe. But I wanna thank you for, uh, everybody at Campo Santo for all the great work on this and, uh, great to have you on the platform.

Sean Vanaman: Thanks so much, I'm excited to be here. Son of the platform since the 360 days with Wallace and Grommit. Very excited.

Larry Hryb: Thank you Sean. You can find him @vanaman on, uh, Twitter, if you wanna check him out.

Laura Massey: Very cool.

Larry Hryb: And he'll talk about, uh, Firewatch. Uh, check Firewatch out on Xbox One now. Thanks Sean.

Laura Massey: Yeah, it was a really really beautiful game as well.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: Just gorgeous.

Larry Hryb: It's on my list, I gotta download it.

Laura Massey: Yeah, definitely play it.

Jeff Rubenstein: After Deus Ex, jumping on it.

Larry Hryb: There's no raids in it.

Laura Massey: No, there's no raiding.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah, but what kind of, like, legendary gear do you get?

Larry Hryb: Yeah right, okay.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: You think you get some rope and pine cone.

Laura Massey: You do, and a shovel.

Larry Hryb: Did you find the turtle? Did you find the turtle?

Laura Massey: No.

Larry Hryb: Really? There's an achievement for finding the turtle.

Laura Massey: I didn't find the turtle.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, so you might-

Laura Massey: I'll have to go back and play on Xbox to get the achievement.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Go back and find the turtle.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: All right, Jeffrey. We got some headlines and then we gotta get to Name the Game, because that's a little-

Laura Massey: It's been a while.

Larry Hryb: ... It's, uh, it's ooh, ooh boy. It's been a month.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: I, so, I, you know the old, the original foundi-, foundation of, uh, of Microsoft, I think the original, the original creed or ... what would be the word, uh, mission statement-

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... Was, uh, was a computer on every desk.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: That was Bill's statement, yeah, Bill Gates.

Jeff Rubenstein: Every home. Yeah. So I, I feel like this holiday, we've got an Xbox One S for every gamer.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: And we've had, we have had bundles, I, uh, I picked up the Halo Xbox One S bundle, we've got one that's coming out for Gears of War, FIFA 17, Madden bundle, ah, we just announced, ah, a Minecraft-

Larry Hryb: Yay.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... Favorites bundle.

Laura Massey: That's great.

Jeff Rubenstein: So that actually has like the best box art I've seen on a bundle.

Laura Massey: You have a picture of it?

Jeff Rubenstein: It, just, it, it's completely, yeah, it's right there. It's kind of completely taken over, uh-

Laura Massey: Awesome.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... By, uh, Steve and, ugh, I can't remember her name. From, uh, from [inaudible 00:50:59].

Laura Massey: Oh, yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: Um, Alex, maybe? Um, anyway. So, uh, that is, there's a five hundred gigabyte, uh, uh, Xbox One S bundle.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: And, uh, of course, it comes with, um, Minecraft Xbox One. And, uh, as well of a bunch of skin packs and texture packs and things like that. So, uh, that is available now.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: Uh, and, in other Minecraft news, um, the, for the version of Minecraft for Gear VR, that is the, uh, virtual reality that works with the, the Samsung, one of the Samsung phones.

Larry Hryb: Yep.

Jeff Rubenstein: Uh, now has Xbox wireless controller support, so-

Larry Hryb: Yay.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... If you, um, if you wanted to control that with, uh, the world's best controller ...

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: Uh, you can do that. And I believe you need an Xbox One S controller, correct? Or the, the newer model-

Larry Hryb: The one with the Bluetooth stack in it.

Laura Massey: Mmm.

Jeff Rubenstein: Exactly.

Larry Hryb: Which, which we're, which we've been phasing in since we announced it at E3 so.

Jeff Rubenstein: Exactly. So if you have an Xbox One S, you could, uh, do that or if you had picked up one of the Xbox design labs, that's that [crosstalk 00:51:57] controller.

Larry Hryb: Those all have it too.

Laura Massey: Oh, good.

Jeff Rubenstein: So, uh-

Larry Hryb: You have one, right Laura? You designed your controller.

Laura Massey: I didn't order it. I need to order it.

Larry Hryb: It's sitting in your cart, you haven't checked-

Laura Massey: It is.

Larry Hryb: Really?

Laura Massey: I haven't checked go yet.

Larry Hryb: Oh that's, that's ... why don't you work on that.

Laura Massey: I'll work on that.

Larry Hryb: Okay.

Jeff Rubenstein: And, uh, we announced this October's Games with Gold.

Larry Hryb: Yes, we did.

Jeff Rubenstein: So, uh, in time for the end of baseball season, we have, uh, Super Mega Baseball.

Laura Massey: Awesome.

Jeff Rubenstein: Uh, that will be available, uh-

Larry Hryb: Each one of you can be Mr. October. Or Mrs. October.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: I'm just thinking of Reggie Jackson-

Larry Hryb: That's exactly- (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: ... In, in, in the Naked Gun ...

Larry Hryb: (laughs) That's exactly ...

Jeff Rubenstein: ... When he tries to kill the queen, like that, that's all I could think of, it's like, Reggie, like most of his glory years happened before I was really sentient.

Larry Hryb: Sure, sure.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Uh, but you know, [heh-mee 00:52:40] when he was playing for the, I think, the Angels. [crosstalk 00:52:42]

Larry Hryb: [crosstalk 00:52:42] He had the candy bar, you know?

Jeff Rubenstein: He did?

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: Really.

Larry Hryb: Go look it up, Reggie Jackson. I think it was just called Reggie, yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: Reggie Jackson candy bar, I'll look that up.

Laura Massey: Really? What?

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: Uh, but they used a mind control device, Ricardo Montalban did, to get him to kill the queen. He doesn't, spoiler alert.

Larry Hryb: Okay. (laughs) Thank you.

Jeff Rubenstein: What a great movie that was. Uh, the Escapists. Uh-

Laura Massey: That's a good game. It's super fun.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... And that's, uh, in the middle of October through the middle of November on Xbox One.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: And then for Xbox 360 ...

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: ... Uh, we have, uh, Reflex: MX versus ATV.

Larry Hryb: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: And then also I Am Alive.

Laura Massey: Oh. Very good.

Larry Hryb: Okay. Those are free if you're an Xbox Gold subscriber, you can get those games for free right now. Go get 'em.

Jeff Rubenstein: And, uh, one last announcement. Um-

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... So I have been, and I don't know about you, but I've been staring long, longingly, wistfully at the new gaming laptops that have come out in the last couple of months.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Ever since the, the mobile Pascal chip by Nvidia was announced-

Larry Hryb: It rocked, it rocked your world.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... Where everything went from the nine hundred series to the, the one thousand series, uh, you know, ten-sixty, ten-seventy, ten-eighty-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: ... Where they were like, they can, they can make the computer, the laptop smaller now. They're pumping out way more frames per second and resolution and use less battery power and I'm staring over at what I used to love, my laptop.

Laura Massey: Aw.

Jeff Rubenstein: With my, with my nine six five in it and now I'm like, lazy.

Larry Hryb: [crosstalk 00:54:02]

Jeff Rubenstein: It's great, it's great. I'm using it to play Forza Horizon 3, I'm using it to play ReCore, I've used it to play, uh, Quantum Break earlier this year. It does the job but it's no longer top-of-the-line.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Right. Well that, that is the constant struggle in the technology industry.

Laura Massey: That's very true.

Larry Hryb: And we want our phones smaller, we want things faster, we want them lighter, you know, the whole thing.

Jeff Rubenstein: I know, I, oh man. I want one of these ten [crosstalk 00:54:25] laptops.

Larry Hryb: I know you do, I know you do, I know you do.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: I need it, I need it. Well anyway, so [crosstalk 00:54:28] ...

Larry Hryb: [crosstalk 00:54:28] I have a, I kind of have a ten-eighty laptop.

Jeff Rubenstein: You do?

Larry Hryb: I do. 'Cause I have the Razer Core ...

Jeff Rubenstein: Oh, you can plug it in.

Larry Hryb: And I have a ten-eighty in it. And I have it connected to my stealth, so-

Jeff Rubenstein: That does the job.

Larry Hryb: Kind of. That's why I said kind of.

Jeff Rubenstein: Uh, so, if you, if you're like me in that you want one and you're not like me in that you, uh, you actually just go for it, you grab life by the, wherever you grab life by, uh, and, and pick up, uh, one of the GTX, uh, GeForce GTX 1080 or 1070 graphics card systems or, or laptops. You get Gears of War 4. Uh, it comes with it now.

Larry Hryb: Yes.

Laura Massey: Oh, awesome.

Jeff Rubenstein: So, uh, if you are going to be picking up one of those new awesome shiny laptops, uh, to play Gears-

Larry Hryb: Consider that.

Jeff Rubenstein: Ugh. Yeah. It looks so good, by the way. We showed it at PAX.

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: So good.

Larry Hryb: By the way, congratulations to Coalition. Game on Gold this week.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes.

Laura Massey: All right.

Larry Hryb: So, yeah, so-

Jeff Rubenstein: Everybody up there, did you see the picture?

Laura Massey: No.

Larry Hryb: [Sah-tee-uh 00:55:21] was up there.

Laura Massey: Oh, I did. I did see that. [crosstalk 00:55:23] I saw that picture.

Jeff Rubenstein: Phil was there. Terry was there.

Larry Hryb: [crosstalk 00:55:24] [Yoo-siff 00:55:26] was there.

Jeff Rubenstein: [Yoo-siff 00:55:27] was there.

Larry Hryb: Blain Howard was there.

Jeff Rubenstein: Our good friend Blain, dressed up in full COG armor.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, he's, he's the guy over on the left side.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes. Uh-

Laura Massey: I noticed that guy.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... And then he started Rampage [inaudible 00:55:36] Vancouver, in, in, you know, dressed like JD.

Laura Massey: He did?

Larry Hryb: Yeah, that, that's gonna go well.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah, well, there-

Larry Hryb: Did he get over the border in that outfit? (laughs)

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: I, I, think he probably [crosstalk 00:55:44]. You admit, he was bragging that they, they actually made the armor to his specifications.

Larry Hryb: Of course they did. Of course, or so he thinks.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes. He would, he would hear this, except he's in the gym right now.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Lifting.

Jeff Rubenstein: So I guess he, he kind of earned it. Yes.

Larry Hryb: Well we're playing an audience of one right now.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Laura's even checked out of this one. Making fun of Blain, so, all right.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah, Blain's not listening.

Larry Hryb: All right, go ahead.

Jeff Rubenstein: That, so that's, that's your news for the week.

Larry Hryb: All right, that's the news for the week. It's, uh, it's a lot more going on I want to talk, a few things, uh, as I said, kind of alluded to earlier. I'm headed down to Los Angeles. By the time you listen to this, I may already be back.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: We're gonna be down there at the Petersen Automotive Museum to launch Forza Horizon 3. Very excited, but I've never been to the Petersen, apparently it's, it's quite the car museum.

Laura Massey: Really.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah, there was a feature on Wire, they completely redesigned the museum in order to, um, be able to move the cars around. So it's got some of the more, like, most elaborate car elevators in the world.

Laura Massey: Awesome.

Jeff Rubenstein: It was a really cool fea-, I'll see if I can find that.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: Well, I'll let, I'm gonna check those out-

Laura Massey: Yeah, let us know.

Larry Hryb: ... It's gonna be open to the public, I'll be down there. Uh, the following week, which is next week, I'll be at TwitchCon.

Laura Massey: Gracious.

Larry Hryb: Gonna be doing some [crosstalk 00:56:46] talk about what I'm doing there.

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:56:46]

Larry Hryb: Yeah. But we're gonna be down TwitchCon, which is in sunny San Diego.

Jeff Rubenstein: We'll just say look for us.

Larry Hryb: Look for us, yeah. Look for us. Just follow me on Twitter, as you know. Uh, then following that I'm working on a Gears launch event. So Gears will be launching, I'll be doing that event. I don't know where that is, I think it's in LA. Uh ...

Laura Massey: Lot of travels in California.

Larry Hryb: And then after that, and then after, yeah exactly, and then after that I'm going to, uh, I think I talked about going to Australia for PAX.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: Very excited about that Laura.

Laura Massey: That's right, 'cause you're keynoting.

Larry Hryb: I am, well, they call it story time. I have a surprise.

Laura Massey: You have a surprise?

Larry Hryb: I'll tell, I'll tell you off the air. I don't wanna tell people but I do have a cool surprise.

Laura Massey: Awesome.

Larry Hryb: So just a little something. You know I, I just, you can't show up to a country emptyhanded.

Laura Massey: No.

Larry Hryb: It's just bad form.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: So, I'm gonna be bringing a little something. For the entire country.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: The diplomatic mission, I'll just say that.

Laura Massey: I see.

Larry Hryb: Anyway, uh, so yeah, I've got a lot going on, uh, and travel over the next few months. So apologies in advance for the, the sporadic and sometimes incredibly inconsistent show schedule-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: ... That we, we have. You know what I, what I was asked, you know, we need to do a Google Hangout or something, you know-

Laura Massey: We do, it's been a long time.

Larry Hryb: ... 'Cause we haven't, we haven't done some time.

Laura Massey: Think it's been over a year.

Jeff Rubenstein: We're talking about Beam, right?

Laura Massey: Oh, yeah.

Larry Hryb: We were, were thinking 'bout, oh, yeah, 'cause, 'cause I was actually to the, because we bought Beam, I was talking to the Beam guys. What we can do is kinda connect all on Skype and then I can just broadcast my Skype channel.

Laura Massey: Oh.

Larry Hryb: You know, so you're in my Skype thing, so-

Jeff Rubenstein: That seems to work.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. So we're gon-, I was go-, thinking of maybe we should test that out one time.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: But either way, we, you, if you wanna see us, I mean who doesn't, right?

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Uh, then, then we'll, we'll work on that as well, 'cause then, it's a little easier 'cause then when, uh, you know, when I'm on one side of the planet, Laura's, uh, hanging out with a cranky Buzz Aldrin, and, and Jeff is-

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 00:58:18]

Larry Hryb: ... Whacking spiders in the back of the car.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: We can, uh, we can do a little something with you guys when we're not doing this show. So anyway, hey, Laura, we have a, uh, we have a Name the Game, you know.

Laura Massey: We do.

Larry Hryb: We have one that's a little bit, gotta (blows), gotta blow the dust off it so ...

Laura Massey: Gotta dust on it, yeah.

Larry Hryb: Uh, you ready with that?

Laura Massey: Yeah, let me blow the dust off my tape player here.

Larry Hryb: All right and, uh, you gonna, you hit the play button, that's the big one with the triangle pointing to the right.

Laura Massey: Oh, thanks. Thanks, we'll, let's roll the tape, from last time. That was Name the Game from last time and it was F1 2016.

Larry Hryb: Vroooooooom.

Laura Massey: Exactly. Not too difficult of one.

Larry Hryb: Nope.

Laura Massey: But Larry, can you tell us who's won?

Larry Hryb: Sure can, uh, well this is interesting. Uh, his gamer tag is [grug 00:59:12] and he is from Queensland, Australia. How convenient.

Laura Massey: Ohh. How co- (laughs)

Larry Hryb: So it's unrelated to, he was randomly chosen.

Laura Massey: Yeah.

Jeff Rubenstein: You're gonna meet [grug 00:59:18].

Larry Hryb: I, I, hopefully I'll meet him.

Jeff Rubenstein: Hand, hand him his prize in person.

Larry Hryb: I, he won, you wanna know what he won?

Laura Massey: Yes. I want to know.

Larry Hryb: Oh, this is unbelievable. He won a copy of ReCore, Firewatch, BioShock collection, and The Turing Test.

Laura Massey: What?

Larry Hryb: But you know what I just realized as I, I, as I look at this and he's from Australia? How can I not throw in a copy of Forza Horizon 3?

Laura Massey: Right?

Larry Hryb: Right?

Laura Massey: Right?

Jeff Rubenstein: Mandatory.

Laura Massey: Mandatory.

Larry Hryb: Mandatory. I'm gonna do that and I'm also gonna include one of those mini-Lambo cars that I gave away, have you seen those?

Laura Massey: No.

Larry Hryb: If you look on my Instagram, did you see it? Hold on, I'll show it to you.

Laura Massey: I don't, I don't know if I follow you on Instagram.

Jeff Rubenstein: I'll drop it in the [crosstalk 00:59:47].

Larry Hryb: Okay, well that's, that's, that's another problem.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Um, this is, uh, I, I gave them away in my free code Friday last week, we have little ones, so it's, it's, it's little models.

Laura Massey: Oh. Oh, little models of the, the Lamborghinis.

Larry Hryb: Take a, take a look at what I posted.

Laura Massey: I got a real, little Lamborghini- (laughs) Gave away. That's really funny.

Larry Hryb: So anyway, so, uh, we, I'll throw in one of those.

Laura Massey: That's great.

Larry Hryb: Congratulations [grug 01:00:09], you got yourself some cool stuff.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: Now there's people listening right now, going, ugh, I wanna win cool stuff, how do I do that, Laura?

Laura Massey: Well, we've got a great little game for you to play and you too can win fabulous prizes. It's super simple to play, all you have to do is listen to the sound effects that I'm about to play-

Larry Hryb: Yeah.

Laura Massey: ... And then send us an email with what game you think those sound effects are from.

Larry Hryb: All right, so let's go ahead and play it. We'll, we'll give you email addresses on the other side, all right?

Laura Massey: Sounds good, let's roll this next Name the Game. So like we said, it's super easy to enter this game. All you have to do is send us an email. Send me an email at lollipop@xbox.com and CC major@xbox.com. Include what game you think those sound effects are from and we will randomly choose you if you're right.

Larry Hryb: That's right. And if you're wrong you'll get nothing and like it.

Laura Massey: Exactly.

Larry Hryb: But, uh, hope, good luck. It's pretty easy.

Laura Massey: Yeah. It's easy, exactly.

Larry Hryb: We try to make them easy but hopefully you can win there so ... we got prize to give away so thank you for that. Um, and if you, a lot of people ask, well, can I enter? If you can hear our voices, you can enter. If you can send email, you can enter.

Laura Massey: Right.

Larry Hryb: Now, don't, don't, don't bother us on Twitter 'cause that's not considered an entry. I mean you're welcome to bother us on Twitter, just don't, don't do it for Name the Game.

Laura Massey: That's true.

Larry Hryb: 'Cause we're not gonna-

Laura Massey: That's true, 'cause we can't quite catalog that easily.

Larry Hryb: Right, that's, that's, uh, you gotta send email as Laura just pointed out.

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: So congratulations to the winner and good luck to you, my, my, my new winner somewhere out there in the vast vast listening audience.

Laura Massey: Exactly. Good luck.

Larry Hryb: Look at the look of pensiveness on Jeffrey's face, I don't know what-

Laura Massey: What is he doing?

Jeff Rubenstein: Reading a Reddit thread in which ...

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: ... You were invoked, which happens a lot [crosstalk 01:02:21] Xbox One.

Larry Hryb: Oh, yeah, [crosstalk 01:02:21], yes.

Laura Massey: You can invoke to Larry?

Larry Hryb: Ye-yes, and it's frequent.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: And, uh, the comments are, after you jumped in-

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Right.

Jeff Rubenstein: ... as you do, a running joke on that thread that it's like Candyman.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Jeff Rubenstein: You say Major Nelson three times in the mirror, you will appear.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Um, and that basically is what happens.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: And they love you for it. [crosstalk 01:02:41]

Larry Hryb: [crosstalk 01:02:41]

Jeff Rubenstein: Some, some funny stuff on there.

Larry Hryb: Okay. Glad I can provide you online and offline amusement.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: (laughs) Woo. All right then, so we're, we're kind of getting towards the end of the show here, we've gotta, I've gotta get to LA, I've got a plane to catch.

Laura Massey: You do.

Larry Hryb: You've, Laura, you've got, um, I don't know what you've got to do.

Laura Massey: Work, to do. Probably.

Larry Hryb: Got, you've got other work to do. And Jeffrey has, uh ...

Laura Massey: Reddit threads to read.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: I've got Redditing. Just keeps going.

Larry Hryb: You know we haven't really talked about much big gadgets, you know. If we've got phones, or you know, I know the new iPhone's out, a lot of people are excited about that.

Jeff Rubenstein: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: Um, the new iOS thing is out, with the messages. We've been playing around with that.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: You don't, you've been playing with that.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Not every text needs lasers, that's all I'm saying.

Larry Hryb: Not true!

Jeff Rubenstein: A lot of them do.

Larry Hryb: Balloons, confetti.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes, I actually sent that to some-, it was their birthday though yesterday so.

Laura Massey: Okay. [crosstalk 01:03:33]

Larry Hryb: By the way, apparently if you just type in congratulations or happy birthday or happy new year, it'lll automatically happen.

Laura Massey: Oh really.

Jeff Rubenstein: Hmm.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, my wife actually found that one out.

Jeff Rubenstein: Be careful not to do it during like a solemn occasion.

Larry Hryb: Right.

Jeff Rubenstein: Like, oh, great, sorry, oh, balloons! Yay, you feel better now.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Many gifts. Uh, so, yeah, I don't really have too much to share. I've got a couple things I'm working on, I'm looking at some new, um, as always, some new networking hardware. Ubiquity is, uh, working with those guys for some new stuff.

Laura Massey: Oh really?

Larry Hryb: Yes, some pretty high-end stuff.

Laura Massey: Well let us know what you think.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, as always, you know, right now, I'm really happy with my home, home, home network setup.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: It's been, the guys from Eero, you know I think I talked about that on previous shows.

Laura Massey: Yeah, you talked about Eero's.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: So those guys are great and I love, love my Eeros. Um, what else, I think that's about it, you know, right now, I'm just at that awkward moment where I need to get an HDR TV for home, but it's not ...

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah, um, I'm starting to casually look around.

Larry Hryb: Don't do that.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: That's like, like-

Jeff Rubenstein: Not on the AVS forums.

Larry Hryb: Okay, yeah, that, that, that-

Jeff Rubenstein: That, you've gone too far.

Larry Hryb: ... That is, when you go, you know the AVS forums Laura.

Laura Massey: I do.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, when you go to the AVS forums, that is, there is no turning back.

Laura Massey: There is none.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah.

Larry Hryb: It's like you're all of the sudden, it's 3AM and you're 472 pages in on this thread-

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: Yes, I do need the ten thousand dollar version.

Larry Hryb: ...of how to calibrate your TV (laughs). God, is it bananas. Anyway, other than that, it's, you know, it's kind of, uh, we're just focusing on the game releases. Like I said, we gotta lot of trips planned, some events, uh, some game launches.

Laura Massey: Yes, things in the future.

Larry Hryb: Yeah. You know what else I started talking about, this is gonna blow your mind, Laur.

Laura Massey: Okay. I'm ready.

Larry Hryb: I didn't even tell this to Jeff. Started talking about E3 next year with somebody.

Laura Massey: What? What?

Jeff Rubenstein: Wait, like for real? Just casually?

Larry Hryb: Yeah. No. We were just talking about hey, we should do this for E3.

Jeff Rubenstein: It's September!

Larry Hryb: I know. I know.

Laura Massey: Wow.

Jeff Rubenstein: That's nine months, you can make a baby between now and the next E3.

Larry Hryb: I know.

Laura Massey: You could.

Larry Hryb: Okay, that's ...

Jeff Rubenstein: That's a long time.

Laura Massey: It is a long time.

Larry Hryb: That went a different way than I was expecting. But it, it is. Although I think the gestation periods of the blue whales is a little longer.

Jeff Rubenstein: Yeah, it's a couple years.

Laura Massey: Oh my goodness.

Jeff Rubenstein: Same thing with the elephant.

Laura Massey: Really? I had no idea.

Larry Hryb: What about the spiders?

Laura Massey: Oh.

Jeff Rubenstein: Five minutes. [crosstalk 01:05:38]

Larry Hryb: And it releases ten thousand of the ...

Jeff Rubenstein: Lays the eggs in your ear. [crosstalk 01:05:44]

Laura Massey: Yes.

Larry Hryb: Now, now. Speaking of spiders, I have told this story. I have told the spider story of, of, the Christmas tree right?

Laura Massey: No.

Larry Hryb: So this is, I, I'm pretty sure I told this one. If you don't like spiders, I urge you to fast forward about ninety seconds, 'cause this-

Jeff Rubenstein: I think they've already unsubscribed.

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: So I'm sorry, I'm sorry but I should've shared this last week. So this happened when my wife and I lived in Connecticut.

Laura Massey: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry Hryb: She loves Christmas and the real Christmas trees. So she went out and bought a real Christmas tree and this was like the first couple years we were married and she's like, "I wanna bring a Christmas tree home." So she brought the Christmas tree home, she set the tree up, she went out to the farm, they cut it down. They bring, she brings it into the house, she sets it up, and obviously this is, you know, November, December, so it's warming it up. And the water starts coming up. She's under the tree, trying to get it into the, the little tree holder. And while she's under it, she feels this water getting under her head. And then she looks up, there was a spider nest in there because it was warm, they started hatching. Thousands of spiders are spilling out on her face.

Laura Massey: Oh my gosh! Oh!

Jeff Rubenstein: So, uh, get an artificial tree this year.

Larry Hryb: We've had an artificial tree ever since, this is a true story.

Laura Massey: Ahh! I could've lived my life without this story.

Larry Hryb: This, I'm telling you, so that's why ... it can only happen because they, it was warming up and they got into the house and it was a bad bad scene. So we burned that house down and moved.

Laura Massey: Oh! (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: (laughs) That time you ended up in Washington.

Larry Hryb: (laughs) We had to move to the other side of the, other side of the country.

Jeff Rubenstein: [crosstalk 01:07:12]

Larry Hryb: Oh my gosh.

Laura Massey: No thanks.

Jeff Rubenstein: I feel like between now and the time we go to Australia, we should have a spider-

Larry Hryb: Apparently ten thousand baby spiders on your face feel like water on your face Laura. (laughs)

Laura Massey: Oh, no. Oh no.

Jeff Rubenstein: I feel like ten thousand baby spiders is like a Cards Against Humanity, that's like the- [crosstalk 01:07:30]

Laura Massey: Yes, yes.

Larry Hryb: Yeah, yeah.

Laura Massey: Ugh, ugh!

Larry Hryb: All right. Can you give us some eye or ear [inaudible 01:07:35] to get us out of this? Tell us about space or something?

Laura Massey: Right? No, all I can think about is tiny baby spiders in my ears.

Larry Hryb: No, no, no, no, no, no, don't do that, don't do that. Oh, it's, it's ...

Laura Massey: That's all I got, I can not steal my self away.

Jeff Rubenstein: I think only one thing can save us.

Larry Hryb: Yes, all right, we're gonna get out now. Here we go, go ahead. Go ahead, let it go.

Jeff Rubenstein: Take the spiders away, take the spiders away.

Laura Massey: (laughs) It keeps going.

Larry Hryb: (laughs) Boom, boom. All right I'll just put the clean version of this in there. All right we're gonna wrap the show up here. Laura, thank you for joining us, thank you for finding time in your schedule.

Laura Massey: Thank you for having me back.

Larry Hryb: Welcome back from Mars.

Laura Massey: Thank you.

Larry Hryb: And Florida. By the way I think Florida was a weirder place than Mars.

Laura Massey: Possibly.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Jeff Rubenstein: (laughs) In our new segment, Florida or Mars?

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: So and Jeffrey thank you-

Jeff Rubenstein: Water has been discovered on both, similarities don't stop there.

Larry Hryb: (laughs)

Laura Massey: (laughs)

Larry Hryb: Oh boy. Okay. Before I get, before we get going on the weird place, we're gonna stop now. Thank you Laura. Jeff, thank you. Follow Jeff on Twitter, at?

Jeff Rubenstein: @jeffrubenstein.

Larry Hryb: You can find Laura on?

Laura Massey: @lauralollipop

Larry Hryb: You can find me @majornelsen or the spider man. We'll talk to you guys next week, bye-bye everybody.

Laura Massey: Bye.

Larry: (Music) Welcome to the Show. My name is Larry Hyrb, Xbox live's Major Nelson. That is, uh, is right ... As we record this, it is Friday, September 16th. We are now halfway through the month of September and, uh, 2016. Joining me the studio is, uh, Mr. Jeff Rubenstein, Gamertag Rubes, hello Jeffery.

Jeff: That was an oddly specific timestamp. You went back into full radio DJ.

Larry: I did, I did. It's currently, uh, 11:26, 26 minutes after 11, out of the traffic with Jeff. Out of traffic with Jeff in the sky, Jeff how are things looking?

Jeff: Oh my god, the 405 is disaster.

Larry: It's dragging. This weather, this traffic report is brought to you by, insert local business here. Anyway, nice to see you, man.

Jeff: Yeah.

Larry: Laura, as you probably figured out is she is still my ... Boy she is so bus-

Jeff: She keeps us in line.

Larry: She is so busy. She's like, 'Oh, I can't do today,' and I feel bad because she ... she really loves doing the show with us and for all the listeners, but her schedule is just, it's unmanageable.

Jeff: She has a real job.

Larry: It's unmanageable. Yeah. We uh ... (laughing)

Jeff: We talk about the things people like her do.

Larry: Yeah, yeah. She's ... That's what ... You know, she's ... She's incredibly smart, and, you know, you, long time listeners of the show know the talent that she brings to both the software and the show.

Jeff: It's good there's more of hers, than people like us.

Larry: That's right. That's right. Uh, anyway!

Jeff: The right proportion.

Larry: Um, we're here, we're going to talk about what we're playing, things that are going on, lot of releases this week, some news ...

Jeff: I'm trying to coal down the list to just the highlights, and it's already at, like, 10 games.

Larry: Yeah. It's, it's kind of ridiculous, you know, I'm playing ... I finished Deus Ex, uh ...

Jeff: Congrats, man.

Larry: Thank you. Uh ...

Jeff: I'm way behind you.

Larry: I don't think you are, are you?

Jeff: Uh, yeah. I'm doing every side mission, and I love that game, I'm so into that game, I've built out Adam Jensen is a walking super soldier even though I'm playing non- lethal, if anyone crosses the line, you know, I feel like I will hulk out on them, and they will-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Just not know what happened.

Larry: Right. Okay.

Jeff: In the meantime I'm just sneaking around, hacking. Hacking computers.

Larry: Yeah. I'm hacking a lot of e-mails.

Jeff: Reading e-mails. Like, real life me. You know.

Larry: I'm uh, I'm having a good time with that, but, you know, like I say, finished it, it opened up the next, I guess I can play ... Go back and play the game and it's a different mode.

Jeff: Oh!

Larry: So-

Jeff: Yeah, there's a couple of other modes, there's like a, some other-

Larry: Plus mode.

Jeff: Breach mode. Something else like that.

Larry: Yeah, there's a couple things like that. So Deus Ex, a lot of fun, really, uh, you know ... Adam Jensen is waiting for your return, just in case.

Jeff: Yes he is.

Larry: So, there you go, yes he is. So, so that's kind of what I'm up to, um, what are you, what are you ... I mean, that's really the only one I'm playing other than a little bit of Overwatch here and there.

Jeff: Yeah, you're still playing the Overwatch, aren't you? We had an epic match.

Larry: We did, do you want to talk about that?

Jeff: In ranked. Well, I, the thing ... I think this was just, we had the most perfect matchmaking where, we were playing in, uh, Lijiang Tower, is I think It's called-

Larry: Yes. Yep.

Jeff: And we went down, you know, pretty harshly on the first 2 rounds in a competitive.

Larry: I think it was, we went down first ... harshly in the first round, came back in the second, got destroyed in the third one.

Jeff: No, we were down two, two down.

Larry: Were we down? Okay, two down.

Jeff: And I remembered, this is going to be, because we only had time for, I only had time for one match. And I, and, and then we came back and won, like, 100 percent to 98 percent in the final round. That just gave ... That game is so well balanced, and I ... Ahh. D.Va now, after the rebalance they had about a month ago, she's lethal. I love it.

Larry: Right. Yeah.

Jeff: I love it.

Larry: So we had a good time with that, um, playing the Forza Horizon 3 demo-

Jeff: Oh.

Larry: It's out, available now on Xbox One, go download.

Jeff: That is a beautiful game. The soundtrack on that is exceptional.

Larry: Yeah, the soundtrack, the soundtrack is exceptional, it looks, I mean it looks extraordinarily beautiful, the whole game is coming out next week!

Jeff: Yes it is. Um-

Larry: Are you excited about that?

Jeff: You know it. That's a game, I think, Forza Horizon 2 was my, I don't think, was my favorite racing game in the last decade.

Larry: Was it?

Jeff: Since uh, Burnout Paradise!

Larry: I thought you were a, I thought you were a Gran Turismo guy?

Jeff: Well, you know, I was.

Larry: (laughing)

Jeff: But, you know. Wow, cutting right to the quick here, Larry!

Larry: (laughing) What?

Jeff: Uh, I'll just avoid saying anything that I'll have to read about later.

Larry: There was a, there was a, there was a good, that was a good franchise.

Jeff: Oh yeah! It's the reason I bought a PS2, back in the day.

Larry: Right? That was a good franchise.

Jeff: And, uh, absolutely. But, uh, uh, I love what Playground Games does, I love the open world, I love just being able to tear around the Outback, and it's just really fun.

Larry: You know, it's funny, is this is ... I, I, I streamed this the other night on Beam, and, um, I was noticing, because I was, I was booting the game up, and it's ... You know what I love about Playground, I love the, their splash screen where it goes into the dashboard-

Jeff: It's really good!

Larry: It's just it's one of those things-

Jeff: It makes, like that 'Ding ding ding-'

Larry: Yeah, it makes you smile.

Jeff: Yeah.

Larry: It just, it just instantly captures what the game and what the studio is all about.

Jeff: Key thing I'm liking about the game that I'm playing so far:

Larry: Yes.

Jeff: Uh, you can customize your license plate.

Larry: You can! What is yours?

Jeff: Uh, it's 'Gooner,' which is like, a-

Larry: What?

Jeff: Term for an arsenal fan, they're the gunners, and then presumably, with it, if it's processed through, like, some sort of, um, cockney accent, it comes out to like, Gooner. I don't know, it, it's funny because it's in a very affluent part of London.

Larry: I see.

Jeff: No one talks like that, but-

Larry: I see.

Jeff: Uh, anyway, that's what it is, and then I have a kangaroo on either side, because Australia.

Larry: Because Australia. My, my, my, my, my license plate is just fairly simplistic, it's just 'HRYB.'

Jeff: Like you do.

Larry: Right. Because that's, that's the beauty of my, my last name being just four letters, is it fits in a Halo 5 service tag, it fits all the ... it fits in a clan tag.

Jeff: We don't have time for no stinking vowels, while we're here.

Larry: Right. Just, just, just collapse it all, so anyways, so I'm playing that. You know what? By the way, I forgot to point out, I'm playing the Turing Test. Have you, have you played that?

Jeff: Oh yeah! Uh, yeah, I ... I played it at GDC but I haven't played it since.

Larry: Yeah, so I'm playing a little bit of that, um, and then the for Honor closed alpha, I'm going to check that out, uh, this weekend, that's happening.

Jeff: Nice.

Larry: So, that's what we're doing.

Jeff: So I've been, uh, I've been playing, uh, so, it's all about story mode, in sports games now.

Larry: Yes.

Jeff: So FIFA just came out and FIFA has the journey-

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: FIFA 17, um, which I'm very much looking forward to, uh, you follow a, a, a young man's journey, uh, as he's recruited by Manchester United.

Larry: Mm-hmm. (affirmative)

Jeff: And them, the ups and downs that presumably happen when you're a fabulously rich football player in, in England. Um, Pry more ups than downs, just, spoiler alert. But, um, I'm all about NBA 2K17's career mode.

Larry: He's back, ladies and gentlemen, you may remember him from last year, the NBA's hottest, hottest player, Jeffery Dean Camillionaire.

Jeff: 6'7, of un ... 240 pounds of undrafted power.

Larry: Now that ...

Jeff: So there's-

Larry: Or undraftable. (laughing)

Jeff: I'm, um, I'm like, 'You're not going to check too deeply, into my history, are you?' Um ...

Larry: So just to give a little context, uh, to, for those that listen to the show frequently know that you played the game last year, 2K17.

Jeff: 16 at that point.

Larry: 16, sorry. And uh-

Jeff: I didn't really-

Larry: You, it randomly, it randomly creates names, and yours was ...

Jeff: No, it doesn't! That's the thing.

Larry: I thought it recommended that!

Jeff: Well, no. Uh, although there was something that really cool that happens in Forza where it does, Ana, the, talks to you now.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: And it uses your name.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: So cool. Anyway, but, with NBA 2K, Kevin Harlan-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Who had the most amazing play-call of all time, we'll get back to this in a second, um, they had him, and, and, all of the play by play and commentary folks record names.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: So, you can ... And a wide variety of names, so I wanted to, you know, take advantage of some of this stuff, my kid happened to be there while I was making my name, she was like, 'Use your name!' And so I go down to Jeff and Jeff is in there, presumably for, like, you know, Jeff Green or some actual Jeff Teague, some real NBA player, um, but then under it was Jeffery Dean. I'm assuming for Jefferey Dean- Morgan.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Um, who has some time in the NBA, that I don't know. Um, but he was in there, so I picked Jeffery Dean, and then for last name, uh, Camillionaire. Of course. So, um, you know, out of 6'7 out of, out of Villanova.

Larry: Right. Villanova Owls.

Jeff: Jeffery Dean Camillionaire has now re-entered, uh, no. Temple Owls versus the Black Cats.

Larry: Temple Owls. darn it, I blew it.

Jeff: It's all right. Uh, yeah. There's five teams you fill in. Nassau-

Larry: (laughing)

Jeff: And we, we don't need to get Penn, we don't need ... Drexel would be the last one.

Larry: Drexel, that's right.

Jeff: Drexel Dragons. Had a couple friends that went there. Anyway, um, big fan. Kevin Harlan is the com, is the commentator for, for 2K, and is amazing, this is the best, I think it's the best commentary in, in the history of sports games, is, is how well they put that together.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: And, and his level of excitement. But he had the most amazing play-call that took place during the, I think it was the Sunday night game or the Monday night game between the Rams, the first Rams game-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: And the harland-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: And, and an inebriated gentleman ran out onto the field.

Larry: Mm-hmm. (affirmative)

Jeff: Which happens from time to time, and usually they'll just cut away, they don't want to give that person any extra attention, but, uh, Kevin Harlan does the radio calls on West wood 1.

Larry: Mm-hmm. (affirmative)

Jeff: And his call, his radio call, I have to play it for you, is-

Larry: Can you link to this?

Jeff: Oh, absolutely.

Larry: Okay.

Jeff: One of the most amaz-

Larry: Is it legendary?

Jeff: It is a legendary call, it is up there with, 'I can't believe what I just saw!' Or whatever, or 'Oh, the humanity!'

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Kevin Harlan's intoxicated guy on the field in Levi Stadium.

Larry: (laughing)

Jeff: We'll link to it. I, I was blown away.

Larry: You know, Don't say any more, just go listen to it, it'll be in the show- notes.

Jeff: Bringing it back, eventually, this is what happens.

Larry: Yeah. Laura's keeping us [crosstalk 00:08:59]

Jeff: This is, this is what happens when Laura is not here. Uh, so, 2K17, I love the, I love this, uh, you know, the create a player mode, the my player mode. If you want to try it out for free, you can do that. There is a, um, essentially it's not a demo, you actually get to play through the first couple of hours of my player where you, you go through college and, uh, I made it to the national semi- finals and lost, and create your player and all this stuff using an app, uh, on your phone. There's a thousand gamerscore up for grabs.

Larry: Yeah there is.

Jeff: And, so I recommend you go after it, and if you love it, like I do, then NBA 2K17 is actually out now.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: And then you can, you can, it leaves off at a great point where it's like, 'Oh, I can't wait to pick up the, the final game, which, uh, I guess I'll be doing this weekend.

Larry: Yes.

Jeff: But, um, highly recommend you play NBA 2K17 the prelude.

Larry: Yes.

Jeff: Um, so yeah. That and I've been playing a lot of Recore, which, uh, [crosstalk 00:09:48]

Larry: Oh, that's right! Recore, of course, Recore is the very first play anywhere ... Xbox play anywhere title out this week, if you bought it on your console, you have a Windows 10 version available at no additional cost or vice- versa, if you bought it on Windows, you get the Xbox version at no additional cost.

Jeff: Yes sir. Um, so yeah, I've been enjoying that, actually jumping back and forth between my ASUS Republic of Gamers laptop and on the Xbox depending on what's free, um, does look great.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: In, in, on the [crosstalk 00:10:12]

Larry: So check out, check out Recore, in fact I've given, I gave some Recores away on a free code Friday recently, I think it was today, yesterday, recording this.

Jeff: Very good. So that's what I'm playing. Get ... Man, this has been a good gamerscore month, like, I need to look at the scoreboard and see where I am, you know, next to Xbox Quick.

Larry: Yeah, he's still, I just looked at it, he's at the top. Uh, the other thing to point out is another release is, uh, is we have the Witness!

Jeff: Oh my God, yes!

Larry: So, yeah, if you want to go ahead and do releases, it's, it's been crazy.

Jeff: But the Witness, on Xbox One-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Jonathan Blow, he put together a good, uh, blog post on tips and, and the, the key thing that I took that ran on Xbox Wire, the key thing I would take away from that, is, if you're stumped, you don't, it's not a linear game where you have to do one goal-

Larry: Go away, yeah.

Jeff: And then the next one, next one, go somewhere else, wander off on an island, solve something else, and then come back. Um, it, you don't want to ruin, like, the, the um, that, that satisfaction you get when you, when you finally crack a hard puzzle and then like, all of a sudden it like, slips into place. Because it's one of those things that's like, looking at a, a 3D puzzle or something, where it doesn't work, it doesn't work-

Larry: Go away and come back.

Jeff: And when you see it, exactly.

Larry: Yeah just go away and come back.

Jeff: So here's a pro tip my neighbor uses.

Larry: Ah, yes.

Jeff: So he's got a service-

Larry: it's called the internet. (laughing)

Jeff: The pro tip of when, if you want to do it the right way, and figure it out, but here's a great tool. So a lot of the puzzles are based around sort of like, drawing the right way throughout kind of like a complicated maze and then it sort of levels up from there and just sliding these switches. Um, he will take a photo with his surface, with the rear camera, and then he will-

Larry: Use a pencil and sketch it?

Jeff: Then use a pen and sketch over it. And, and then, 'Oh, that doesn't work.' Erase, and try again and try again. So, like, he's, he's got-

Larry: Yeah, but you don't ... I mean that's cool, but you don't need ... it's not like you're getting points for finishing it quicker, right?

Jeff: No, well, it's just, it's, it makes it easier to figure out as opposed to ... Because this is a game where you really, you kind of need a pad and paper-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Sometimes to work out some of the complicated stuff. Because it's not like you can just sort of ... I mean, there's ... Here and there, you can guess, but really, a lot of times it's very complex and-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: It's easier to really, to just draw it, and so that's what he's been doing. You can do that on your phone as well, or whatever it is. Take a picture of that, that, the puzzle screen and then sort of sketch it out that way, and then you figure it out and then you do it.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: That's, that's my pro tip.

Larry: Well that's a, that's a good one, and so what else, you know, why don't you just, segway into the releases and since you said it is just ... We are release-tastic!

Jeff: It is, it is crazy. So we talked about Recore out this week, NBA 2K17 now out, um, Minecraft Story Mode, a journey's end, episode 8 is now available for Xbox and Windows 10.

Larry: You know what came out last week, since we didn't have a show last week?

Jeff: What?

Larry: Halo 5 Forge.

Jeff: Oh, that's right!

Larry: Right?

Jeff: Again, another thousand gamerscore ready for you for free!

Larry: No, listen to me. Listen to me, I'm telling you right now, Jeffery, we need to do that this weekend. We need to round up seven people. Apparently, there's an achievement-

Jeff: Yeah.

Larry: For playing with seven people on a custom game.

Jeff: And it's like a hundred gamerscore.

Larry: Yeah! It's like a hundred each! We should totally do that!

Jeff: Um, and, and I think the thing that-

Larry: Maybe I'll post in my Major Nelson group in the preview team, right?

Jeff: I think the thing to point out about Halo 5 Forge, it's not just the tool for creation, you can get in there with friends. If you're not interested in creating, and just sort of browsing the amazing creations, I saw, like a really cool, like, water park map that people have made, you can just get in there and play with folks. So if you've got a Windows 10, uh, a Windows 10 computer and you can run it, um, and you can just look in the store, it's a free download, get in there, and actually play some Halo on a computer.

Larry: Mm-hmm. (affirmative)

Jeff: That's kind of great.

Larry: What else we've got?

Jeff: Uh, so Just Sing, this is a good party game.

Larry: Yeah!

Jeff: It is out, the singing compatible, or singing companion to Just Dance, uh, I mentioned EA Sports FIFA 17, they also have a downloadable demo that includes the beginning of their career mode, the journey. Some-

Larry: And, and, and NHL came out last week.

Jeff: Yeah. NHL, is it, man, you're way ahead of me.

Larry: Sorry.

Jeff: The Witness, we talked about. Bioshock collection! On the Xbox One.

Larry: Oh, I streamed that the other night. Boy, did it look good.

Jeff: (sighs) I think-

Larry: You know-

Jeff: Go on.

Larry: Did I ... I don't know if I ever told you this story, the first time I saw that game. So the first time I ever saw that game, or the trailer for it, um, I was in Barcelona, we were doing an Xbox event,

Jeff: [inaudible 00:14:06] It's already a better story than anything I've got with bio, with Bioshock.

Larry: And I'm standing ... It gets even better. I'm standing backstage talking to Peter Moore. So I'm talking to Peter, and we are backstage getting ready for our event, you know, because this was unveiled at our event. And I'm getting backstage and we're talking to them, and they're doing a technical rehearsal, and so we're behind the screen. So we're talking, and my ... I'm facing the screen and Peter's facing me and it starts playing. And Peter's talking to me and I 'Shh shh shh.' I said, 'I have to watch this.' Because I love Art Deco and I'm a scuba diver, so I was like, my eyes were growing wider and wider and wider, and I could not believe what I had seen. And then I got the chance, if you remember correctly, the demo for the game came out, it dropped on a Sunday night. And I had, it's when I used to post the podcast on a Sunday, and I had done an interview with, with, with Ken. We had lined it up so the podcast would drop with an interview with Ken and the demo all at the same time, it was just magical. It was magical! And then the game came out, and it was unbelievable.

Jeff: I thought you were saying, 'On the way back from Barcelona, the plane had engine trouble, so we went down near a light ... this crazy lighthouse in the middle of the ocean!'

Larry: No, no. It wasn't like that.

Jeff: Um, but show me your, show me your wrist tattoos, you're always covering your wrist.

Larry: Yes, I [crosstalk 00:15:12]

Jeff: No?

Larry: No.

Jeff: Uh, yeah, I remember that, being sold on that game back in like, 0, I guess early 06, they released like a vidoc just on water, and like, the tech they were using and all that-

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: And it was like, this is the most elaborate thing I've ever seen.

Larry: Yeah. And it looks ... I mean, it just, it just looks so good and, you know, I played it, I was streaming it the other night and just playing and I just stopped and you're like, 'Wow, this really, is just a classic game, it's kickass.'

Jeff: I'll know how much you get into it, is if, like, a week from now, you get a text, and, and it says 'Welcome to the circus of value!'

Larry: You know who that is? That's Ken!

Jeff: Shut up, really?

Larry: Yeah, it was something we talked about in many ... I don't think it was the interview, but he was ... We were talking about the circus of values, and he actually sent me, I have clean versions of those somewhere, I should, I should share them ... I think I've got them here! I think I might have them on this computer. But yeah, that's, he's the, he's the circus of value guy, so. Anyway. Uh, all right, what else do we have, Jeffery, I've got to go look for that audio, while you're, while you're, while you're-

Jeff: Yeah, of course, so Pac-Man Championship edition 2. Did you ever play the original Pac-Man Championship Edition?

Larry: Of course I did.

Jeff: So, yeah. It's, it's, it has the same tenants of Pac-Man, eat, eat, eat dots and, you know, um, but it's sort of like, uh, kind of like an endless runner in that the map is always scrolling and you're just moving- (music starts playing) Ooh.

Larry: Uh oh. I have some of the music. They gave me a clean version of the music, I do. Sorry. Oh, look at all this music I have here from them. This is, this is-

Jeff: You have to put that out there. (music playing)

Larry: Welcome to rapture. This is when you're going down, that big reveal moment.

Jeff: Yeah! Yep. You pass through.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: You're descending-

Larry: And the whales are going by.

Jeff: That's right.

Larry: Anyways, so, we've, I've got to find that. Anyway, go ahead, I'm sorry.

Jeff: Yeah, so anyway, Pac-Man Championship Edition, great, it's, it's a, a multiplayer playing at the same time.

Larry: Yep.

Jeff: Uh, also very good, sort of like, you don't ... You can play with people of all skill levels and have a great time, so, uh-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Definitely recommend that, and then Pro Evolution Soccer 2017, uh, different take on soccer from FIFA, um, it's got its' proponents as well, so, uh, you have a choice, in the soccer world.

Larry: All right.

Jeff: Choose wisely.

Larry: Choose wisely, there's, there's a lot going on in Xbox, and then of course, if you're on the preview program, we've got uh, we've, we've uh, put out uh, clubs and looking for groups LFG you heard on our last podcast, Scott and Mike talking about those, well those features are somewhat available, they're in the process, that's what we use the preview, uh team for, the preview program, it's kind of to help us test it out, so it's not feature complete, but it's getting there, and a lot ... You should see the traffic. Right now, Major Nelson, the Major Nelson club is the number two club on Xbox right now.

Jeff: Number two with a bullet.

Larry: Number two with a bullet. By the way-

Jeff: So what are you going to do? Like, uh, hold a big meetup with the group, or?

Larry: Well I think we may, I think we may, I mean, are you an admin of the group, did I make you an admin of the group?

Jeff: No you didn't.

Larry: I need to fix that.

Jeff: I think so.

Larry: Um, I just really wanted to use it as a central point for people to share information about different clubs, and share tips about, 'Hey, here's how you do ...' Anyways, so it's kind of cool. Here, here's the pro tip, though. A lot of people who aren't a preview program, they're confused because their main feed, if you go to the community section, um, it's more or less, uh, you know, it can be overrun with the croft of your club.

Jeff: (laughing) I'm just going to stop you right there.

Larry: They can! So the, they, the paradigm that we use on Xbox is very similar, you know, with clubs is very similar to the same with people and gamehubs. You follow them or unfollow them.

Jeff: Yep.

Larry: It's as simple as that. So when you unfollow a club, it won't, you don't, it doesn't remove your membership, it just makes that feed not appear in your main feed. You can always go read the whole feed. Are you a member of a club ... You're a member of a private club, aren't you?

Jeff: Uh, I am, and I am a member

Larry: I'm not invited.

Jeff: of the Major Nelson Club. Well, no, no. The club that I'm part of, it's just, it's just an internal team club.

Larry: Oh, it's not, it's not, it's not that, it's not that we are gamers footwear club?

Jeff: That's on Facebook.

Larry: Okay. (laughing)

Jeff: And we don't speak about it. The first rule of sneaker fight club is you do not talk about sneaker fight club.

Larry: Woops. (clears throat) Anyway, anyway, so uh, preview thank you everybody that's helping us out make preview, or, we've already updated it, we've added the ability to delete a club and some other stuff, I've got an FAQ that I'm working on that I'll post on my blog with details around what, you know, as we, as we, as we update, add, and change features moving forward, so.

Jeff: I can't wait to show you this, this, Kevin Harlan call- out from this game.

Larry: Really? Is, is it in the show notes?

Jeff: It is, it is in the shownotes. Yes.

Larry: Okay, thank you. Uh, yeah. This week's show is fairly quick because, like I say, Laura's not here, I've got a great interview lined up for next week, you know what comes out next week?

Jeff: Uh, besides, besides Forza?

Larry: Firewatch.

Jeff: That's right! Yeah.

Larry: Yeah, so I'm going to, I've got an interview with one of the guys from Firewatch lined up, so I'll be doing that, we're going to learn more about, uh ...

Jeff: I just want to correct myself, we keep saying Forza comes out next week-

Larry: It's Forza Horizon 3.

Jeff: For ... Well, yes. But it comes out on the 27th, although there's early access. So it's like, it's, it's different tiered stuff.

Larry: In fact, speaking of that, there is an event happening next week that I'll be going down to, uh, I think it's in LA, so I'll give you details on that, just follow me on Twitter and I'll give you details-

Jeff: And I'll just put the Forza details down there, too.

Larry: Yeah. Would you please? I've got a lot of events planned, I'm doing that, I'll be doing there was that, we, the coalition kind of teased a little bit, about they're doing a launch event which I will be involved with, so I'll be doing that, I don't know where it is, or what it is, but you know we'll be doing something big.

Jeff: Look, if it's a, it's a, if it's a Gears event, you're going to be there, you don't even need to know what your role is, you're going to-

Larry: Can we just talk about that? Can we talk about that? Because we haven't done a show since then.

Jeff: Okay.

Larry: So, for those of you who want to know what Jeff is making reference to, after our last show, was PAX Prime, Pax west, you know, in here in Seattle. Huge wait, a wonderful time at that, and I was asked to participate in two Gears events. The first one was arms race which, how would you explain arms race, Jeffery?

Jeff: Arms race, um, is, a, we've seen, sort of, you've seen modes in some shooters where you start off with, like, a handgun, and then you move up and you move up and next everyone's firing around rocket launchers. And the way that ends up working is, whoever is the, you know, the most successful it actually gets easier for them. So arms race is the reverse of that. Everyone starts off with a boomshot.

Larry: Yeah. So powerful weapons-

Jeff: And they're just firing around, there's boomshots everywhere, and when you have a successful kill, it moves down and it moves down until everyone's running around with, I believe a Boltok, um, which is, you know, which is a great weapon, but it's a little harder to, to kill folks. So, and I think, at least the mode you were playing, you had to get through 13 weapons, and then once that's happened, whatever team has moved, and, and, it's funny, it's like, you have to get I think three kills per weapon as a team. So if, you know, you're firing boomshots and the third kill happens, you might be lining up a shot with a boomshot and all of a sudden you're, you're holding a lancer, or retro lancer, and it's like, 'Whoa, hey, that just changed really quickly.

So, um, it's, it's really, uh, it's kind of frantic, but then, it starts off crazy as everyone's firing rockets and heavy ordinance around the map, but then it gets more and more, uh, tense as it goes on as everyone's using smaller or more, uh, defenseless weapons where you, you know, you don't want to just run around.

Larry: Right. Right.

Jeff: So, you end up starting like, everyone's laughing, and 'Oh, look at that!' And then it gets real serious. And that's what happened in for the watch.

Larry: So we did that for the watch, and, you know, look Jeff, I like to be humble, but you know what? I did okay.

Jeff: You had a couple of good headshots on [inaudible 00:22:13], it worked out well.

Larry: Did okay, so, and then 24 hours later, we did the first to 50 event which was, we brought in two teams, right?

Jeff: Yeah, exactly, so they were captained by, uh, GoldGlove and Themstuff, two prominent YouTube and Twitch stars who are also huge gears of war fans.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: And so, we uh, we took them, they got to choose teams, and they both launched into horde on hardcore-

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: To see who could get to the 50th round first.

Larry: Yeah. So, and what happened there was, I was asked to shoutcast.

Jeff: Yes you were. Long time shoutcaster. (laughing) Here's what happened. As the teams were picked, a number of people that were on, on ... That were selected by the, like, like, GoldGlove ended up selecting Fallout who used to be a community manager over at the coalition, and he's, he's a great shoutcaster.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: In fact he shoutcasted uh, for the watch.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: But he was playing. So, all, a lot of the good shoutcasters were, were already taken [crosstalk 00:23:17]

Larry: So they brought in the not good shoutcaster and that would be me.

Jeff: Well, so here's the thing. You were pretty damn good, and that was a 6-hour broadcast with no commercials.

Larry: 6-hour broadcast and I want to point something out, uh, as I made no bones about uh, telling Jeffery. That was the first time ever I've done it. Certainly I've been around some of the best shoutcasting, uh, people in the business, and I've worked with many many many of them.

Jeff: I'm not going to lie, when I found out that that was your role, I was a little worried.

Larry: I was too!

Jeff: And yeah.

Larry: I'm not going to lie, I was like, 'You want me to what? Where? For When? How long? What?' I couldn't believe it, but, you know, I was up there with Rod Ferguson is the head of the, you know, coalition, and, you know, Rod is such a great guy anyway, and we, we, we did it. I've got to tell you we did it.

Jeff: It was very entertaining, because it's not just you speaking to the microphone which is what you're used to-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Everyone in the room hears you as well, so you're like, you know-

Larry: Wait a minute. Everybody heard, I didn't know that! I just thought it was out to the stream!

Jeff: No, are you serious? That's why it's called shoutcasting Larry, otherwise it's just commentary.

Larry: Yes, I, I, I had, but I had ... I had headphones on, I thought it was just going out to the stream!

Jeff: No, everybody could hear you in the entire room!

Larry: That, those 500 people sitting behind us heard me?

Jeff: Yes!

Larry: Oh, I didn't realize that!

Jeff: They ... You shouldn't have talked so much trash on the dude sitting behind you and his horrible shirt, with a slurpee on it.

Larry: Oh God, that was terrible.

Jeff: But yeah, uh, yeah, no, I'm glad I didn't say anything.

Larry: Wow, I was, that would have been even, I mean I get nervous, I mean ...

Jeff: Well it's, I guess because you had a headset, it helps, but, like, otherwise, doing that, like, when you're, if you've ever done any public speaking, which I knew you have-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Can, like, if there's a bit of a, if there's too much of a delay on it-

Larry: Reverbia.

Jeff: It's really hard to power through that.

Larry: Watch anybody trying to sing the national anthem at a game.

Jeff: Exactly.

Larry: Perfect example. So anyway, that was my first time shoutcasting, if you want to get a kick out of that, it's, I assume that's up, is it, Jeff, on the [crosstalk 00:24:56]

Jeff: Uh, I, um, I'm looking for it, actaully I think what we're doing is we're cutting together a-

Larry: Because it's 6-hours long!

Jeff: Yeah, we're cutting together, like a super cut of that-

Larry: A highlight reel.

Jeff: It's not ready yet, but we'll put it out there, very entertaining.

Larry: So that's uh, that was a lot of fun. Of course, PAX was great, Gears looked great, Gears was a lot of fun to play, it was, and horde looks like a ton of fun, so I'm really looking forward to that, so I'll be doing the Gears event, got a few other things, you know what, I'm also getting ready for, is my, uh, global trip to Australia. I will be keynoting, uh, doing story- time at PAX Australia, very excited to go to Melbourne.

Jeff: Very jealous.

Larry: I would love to have you with me.

Jeff: Could you, I, if anything just to kill the spiders that sneak into your room. Here's what I've been told. Look, I'm sure, I'm sure a lot of the fact that all the animals in Australia just can't wait to kill you-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: With murderous rage, uh, I imagine like when you, when you pull into the gate, like you're looking out the plane and there's just like a jump- jack spider or whatever the hell they're called-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Sort of like, beating, like, a bat in his hand-

Larry: Yeah. Bring it, buddy.

Jeff: Just like, yeah, exactly.

Larry: Like, let's go.

Jeff: Um, what do they call it? Jack jumpers. You don't want to mess with those, by the way. But, uh, I had a friend who stayed there for like a month, she did like, a semester, and she was like, 'Here's the one thing I'll recommend. Don't ... No matter how tempting it might be, and you're going there close to summer, don't sleep with the window open. Because you will wake up and there will be a, a spider the size of like, a, a manhole cover-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Like, on your ceiling.

Larry: Feasting on you.

Jeff: Well, presumably.

Larry: Now, I must tell you this, I did have a spider incident.

Jeff: You did! Oh man, we are, this is unintentional segway.

Larry: This was the weirdest thing, ever. I was playing Overwatch with, was it with you Jeff? Was it with-

Jeff: No, no. No, you weren't playing Overwatch, you were beating-

Larry: Deus Ex! That's right! It was, it was in the endgame of Deus Ex and I'm getting into it, I'm sitting in my home office on my, I've got this leather chair that I sit in and it's ... I'm going at it, and I want ... I can feel like it's the endgame, and I'm going through, and the controller, and I'm just getting really into it, and I finish it, and I'm like, 'What's going on here?' And I go into the bathroom and I pull up my shirt. I've got 3 massive welts on the back of my back,-

Jeff: Mm-hmm. (affirmative)

Larry: That apparently a spider, because I had the window open in my office, because, it was a beautiful evening. And some spider came in and decided to, to, use me as a buffet.

Jeff: That was a warning from Australia.

Larry: It was! I ... Now that I think about it!

Jeff: They were like, 'We're ready for you, buddy!' That was the equivalent of waking up with a horse's head in your bed.

Larry: No, I ... Oh, that was a good scene. Now, that house is for sale, by the way.

Jeff: Is it?

Larry: In the Godfather, yeah, that, it, it's in,

Jeff: Wasn't, wasn't it in New York or something?

Larry: No, no, no, that was in LA, because it was, it was the head of the studio.

Jeff: Is that why they're making movies these days?

Larry: (laughing) I think that Hollywood thing may work out. Uh, so yeah, so the spider came in and just apparently, I assume it was a spider, it just gave these 3, 3 like down my back, and I was like, I was like, so this thing was actually actively crawling up attacking me while I was finishing Deus Ex. It was like-

Jeff: What did you do to him? You know? Or her, actually, usually the female spiders do the attacking.

Larry: Who knows? Who knows? I was minding my own business, and all of the sudden, this thing is ... So, [Aragog 00:27:40] sent me! It, it, it, it never, you know ... I saw, so I'm ripping ... Of course, I realize what happened I go into my office, I'm ripping out the cushions, I'm looking under and I've got the lights on, and nothing. It just-

Jeff: Yeah, yeah. I think people that don't live in the Pacific northwest don't really ... There's like a ... There's a lot of spiders.

Larry: There's a ... Well, it's spider season. Because apparently it's getting cooler out, so they go inside.

Jeff: And uh, my, the issue I tend to run into is car spiders. Like, a couple times a year, I will be driving to work-

Larry: I remember this happening.

Jeff: And a glint will catch my eye, as I'm like, driving over the bridge, I'm like, 'what's that?' And like, Oh, there's a giant, full on, like, like, circular spiral-

Larry: Arachnid. Coming at you.

Jeff: I, in the, like, well the, the web, like, on the passenger side.

Larry: Oh! Oh, it's actually made it home.

Jeff: Oh, yeah, and it happens all the time. So I'll know it's coming, because I'll start to see, like, little strings of webs on the inside of the dashboard-

Larry: And you'll get rid of that.

Jeff: But, like, I don't know where it goes, and then one day I'll come out and I won't be, it'll lull me into a false sense of security, that's what they do, they play mind games. And, and then there's a giant spider, but like, I'm on the freeway, driving, you know, the speed limit, and, um, and I'll look over, and I'm like, 'What do I do?'

Larry: What do you do?

Jeff: Uh, you just-

Larry: Well officer ... (laughing)

Jeff: After I'm done soiling myself, uh, I, I make it into work, and then I torch the car.

Larry: You know, at that point, why don't you just open the windows? Open the windows and there will be this, this vortex of wind.

Jeff: Doesn't matter. Well first of all the spider could blow onto me-

Larry: It could, it absolutely could.

Jeff: It would probably backfire pretty hard. Um, and, and, and secondly, they are like, wind resistant, these webs.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: Like, because I've tried.

Larry: They're designed. They've, they've, it's evolution, called evolution.

Jeff: Yeah, you should watch out for them. They're, they're the real menace.

Larry: Yeah the, uh-

Jeff: This has been a very anti- arachnid podcast.

Larry: I don't have that problem in my electric car, maybe they don't like electric cars.

Jeff: Maybe, maybe it's putting out some sort of, like, frequency that ... you ever see those things, like, as seen on TV, and you plug it into the wall, and it's supposed to, like, play a frequency that scares ... And like, the bugs are like, running for cover, they're covering their ears?

Larry: (laughing) That's exactly what my car is.

Jeff: That's a, that's a hidden, uh, a hidden-

Larry: That's a gem. That's a gem, there, anyway, wow. We-

Jeff: Where are we? What is happening?

Larry: So yeah, it'll be, I'll be in Australia.

Jeff: Yeah!

Larry: That's a long story.

Jeff: You've got to bring a bigger electric car.

Larry: I have a little, I have a little surprise, I can't tell you what it is.

Jeff: Does it, does it involve Paul Hogan?

Larry: Uh, I, I have a little surprise. I can't tell you what it is.

Jeff: You didn't say no!

Larry: I can't tell you what it is, but I'm very excited about the surprise, I'll tell you, I'll tell you that.

Jeff: I'm really upset I', not going to be able to go.

Larry: Yeah, well, you should be there. I'm also working on maybe doing an event at the Sydney Microsoft store, it's a, one of our flagship stores in Sydney.

Jeff: Yeah.

Larry: I love Sydney, been there many many times.

Jeff: Is that the first one outside of the US?

Larry: Well, there's some in Canada.

Jeff: Oh, I count that as the US.

Larry: You can find Jeffery Rubenstein on Twitter at ... You canadians.

Jeff: It's a compliment!

Larry: It's a ... Or is it?

Jeff: Um ...

Larry: As they look down at our election.

Jeff: Maybe at some point that was, yes.

Larry: But not now. Anyway, uh, so yeah, I've got a lot of things planned so, uh, I'm going to apologize right now as I usually do around this time of the year, in advance for the sporadic podcast posting because who knows if we're able to do it. You know what I was thinking?

Jeff: Go on.

Larry: With being low latency, we should do a bean cast where it's just I could bring you in and me and Laura and just put you guys on screen and, you know, I could basically stream you guys.

Jeff: That would be great.

Larry: Would you like that?

Jeff: Yeah. This way we can get the questions. Always fun doing it that way.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: Yeah.

Larry: Because we, it's more live and it's interactive, we're going to do it live!

Jeff: Yeah.

Larry: So.

Jeff: I think it's time we, we've moved those, those, those hangouts to beam.

Larry: Yeah, beacause hangouts are kind of being deprecated, aren't they?

Jeff: Uh, I don't know.

Larry: I thought they were, something's going on. Hey, In case you missed it, also, previously earlier in this week, we announced some new hardware.

Jeff: Oh, yes we did.

Larry: You know, we've got, we've got this beautiful Dawn Shadow pink controller.

Jeff: Yeah, and we also announced, uh, a couple, uh, uh, bundle, a bundles.

Larry: Yeah, so Battlefield bundles, why don't you pull those up and I'll talk about-

Jeff: Sure.

Larry: So the controller is Dawn Shadow, we've got another, we've got a blue one, we have a white headset.

Jeff: I was travelling this week, and I had no ... A white headset?

Larry: Yeah, it's a white ... To match the S, why wouldn't you?

Jeff: No, the, I-

Larry: You know what else I got? You know what else I got, to match the S, was a pair of shoes.

Jeff: Yes you did! All right, this is a lot of notes.

Larry: Check out my Instagram for that.

Jeff: Yes. Um-

Larry: You put pictures on Instagram, you share them, that's what that's for.

Jeff: And, the Dawn Shadow, it's really ... It's like an ombre.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: That's what they call it in the fashion industry.

Larry: It's got a fade.

Jeff: It's like they dipped it into, like, uh, you know, a pink lollipop. But it didn't ruin the controls.

Larry: Is this, um, is this from your failed early attempts as a designer for snap bracelets in the early 90s?

Jeff: I invented the piano type snap bracelet.

Larry: Is that you? Okay, that's ... Today you learned, Internet, now you know, where the, he's made all his money.

Jeff: Uh, yeah. It's um, and, and the matching slammers didn't work either-

Larry: Right. Yes.

Jeff: If the pog. The pog industry just really collapsed.

Larry: And he was about 6 months late on wheelies, so.

Jeff: Oh, heelys?

Larry: Heelys. The things on the-

Jeff: Here's the thing.

Larry: Yes.

Jeff: Back when I was like, too old to have, I've always been too old to have Heelys, since they existed, and now, they have adult Heelys, but I feel like I'm now even just too old for adult Heelys.

Larry: They do?

Jeff: Yeah. They're probably really ... Someone in the room has them.

Larry: Yeah. That's ... Of course they do. Someone in our-

Jeff: They probably have terrible arch support, I'll just guess. They, like, I'll be-

Larry: Now you sound, now you sound like an old man. 'What, they probably have horrible arch support, forget about it, I need my arch support!'

Jeff: I want orthopedic Heelys. Is that too much to ask?

Larry: (laughing) I bet you they sell them in Miami, go out to, go out to what is it, Worth Avenue?

Jeff: Uh, Worth Avenue is, is a place. Um, why don't we just say that?

Larry: (laughing)

Jeff: I'll, I'll, I'll skate down to Worthies.

Larry: Yes. All right. Well, we are way off. Let's go back to the hard rebuttals.

Jeff: Quick. We miss you, we miss you.

Larry: Help us Laura, help us, we're, we're hopeless. All right, Jeff, we have some uh, we have some Battlefield, uh Battlefield uh, bundles to talk about. 3! So what do we have Jeff?

Jeff: All right, so we have 3 bundles for all sorts.

Larry: Yes.

Jeff: And your, you, you can match your favorite hard drive size and color so-

Larry: These are Battlefield bundle, Battlefield bundles.

Jeff: These are Battlefield 1 bundles. Uh, so, Xbox One has the traditional robot white, like the one see, just bundled with Battlefield, so if you're looking to upgrade to an Xbox One S and you want Battlefield, 500 gigabytes, this is your starting point.

Larry: Yep.

Jeff: If you want to take advantage of the brand new, and I've never seen it before, Storm Grey special edition.

Larry: Oh, that grey one looks so good.

Jeff: It does look good. And so, if you want that under your, under your mantlepiece, that is also a 500 gigabyte, uh, but that is only available in the US.

Larry: Yes.

Jeff: And also, uh, $299, same price, so I would say if you see that one, you probably want to snag it.

Larry: All right, what do we, what else do we have?

Jeff: Um, but, if you want to go all out, there is a military green console with a 1 terabyte hard drive built in, and again, this military green ... Man we're doing a lot more colors a lot sooner.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: I love it.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: It's pretty great. So, and of course includes Battlefield 1 the full game download along with um, the early enlister deluxe edition, which has all manner of stuff in that one, uh, oh, and a month of EA access, and that one's $349 US, also available in Canada, New Zealand, Europe, and uh, the home of the spiders, Australia.

Larry: That's right, now you have to remember this, this is great. That's all the Xbox One S's can do HDR gaming and Battlefield 1 will be patched to do, to support HDR.

Jeff: HDR gaming and also, um, uh, 4K blu- ray.

Larry: Right, so if you, if you love getting, you know, watching your wonder ... I have been watching some movies-

Jeff: Are you watching the Martian, because-

Larry: Oh my God.

Jeff: That looks ... You played that a couple of weeks ago. It looks good.

Larry: I'm going to watch it probably this weekend, I may post that I'm watching it, because it looks so good. So the Xbox One S, you get that beautiful ultra high- definition 4K blu- ray drive as well as the HDR for video and gaming and there you go, and it's, you know, significantly smaller than an internal power supply. You guys know, you, look. If you're listening to this show, you know all about the Xbox One S in robot white.

Jeff: We were, we were on a shoot, uh, yesterday, with, uh, doing some cool stuff for, in celebration of FIFA down at the, where the sounders play at Center lane field, and uh, we had somebody buy, and we had the Xbox One S, in robot white, uh, there because we had, they were playing it, and it was a first time, this particular gentleman had seen it, and he was like, 'Oh my God, it's so small and it's so quiet.'

Larry: Yeah. Yeah.

Jeff: And, and, I, I would imagine now, 24 hours later, he probably already has one.

Larry: What do you have connected to your, in, for storage?

Jeff: For storage, so I'm using a, uh, 4 terabyte, um, uh, not Western Digital, what's uh-

Larry: Seagate.

Jeff: Seagate! Seagate drive, uh, USB, I just have it into the back-

Larry: The USB for it.

Jeff: And USB 3.0, and it's wonderful. And so, I have uh, 2 Xbox Ones, one in the living room, one in, um, where I tend to do most of my gaming, and then, also there's a third one that my, my brother plays, my brother's living with us. So, instead of, like, you know, if it's a, a big download-

Larry: Just unplug and walk into the other room.

Jeff: Plug in and just copy it over, and so that one, it's wonderful. I just take it with me and it uh, I, I, I can link to it, it's amazing.

Larry: Yeah, it, uh, so I've got, with my Xbox One, so I've got a 2 terabyte Xbox One S, with an 8 terabyte external hard drive, in one port, and a 4 terabyte in the other.

Jeff: That, you can, you could download all of the games.

Larry: I have 14 terabytes online, roughly 14 terabytes, because it's always a little bit less. But yeah, that's the beauty, of course with the Xbox's, you can expand with, uh, any of your external USB 3 hard drives, you just plug it in, format it, and-

Jeff: Could not be easier.

Larry: I remember-

Jeff: And the prices on those have come way down.

Larry: Yeah, and what's great is, like, you know, I, I, when, I travel out to the east coast with my family, I just unplug my games from, you know, at home here in Seattle, and I, you know, put the hard drive in my, in my luggage and throw it in the plane, and then when I get there, all my games are there. You don't have to redownload anything. There's none of that malarky, it's all right there.

Jeff: It is, and, and it is malarky.

Larry: Isn't it? Isn't it, Jeffery?

Jeff: But, but it was actually super easy for me that way, because when I upgraded from my, um, my old school, you know-

Larry: Right, original.

Jeff: Large, black, Xbox One, to the Xbox One S, I mean, like, it was, no downloading needed to happen-

Larry: Right.

Jeff: It was just you upgraded the system software.

Larry: Plug it in, done. Sign in.

Jeff: Plug it in, and you're done. Done done done.

Larry: So those are the hardware that's out, we have some good hardwares ...

Jeff: Oh yeah, the, the prices on these have come way down.

Larry: Yeah, put a link to that.

Jeff: Will do.

Larry: We've, we've got a great holiday ahead of us, so that's something fun. So anyway, all right, Jeff, I think we're going to wrap things up, because we've, we've rattled on-

Jeff: Prattled, we've prattled-

Larry: Endlessly about, so, hopefully next week Laura can come back in and get us back in line, because-

Jeff: She, she really does We're-

Larry: We're hopeless, we're hopeless.

Jeff: We missed the Diablo time.

Larry: We're like, we're like a, we're like a rutterless boat. We're just spinning around.

Jeff: Drifting.

Larry: Drifting from island to ...

Jeff: We don't know anything about vehicles.

Larry: Nonsense Island to nonsense.

Jeff: I think it's, it's never been more obvious.

Larry: Well, I do, I know a little bit, I can be nautical.

Jeff: Did you run a hotdog boat?

Larry: I ran a hotdog wagon.

Jeff: I know.

Larry: I ran a hotdog wagon, for those of you that must know.

Jeff: Actually I have seen the picture of you in the boat. Those are some 80 shorts.

Larry: Oh, hey now! Those are (laughing). Aw, where is that picture? Oh it's-

Jeff: Not on the internet, let's hope.

Larry: Please. I hope that's not on the internet, because those shorts, um, left a little bit to be desired.

Jeff: It was, just, think Larry Byrd.

Larry: Yeah. (laughing) I don't think I had the hightop socks though, did I? Uh, they weren't far off, I'll tell you that, so. All right King, we're going to wrap things up, so thank you for downloading the show and tuning in, we'll be back next time, hopefully next week in Laura's back and if my travel is participating and I'll be able to do that. Otherwise, I'll work on getting us to do a live show on Bean, if you're going to be up for that, Jeffery.

Jeff: Always.

Larry: All right gang, we'll talk to you next time, uh, you can hit us up on Twitter, you can find Jeffery at ...

Jeff: @JeffRubenstein.

Larry: Find me on Twitter at @MajorNelson, on Xbox Live as Major Nelson and we'll talk to you guys next time, buh- bye everybody!

Jeff: See you. (Music)

Speaker 1: (Music)

Larry: Hi, It's Larry Hryb, Xbox Live's Major Nelson. Welcome to show number 578. Thank you for downloading the show. We're hopefully are going to ... You're going to learn something in this show and have some ... Hi, Jeff.

Jeff: Hi.

Larry: Uh.

Jeff: Do I have to learn something, too?

Larry: You will learn. I promise you will.

Jeff: Oh.

Larry: I promise you will.

Jeff: Uh.

Larry: Uh, unfortunately uh, Laura's actually out, so she's not joining us today, but don't worry about it, because we have replaced her with not one, but 2 people.

Jeff: The chairs are warm.

Larry: Joining us uh is Mike Ybarra, a long-time uh listener and fan of Podcast, and guest.

Mike: I learn something every day on this podcast.

Larry: And then ...

Mike: Hello everybody.

Larry: And then nice to see you by the way. And then joining you is a, is a new, new member of the, of, of, of the ... Well not really the group or the staff, but Scott Henson.

Jeff: Somewhat new.

Larry: Somewhat new.

Jeff: Been here since day one before Xbox Live has ever been even thought about, and now he's joined us back to lead our Xbox team.

Larry: Hello Scott.

Scott: Hello. Good to be here.

Larry: Now, I want to point something out. For those long time listeners of this show and I'm talking since 2005, I had Scott back then.

Jeff: Yes you did.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: You did. That's correct. (Chuckles)

Mike: We got to go bring that role clip back to back.

Larry: This is a ... This is so, so, so ...

Jeff: [Crosstalk 00:01:22] roll that tape.

Larry: Nice to have you back Scott, but Scott now is, is working with you Mike on, on the program management side, and the platform side, right?

Mike: Yeah, we're super happy to have Scott back leading the Experiences Team. So, everything you see, how you interface with it, how it works.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: Scott's the person driving all of that.

Larry: Yeah, that's ... So, so, you get ... You’ve got your hands full Mr. Scott.

Scott: I do have my hands full, but hey, there's no better job than uh serving the community of Xbox Live.

Larry: But we usually start out as ... As you guys know because I know you listen to the show, with what we're playing um, so uh Scott is a guest, I'll ... Is one of the newest guest, I will let you start. What are you playing? (Chuckles)

Scott: Well, you know there's a lot of clubs in LFG going on in my world.

Larry: Right.

Scott: So 4 games ...

Larry: Right.

Scott: Uh going on right now. A lot of Rocket League, a lot of De- Destiny and uh um, Halo.

Larry: Are you playing Destiny with Mike? Are you radiantly [crosstalk 00:02:08]?

Scott: No, Mike's in a slightly different category from me.

Mike: Oh, come on, come on!

Larry: Yeah. Yes, that's, that's true. That's, that's true.

Mike: (Chuckles)

Larry Okay, well are you playing ... I mean are you playing like, Battlefield, Deus EX?

Scott: Uh, I haven't, I haven't, got Deus EX queued up. It's, uh ... It's in the queue for the weekend.

Larry: We'll talk about that.

Mike: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Scott: And Battlefield as well will be tonight.

Larry: Okay. Good, good, good. Well that's good to know, the Battlefield Beta is going out where you know just as we released this show it's uh ... The, the latest, uh, preview has gone out, and we're going to talk about that in just a, just a moment right? Right Scott? Mike that’s why ...

Mike: Yep, that's right.

Larry: Whenever we get one we’re going to use, but we're just going to kind of tick through what we're playing and uh now we'll get into the kind of the, the funner stuff. Mike what are you playing? I see you playing Deus. You were away last week.

Mike: I was. I was on vacation last weekend. You know, I had my withdrawals and got through that [Crosstalk 00:02:48]

Larry: Do you, do you take a console with you? Do you take your PC with you?

Mike: I do on business trips. On family vacations ...

Larry: Yes.

Mike: I am not allowed to do that. (Laughs)

Larry: Yeah, I understand.

Jeff: As, as ... You need to renegotiate. That’s what I did last [Crosstalk 00:03:00]

Mike: To be really clear. (Laughter)

Larry: Um, but you, you, you know, you, you're a long time PC gamer.

Mike: I am, yes.

Larry: Like you’ve been PC gaming a really long time.

Mike: Yeah I ...

Larry: Like I've heard stories of you playing Warcraft. Is that true?

Mike: Oh yeah. I mean I (laughter) started on DOOM …

Larry: Right.

Mike: In College.

Larry: Now, now have you ... Do you have any particular memory moments from, from Warcraft that you want to share?

Mike: Uh, well no. (Laughter). Not really. (Laughter)

Larry: You're being set up here.

Mike: (Laughs) I can tell. I'm like, let’s … I'm trying to think back, what did I do that Larry found somewhere? (Chuckles)

Larry: Were you in any particular famous party that that happened to go through the internet at all?

Mike: For World of Warcraft?

Larry: Yes.

Mike: Oh, I thought you meant Warcraft, the team Warcraft because it’s something very different than I thought.

Larry: I'm sorry, World of Warcraft. World of Warcraft.

Mike: Okay, yes. Uh, yes. Uh...

Larry: I don't think you know this Jeff.

Mike: Several, there's a couple of, (laughter) uh, great friends that I have uh, in Pal- ...

Larry: Yes.

Mike: Uh, pal- ... A group called Pals for Life. And of course Leeroy Jenkins and all of that is ... Comes from the Pals for Life people.

Larry: He was in the Leeroy Jenkins party? That's the headline here. (Laughter)

Mike: Anyway, I don’t think that a lot of people know that.

Larry: That's the headline here, is he was in the Leeroy Jenkins party.

Jeff: That's amazing.

Larry: The better headline would be is if was Leeroy Jenkins. (Laughter)

Mike: Oh no, Oh, no. Oh no. (Laughter) That's a great, group of folks so that you know like the other [Crosstalk 00:04:13]

Larry: Can you? So if you watch that video and go "That's was ... That's me. That's me."

Mike: There's several people actually that worked at Microsoft as well. They're no longer here, they're somewhere at Blizzard and other places but uh it was actually more Microsoft people than than uh we thought that played with our group.

Larry: Can you for ... For those people ... For ... For maybe those members of the audience that don't remember that, can you just give a, a brief recap of what that means and what the Leeroy Jenkins party was? (Chuckles)

Mike: Well, it's funny because you know I talked to Chris and Bill and folks that sort of uh were there and drove a lot of that.

Larry: Right.

Mike: And it was one night in uh Blackrock Mountain. Which at the time at World of Warcraft launch was you know pre- ... Pretty big, big area.

Larry: Sure.

Mike: And we were there waiting, uh for someone to come back you know when you're in a 40 man raid.

Larry: Yeah. (Laughs)

Mike: Big groups, people leave and they're like, "I'll be back in one minute."

Larry: Right.

Mike: 30 minutes goes by.

Larry: Right.

Mike: And you're still sitting there [Crosstalk 00:04:57]

Larry: The dog had to go out. They had to do something.

Mike: Yeah.

Larry: Who knows?

Mike: And so, uh we were sitting there waiting and you know, Leeroy gets a little restless. (Laughter) And so he just decides to hop up and run into the cave and draw everything and everyone starts freaking out, and it was kind of a joke that turned into a life of its own, no doubt about it, my whole family knows about now.

Larry: Where, where are you, here?

Mike: It's in uh, Jeopardy too.

Larry: Is it?

Mike: It was funny. (Laughter) They called it World Series of Jeopardy was on.

Larry: Really?

Mike: And they asked the question, I, I might get this wrong.

Larry: Right.

Mike: Uh we can link it to ...

Larry: Fact check it, yeah.

Mike: The podcast, but, the question was something like, “Uh in this ... In the World of Azeroth, uh famous people like Leeroy Jenkins exist.” Or something like that.

Larry: Right.

Mike: And the answer was, "What is World of Warcraft?"

Larry: Right. (Laughs)

Mike: And no one got the answer, from the college world series. Like, when I was in college, all I did is play DOOM-

Larry: Right.

Mike: Quake.

Larry: Right.

Mike: And other games. That was like, my classes.

Larry: So, but anyway you know what's interesting is because of course the World of Warcraft movie, uh premiered earlier this year, and apparently uh, Jamie Lee Curtis is a huge World of Warcraft fan. I don't know if you know this. And she was on the red carpet, as the celebrities do, and she was talk- ... She screamed out like Leeroy Jenkins. (Laughter)

Mike: She was cross-played too there I think.

Larry: Exactly, she’s cross playing as well.

Mike: Yeah, yeah, I saw that. Yeah, that was cool.

Larry: So anyway I did ... I never knew that, and I found that out about you, and I was like I, I ... I've been dying to ask you to get your back on the show.

Mike: There was uh, a lot, a period of life where I think all of us, lived in MMOs.

Larry: Right.

Mike: From Asheron's call to other things.

Larry: Right.

Mike: And there are horror stories in each one.

Larry: (Chuckles)

Scott: I, I found that Jeopardy clip. It was the thousand dollar question. (Laughter) How ... That's inexcusable. (Laughter)

Larry: How do you not get it?

Scott: Going into the commercial break, on a real downer too.

Mike: Right, as we watched that we're all like, "How do you ... I don't understand." It’s called the World Series.

Scott: Everybody ...

Larry: Are you going to put that in the show notes?

Mike: Oh yeah. (Chuckling).

Larry: Lots of guys. Anyway, so it's, it's, it's great to ... Have you ... (Chuckles) What do you ... What are you playing? (Laughs)

Mike: Yeah. (Laughter)

Larry: Sorry.

Mike: Uh, you know, we acquired Beam.

Larry: Yes.

Mike: And so the Beam team's here. Great bunch of people that we're really happy to have. And so I'm doing a lot of Beam streaming as I kind of dive into that too.

Larry: Yeah, I've done that as well.

Mike: And one of the games that I'm playing, you know it's not a super popular game but, Prominence Poker.

Larry: Okay.

Mike: Which is a free game on Xbox Live.

Larry: Okay.

Mike: That anybody can go download.

Larry: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Mike: And you get in to do tournaments and all kinds of things in Poker, and so we're streaming almost every night a Poker game with you know some of the friends that I play with, and we get on Beam and Twitter and say "Anybody want to join a 6 man tournament?"

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: Uh.

Larry: What's the buy-in?

Mike: We, we can choose.

Larry: Okay. (Chuckles)

Mike: It's you know $5,000, $10,000, $50,000.

Larry: Right.

Mike: It goes all the way up, but it's pretty fun. Pretty fun game.

Larry: All right, fake money. (Laughs)

Mike: Of course I'm playing Destiny.

Larry: Right.

Mike: Everybody knows, I, I continue to play Destiny. People are giving me you know, crap for not playing as much as I should be playing, but I am playing Destiny. Uh, and I'm going to look forward to Madden 17 this weekend, which I haven't had the chance to dive into, but I really want to.

Larry: Oh, I've been playing that a little bit. Have you played that Scott? [Crosstalk 00:07:33]

Scott: Not yet.

Mike: That’s great.

Jeff: All it is, is you just heaving the ball up to Gronk.

Larry: Yeah, Jeff, Jeff.

Jeff: It's all you do.

Larry: So Jeff and I, Jeff and I usually ...

Scott: Oh patriots, Okay. I think we should have a Major Nelson quick Madden 17, streamed on Beam. Patriots, Seahawks game this weekend.

Jeff: Sure, absolutely, I’d love to do it.

Larry: Okay.

Mike: Perfect.

Jeff: I’ll tell you what he's going to do. He like Babe Ruth he will call his shot over the middle of a Gronk. (Laughter)

Mike: I hope ... I hope he does that.

Larry: Jeff, Jeff and I, we played last year right? That's exactly what it was. It was a Bam, Bam!

Jeff: Yeah, and I, I knew it was coming and (laughter) the pass interference or were touchdown every time.

Mike: You know those Patriots. They probably paid off the Madden dev team to make them the best team.

Larry: Oh, okay well, that's now ... Okay, now we're getting into a little [Crosstalk 00:08:08]

Mike: That's actually going to cause a problem, big issue on this podcast. (Laughs)

Larry: Mike that’s Xbox quick on Twitter. (Laughter) So... yeah. Anyways, so you've been busy playing, we've all been doing that.

Scott: Yeah, I haven't played Deus EX, how is it?

Larry: Uh, it's, it's a lot of fun. I mean it’s ... Jeff, Jeff, you've been playing ... I think you and I are roughly around the same area.

Jeff: Yeah, yeah.

Larry: It's, it's, it's … although it's weird with Deus EX. I spend a lot of time reading peoples emails. It's very Deus EX-y. (Laughs)

Scott: It's almost uh ... Yes, exactly. (Laughter)

Jeff: Yeah.

Scott: A spy, a snoop simulator. It's uh, it’s very dense compared to the first one where there wasn't a lot to do.

Larry: Yeah, there's some cool new augs, so it's, it's a lot of fun.

Mike: Is it slower?

Larry: Uh.

Mike: The Deus Ex, the ones I’ve played have been, somewhat fast. You can go in and rip it up, or you can go a little [Crosstalk 00:08:48]

Jeff: Yeah, yeah.

Larry: Same thing, same thing.

Mike: Okay.

Larry: You still have, you still have, you still have both choices and you can, you can, you can outfit your augs based on what your style is.

Scott: And you can get in over your head way quicker than in Human Revolution.

Mike: Yeah.

Scott: Like I immediately splintered off into side stories because I want to fill up that skill tree. It's the best skill tree in gaming. Like, you look at every single ... I'm like, "I need all of these augs." And uh ... And very quickly I'm like, “I'm in like one against 10 here, with no powers.” Like, “How did this happen?

Larry: Right.

Scott: And um, if you don't just follow along the main path which I didn't do, and which uh, you know I don't think you did either, then you can uh ... Then you can get into some severe trouble so it was great. Uh, there, my no kill play through ended very quickly.

Mike: No! Yeah?

Larry: So, anyway, checking that out. That's kind of what I'm playing. I'm playing that and Overwatch and madden a little.

Scott: And Battlefield?

Larry: And Battle field uh yeah. Jeff and I played Battlefield which, which, you need to check out both of you guys Scott and ...

Mike: Yeah, yeah.

Larry: It's a, it's ... You know it's, it's ... You know, standard battlefield, massive game play, and there's craziness and Jeff and I are up in a plane, and a biplane what was kind of ...

Jeff: A lot, a lot of like uh collaboration. Like we used to just get into the chopper, and you would fly in circles and we would just you know, unload [Crosstalk 00:09:52]

Larry: I don't know if you know this but I'm actually a skilled Battlefield chop ... Chopper, chopper pilot.

Mike: Oh I heard, I've heard.

Larry: So, it's a little different because there are no choppers in World War I. We’re in a biplane which had a little bit ...

Jeff: Yeah, it was a lot of like, "Tilt down! Tilt down! No, the other down. I need to go down." (Laughter)

Larry: "No, left, the other left." Yes.

Mike: I’ve got to try it, I just installed it on everything. I loaded it up actually before coming to the podcast. I, I’ve really ... I've seen a lot of videos on Xbox Live, and the activity feeds.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: They’re like really good.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: You know what I'm really trying to do? I'm trying to get Allen Hartman, who leads turn 10, to give me a, a green disk of ...

Jeff: Of Forza Horizon.

Mike: Horizon.

Larry: Oh that game looks amazing.

Mike: Yeah, I got an HDR TV. I cannot wait to try that.

Larry: I know. Now you saw that we had ... Last week I was down there, we announced the Warthog.

Mike: I did, yeah.

Larry: Is coming.

Mike: Looks awesome.

Larry: I got a chance to ride around. The funny thing about that is, so we did a video ... I'm going to share this with ... With you the listeners and everyone here in the studio. We did, we did the uh ... It was, it was um ... It was uh, Dan Greenawalt and I were standing there. And he was going to do the reveal of hey, what's it? And you'll see us. If you watch the video, you'll see us turn to the left and the warthog drives up. What's funny is, the warthog was queued up about 50 feet away.

So we do the take, the very first take I said, "Oh, so Dan, what's the surprise?" And he says, "Well, it's right over there." And I turn, and we ... It's not included in the final, but you ... In the, in the, in the raw footage you hear, (noises). It wouldn't start. [Crosstalk 00:11:12] (Laughter). So I'm trying to get that outtake to share it. Obviously the edit is fine, but I'm like "What is it?" And I turn over and you can hear it just in the distance, because it's way off mic.

It's actually a pretty funny moment so ... But the warthog ... The real warthog in the game will have no problems like that I guarantee, so ... But uh it looks great.

Mike: Yeah, what are you playing Jeff?

Jeff: Uh.

Larry: Yeah Jeff, what's up with you?

Jeff: So I jumped into the new, um Tumble, Minecraft mini-game which is really fun, so that just uh ... That just launched last week, and uh ...

Mike: With new achievements.

Jeff: Oh.

Mike: I heard there's new achievements.

Jeff: I’m going to have to take a look at that. Um, it's something my, my daughter is like super into Minecraft and Stampy I guess was playing it, and therefore uh I was dragged into it, but it's actually really cool. You start off on like this, this platform where, it might be on fire, there might be quicksand or things like that, and the goal is to ... American Gladiator style just like knock someone off their feet.

So, you can do that either by like, digging holes and making it so that they, they mess up, or you can throw snow balls which, each snowball that hits the ground will make a hole. And so you're like aiming for their feet, and or where you think they're going to go. And then you go down to another platform, and then another platform, and then there's lava at the bottom, so whoever gets knocked off ...

Mike: Wow, so it's like a PVP thing?

Jeff: Yeah.

Mike Oh, wow.

Jeff: And uh, it's, it's very quick fire, and it's a ... I think it's a best out of 3, and it's really fun, so definitely recommend you try that out for like very quick uh, battle mode I get killed, when I go online, very, very quickly, but this is um just like a real quick hit and everyone can get in there ...

Mike: Oh wow.

Jeff: On, on basically even terms. So, definitely enjoying that.

Larry: Yes.

Jeff: And uh, what was the other? Oh, playing through gears 2 and 3. So I was on vacation last week, and uh my buddy had gotten uh the Xbox One S. We, I ... We travel with this other family and we play a lot of games together. And uh, every time we travel together, we basically ... You know we do whatever we're doing, trip stuff during the day, but at night, we’ve got to put the ... Put the kids down and then the, the ... Our wives go and they do what they want to do and then we just play games. Uh, usually co-op stuff.

So, uh, I had him ... I couldn't find an Xbox One S in Seattle. They were just, last week, couldn't get them.

Larry: Two terabytes, sold out everywhere.

Jeff: So, uh he actually put the Madden Bundle, I was getting there the day the Madden Bundle was coming up, this was in Hawaii, so he put one on hold for me, and like pretty much straight from the airport went straight to uh GameStop, I ended up trading up to a, an Xbox One S, and I had never ... I had never finished Gears of War 2, is when I was working at Sony.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: And uh actually I had come here from my very first PAX, and I had met up with some folks from the Gamerscore blog.

Larry: Right, I remember that.

Jeff: Back in the day.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: And they handed me Mass Effect 1 and Gears of War 2 and I blew through Mass Effect 1,

Larry: Nice.

Jeff: The very night, first time I'd ever been to Seattle, very welcomed, here I am.

Larry: Here you are.

Jeff: And, uh, and I played a little bit of Gears but, 2, but never have finished it, so we blew through that.

Mike: Awesome.

Jeff: And about halfway through 3 and uh, I, I will finish that before 4. So we're just every night, on their co-op we had back to back uh ... We, we, we rented our Airbnb, we made sure they had extra TVs there. We're like, "How many ... How many extra TVs are here?" We put them in then we’d commandeered the dining room and, and ...

Mike: Oh, and just side by side?

Jeff: Yeah.

Mike: Oh nice.

Jeff: And that was just a whole thing...

Larry: I saw your set up, it looked good.

Jeff: Yeah, so.

Larry: Speaking of Gears, uh we announced that PAX was this past weekend.

Jeff: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Larry: Penny Arcade Expo here in Seattle, and uh, they announced ... the Gears announced this new mode. Uh which, which is really extraordinary. It's called Arms Race. Have you heard about this guys?

Mike: I have not, no.

Larry: So this is really interesting, um so it's uh ... I think it's, is it 5B5 or 6B6, whatever, whatever the [Crosstalk 00:14:27]

Jeff: Most of it is 5B5

Larry: 5B5, so 5B5 and everybody starts out with, I think it's the boom shot, so one of the best weapons.

Mike: Yep.

Larry: And then, after every 3 kills that team … so when our ... When my team ... When our team gets 3 kills, we now get the next weapon down. It hot swaps immediately.

Mike: Oh wow, wow.

Larry: And then, then, 3 more kills, next weapon below that.

Jeff: There, there's a similar mode where it, it builds up, I think in Call of Duty where you start off with handguns, and then, and then you end up with like something crazy.

Larry: Yeah, so was the first World of War. Right.

Jeff: But this I ... I think it's cool because if you fall behind you still got the better weapons, so the better you're doing the harder the game gets.

Mike: Yeah, Totally it’s cool. [Crosstalk 00:15:02]

Larry: Yeah, it's a very cool idea until it ends up with pistols and everyone's running around. So it was really uh ... We played that at Penny Arcade, and like I said, they announced it this past weekend and it is just a lot of fun coming to Gears of War.

Mike: Now if it's Gears of War, I assume the shotgun is the absolute best weapon.

Larry: Uh ... No, it's ... I think like I said, I think you started with the boom shot and then the ... There’s something else, something else, something else shotgun, and then there's a new, I think there's a new type of shotgun. Isn't there a new shotgun in the game?

Jeff: Not, not in the, what we've played in the multi-player beta ...

Larry: Okay.

Jeff: But there might be. I don't think we've seen all the weapons.

Larry: Yeah we haven't seen, anyways, so there's a lot of cool stuff.

Mike: I, I can't wait for Gears.

Larry: So, that'll ...

Mike: Gears 3, you're going to have a blast in Gears 3. I absolutely loved Gears 3.

Jeff: I can’t believe how good that game looked.

Larry: Yeah, yeah, so. Anyway, but I wanted to ... you know, so that's kind of what we're playing, and I wanted to move into the next section of the show which is really about the uh recent, update went to preview Mike, that you and Scott worked on and of course the team. Uh, everyone here at Team Xbox is working on it. Great update to preview. And I wanted to see if you and Scott could kind of tick though some of the highlights.

We certainly saw the video that Scott and I did and some of the other work that we did. The blog post that you did Mike, but I wanted to see if we could kind of go into, go into this and talk a little bit more detail if you don't mind.

Mike: Yeah, the team's working incredibly well. Uh, I cannot wait to get this into everybody's hand.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: It's in preview now.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: We're plug testing it. We’re getting lots of feedback. Of course we go through all that feedback and uh act on it and try to make the product as best as it can be when we release it, but I'm really excited personally,

Larry: Yup.

Mike: For looking forward ...

Larry: Okay.

Mike: Which is something that I announced at E3,

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: And we talked about there.

Larry: Yeah, you were on stage at E3, yap.

Mike: Uh, I always here from fans that, "Hey, I just got home, I have an hour, I really want to do this achievement, or this quest, my buddies aren't online, how do I find people really easy? I don't want have to go to a PC, or into the web, and do all of that."

Larry: Right.

Mike: All baked in, uh, really great UI. I think this is really going to let people connect, build more friends, more relationships in gaming, more epic moments. I cannot wait for that feature to get out.

Larry: Now Scott, your team has been working on that you know with, with Mike for quite some time, and it's, it's, it's come a long way hasn't it?

Scott: It has, in fact uh, I've been playing it a ton, as you would expect over the last couple of weeks. Tons of LFG sessions, um setting up.

Larry: Get in a little closer to the mic, if you would.

Scott: Yes, of course.

Larry: Thank you. (Chuckles)

Scott: Uh, so yeah, I've been playing a ton. [Crosstalk 00:17:05].

Larry: Yeah. That, that's right, learning how the, the microphone works, yeah.

Scott: Um, been playing a ton of uh sessions over the last, I don't know, 2 to 3 weeks.

Larry: Right.

Scott: Um, so we're rotating it through a ton of games.

Larry: Right.

Scott: It's tons of fun.

Larry: Yeah, so it's ... And it's pretty easy, I mean you've seen the videos and most people are putting videos up on YouTube and, and Beam and Twitch and all the rest of the place, so you can kind of see how it works. Looking for Groups is just a better way for us to connect you with the right people.

Mike: Yeah.

Larry: That, that are ... With, with similar interests that, that, you know, want to play a similar game, or go after an achievement.

Scott: That's right. Like, Prominence Poker, 6 person tournaments.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: And so, if I'm online and maybe, Larry and Scott and Will and the others and we need 2 more.

Larry: Right.

Mike: Super simple, create a Looking For Group, Prominence Poker. Say we need 2 people, we want experienced people.

Larry: Right.

Scott: Actually, we want inexperienced, [Crosstalk 00:17:49]

Larry: Yeah, you want people that don't know how to play Poker.

Scott: You can get right down to the specifics of what you want. Uh, including things like, Hey, uh, swearing is okay, trash talking is okay, or not.

Larry: Right.

Scott: And so really customized to how you want to play on Xbox Live, which is really important for us to make sure that everybody feels welcomed to the network, has a great time gaming, uh, because time is important and we want them to have a great time.

Larry: Looking For Groups, uh that'll be coming, you know obviously to the, to everyone later this year when you all release it right?

Scott: That's right, yep.

Larry: Now let's, let's talk about clubs. Also, it's something similar, but actually really different and much more powerful. Scott I want to, I want to talk you about clubs. This is a way where like-minded people can kind of get together right?

Scott: Yeah, we talked about this a little bit, um on the show. Um clubs are, are user community created, um. You can have a public club, a private club, or a hidden club.

Larry: Right.

Scott: And, um uh, based on any interest, um wow it could be, mostly around games.

Larry: Sure.

Scott: Obviously, so you're going to see huge communities build up around games. Um, but might be based on other things as well.

Larry: Right.

Scott: And the magic of clubs is when you marry it together with LFG and with parties and that that creates like the, perfect scenario, where you can find the game that you're looking for, or the gamers that you would like to play with the most.

Larry: But I want to point out, I've gotten a lot of questions on Twitter, and, and, and Reddit and people that don't ... That haven't seen it, or haven't really had a chance to play around with it, I can join multiple clubs.

Scott: Yes you can.

Larry: I can run multiple clubs as a moderator.

Scott: Yep.

Larry: Um, so there's a lot of, there's a lot of dynamic elements there in terms of, I can assign, you know, Mike, or Jeff or Scott. You guys can be a moderator, I already have a group, by the way uh or excuse me, a club, called Major Nelson, so everyone is open to join. Jeffrey are you in it yet?

Jeff: I have a feeling I'll be admin-ing that won't I? (Laughter)

Larry: Yeah. (Laughter)

Jeff: No!

Scott: Actually Jeffery brings up a good point. Admin-ing, uh-huh clubs, but also moderating. So for example, like you said ...

Larry: Right.

Scott: You can be the owner of the Major Nelson club ...

Larry: Right, right.

Scott: And have all of us as moderators so that we can make sure things are going well in the club.

Larry: Right, right.

Scott: Much like what people are familiar with in guild management, World of Warcraft, since you brought that up earlier in the podcast.

Larry: (Laughs)

Scott: Uh, and other areas, so you know, I, I look forward to clubs as Jeff said, one of the best things is you have your club of people that you want to hang out with and play games with and you can start looking for groups specific to that club.

Larry: Right.

Scott: So that, uh you log in and immediately say, "What are my friends doing?” “Wow, here's some looking for groups, they're looking for ..." And you're immediately in with the friends that you want to play with.

Larry: And what's interesting is, is, at least in this build, and I don't know how it's going to end up, we can see the clubs that you're a member of right there in the guide, right?

Scott: That's right, yup absolutely right there, front and center in the friends section. We'll have Friends and Clubs together, and then Parties and uh LFGs together as well.

Larry: And not only that, but it also says, you know, how many people are online.

Scott: That's right.

Larry: So you can instantly, so, so, this is a, this is a much more, you know, certainly, with 360, Scott, you worked on 360 back in the day. We had 100 people friends list and everyone wanted more. So with Xbox One it's essentially unlimited. This is actually a more intelligent way of managing friends’ lists and more isn't it?

Scott: Yeah, you know the, the dream that we've had um, since the inception of Xbox Live has been to get [crosstalk 00:20:37].

Larry: Which you, by the way you, were around for.

Scott: I was, I was there. I was a key part of that. Um, and since the very beginning it's always been about, how do you get the perfect match with the people that are going to give you a great game?

Larry: Right.

Scott: And these 2 features are probably the biggest thing that we've done in the last, I don't, decade, to, to make that true.

Larry: Yeah, that's, so, so, groups are really cool, in addition, to you know, certainly I can see the groups, but there's also a, and I guess it's, you know private, because it could be members of the group. Uh, there's uh, there's uh, there's essentially a, like a feed and there's a chat. Is that right?

Scott: That's right, yep, so the feed in public uh, groups, or in clubs, um, can be seen by anyone. So if you go browse, you can follow that club and it'll become part of your activity feed. In private clubs you won't see it until you're a member.

Larry: Sure.

Scott: When you're a member of course, then you'll see the feed. And then hidden clubs you can't, you, it's an invite only. You can't search it, you can't find it unless someone's actually pulled you in.

Larry: Now will people see, like if I look at your profile or Mike, your profile, will I, will you see what clubs, that, can I see what clubs you're a member of?

Scott: Uh, you will be able to, yes.

Larry: Okay, okay. Because that was some of the questions that I had on, the people like, wait a minute, I don't know if I want them to see what clubs I'm in. (laughs)

Scott: It will not (laughter), so it just-

Jeff: My Illuminati Club. (Laughter)

Scott: Just as people are out looking for this right now, um, it won't initially be in the preview but-

Larry: Sure.

Scott: It'll eventually be on [crosstalk 00:21:42]

Jeff: And that, that's something only [crosstalk 00:21:42]

Mike: And of course, private clubs won't be visible.

Larry: Yeah, of course, private clubs. Now what I also want to point out is, is, to Mike and Scott is that you know, this is part of the preview cycle. You guys have rolled these features out and they're going to, they're going to, they're going to, you're going to take the feedback and tweak them accordingly, right?

Mike: Yeah, like all previews, we'll come out with big features like Looking For Group, Clubs, and others, and the whole feature won't be there on day one, but they'll be enough to let people test, use it.

Larry: Get started.

Mike: Basic- get started, that's right.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: And as we go on with more builds, just like we have historically, more features will come in based on their feedback and what we already have working on. We, I, I can't wait to get this in the hands of, of the customers to watch how they use Looking for Groups, what kind of clubs they create,

Larry: Right.

Mike: What tools they need?

Larry: Right.

Mike: What other options they need to make sure that their club environment is is something that's great for them and specific to them and their friends that they like to play with.

Larry: And that's what's great about the preview program, is that, you know, the team rolls these features out, they look at how they're being used, and we have incredible, smart, uh, men and women here on the team, that the, the, the developers and the program managers all of them, that like, think of all these scenarios. There's always that interesting idea that we see from the community like, at feedback.xbox.com right?

Mike: Oh, absolutely, I, I, personally believe some of the best ideas come from uh, the men and women that play on Xbox Live.

Larry: Right.

Mike: And how they use the product.

Larry: Right.

Mike: I always say, Team Xbox, the people creating this product, includes us and all the fans that use it every single day.

Larry: Right.

Mike: Uh, and preview program is a great example of that. Some of our best bugs come from preview program. Now, we have passionate fans, so some times the way they communicate those bugs are very targeted. (Chuckles)

Larry: Yes, yes.

Mike: But, you know what, we take it all, we, uh, uh, it's great, great program. Great fans, uh, you know, Xbox is the best place to play. I've always said that.

Larry: Yup.

Mike: I love the fans that we have. The development team that we have building the product and the features that we, we, we, focus on.

Larry: So we've got uh, Groups, LFG, Looking for Group, uh and clubs, I'm sorry. And then, what a, what else do we have, features that are in this preview?

Mike: Well, um, a new Gamerscore Leaderboard.

Larry: Yeah! I know you-

Mike: I should say modified Gamerscore Leaderboard.

Larry: Modified, modified.

Mike: Close to my heart, obviously.

Larry: Right.

Mike: Uh, what we've done here, is we've listened to the feedback of, wanting to understand a little bit better on timing of when the Gamerscore, who the leader is on the Gamerscore.

Larry: Right.

Mike: For example, before, it was just, a rolling 30 days.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: Now, it's changed to monthly.

Larry: Okay.

Mike: So I can go back and say, "Hey, in the month of July, where was Quick relative to... any of my friends?"

Scott: Major Nelson.

Mike: Major Nelson.

Larry: Or actually, Scott, we haven't even talked about his Gamertag yet, which-

Mike: Oh.

Jeff: We did in the previous show, so.

Larry: In the internet, it's, do you, do you know what it is, Jeff?

Jeff: I do. It’s, it's just Bear. So hit Bear, B-E-A-R. Is there a Bear group already?

Scott: There is a Bear group already. Yes, there is. (Laughter) That one may be hidden.

Mike: There's a Bear club. (Laughter)

Scott: It's right, it's a bear club, thank you, thank you. Yes, Bear club.

Larry: Bear club with bear cubs. Uh... (Laughter)

Jeff: That's true, that's also true.

Larry: But any who, so.

Mike: But yeah, the new Gamerscore Leaderboard is a, monthly now.

Larry: Right.

Mike: So it's a rolling 30 days. So for the month of July I can see who was number one and all of my friends and what that looks like and August and, and so, and so.

Jeff: This is going to ensure that [Stein 00:24:41] 83 never sleeps, because, not only will he have to be the leader,

Mike: Yeah, right.

Jeff: He will have to be the leader each month. So...

Mike: Right, you know, it's already, within the team, it's already caused, uh, a lot of conversation because, you know, when you have a rolling 30, you can go 28 days and not worry about it, and then pound a few thousands and you're okay.

Larry: Right, right.

Mike: As I walked into this podcast this morning, somebody, I won't mention who, was already saying how I'm not number one or number 2,

Larry: That would be me.

Mike: in August (laughter) as we use the product. But that's great.

Larry: Right.

Mike: I think there's so much more we can do with achievements in terms of, making people heroes and, and famous, frankly on Xbox Live, for the gaming accomplishments. Achievement is one small part of that,

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: That we're investing, investing in, but you can easily see where we could take this down the road, which I think is really exciting.

Larry: You talked about achievements, um, because that's uh, that's you know, Scott, you worked on achievements like, along with me back in the day from original Xbox to 360. Do you remember that, that was a big moment?

Scott: I was.

Larry: You were working with developers at that point.

Scott: Well no, actually, um, I was, uh, leading the platform team in Program Management when we invented achievements.

Larry: Oh really?

Scott: Yeah.

Larry: I didn't-

Scott: Yeah.

Larry: I don't remember that. Was I on the team at that point?

Scott: You were on the team.

Larry: Okay.

Scott: That was a long, long.

Larry: That was uh, so that, that was so funny (laughter) I always love telling that story because Scott, Scott, Scott and I've reminisced about this. Back in those days there was like, you know, 20 people on the team, right?

Scott: Yeah.

Larry: It was ridiculously [crosstalk 00:25:55]

Scott: But, I mean the ambition was obviously a lot more focused to the console. You know, Xbox means so much more today right? It's about the PC, it's about mobile.

Larry: Right, right.

Jeff: And, and a good point that Scott brings up. All of these features are available in the Xbox app.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: On all the clients. IOS, Android and Windows 10.

Larry: Right. So so, so all those elements about you know your club and looking for group, you can still maintain those connections to each of those when you're not sitting in front of your console.

Jeff: Yeah, here's a great example for you. We obviously have uh, Windows 10 laptops, they have the Xbox app, and I'll be sitting here on a Thursday and we’ll say, we’ll be in a meeting and we’ll be like, “Hey let's play Saturday.” I’ll go ahead and create the looking for group for Saturday, a future date.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: Uh, they invite, I accept them and I’m we are ready to go. We know that at 6:00 pm on uh Saturday, we're going to do the King's Fall raid in Destiny for example.

Mike: Or we can I'll send you one and we can play a little bit of Overwatch.

Larry: There you go.

Jeff: I would like to point out …

Larry: I am glad there’s not a one versus one in Overwatch.

Scott: I would like to point out these features will be rolling out over time, so people are like really excited to go check this out right now. PC client will come out you know within a few days.

Larry: Sure, sure. Now you talked about. Thank you Scott. Now Mike you talked a little bit about achievements. You're also I know the team is thinking about really creative ways to kind of amp that concept up, achieving Gamerscore, right.

Mike: Yeah, that's right. One of the new items we're working on based on uh, a lot of fan feedback is achievement rarity.

Larry: Okay.

Mike: Which is the ability for a user to understand how rare an achievement is they, they’ve accomplished across all of the Xbox Live Community.

Larry: Okay.

Mike: So for example, what's a really hard achievement that you can think of?

Larry: Oh boy.

Jeff: Uh the raid, finishing raid in Destiny with no one dying.

Mike: That's right. I can’t remember what that's called right. But yes, Flawless Radar so something.

Jeff: Yeah, yeah.

Mike: Good example. If only you know let's just make up a number 5% percent of the Xbox Live Community that have played Destiny have achieved that. When you get the achievement, a brand new toast will come and I think we're going to link that so you can see it.

Larry: You're going to provide that to me, it’s your first time publicly.

Mike: First time, no one will ever see the new design.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: Please provide feedback.

Larry: Yeah. That’s for me, specifically.

Mike: You'll see a brand new toast and it'll be a rare achievement. And if you go into your achievements, you'll see the number of rare achievements you have.

Larry: Right.

Mike: And over time that could change. If a lot of people go get that achievement, it's not rare anymore.

Larry: Right.

Mike: So as you look historically at your portfolio of achievements, you’ll be able to see if your completion is you get a thousand of a thousand, you have a lot of rare achievements in there, and Gears of War has some very tough achievements. They always have.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: Seriously.

Larry: Seriously, right?

Mike: Yeah. The number of people that get seriously, it’ll be fascinating to see if that's a rare achievement or not.

Larry: Right.

Mike: So the ability to kind of provide a little bit of uniqueness to yourself based on your accomplishments through achievements is something the fans have asked for and, and we’re happy to roll out with the …

Larry: Yeah, that's actually big because you know the achievement notification and the sound are you know iconic.

Mike: They are iconic, trust me.

Scott: They are.

Mike: Scott knows.

Scott: Yeah.

Mike: Talk about a little the amount of reviews of, wow do we change the sound-

Larry: Right.

Mike: And the visuals and what does that mean emotionally for people who are so used to that was, was uh you know a great topic and …

Larry: What do you think Jeff? That’s just uh, I don’t know. That’s …

Jeff: I’ll have to see it.

Larry: Yeah, we'll have to see it. Look I and, and let me be clear at this point sitting here as we record this, I have not even seen it yet. You haven't shared it yet. So this is all news to me as well.

Jeff: Yeah, there's probably what? 20 people that have seen this.

Scott: That’s right, yeah.

Larry: That's probably right.

Jeff: In fact Phil hasn't even seen it yet.

Larry: Oh boy, because [crosstalk 00:29:10]. Sorry Phil.

Mike: Which is a little scary.

Larry: You might want to get that to him before I post the show, so just saying.

Mike: It's part of the preview, the design changes, changes.

Larry: Yeah, that's … again, that's what preview is all about. There are some other …

Mike: I’m really happy with the design and where we are at though, so I think we're there.

Larry: Yeah. So and I think it's also important to point out as you know preview program is important to, to helping you, you know we look forward to the community helping us create a better, but what's also even more important is how you share that information. You know filing bugs in the console or sending feedback, going to feedback.xbox.com. If you just spin up a thread on some random forum, we may not see it.

Mike: Yeah, that’s a great point. You know I, I love engaging with the fans on Twitter but my Twitter feed is not the best place to send me bugs.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: Because what I have to then do is cut and paste it into, into the tools-

Larry: Right.

Mike: And, and make it happen. Easiest thing, hold down the Xbox button on your controller, over to report a problem. It is invaluable to us. Our preview audience does it a lot. Thank you all for doing that. Please continue. Please continue.

Larry: As long as you’re in the feedback program you’ll have that link there. So that’s the most important thing. You know how to do that. Can we have a couple of the features that we as well if you don’t mind?

Mike: Ah yea- absolutely.

Larry: Scott what have we got?

Mike: Group messaging.

Scott: Group messaging. That’s right. So we’ve participated in some group messages which is pretty cool.

Larry: Yeah.

Scott: Right? We’re able to like just um pull people in. You know based on their settings assuming that they actually wanted to be pulled in.

Larry: I want to point out. This is a little different from perhaps what some people think of group messaging and I (chuckle) messaged all my friends.

Scott: Yeah, yeah. Right.

Larry: You know back in the day, the 360 right?

Scott: It’s right.

Larry: This is not one to 100 people. This is like you most people have on a modern you know text messaging on their phones where it’s like 4 of us just kind of going all together and we see the whole conversation.

Scott: That’s right. You could be on your mobile device, you could be on PC, you could be on console, um coordinating, getting together for a game um, deciding what maybe the LFG is that you want to set up.

Larry: Right.

Scott: Right. So it’s a great way to um stay in touch with each other. Maybe you know recapping last night’s games whatever. So it’s definitely an enhancement to what we have. It will also have the new emojis capability in there too so you can express [crosstalk 00:31:03]

Larry: Have you seen the emojis Jeff?

Jeff: I only see one emoji from you Larry. (Laughing).

Larry: Okay. So this is uh, this is really important because I posted uh, I posted a video of how to do this. And it’s, it’s, it’s you know there’s a virtual keyboard that comes up. You hold the left trigger once, pull it let once then pull it again. Right? As I, I believe that’s a key stroke. And then you’ll see the um you’ll see the emojis. Now Scott was actually on the phone with me. You and I were talking about it.

Scott: That’s right.

Larry: The first time I saw them I’m like, wait a minute. Where’s the most important emoji in here? And it’s under the happy face. That’s the poo emoji.

Mike: Oh yes, that’s nice.

Scott: Smiling poo. But you got to tell them the tip though.

Larry: Yeah. The tip is, is that as you’re scrolling around on the keyboard press and hold A and it will fold out uh you know um other, you know there are other, other ...

Mike: Others.

Larry: There are kind of of other ones that I don’t want to say hidden behind but they’re kind of grouped together behind a similar.

Mike: You know what we should make sure is that on that emoji list?

Larry: Yes.

Mike: Is the Scorpio M that the fans are using. Got to work on that one.

Jeff: Future request.

Mike: Future request.

Larry: We’ll you guys can execute, I can’t do anything.

Scott: We just gave ourselves a future request on [crosstalk 00:31:58].

Larry: Look at that. So that’s fun so …

Mike: Scott loves when I do that.

Larry: Group messaging, emojis. What else do we have Scott?

Scott: Uh well of course arena.

Larry: Yeah, arena.

Scott: We got a great partnership ah with the Killer Instinct team um which we’ll be rolling our later uh through the preview.

Larry: Yeah, I want to point that out.

Jeff: Third party you know interest in the feature as well. So …

Larry: So this is a feature that’s not in here in preview right now?

Scott: That’s right.

Larry: Yes. So that is, this is the, this is that we, you talked about on stage at E3. But that’s going to be coming further on down the line. So I want to make sure. So it’s, it’s a, it’s a pretty … I mean each one of these is, is important but this is rolling up to be quite the, do we call the autumn update, the fall update? Apologies to the friends under the equator. Uh whi- what is the proper terminology for this?

Jeff: The fall update.

Mike: Ah you’re looking at me?

Larry: Yeah. I don’t, I don’t … yeah. I’m looking at you too. Usually [crosstalk 00:32:40]

Mike: Since when do I, when do I name things?

Larry: What’s it’s called something? Jeff what’s it called?

Jeff: Let’s just call it the fall update for now.

Mike: It’s a new sweet things.

Larry: The fall update for those of you underneath uh the equator on the southern half of the hemisphere. That would be the spring update but it’s all the same one. (Laughter). So that’s, that’s what I want to buy.

Mike: It is one of the biggest Xbox Live updates that we’ve …

Scott: Yeah.

Mike: Released. In terms of bringing people together to play the games they want when they want.

Larry: Right.

Mike: And uh, you know it’s pretty significant like …

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: Like I use these features I’m like, wow this is really going to change how fast people get into the games and accomplish things they want to in games.

Larry: Right.

Mike: That makes me very excited. Because a lot of the feedback we get from all the sites and on Twitter and from Larry and everybody is, “Make things faster. Make it easier for me to get into my game and start my fun.

Larry: Yeah, yeah really and that’s what I always say. I mean I tell you Scott and I tell you Mike and I tell the rest of the team. I’m like, get out of my way. And when I say that I mean get, get the, get the, get the, get the experience. The experience is very important. Get it out of my way so I can get to the game and start playing as quickly as possible.

Mike: That’s right. I, I think that’s exactly right. And there, you know down the road but with this update there are some things to home that will change a little bit.

Larry: Oh?

Mike: In terms of the UI to make that easier as well.

Larry: Okay.

Scott: That’s right. So uh, the key part of this right, you know LFGs and clubs you know obviously center around your friends but also centered around your games.

Larry: Sure.

Scott: So game hubs are going to be the way that we want people to get to that. Right?

Larry: Right.

Scott: So you’ll see some changes to homes that really gives you an idea what’s going on in, like in your MRU list.

Larry: Right.

Scott: Um that [crosstalk 00:34:05].

Larry: Most recently used.

Scott: That’s right. Exactly right. Sorry about that.

Larry: That’s okay.

Scott: Most recently used list. Yeah, and so you’ll see some uh, throughout the previews some tweaks that we’re going to make to home to make them more discoverable.

Larry: I want to point something out really is the LFG, the um looking for group you know make sure if you’re in the preview programs and certainly once we ship this, is going to the game hub. Because the game hub is going to have these entries in there as well.

Scott: That’s right.

Larry: You, you, it may not be people on your friends list. This is how you’re going to introduce and, and say hello to new people.

Mike: Yeah. It’s a great point. Um you know I use the example of what are my friends doing I can join them looking for groups.

Larry: Right.

Mike: But if you want to create a uh looking for a group for Halo 5 to do an achievement or just finish the co-op or whatever you want to do, play multi-player.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: Go to the game hub of Halo 5.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: Right in there you’ll see everybody’s looking for groups that’s going on.

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: And create looking for groups there with all the tags and specifics that you want and you’re ready to go. So the game hubs of the games is really the place to go to see everything going on in that universe. We always talk about on the show what we’re playing.

Larry: Right.

Mike: The game hub is the place to go to and see everybody you can join and have fun in those games.

Larry: Yeah. It’s not just what we’re playing or your friends playing, but this is what people of the servers are playing.

Scott: That’s right.

Larry: You may not, you may only have 1 or 2 or 3 or 5 or however many friends. This is really going to uh, and I urge everyone to go check out the game hubs because this is going to make you um have, make, you know make better connections, find better people to play with and frankly find new friends.

Mike: Yeah.

Larry: Which is, which is always awesome.

Mike: Alwa- always great.

Larry: It’s ah, yeah so it’s also cool is that we, we did, we sure talked a little bit about this in the video Scott that you and I did for the release but it’s neat when you’re going into LFG or uh you know when you’re saying what games you want. The system knows what games I own. And it auto- kind of automatically populates them, right? So that’s really, that’s really kind of cool.

Scott: It does, absolutely.

Larry: It does that and the other thing is like when I’m looking for a group I say, it actually knows okay I have the game. Here’s the list achievements so I don’t even have to type in the achievement. I can just highlight it.

Scott: They’re just right there. You can go click them. Say which one you want to go get

Larry: Right.

Scott: And you’re off and running.

Larry: That’s kind of awesome.

Scott: Then you can use achievement onto your own screen shots to customize the look and feel of your club. There’s so much depth to what these features are. I can’t wait to see what the fans do with it and, and the feedback that we get.

Larry: Is … You know I haven’t checked. I’m hoping, did you create the Leeroy Jenkins club?

Scott: (Laughter) no, no. I’m not Leeroy Jenkins.

Larry: I know but, but … (Laughs).

Scott: I don’t really …

Mike: That’s not what I heard. (Laughs).

Scott: [Crosstalk 00:36:16] Oh here we go, here we go.

Larry: Ah (laughs) the truth, the truth comes out. Oh my, oh my. Anyway yes. So …

Mike: There are a few club that we have ah, we have in there

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: So that when people first get in ... the Major Nelson Cub they’ll see.

Larry: Yeah, yeah absolutely.

Mike: When they go in there. There’s an Xbox club that’ll be there that they’ll join-

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: And they can … you know, we’ll all be there and we’ll all be you know helping people through as they learn about what the features of it and what not. And so look for us on those 2 clubs. Major Nelson and Xbox and we’ll go from there.

Larry: Yeah, yeah. And there’s a preview club I believe coming [crosstalk 00:36:42].

Mike: There’s an Xbox preview club as well. Yeah.

Larry: That’s probably what and in my mind probably one of the most important ones is that you can certainly to, to what we said earlier about posting in a forum or on Twitter. Go in there and, and help each other to learn how to use the features. So everybody who’s in preview, go join the preview club uh and, and you can kind of get started from there and help each other. And it’s, it’s, it’s the way uh, you know it’s kind of like when you move into a new apartment or a new house for the first time. You’ve got to figure it all out.

Mike: That’s right. Yeah.

Larry: So it’s, it’s …

Scott: To that point you know one of the things that’s going to roll out through preview in the clubs is uh we’ll have a new capability. Not their day 1 but uh in the weeks ahead um. People have the ability to chat. So people can go in there, post their questions, get feedback. That kind of thing. So clubs will have that feature in general but that will be a great way to use the preview club.

Larry: I’m looking forward to that.

Mike: Yeah, that’s a great point from Scott. You know use the Xbox app on your mobile phone and you go into your club and you can text chat. Much like uh, discord or other things like that.

Larry: Sure.

Mike: I’ll text chat.

Larry: Sure.

Mike: This is an area where you can real time chat with people and hey I have a quick question. Someone wants to answer it. I can imagine the MBPs I’m talking to some of them already about the creating the MBP club where people could go in there and chat and ask questions and get answers.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: Really a new way of real time communication that we want to provide the user of Xbox Live.

Mike: Yeah. There’s a ton of ways to get in touch with us and each other and this is just one more awesome way. You can do it on a console and uh, and off, off console as well.

Jeff: Yeah.

Mike: Yeah. So …

Larry: I, I’m just looking at the time you Scott you need to run. Don’t you?

Scott: I have ah a bit of uh …

Larry: You’ve got a busy, yeah.

Scott: Uh, yeah busy schedule. That’s right.

Larry: Mike’s given you some, some work to do.

Scott: Well I’ve got some new action items from this podcast. (Laughing)

Mike: Yeah, you have [crosstalk 00:38:09].

Scott: What happened?

Larry: So do, do you want to step out now or?

Scott: I think I probably need to uh make uh, a graceful exit here, yes. And let you guys get on with uh, with the podcast.

Larry: All right, Scott had to step out but Mike you’re still with us. Right?

Mike: Yep, that’s right.

Larry: Okay good, good, good, good. Well we’re going to, we’re going to kind of ru- … that was a, that was a lot, that was lot of cool stuff we just went over.

Mike: It’s a big update. I’m super excited. I cannot wait for the fans to get it.

Larry: Yeah preview is always a great thing.

Mike: Yep.

Larry: If you’re not in the preview program um I know that they, they’ve kind of, they’ve kind of stopped accepting new people right now. They’ve slowed it down a little bit. So don’t worry, don’t worry. Even if, even then when we roll it out to preview a small subset. Because you guys as software developers you, and you know and we roll it out to a small group and okay everything looks good. Let’s go a little bit larger

Mike: Yeah that’s right.

Larry: Okay. That looks good, a little bit larger. So you don’t want to just, you just don’t want to have everybody you know getting it at once because you don’t want to uh, you don’t want uh … you want to make sure you can kind of monitor the data in a measured way.

Mike: Yeah when we roll out it won’t be to all you know a million or however many preview people there are out there.

Larry: Right.

Mike: It will be just smaller groups and we’ll, we’ll broaden it. So please be patient. I know when we’ve done this before my Twitter feeds lights up of how come I’m not in it? How do it get in it?

Larry: Yeah.

Mike: People will get in it uh very soon. We just want to make sure that uh there’s nothing big that we find that we have to go fix and that impacts a broad set of people. We’re, we’re really excited though.

Larry: You know it reminds me of the day when we used to roll out Xbox 360 updates.

Mike: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Larry: And you know we’d, we’d have to take the service offline for a … we don’t do that anymore. Um, but as, as the service came back on, people would you know say, oh I just got the update um. Hey I’m in, I’m in Indiana.

Mike: (Chuckles).

Larry: Or hey I’m in, I’m in London. They were tracking it like Santa Clause. And I’m like, no, no it doesn’t really have anything to do with that. (Laughing).

Jeff: It’s been sited.

Mike: Yeah. There it is …

Larry: That doesn’t really matter, but anyway we’ve got a couple of releases. Jeff you’ve got some of the news headlines here that you can kind of …

Jeff: Sure, sure. A lot of games hitting, we’re, we’re getting into the silly season, September now. And, and, you know very soon we’ll be playing um which crazy is Forza, Forza Horizon 3 is coming out at the end of this month.

Larry: The back log grows.

Jeff: We’ve got ReCore hitting uh on September 13th. We’ll have the Witness coming out soon.

Mike: That’s right.

Jeff: On Xbox 1. That’s very much looking forward to playing, but out now Earth Lock Festival of Magic. This is a RPG, a brand new RPG that is available free for uh, as part of games with gold for Xbox 1 along with uh Forza Horizon 1, um that are both available now. Um Live Lock. This is uh, an interesting looking game. It’s a top down, uh cooperative shooter uh, one of my favorites …

Mike: Twin stick shooter? Yeah.

Jeff: Yeah. Definitely one of my favorite uh, one of my favorite uh genres. So looking forward to playing that. Resident Evil 4. Many would say the best Resident Evil definitely up there with 2. Uh now available on Xbox 1 in uh full 1080 P and an increased frame rate, um in the tarring test. This is one of our …

Larry: Oh.

Jeff: Our key uh the Xbox 1 uh, ID at Xbox titles that we have been showing off since uh, since uh GDC this year.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: And had a lot of attention. So that’s now available on Xbox 1.

Larry: Same guys who did Pneumas, Pneuma: Breath of Life?

Mike: Yes. Right.

Larry: That crazy, that really relaxing puzzle game

Mike: Yeah.

Jeff: I have 1-Kd that, I believe you did as well.

Larry: I believe I did as well. Yeah.

Mike: You were a 1K too or?

Larry: Yes, I’d …

Jeff: I hope so.

Larry: I hope so.

Jeff: I, I got to look at the new shipment last. So yeah those are a few of the highlights, but it’s, that list is only going to be growing in the next uh … this is a very crazy holiday season.

Mike: I think there was like 6 or 7 games released this week on Xbox. It was pretty incredible.

Jeff: Yeah.

Mike: Like the holiday season is ramping and it’s going to be, it’s going to be one of the best holidays. I mean the Xbox has some of the best games that I’ve ever seen in a one year time period. And a lot of those are releasing in the next 4 months.

Larry: Yeah. It’s uh, you know the all, as the title, as the hol- as the proper holiday season you know cues up with more and more titles than … you know some of the titles frankly get pushed back towards this time of the year. You know summer and early fall. So it just feels like the games … I remember when we uh, and I’m sure you ember this Mike and, and, and uh Jeff you know. Remember when February and March wasn’t really that, that was the doldrums. Now it’s like the games that didn’t ship in the holiday …

Jeff: There kind of are no doldrums.

Larry: Yeah.

Jeff: And when a game, when I hear like a game is like moved out like a few months I’m like yes.

Larry: Thank God.

Jeff: Because I’ll actually have time to play everything.

Larry: Yeah to check it out. So there’s, so so some good stuff coming out there and uh it’s thank you for that Jeffrey.

Jeff: Have you guys pre-ordered Forza horizon 3 on Gears of War?

Larry: Oh yeah, both.

Mike: All of them.

Jeff: I pre-ordered today uh actually.

Larry: Did you?

Jeff: It was great with XPA because I’m going to get it on Windows 10 and the console.

Larry: That’s right.

Jeff: Xbox play anywhere time.

Larry: You’re going to play anywhere, aren’t you?

Jeff: I am going to probably be a number one customer.

Larry: But I’ll tell you where you’re not going to be playing anywhere on holiday with your family.

Jeff: That’s true.

Larry: (Laugh) Jeff, Jeffrey will you will not be.

Jeff: That’s true.

Mike: I, I drew that line in the sand very early uh in the, in the relationship. Uh looking forward to, to finding out the sound track of Forza Horizon 3. The Forza Horizons have the best soundtrack in gaming and I, I’ll put them up there right next to and maybe slightly edging from my personal taste above the, the Grand Theft Auto games.

Larry: The GTAs.

Mike: Which are also…

Larry: They’re iconic.

Jeff: They’re iconic.

Mike: Yes. Uh, fewer stations than you would see in the GTA you don’t have to talk, but the, the music that you will hear in this game is the stuff that 6 months later or a year later radio will finally pick up on it. I found that to be the case with every Forza Horizon. I’m like I, I heard that 6 months ago.

Larry: Which is, which is impressive because the team that does the soundtracks they’re working on that even 6 months to 8 months before release.

Mike: Yeah. I, I don’t know how they do it, but it’s like …

Larry: So they’re called …

Mike: Your next 10 favorite songs will be in Forza Horizon.

Larry: They’re calling it 18 to 20 months before release. It’s unbelievable.

Jeff: Even their E3 uh you know when, when a Forza title comes up of stage at E3 the music they pick is fairly iconic.

Mike: Yeah.

Jeff: You always remember the music …

Larry: Yes.

Jeff: That played in that.

Mike: I think uh, for this time it’s that uh Chris Isaac …

Jeff: Yeah.

Mike: Wicked Games [crosstalk 00:43:35].

Jeff: Remix or …

Larry: Did I, did I ever tell the story about that?

Mike: No.

Larry: So when I, I think I told you this Mike. If I didn’t um uh I’ll tell you now. When we were getting ready for E3 this year, you know everybody, the whole team top to bottom. And then we’re all working endless hours on this. And I remember I was sitting in one of the reviews over at the other building.

Mike: Mm-hmm (affirmative)

Larry: I had gone through the entire show top to bottom and I was like there so much great music in here. I went and found one of our marketing people who was working on a lot of the music. I said, I need the list. And I put together a Spotify and a groove playlist which went out right after the briefing. Because it’s the number one question I always get is, what was that? And I just had it all there for them and that thing has gotten thousands and thousands and thousands of people all listening to it now.

Jeff: That is awesome.

Larry: I’m going to continue to do that. Because music is important part of the games. We have background music now.

Mike: Yes we do. With Pandora now.

Larry: With Pandora.

Jeff: Yeah, actually Xbox Wire this week released a, everything you need to know about background music. I’ll link to that in the show notes.

Larry: Please do, please do.

Jeff: But it’s sort of a guide for background music um.

Mike: And, and also another big announcement was uh, any developer at all can now submit apps to Xbox 1 and they’ll show up in the stores.

Larry: Right.

Mike: Or if you’re a developer that wants to create the ideal background music app. You can now create that and submit it. And lots of people can go download it.

Larry: Or, or something some other type of app as well.

Mike: Or any app. Yeah absolutely.

Larry: Yeah. So there’s a lot going on there. Uh anyway. All right. So we’re going to, we’re going to wrap things up here. Jeffrey you are okay? Should we …

Jeff: I’m, I’m good. I’m ready to play Forza horizon 3. We’ve talked about it enough …

Mike: I know. I’m itching to …

Jeff: I’m ready to go … I’m like …

Mike: I’m looking at Forza Horizon 2 box this whole …

Larry: Oh yes. This is, this is where you know actually I don’t have a picture of this but I should put a picture of this. This is kind of our, our wall of, of, of you know different chachkies. Like this, like that over there is the se- Sea of Thieves. See the little one on the lower right?

Mike: I do.

Larry: You now they even haven’t released this …

Jeff: [Inaudible 00:45:14] ROD cam there.

Larry: That’s just, it’s just … (Laughing).

Mike: When are we drinking that lemonade?

Larry: Yeah the lemonade. We’ve got …

Mike: That’s going to expire soon.

Larry: Actually you know the Forza, there’s a Forza, if you pull out the Forza box back there Jeff on the top. No, no on the top. I know this is difficult for radio. It’s uh, it’s behind the booth.

Jeff: Oh it’s signed.

Larry: Yeah. That is actually the … so the team signed that. That is a box copy of uh, of Forza Horizon.

Mike: 3?

Larry: Forza Motorsport 3 and it was signed by the whole team at Forza, that was to me.

Jeff: Very cool.

Larry: This is you know, so I try to put things up there. So it’s you know I get so much great stuff that the teams you know uh send along, and I love to share as much as I can but this one is actually really special because it’s ….

Jeff: You know something that reminds me of.

Larry: Yes.

Jeff: Just yesterday uh, Blizzard sent me signed copies of the new World Warcraft expansion that came out, Legion.

Larry: Oh they did?

Jeff: Yeah and I’s really great because on Xbox Live with the Xbox app you can now record some of your best uh PC games.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: That are not Xbox Live enabled and post then to your activity feed and videos.

Larry: Right.

Jeff: So I look forward to doing that as well. Lots of people are playing Legion. Congratulations to [crosstalk 00:46:11].

Larry: Again, I hate to bring it up again but they’re in this [crosstalk 00:46:13].

Jeff: Oh no.

Larry: There could be, there could be a World where Leeroy Jenkins was in your feed.

Mike: (Laughs) I walked into that one.

Larry: (Laughs) I’m sorry.

Mike: I should have wrapped it up in that, that part of it but yeah.

Larry: Ah. What amazes me about that clip is the fact that somebody had, you know back then there wasn’t a lot of video capture gear. That’s what, that’s what amazes me about it.

Mike: Actually that’s a very good point.

Larry: Right? We take it for granted.

Mike: That was a long time ago.

Larry: We take it for granted.

Mike: We do.

Larry: So, so anyway.

Mike: We do.

Larry: All right gang. We’re going to wrap it up. Mike Ybarra thanks you so much for joining us. Scott Henson had to step out but on behalf of Scott there has, the Gamertag bear. We’ll make sure we link to that. Thank you guys. Keep up the great work. Um wonderful uh, wonderful preview release. You guys have a lot more work to do. You’re nowhere near done.

Mike: Yeah. That’s right. I mean I I love coming to the show. That’s for having me. You guys are the stars of the crew.

Larry: Oh stop it.

Mike: That help us communicate the features that we’re doing. We always appreciate that.

Larry: It’s love to, it’s lovely to have you on and talk about the features and, and you know here’s some great news like achievement rarity. I’m going to go. I can’t, I can’t wait to see it.

Jeff: I’m very excited to see so …

Larry: All right guys. We’ll talk to you next time. Thanks for uh tuning in and uh you can find Jeffrey on twitter at?

Jeff: Jeffrey Rubenstein.

Larry: And Mike they can find you?

Mike: @XboxQwik.

Larry: All right guys. We’ll see you next time. Bye, bye everybody.

(Music).