CO-OP Live 0102 -- Bioshock 2, GeoSpark and X10 Previews
matt chandronaitEvents like X10 can be as frustrating as they can be awesome. First, going to see a bunch of stuff and then not being allowed to show any video of it is pretty much “worst thing ever” for a video show. Second (secondly? I good at grammar!), actaully playing something and then not getting to talk about it due to embargoes also qualifies as “worst thing ever.” But it wasn’t a total loss! We got to get some serious hands-on time with Dead Rising 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Game Room and those we do have video of and can talk about. Hooray! Also, we’d like to give the award for Most Development Studios on a Game, Ever to Bioshock 2. Was it worth the global effort? JayFresh and I lay it on ya. More after the show:
Also, for those of you afraid that we had expunged the edited segments entirely, we present to you are first Mobile Minute. It’s a pretty in-depth look at the iPhone game GeoSpark, a super-addictive action, line-drawing game that at a $0.99 price tag is pretty much placed squarely in the “must have” category. Jason and Cesar were the cats that get into this week over their mutual admiration for this slick little game.
We decided to change things up a bit this week and have the fan segments more involved in the show. Last week, since it was our first go, we just had it all at the end, but this week we wanted to try something different so we brought you in at the end of the Bioshock 2 review and throughout the X10 previews segment. Honestly, we’ve gotta get better at pulling in the questions and comments. A problem is that our show is still running a bit long, but really we could talk to you peeps forever. What we need is to make sure we tighten up the game discussions and that we have a cleaner way of breaking into the discussion with the stuff coming in from y’all.
Reader Comments (41)
Hilarious intro segment!
Now I'm going to continue watch and enjoy the rest of it :)
episode 1 is coming up for me for some reason when I hit play. Anyone else?
Yeah its Episode 1
I want the old COOP back!
As said above, showing episode 1.
The only real benefit to a live show is the fact you can interact with viewers, so I think having more interactivity is definitely good.
Saying that, I did get my question answered on the show, which I appreciated.
Keep up the good work.
I was a skeptic when Co-op Live was announced, and there were some awkward moments in Episode 1, but Episode 2 was great. At this point I don't think anything has been lost from the old format - it seems like the same great discussion about games is intact. Also, the Mobile Minute was the perfect way to tackle an iPhone game. Well done! I look forward to next week.
Hey guys love the show, just noticed this on a game trailers video of reach if you check it out http://www.gametrailers.com/video/x10-visual-halo-reach/61967 at 2.58 Ryan is in the background this was filmed at X10. Keep up the good work.
Fixed, sorry!
@Picko20 ... Yeah, happens a lot when everyone's invited to the same event :)
I'm just hoping for a Left 4 Dead 2 or Mass Effect 2 segment next week.
Once again a great great episode! I'm definitely gonna get Bioshock 2 after this, just gotta finish the first one first!
The new sitting-setup is also better, so the guy in the middel, like Jay Fresh last time had to look left and right all the time... That was just as confusing to watch as I imagine it was for Fresh!
Great episode! I was a little skeptical about the last episode, but this one was great! :)
Thanks a lot!
Great show! Better than the first!
You incorpoerated better filming and you didn't show anything else beside the set which is good because it made it look like the set was bigger and you got rid of the couch and put in chairs that some what face each other.
I still suggest that you go with the roundtable because makes for a more interesting point of view and you look like you're talking to each other and not the camera.
Memorize a script and lose the crappy jokes at the beginning and I think the show will move great strides forward!
Also, I loved the edited short segments! They may have been short and far apart but each one was perfect!
So that's what Rob has been doing......:)
I found this episode to be an improvement over the first one, especially w/the combination of live action and pre-recorded footage. Great job!
I haven't really given a glance at Bio 2 because I felt that it was just a ripoff of the original. However, I have never played the original, and seeing as how that makes a playthrough of Bio 2 better, I'll probably give it a try. "Probably" only counts if I can choose that out of all the awesome games coming out this spring.
Great new format guys. One suggestion... not everyone watching has played previous versions of the games you review so some game background and explanations of terminology might be nice. I had no idea what you were talking about when you asked each other if you felt like a "Big Brother" while playing Bioshock 2. It seemed like you were catering to people who had played the original game in your review.
Great show guys! Much better than the first one but IMO still not quite good as prerecorded ones. You are still little tense, especially Jason. I'm watching you since 1up and, of course, I will watch you in future because I'm sure that you will only be better and better.
There was a nice little segment about retro games, hope you'll do more of that stuff in future shows for us older gamers who grow up on ZX Spectrum, C64 and old arcades. You could talk about your favorite games when you were kids and your favorite machines, what were your first games you've played etc. I was dreaming about Atari 2600, unfortunately never got it but got my ZX Spectrum in 1982 at age of 7. Still remembering that Christmas morning, something magical clicked when I first turned up that little machine with rubber buttons and rainbow in corner. 28 years after I'm still gaming as much as I can.
Keep up the good work and, again, greetings from Croatia! :)
Heaps better than the first episode of CO-OP Live (which felt a little awkward). There's huge potential in this format, be interesting to see where you push it.
Much better than the first episode. I like how you keep the conversation going and that there aren't any awkward pauses or such.
Few thoughts:
- stream was really smooth this time, in the first episode it was choppy at times
- prerecorded clips are still good
- non-prerecorded ads are a bit weird
Few questions:
- Are you going to keep focusing on one game in each episode?
- Are Matt, Fresh and Ryan going to be the main hosts in further episodes?
@Dean ... that happens more than we would like. The time constraints in the live format actually make this more difficult than you might imagine, but I agree that we can step up the "bringing people up to speed" segment of things.
@Neptune ... Yeah, we need a good way to transition in and out of ads. Right now we're doing it exactly as Revision3's ad sales team tells us we should, but we need to figure out a better way.
@MoschuS ... actually, that segment wasn't just about those retro games, but the way that Microsoft is re-packaging them in "Game Room" which will hit Xbox Live. I'm glad you think we're improving! We think we're getting better at it, too, and we're hoping that even just a few more episodes will make it smooth as butter!
@Adrian ... Thanks man. We're definitely pushing ourselves to make it as high quality as possible. Each time I think we'll figure out what works and what doesn't, but it's feedback that makes that happen, so thanks!
Anyone else getting any really odd sound synching issues on the 30fps MP4?
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@Matt: I know that segment was about GameRoom but It would be nice if you have some retro segments in future shows or even one whole show dedicated to retro gaming.
Great show guys, everything went great EXCEPT FOR those damn on air advertisments!
They feel really out of place, break up the flow of conversation for you guys, and it.. gulp, kind of feels like i'm watching an infomercial. :P
Matt seems really uncomfortable having to read a speel on the spot and not just being himself!
Just stick to prefilmed commercials, as I realise they are a necessary evil!
Other than that, keep up the good work, and it was nice to see you guys acknoledge and laugh when something didn't go 100% right! :)
Have you considered reviewing games a little bit longer after release, then the user comments could be more along the lines of contributing thoughts from people who have played the game as well, rather than questions.
Just a thought. Love the new show.
I've been following you guys since day one, and was happy to see where this live thing took you.
Having watched two episodes of your live show now, I have to admit, I am having some trouble with it. I really loved CO-OP because its cinematography was so interesting and the quality of the filming was so high. The dynamic cinematography really drew me into your discussions, the screen splits and the game footage really added to them by wrapping me up in whatever game you guys were talking about - and the footage really helped extrapolate and clear up a lot of your points. I constantly felt compelled to play whatever game you guys were showing off because the filming quality was so impressive and because your thorough discussions really fleshed out the gameplay and made it appealing (unless you were discussing a bad game). I really got a first-hand gaming experience from you guys that I couldn't get anywhere else, it was the closest thing I've ever had to playing a game without actually doing so. Blogs and podcasts can't really do that to the same extent.
I also loved all your every-day shenanigans during intermissions, it was like watching a great sit-com with great characters I could relate to. When the show was over I felt sad as if a bunch of really good friends had suddenly left the room, because your really close friendship and connections to one another were contagious, and you immersed the reader straight into what makes your tightly-knit group so great and fun.
At the end of the day, I loved watching CO-OP because I saw amazing game footage and well thought-out discussions, and also because I got to spend half an hour with an amazing group of friends.
With the live show I'm really not getting the same feeling, and it makes me a little sad. Firstly, the filming is by consequence far less dynamic, and there is less footage, and the footage that is there isn't tied in as well. Watching you guys talking to each other on a couch for an extended period of time without all the high-quality film tricks you pulled off, and without the amazing scenery you guys had in the recorded shows, really isn't compelling. I honestly switch over to a game of minesweeper while you guys talk in the studio and there isn't any footage one, because watching you guys talk can get pretty dull - I might as well just be listening to a podcast.
The rehearsed nature of the discussion also has an effect on the conviction of the points you bring up, and it kind of stales the experience for me. I really loved your honest, from-the-heart discussions because your reactions to one another were so sincere. Unfortunately now it feels too scripted (which was also a problem I had with the 1UPshow back in the day, but never with CO-OP).
The small pre-recorded segments are still good, although the mobile minute in this second episode seemed a bit rushed as the editing was a little choppy. The footage was amazing though, and it reminded me of how much I love your ipod segments for that heavy zoom.
And of course I miss the goofiness. I want my friends back, not talk-show hosts. =(
I know of course that the other format was far more time consuming and was draining your resources, so I respect your decision to try a new format that would prove more profitable and efficient. I'd much rather have this than see you guys go broke trying to keep producing something beyond your means. I just hope this kind of input is helpful and will help you improve your new show, or reconsider some of your options. I'll keep watching.
Great intro to the show gents..you powned me when I lsat posted about that exact thing (the landmarks of SF). finga on the pulse or what?
I still have the same complaints though, the set is just ugly, the lighting though a little better pails to the sun, and the commercial spots are lacking big time. I agree with the above poster that the "feeling" from the old CO-OP shows just isn't there...it's like you've scripted the key points you want to make, so we here them over and over, then some filler "yeah um, so anyway, um yeah" ..then the SAME (??!!) audio q that you're done with the segment "I need a drink"? And you each say if 4 times? Feels like you're talking about one game forever..but not getting as much detail as before.
Maybe try this rule: Stop repeating yourself. Say things once, then STFU. And dudes, let Jason finish his own sentences!!!! He's slower, but that's not a bad thing. It's nice to have a calm person on the set chilling things out a bit. Treat the token Asian bisexual (?) with some respect ffs...
lol.
woot.
rad
@radical and @insolent commander
Ditto! I totally agree!
@Matt
This might sound crazy, but you guys need to do another pre- E3 episode except this time it would be a pre-DICE episode and coach Jay Fresh will get you into shape!!!! BRING BACK THE FUN!
I'm not convinced that Jason Bertrand knows anything about video games... he mumbles and stutters whenever he "gives his two cents" about a game he probably has never played. Boot this fool.
Other than that, the show seems to be improving.
I want the Co-Op Live theme mp3. What if life was more like a video game I'd play it all Co-Op. That is beautiful. And you're depriving me of it! I'm just teasing. But you still should really get on that.
@PM22Krista WOW! I can also write the essays my self like most people do!
Anywhere that aside, I agree with many people on here in that the second episode was tonnes better than the first one (and I think the first one was very good). I liked the iPhone/iPod touch section. It provided a good transition, and also was very informative on the game and got to the point.
I'd love to see more people on to talk about the games but that’s the only thing I have issue with now. The format is fantastic and the question and answer bits were a lot better with some one else with the MacBook who could look though the questions and find the best ones.
Brilliant, loved it.
i was devastated when you first changed to the live format, it seemed like you were just sitting in a room awkwardly talking on one couch.
Now everyone looks more comfortable, there's and edited outdoor section for another review, questions from fans, and changing faces throughout the show.
I couldn't be happier, I was really disappointed after episode one, thinking that i might have to give up watching this show. However you've really created something special, and managed to nail it after only two episodes. Cheers guys!!
Another great episode but where can we download the new intro music?
I love the new format of Co-OP Live. Great that it is on for an hour. Im sure it will just get better as the year goes on.
Can I offer a tip:
Can you add a few major time zones to your Broadcasting information on Revision3 web site.
"Streams live: Tuesdays @ 7:00pm ET
PT -
CT -
CET -
GMT -
This will give your fans living in Europe or UK a quick indication of when to tune it to catch you live.
You miight increase your ive audience :)
Best wishes.
Feel free to spend a bit of time on the show giving us the skinny on the all new EGM. I for one would love to hear more!
The new live format is so much worse... please go back to the old way!!
@insolent commander hit the nail on the head. I couldn't agree more.
Don't get me wrong, it's not at all fair to make an informed judgement on the new format after just two shows, either positive or negative. The sample size just isn't there. And while there is certainly lots to praise, recapturing the feel of the old format is a tall order. Again, I think we all understand the reasons why the transition to live was necessary, but the "old" co-op just had that something that I don't think can be recreated with live. Co-op live is better than no co-op at all, but I just feel like you're settling for the live show because of your circumstances.
Great second show guys, and it's not about the struture of the show for me, I like the new Format, and think it's great, it 's the people in front of the Cam, and behind it that mathers to me.
Directly looking into the Cam is still something you are working on (the fly on the wall concept was alot easier to pull of I guess) there is Especially one bit where Matt is looking directly in the Cam, where It reminded me alot of that scene in The Game, where the tv man in the Tv starts talking to Michael Douglas, I almost sat there exspecting Matt to say something directly to me 8-)
But it's a tough act to pull of I guess, I'm sure you will get better there more you do it.
Oh and yes great intro, that's the Area5 crew right there.
Keep up the good work
And now I think I could use a drink.
iiiiiiiiiii want that intro song goshdarnet u area 5 guys need to post it sooon i cant wate i love all music about games 8-bit or just in topic meaow
What's the title of the new song that plays at the end? I can't find it anywhere on Jonathan Mann's site.
Definitely an improvement over the first episode! Well done.
It felt much more structured and well paced. I think there's even still some work in tightening up the dialogues, shortening them a little bit, or alternatively making more clear brakes between subjects, so that it doesn't flow together in one long talk.
Minor thing: Ryan, it seemed like you got irritated when the wrong video was shows, which gave a bit of a strange energy to the show around that. However, Matt totally kept his cool, making you look a bit... you know.
Also, having one guy dedicated to the computer with only two people active in the conversation at once worked really well.
Anyways, this was a really great watch and I'm very impressed with the rapid progress. Congratulations and keep it up!