GameSpot presents The HotSpot (archive.org)

The HotSpot - 04/26/2012

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0700

After a bit of a break, the HotSpot reconvenes for one last go as Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair recap a couple of fun-focused games in Prototype 2 and Trials Evolution. Then the gang wades into the used game debate, gets hype for NBA Baller Beats, and talks about the future of Mario and Call of Duty. Plus, because absolutely no one demanded it: The Return of ESRB Rating Description Theater!

The HotSpot - Journey - 3/14/2012

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0700

Be warned: Spoilers afoot. Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, Tyler Winegarner, and Tom Magrino delve into the beautiful, emotional, self-illuminating world of thatgamecompany's Journey. Those looking for a spoiler-free HotSpot still have the first 30 minutes of the show, in which we reflect upon last week's Game Developers Conference.

The HotSpot - GDC Indies - 3/12/12

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0700

OK everyone, big breath. Just the indies to go. Johann Sebastian Joust's Doug Wilson and SpaceChem's Zach Barth join Frozen Synapse creators Paul Taylor and Ian Hardingham to provide a look inside the independent game development scene. It's not as dark and seedy as you might think!

The HotSpot - Portal 2, Saints Row, Bastion - 3/9/2012

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0700

Volition says Uncharted 3 is easy, unchallenging. That's right, folks, and if you want proper context for this shocking revelation, you'll have to wade oh, say, 38 minutes into The HotSpot's Narrative Design podcast. Portal 2's Erik Wolpaw, Chet Faliszek, and Jay Pinkerton are joined by Saints Row: The Third writer Steve Jaros and Bastion's Greg Kasavin to talk with Tom Magrino about writing good stories that are true to their design, breaking immersion with voice controls, and relieving expletives like dick tits.

The HotSpot - Arkham City, Deus Ex - 3/8/2012

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0700

Neither Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham City nor Eidos Montreal's Deus Ex: Human Revolution walked home with the Best Game Design award at last night's Game Developers Choice Awards, but what do we care? Those games are crazy good! Tom Magrino sits down with Arkham City lead level designer Ian Ball and Deus Ex senior game designer (now Eidos Montreal gameplay director) to discuss design philosophies and the making of great games.

The HotSpot - Uncharted 3, Mirage - 3/7/2012

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0700

Both Uncharted 3 and Mirage are up for Best Visual Arts awards at the Game Developers Conference tonight, but that's not all that links the two wildly different games. Naughty Dog FX lead Keith Guerrette joins one-man-show Mario von Rickenbach and Tom Magrino to discuss how developing a "realistic" production like Uncharted 3 is kind of the same, kind of different from making a highly abstract indie game like Mirage.

The HotSpot - Bastion, Dead Space, Little Big Planet - 3/6/2012

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0700

Can you hear that? No? Maybe a little bit? OK, well that's the sound of a few pieces of paper being rubbed together over a cymbal crash in a remote village on the border of Uzbekistan. And also, overlayed on top of all that, are the voices of Bastion's Darren Korb, Dead Space 2's J. White, and Little Big Planet 2's Kenny Young. All three games are up for Game Developers Choice Awards, and Tom Magrino does his best to figure out what all the noise is about.

The HotSpot - Mass Effect 3 - 2/29/12

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot moves the stars for its first (and only?!) Leap Day show. Mass Effect 3 executive producer Casey Hudson digs in with Tom Mc Shea, Carolyn Petit, and Tom Magrino as they do their part to increase your galactic readiness level. Please note: Failing to watch this show does not preclude you from achieving the optimal, complete ending of Mass Effect 3. But, whoa boy, will it be harder. (P.S.: No spoilers, bro.)

The HotSpot - Syndicate, Metal Gear, Ninja Gaiden - 2/22/12

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0700

What's the worth of a remake? Can its value be found in a complete new interpretation of a nostalgia-drenched classic, such as Syndicate? Or what about making substantive changes to what amounts to the same game, as in Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D? And where does that ultimate of ultimates fit in? The highly complicated, don't-try-this-at-home-kids feat of porting a remake, as in Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus? Justin Calvert, Chris Watters, Carolyn Petit, Peter Brown, and Tom Magrino discuss.

The HotSpot - PlayStation Vita - 2/15/12

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0700

There comes a time in every device's life when it must leave its loving, protective creator to make its fortune in the world. PlayStation Vita: Now is your time. Having spent a week or so playing around with Sony's latest handheld, Kevin VanOrd, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, Brendan Sinclair, and Tom Magrino deliver their verdict. (Hint: Most of us are big fans.) We also marvel over the success of Double Fine Adventure and snicker at the idea that Activision is an innovative company.

The HotSpot - Kingdoms of Amalur, Darkness II - 2/8/12

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0700

It's not often The HotSpot crew get to use the phrase "ripped from groin to gullet," but The Darkness II gives us the perfect excuse. Mostly because that's a thing that actually happens in this game. With The Darkness II and Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning as this week's backdrop, Carolyn Petit, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Marko Djordjevic, and Tom Magrino rip into combat mechanics, from groin to gullet, one might say.

The HotSpot - Final Fantasy, NeverDead - 2/1/12

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0700

It's Japan week on the HotSpot, as Kevin VanOrd, Maxwell McGee, Tom Mc Shea, and Tom Magrino dig into Final Fantasy XIII-2, NeverDead, and SoulCalibur V. These may be three completely different games, but we manage to tie it all together. Or should I say, duck tape it all together. Also, what the heck is going on with THQ? We discuss.

The HotSpot - Spy Party - 1/25/12

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0700

Spore was bad game design. I didn't say it, Chris Hecker did! Sort of. Not really. The one-time Spore developer and often-time media distortion target joins Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Tom Magrino to talk about his compelling new indie project, Spy Party. Get the manual here!

The HotSpot - Street Fighter X Tekken, CES - 1/18/12

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0700

Mr. Street Fighter Yoshinori Ono joins The HotSpot for a few rounds (perfecting us, it was pretty impressive). But before that, Maxwell McGee, Tyler Winegarner, Kevin VanOrd, and Tom Magrino reflect back on last week's Consumer Electronics Show and try to make sense of maybe sort-of gaming tablets (aka Razer's Project Fiona), haptic feedback, stupid big TVs, and, of course, underwater technology.

The HotSpot - Mind the Generation Gap - 1/11/12

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0700

With Tom Magrino off gallivanting at the Consumer Electronics Show, Brendan Sinclair takes the host's chair and fumbles his way through a discussion on the future of gaming with Justin Calvert, Tom Mc Shea, and Carolyn Petit. What features do gamers want from the next wave of consoles? Will there even be a new PlayStation and Xbox to talk about, and if so, when? And who buys a $300 system because it's backwards compatible with the one they already own?

The HotSpot - Game of the Year, and then? - 1/04/12

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:00:00 -0700

..and we're back. 2012 begins with a case of mild-to-moderate whiplash, as Shaun McInnis, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Tom Magrino take a quick look back at 2011 and then a long look ahead at 2012. Can the industry with a straight face make 2012 a year of 4s, as 2011 was a year of 3s? Will Microsoft unveil the Xbox 720? Is the PlayStation Vita DOA? How many Wii U tablets could a Wii U tablet tablet if a Wii U tablet could tablet tablet? Answers are in short supply, but we'll speculate our asses off anyway!

The HotSpot - Star Wars: The Old Republic - 12/21/11

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Why yes, this is the podcast you were looking for! In the final HotSpot of 2011, Star Wars: The Old Republic lead writer Daniel Erickson joins Kurtis Seid, Brendan Sinclair, and Tom Magrino to explain how one even goes about getting MMO gamers to give two craps about a story. (Hint: Make it good.) Also, did you know Daniel used to be lead designer on EA's NBA Street franchise? Crazy!

The HotSpot - VGAs, Gears 3 - 12/14/11

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:00:00 -0700

If one thing can be learned from this week's episode of The HotSpot, it's that VGA is not an acronym that should be pronounced phonetically. But Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, Brendan Sinclair, and Tom Magrino do anyway! Repeatedly! We also give our impressions of The Last of Us, Command & Conquer: Generals 2, Fortnite, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, before Chris Watttttters puts a bullet in the week's show with talk of Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow.

The HotSpot - Skyrim - 12/9/11

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Bethesda Softworks' latest Elder Scrolls title is clearly one of the best games to come out this year, even if its burdened by ludicrous glitches, idiotic AI, and less-than-compelling storytelling. What's going on here?! Join Kevin VanOrd, Kurtis Seid, John Davison, and Tom Magrino for a replay of our first-ever (and possibly last!) LIVE episode of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot - Team Meat - 12/07/2011

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Content warning: Explicit language ahead, more so than usual. Now that we have that out of the way… Shockingly enough, The HotSpot plays home to real and actual news this week, as Team Meat's Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes swing by the studio to tease their next project. Taking lessons learned from The Binding of Isaac, Team Meat is cooking up a new roguelike, as well as an iOS project. One in the same? Perhaps. Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Tom Magrino talk about the team's past and future, and somewhat awkwardly, just what happened to Tommy when he went to Hawaii this summer.

The HotSpot - To the Moon - 12/2/11

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:00:00 -0700

POW! Right in the kisser, straight to the moon! OK, I can say that's the first and only Honeymooner's joke you're gonna get as The HotSpot crew tackles the comedic, thought-provoking adventure game To the Moon. Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Van Ngyuen, and Tom Magrino seriously rave about this game for a full hour. Be warned: Serious and massive spoilers ahead!

The HotSpot - Infinity Blade II - 11/30/11

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Infinity Blade II is no Angry Birds. Yeah, I said it. Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, Giancarlo Varanini, and Tom Magrino take a seat with Chair Entertainment's Donald Mustard, who politely informs us that comparing a game like Infinity Blade II to Angry Birds is kind of dumb. We also talk about the importance of creating a game that suits its platform, and Chair's plans to make use of the PlayStation Vita's ability to run Unreal Engine 3 (Hint: They currently aren't.) Shadow Complex 2 questions are asked, evaded.

The HotSpot - Saints Row, Need for Speed - 11/23/11

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Of dildo bats and played-out tropes, The HotSpot crew tackles Saints Row: The Third and Need for Speed: The Run. Here me out on this: Including a bat shaped like a dildo--indeed, uttering the phrase dildo bat--is a progressive step for the game industry. Seriously, that's an argument that's made, as Carolyn Petit, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Tom Magrino tackle played-out tropes in the context of Saints Row: The Third. Also, Need for Speed: The Run does not leave us breathless, panting, begging for more. I mean, after that run? We're not even winded!

The HotSpot - Zelda Skyward Sword - 11/21/11

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0700

First of all, oh my god spoilers! Whew, OK, now that we have that out of the way, Tom Mc Shea, Peter Brown, and Tom Magrino dig in to Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, a game that we will emphatically call pretty good. We also take a few live calls, some of which are on topic!

The HotSpot - 11/16/11 - Let's keep this short

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0700

In a cruel twist of irony, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, and Tom Magrino are booted out of CNET's studios early (eff you, Google and your new music whatsitsname!) during a discussion on excessive run-time length in games. The context? The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and yeah maybe a bit of Rayman Origins, too. Also, what's this? The 3DS is matching the Nintendo DS in first-year sales? Nintendo, you so crazy!

The HotSpot - 11/9/11 - Post-Modern Warfare 3

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot enters its adolescent years in its journey to video competency, and what better way to celebrate that milestone than with the game on loads of adolescent boys' wishlists, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Chris Waters, Kevin Van Ord, Tom Mc Shea, and Tom Magrino delve into how fun, and amoral!, it is to wreck wanton paths of destruction in Activision's latest, before launching into the particulars of the leaked Mass Effect 3 beta.

The HotSpot - 11/02/11 - And there are dragons, obviously

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard educates the HotSpot crew on what his studio did differently with Elder Scrolls: Skyrim; also, how many prostitutes did you count in the first GTAV trailer? Todd Howard swings by the...wait, you don't know who Todd Howard is? Oh. How about: The guy who you have to thank for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (not to mention Fallout 3) talks to The HotSpot about his latest project, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Tom Mc Shea, Kurtis Seid, and Tom Magrino were there, and were totally entertained. We also parse the first Grand Theft Auto V trailer and bemoan the state of Nintendo's financial affairs. And hey, want to win a free copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3? Tune in to find out how! Editor's note: This blurb is an SEO fiend's wet dream. Did you see how many times I name-checked Kurtis Seid??

The HotSpot - 10/26/11 - Charting Out Uncharted 3

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Sure, Battlefield 3 may be the hot new hotness this week, but you can go absolutely anywhere on the Internet to hear dudes in a room wax poetic about that thing. The HotSpot crew is talking Uncharted 3! Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, Brendan Sinclair, and Tom Magrino discuss why Uncharted 3's propensity toward taking control away from the player is A-OK with us. Also, Grand Theft Auto V is officially a thing that's happening, and we issue our hopes and dreams for what it will be. (Hint: L-A, No-Way. Chant with me people!)

The HotSpot - 10/19/11 - The HotSpot Rides Again

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot has finally entered the second decade of the 21st century, and that means, duh duh duh, video! In our first video podcast, Carolyn Petit, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, and Tom Magrino pursue vigilante justice in Batman: Arkham City, take a quick stroll through Insomniac's latest Ratchet & Clank, talk the PlayStation Vita's release date, and (ever so briefly) celebrate. And I mean CELEBRATE Grand Theft Auto III's 10-year anniversary. Can you believe that franchise hasn't OD'd by now?!

The HotSpot - 10/12/11 - The End of the HotSpot as We Now Know It

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Yeah, you read that title right: The HotSpot is transitioning to a video format next week. But the show As We Now Know It must go on, and the disembodied voices of Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Justin Calvert, and Tom Magrino are here to talk Forza 4, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, Dead Rising 2: Off The Record, Mass Effect 3 multiplayer, and, erm, the late Steve Jobs.

The HotSpot - 10/05/11 - Rage! Syndicate! More Dark Souls!

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd just can't stop thinking (and talking) about Dark Souls with Chris Watters, who has been playing the game as well while going through Rage. The reviewers address listener concerns over scores, difficulty, and other angry e-mails we receive. Meanwhile, Maxwell McGee discusses the new Syndicate and computer chip implants, and Sophia Tong reveals that her dog is already microchipped.

The HotSpot - 09/28/11 - Afraid of the Dark Souls

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:00:00 -0700

GameSpot editors prove that they don't hate PC games and talk about that wormlike thing that is growing on Kevin's head... in Dark Souls. Jody Robinson makes an appearance to represent the community. Also, Sophia Tong begins her farewell tour by substitute hosting, and reviewers Kevin VanOrd and Carolyn Petit round out an (almost all-female) panel in this week's HotSpot!

The HotSpot - 09/21/11 - Gears got soul

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Some said it was a fight that could not be won, a useless and feeble toil that would end only in anguish, remorse, and the second-guessing of formative action. But doomists be damned, Epic Games dodged a bros to the close finish for Gears of War 3, and Chris Watters, Kevin Van Ord, Marko Djordjevic, Maxwell McGee, and Tom Magrino tell you why. Also: Up-skirt shots from TGS!

The HotSpot - 09/14/11 - Jonathan Blow, can I get a Witness?

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot asks Braid and The Witness creator Jonathan Blow to stop by the studio. In turn, he, erm, veritably carpet bombs Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, and Tom Magrino with game-design insight. And then Tom Mc Shea said this: "Braid isn't a game I'd really classify as fun." So, in sum, things went pretty well. Pretty, pretty well.

The HotSpot - 09/07/11 - Guns! Guns! Guns!

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Look everyone, triplets! And oh my god... they're all holding rifles. They're coming right for us! Run! Err... Tom Mc Shea, Kurtis Seid, Shaun McInnis, (sort of) Chris Watters, and Tom Magrino take a fresh look at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in the wake of last week's COD XP event. We then take a trip down the desultory road that is Resistance 3, and wrap up with why, actually, you can't murder children in Battlefield 3. See? Triplets!

The HotSpot - 08/31/11 - The Madden NFL Blues

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Much to everyone's relief, Tom Mc Shea, Carolyn Petit, Marko Djordjevic, and Tom Magrino manage to spend 15 minutes talking about Madden NFL 12 without actually talking about Madden NFL 12. We then hand-off to Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2, who promptly fumbles, Rock of Ages recovers, GameStop strips, and then someone is sacked. After an interception. That led to a field goal.

The HotSpot - 08/27/11 - Halo Fest!

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Nigh on unusable audio be damned, we got a podcast to do! Halo franchise director Frank O'Connor and 343 Industries executive producer Dan Ayoub join Tom Magrino on the PAX Prime 2011 show floor to talk Halo: Anniversary and Halo 4.

The HotSpot - 08/24/11 - Deus Ex HotSpotina

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:00:00 -0700

What do Deus Ex and Kirby have in common? They both serve as an existential contemplation in a world where cybernetic enhancements have blurred the line between humanity and technology. I mean, have you seen Kirby eat? That is not natural. Sophia Tong, Kevin VanOrd, Shaun McInnis, and Tom Magrino also continue the conversation on 3D and the 3DS. We then take phone calls and make wildly unfounded accusations that now exist, permanently, on the Internet.

The HotSpot - 08/17/11 - Guten Tag aus Deutschland!

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Guten Tag! Tom Mc Shea, Sophia Tong, und Tom Magrino kann von San Francisco werden Rundfunk, aber Gamescom hat Deutschland in unseren Kopfen. Lassige Ketzerei auf dem Menu mit der Rede von El Shaddai. Plus, Kettensagen! Viele, viele Kettensagen! (Das heisst, wir sehen, was was ist mit Gears of War 3 und Lollipop Chainsaw.) Warum ist das alles in Deutsch? Ich habe keine Ahnung!

The HotSpot - 08/10/11 - Hello, you are on the air!

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Bodycount takes the truth in advertising award with its new mode that lets you honest to god quantify your kills. Kevin VanOrd, Marko Djordjevic, Carolyn Petit, Eddie Makuch, and Tom Magrino give this new mode some air time, while also taking a stand against pretentious indie games (namely Trauma). Plus, we see what's what with this whole live (-to-tape) calls thing that's sweeping the nation. Unmitigated disaster? You be the judge!

The HotSpot - 08/02/11 - 3DeadSystem

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Never ones to shy away from tolling a death knell, Thomas Mc Shea, Ricardo Torres, Marko Djasdfkl;jewafkjl, and Tom Magrino dissect Nintendo's Hail Mary price cut on the 3DS. We also touch on Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet and Dead Island, and then shake our fists in feeble protest at Diablo III's persistent online connection requirements. During our Evo 2011 talk, Ricardo performs a tatsumaki senpukyaku. It was crazy, you should have been there.

The HotSpot - 07/29/11 - Terraria Spoilercast

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Shaun McInnis, Kurtis Seid, Tom Mc Shea, and Synthia Weires explore the depths of Re-Logic's open-ended 2D exploration, crafting, and combat game. Along the way, Kurtis is revealed as a multiplayer Terrarorist, bringing misery to (and taking loot from) all those whose worlds he enters. 'Cause he's a big ol' jerk.

The HotSpot - 07/27/11 - Comic-Con Casualties talk Catherine

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot's under new management, and what better way to kick things off than taking an in-depth look at Catherine and wondering why oh why are we aroused right now? Kevin VanOrd, Giancarlo Varanini, Chris Watters, and Tom Magrino do just that with Atlus' sexually disorienting puzzle game, as well as talk about Ubisoft's From Dust and San Diego's Comic-Con.

The HotSpot - 07/20/11 - A Passion for Bastion

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Greg Kasavin joins Tom Mc Shea, Maxwell McGee, and Brendan Sinclair for an in-depth (but spoiler-free) discussion of Supergiant Games' Xbox Live Summer of Arcade game Bastion. Then it's time to talk about the dilemma of sports reviews, a sobering month of NPD sales figures, and more!

The HotSpot - 07/13/11 - Harry Potter and the Botched Adaptation

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Chris Watters, Carolyn Petit, and Brendan Sinclair are on hand to see if Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 sends the series out on a high note (it doesn't), if Ms. 'Splosion Man lives up to the combustible platformer's reputation (it does), and if griefing Kingdom Hearts fans ever gets old (not yet!).

The HotSpot - 07/06/11 - Earth Defense Farce

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Shaun McInnis, and Tom Mc Shea shoot the breeze...and ants, spiders, robo-daddy long legs, and all manner of invertebrate invaders in Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon. Then, the panelists reflect on their Games of the Half-Year, sniff Team Bondi's dirty laundry, and weigh in on rumors of the next PlayStation and Xbox.

The HotSpot - 06/29/11 - The Free Speech Episode

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0700

The Supreme Court came down on the side of free speech in the industry's fight against a California law restricting sales of violent games, and Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair celebrate by speaking a lot for free. Also, more love for Shadows of the Damned, Child of Eden, Alice: Madness Returns, and a special treat for those who listen to the bitter end.

The HotSpot - 06/22/11 - Shadows of the Daaamn this Game Is Good

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0700

There's a reason Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, Maxwell McGee, and Tom Magrino have never joined in cacophonic unity on a HotSpot panel before. That reason can be found in our discussion of the Suda-51/Shinji Mikami collabo Shadows of the Damned (which people seem to like). Trenched gets its due, news is hashed out, and we also talk about dinosaurs... in the context of Colonial warfare... on Mars.

The HotSpot - 06/15/11 - Never Bet on Duke

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Duke Nukem Forever is finally out, much to the chagrin of Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair. Also, Mc Shea addresses the blowback from his Infamous 2 review, THQ shutters the Homefront studio, and absolutely everything's getting hacked.

The HotSpot - 06/08/11 - E3 2011 Conference Rundown part 2

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Coherent thought has left the building, as GameSpot's Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Tom Magrino string together words that are nothing if not English. In our discussion of Sony's and Nintendo's press conferences, we expound upon the Wii's new U and ways in which playing the Vita is a lot like tickling a small child. Special guest: vacuum cleaners!

The HotSpot - 06/07/11 - E3 2011 Conference Rundown

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Chris Watters, Carolyn Petit, and Brendan Sinclair try to recap all the major E3 conferences in chronological order and fail miserably! The gang covers Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft (and just a bit of Vita!) before the clock runs out on the first of two podcasts straight from the E3 show floor. Check back Wednesday night for the rest of Sony's show, Nintendo's unveiling of the Wii U, and everything else we can cram into our second (and sadly, final) E3 podcast!

The HotSpot - 06/01/11 - Infamous 2, Red Faction: Armageddon

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Infamous 2! Red Faction: Armageddon! Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm! Terraria? It's a packed prE3 podcast with Tom Mc Shea, Chris Watters, Kurtis Seid, Maxwell McGee, Carolyn Petit, and Brendan Sinclair sifting through the latest scuttlebutt as we head into the biggest gaming event of the year.

The HotSpot - 05/25/11 - Musings From the Infinite

Wed, 25 May 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair trade in their scuba gear for an ornithopter. Why? Hard to say. It may have something to do with BioShock Infinite, which receives a healthy amount of chit-chat on this week's HotSpot. Other topics include The Witcher 2, Kung Fu Panda, Gotham City Impostors, and that new Modern Warfare 3 trailer.

The HotSpot - 05/18/11 - The Shifty Eye Episode

Wed, 18 May 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Tell me, do you want a new HotSpot? I have a dead bird's wing, some chopped-up bits of string, and a pen that's run dry, all of which say you do. ARE YOU CALLING THIS EVIDENCE FALSE?! Oh, you are? Well, OK then. Carolyn Petit, Kurtis Seid, Maxwell McGee, and Tom Magrino practice the fine art of zetetics as we discuss LA Noire, and then, hey, do some wenching with The Witcher 2. NPD drama, PSN saga, and Modern Warfare 3 bonanza are also on the agenda.

The HotSpot - 05/11/11 - Podcasting on the Brink

Wed, 11 May 2011 12:00:00 -0700

After Chris Watters stops by for an opening salvo on Bethesda's class-based shooter Brink, the significantly less class-based quartet of Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, Tyler Winegarner and Brendan Sinclair go all Kratos on Thor: God of Thunder, bug out over Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury, and answer a bunch of listener questions.

The HotSpot - 05/06/11 - The Portal 2 Spoilercast

Fri, 06 May 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, Chirs Watters, Carolyn Petit, and Brendan Sinclair share their experiences as the latest Aperture test subjects and examine the hows and whys of Valve's much-loved sequel. Caution: Spoilers ahead!

The HotSpot - 05/04/11 - In From the Outland

Wed, 04 May 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair take a trip through the Outland before shining a light on Darkspore. Then the gang recaps the woes of Sony Offline Entertainment, questions whether Need for Speed is putting on too many miles, and ponders the potential for game-themed musicals.

The HotSpot - 04/27/11 - Wii 2 and the PlayStation Not-work

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Nintendo announced a new console this week, but Sony somehow steals the headlines as Ricardo Torres, Sophia Tong, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair talk about their fears for the PlayStation Network's massive security breach, their hopes (and pet names) for the Wii's successor, and a homework assignment crammed full of vaguely vulgar gaming terms.

The HotSpot - 04/20/11 - Portal Kombat 2

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Shaun McInnis, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair have laser-focused, tangent-free discussions about a huge week of new releases with Portal 2, Mortal Kombat, and SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs. Also, Epic Games executive producer Rod Fergusson answers all our questions about the Gears of War 3 beta, rumors of Nintendo's next console start flying, and Sonic attempts an umpteenth comeback!

The HotSpot - 04/13/11 - A Cornucopia of Capcom

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Shaun McInnis, Tom Magrino, Justin Calvert, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair recap Capcom's Captivate event, with impressions of Dragon's Dogma, Azura's Wrath, Street Fighter x Tekken, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, and Resident Evil: Operation Raccon City! Also, Justin bangs the drum loudly in support of Patapon 3, and Nintendo lays out its second quarter release slate.

The HotSpot - 04/08/11 - Dragon Age II Spoilercast

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Kurtis Seid, and Carolyn Petit share a spoiler-filled discussion of BioWare's latest fantasy role-playing game from start to finish on a bonus Dragon Age II-devoted episode of the HotSpot!

The HotSpot - 04/06/11 - Monster Season

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Mc Shea, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair make amends for April Fools with a sports-free show offering a hearty endorsement of DreamRift's Metroidvania-style Monster Tale for the DS, a hearty "meh" to PlayStation Move Heroes, an update on Sony's ongoing battle against hackers, and new games on the way for Spider-Man, BloodRayne, and Burnout!

The HotSpot - 04/01/11 - The Ball and Juice Episode

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 -0700

April is the busiest time of the year for HotSpot game-breakers Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair. To mark the month's arrival, the gang goes around the horn with expert opinions, predictions, insights, and rants about all the hot topics YOU care about! Game on!

The HotSpot - 03/30/11 - Rubbing Is Racing

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:00:00 -0700

For the overwhelming majority of you who have a Jimmie Johnson bumper sticker and a surgically raised eyebrow, I'll just say, wow, are you in for a treat. Sophia Tong, Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, Kurtis Seid, and Tom Magrino manage a mostly coherent conversation about this week's top non-3DS releases, NASCAR 2011 and WWE All-Stars. For the rest of you? Duke Nukem's misogyny, Rockstar's (in?)competent storytelling, and 3DS sales records. Enjoy!

The HotSpot - 03/25/11 - The 3DS Spoilercast

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:00:00 -0700

The 3DS is finally here, so it's time for Chris Watters, Justin Calvert, Carolyn Petit, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair to share their impressions of the hardware itself and take an in-depth look at the launch lineup, including Pilotwings Resort, Nintendogs + Cats, Steel Diver, Super Monkey Ball 3D, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, and more!

The HotSpot - 03/23/11 - Incredible Crysis 2

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Sophia Tong, Kevin VanOrd, Maxwell McGee, and Brendan Sinclair suit up for Crysis 2, preview Sega's summer one-two punch of Captain America and Thor: God of Thunder for all major platforms, and diagnose Square's latest flare-up of Dissidia for the PSP. Also, we have more details on the NGP, Quantic Dream's follow-up to Heavy Rain, and the MotorStorm: Apocalypse delay.

The HotSpot - 03/16/11 - All Vocal on the Homefront

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:00:00 -0700

Chris Watters, Carolyn Petit, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair strike a blow for God and country in THQ's near-future first-person shooter Homefront and then savagely rain down blows for fun and profit in Sega's Yakuza 4. Also, a roundup of game delays and disruptions due to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the first word on Prey 2, and fun with anagrams!

The HotSpot - 03/09/11 - Dragon Age II - Take 2

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:00:00 -0800

Knights-errant Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, Kurtis Seid, and Brendan Sinclair quest for entertaining podcast fodder in Dragon Age II, Mortal Kombat, and the Game Developers Conference. And, in honor of Duke Nukem Forever, we have the return of ESRB Rating Description Theater!

The HotSpot - 03/07/11 - Deadly Premonition Spoilercast

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:00:00 -0800

Deadly Premonition director Swery and localization head Tad Horie pay a visit to the HotSpot studios to talk at length about last year's survival horror standout. What was left on the cutting room floor due to ratings concerns? What does he think of the state of Japanese game development? Will Deadly Premonition be ported to 3DS and NGP? What does he want to experiment with next?

The HotSpot - 03/02/11 - The 3DS Launch (Japan Edition)

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:00:00 -0800

Guy Cocker, Tom Mc Shea, Brendan Sinclair, and a thoroughly jetlagged Ricardo Torres run down the Japanese 3DS debut, including impressions of all the biggest launch games. Then it's time to take on the trailer trifecta of Skyrim, Dead Island, and We Dare. Finally, Stanford researcher Ingmar Riedel-Kruse tells us how he re-made Pac-Man, Pong, and other games using living paramecium instead of pixels(!).

The HotSpot - 02/23/11 - More Like Cursin-storm...

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:00:00 -0800

What do Bulletstorm and this week's HotSpot have in common? They're both kind of short and overly profane! Sophia Tong, Chris Watters, Kevin VanOrd, and Tom Magrino take turns with the censor button to discuss Epic's latest over-the-top shooter, before switching gears (get it? get it?) to delve into Telltale's upcoming lineup. PS3 hackers, NPD sales figures, and Gabe Newell being a very, very rich man also receive some love! Stop by and have a listen!

The HotSpot - 02/16/11 - Marvel, Capcom, Activision, Oh My!

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:00:00 -0800

What's better than 20 solid minutes of conversation concerning Marvel vs. Capcom 3? How about 21 solid minutes of conversation on Capcom's latest fighter?! Ricardo Torres, Giancarlo Varanini, Tom Mc Shea, Maxwell McGee, and Tom Magrino deliver the goods, while also rolling the DICE on last week's convention, dwelling on Guitar Hero's demise, and pontificating on the possible union of Activision and Take-Two.

The HotSpot - 02/08/11 - Once, Twice, Three Times a Killzone

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:00:00 -0800

Kevin VanOrd, Carolyn Petit, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair rush headlong into Guerrilla Games' Killzone 3 with reckless abandon before contemplating the many layers of Double Fine's Stacking. Then, the panel of Demon's Souls fans assesses the first details on From Software's follow-up Dark Souls and brace for a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved. Also, Claremont Graduate University's Tim Lisk goes over his latest research on leadership in massively multiplayer online games like EVE Online.

The HotSpot - 02/01/11 - All About the NGP

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:00:00 -0800

Ricardo Torres joins Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair in the studio to give hands-on impressions on Sony's Next Generation Portable and the HD Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection. Also, we have more on the 3DS rollout, a new Kirby game, and Pokemon Typing for the...DS?

The HotSpot - 01/25/11 - DS2 and the 3DS

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:00:00 -0800

This week, the Dead Space 2 necromorph invasion claims Chris Watters, Carolyn Petit, Kurtis Seid, and Brendan Sinclair. Then, the gang discovers there's only one cure for 3DS fever: an announcement of the system's price coupled with a sketchy launch lineup! Also, when do crossovers stop being cool fan service and start being shameless shilling?

The HotSpot - 01/18/11 - Little Big Podcast

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:00:00 -0800

Sophia Tong, Kevin VanOrd, Justin Calvert, and Brendan Sinclair saddle up with Sackboy a second time in Little Big Planet 2, swap first impressions of Final Fantasy XIII-2, and open up on Portal 2. Then it's time to grab a pencil and take the "Are You a Pathological Gamer" quiz!

The HotSpot - 01/11/11 - Las Vegas - Gaming CES-pool

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:00:00 -0800

Ricardo Torres, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair recap the Consumer Electronics Show and Nintendo World, from Avatar Kinect to the 3DS launch lineup and battery life. Then it's time for Wii gamers to get Lost in Shadow, and the gang shares less-than-heroic intentions for DC Universe Online.

The HotSpot - 01/06/11 - Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:00:00 -0800

It's bonus podcast time, as Chris Watters, Justin Calvert, Tyler Winegarner, Jody Robinson, and Brendan Sinclair saddle up for a spoiler-filled discussion devoted to GameSpot's 2010 Game of the Year, Red Dead Redemption!

The HotSpot - 01/04/11 - Playing Favorites

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:00:00 -0800

Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair trade their personal Best of 2010 lists, with all kinds of love for Mass Effect 2, Vanquish, Dead Rising 2, and Z.H.P.: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman. Then it's time for Dead Rising: Case West, lots of e-mails, the return of phone calls, and some New Year's resolutions.

The HotSpot - 12/30/10 - The 2010 Outtakes Episode

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 12:00:00 -0800

It's a thin line between comedy and tragedy. This collection of scraps and leftovers from a year's worth of podcasting shows what happens when the HotSpot crosses that line (or just goes off the rails). WARNING: This episode of the HotSpot contains suggestive language. Listener discretion is advised.

The HotSpot - 12/21/10 - Putting Down 2010...

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Kevin Van Ord, Tyler Winegarner, Ricardo Torres, and Tom Magrino are joined by GameSpot's newest editor, Maxwell McGee, as we walk the HotSpot to the 2010 finish line. In this brave, bold episode, GameSpot's editors discuss Game of the Year winners, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam, Blizzard's new MMORPG Titan, the Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta, and John Lithgow's curriculum vitae. Happy Holidays, all you lovely people!

The HotSpot - 12/14/10 - And the Winner Is

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Justin Calvert, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair recap a raft of game news from the VGAs, getting entirely too excited way too early about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Guillermo Del Toro's Insane, Uncharted 3, Mass Effect 3, Prototype 2, and SSX: Deadly Descents. Also, Justin delivers firsthand impressions after a week of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and the gang assigns the easiest homework yet!

The HotSpot - 12/07/10 - Cataclysm: Apocalypse WOW!

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:00:00 -0800

It's the end of the World of Warcraft as we know it, and Giancarlo Varanini, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair feel fine. The gang goes over what's included in the game's free Shattering patch, what's exclusive to the Cataclysm expansion, and where the world goes from here. Then it's time to talk about the future of Tomb Raider and Assassin's Creed, Games for the Holidays, Binary Domain, and more.

The HotSpot - 11/30/10 - Not-Quite-Epic Mickey

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Supergiant Games' Greg Kasavin returns to the HotSpot to talk about the upcoming Bastion and game-planning for an increasingly crowded indie marketplace with Ricardo Torres and Brendan Sinclair. The gang also shares impressions of Disney's long-awaited Epic Mickey and Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, followed by some long-overdue love for ZHP: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman!

The HotSpot - 11/23/10 - Gran Turismo 5 and Donkey Kong Returns

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Justin Calvert, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair take Gran Turismo 5 for a long-awaited test drive before emigrating to Donkey Kong Country Returns and invading Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom. The gang also weighs in on a busy week of news, from the closures of Bizarre and Budcat to BioWare's next game and the dullest NPDs in recent memory. It's on like Trapper John!

The HotSpot - 11/16/10 - All Good in the Brotherhood

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Kevin VanOrd usurps the HotSpot host's chair to preside over the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood review recap while Tom Mc Shea and Carolyn Petit praise Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, and Giancarlo Varanini picks a very bad time to play devil's advocate for Activision. (Note: In light of recent events, Giancarlo retracts pretty much all of that.)

The HotSpot - 11/09/10 - The Call of Duty: Black Ops Debriefing

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Chris Watters sheds light on Call of Duty: Black Ops before deserting, while Carolyn Petit, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair stick around to talk about the NBA Elite that never was, gaming's day in Supreme Court, and the Dragon Age Facebook spin-off.

The HotSpot - 11/04/10 - Hooking Up With Kinect

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Chris Watters, Justin Calvert, Giancarlo Varanini, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair get themselves Kinect-ed in a special launch day edition of the HotSpot. Does Microsoft's new camera peripheral work? Are the games any fun? What should parents know before picking one up for the kids? Is it worth buying? Answers lie within!

The HotSpot - 11/02/10 - God of War versus Force Unleashed and the Muzyka-Go-Round

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Between Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Fable III, Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, Inafune leaving Capcom, 5th Cell's latest game, and a Dragon Age II interview with BioWare's Ray Muzyka, this podcast is so packed there's no room left to even say who's on the panel!

The HotSpot - 10/26/10 - Fable III and the Rhythm Game Round-Up

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:00:00 -0700

It's an episode crammed full of cameos as Chris Watters, Kevin VanOrd, and Ricardo Torres bail out after talking up Fable III, BlizzCon, Rock Band 3, DJ Hero 2, and the console editions of The Sims 3. Without a panel to keep them on topic, can Shaun McInnis and Brendan Sinclair stop the runaway train that is the HotSpot?

The HotSpot - 10/19/10 - Fallout: New Vegas, Vanquish, Super Meat Boy

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:00:00 -0700

The holiday rush is here, as Kevin VanOrd, Justin Calvert, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair tackle a busy week's worth of games, including Fallout: New Vegas, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Vanquish, EA MMA, and Super Meat Boy. Then it's on to recap a week packed with bad news, as layoffs hit Propaganda and Robomodo, Sony hits the brakes on Gran Turismo 5's release date, and more.

The HotSpot 10/14/2010 Dead Rising 2: The Facts

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair loved Dead Rising 2 so much that they invited Blue Castle senior producer Josh Bridge to bask in their praise for public consumption. In exchange, Bridge revealed how a Canadian developer wound up making the game in the first place, the secret of Chuck's coffee, what was too offensive and gory to make the final game, and more!

The HotSpot 10/12/2010 Medal of Honor, Gears of War 3

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Kurtis Seid, Kevin Van Ord, Sophia Tong, Chris Watters, and Tom Magrino are on hand to deliver a perfectly adequate discussion on the perfectly competent shooter that is Medal of Honor. Our Gears of War 3 discussion, on the other hand, whoa boy, that's some visceral stuff! Also hear a bit about Dance Central, OnLive, and how to get a job in the game industry!

The HotSpot 10/05/2010 Castlevania Lords of Shadow, Final Fanasy XIV

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:00:00 -0700

In this episode of the HotSpot, Giancarlo Varanini explains Castlevania: Lords of Shadow's blood-sucking bent, while Kevin VanOrd and Kurtis Seid explain how Final Fantasy XIV just kind of sucks. Elsewhere, Tom Mc Shea says why Enslaved just might be his third favorite game of the year, all the while fending off Tom Magrino's insistent cries for manumission. Everyone send happy birthday wishes to Brendan! And cake to Tom!

The HotSpot 09/28/2010 Dead Rising 2 Eats Brains, Steals Hearts

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Capcom's latest absurdly comic zombie action game steals the show as Dead Rising 2 makes Tom Mc Shea, Ricardo Torres, Kurtis Seid, and Brendan Sinclair start thinking about the Game of the Year awards. Then it's time to revisit the Japanese game industry slump, celebrate the Secret of Monkey Island reunion at Double Fine, and consider the potential of HD Mortal Kombat remakes.

The HotSpot 09/21/2010 Tokyo Game Show a Go Go

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Andrew Park, Justin Calvert, and Brendan Sinclair lovingly cradle Civilization V for a few minutes before a rundown of the massive Tokyo Game Show, including Team Ico Collection, Suda 51 and Mikami's Shadow of the Damned, and a possible successor to Demon's Souls. And what do the dramatic overhauls for franchises like Devil May Cry, Steel Battalion, and Yakuza tell us about the state of the Japanese game industry?

The HotSpot 09/14/2010 Halo: Reach vs. Earth Defense Force

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Justin Calvert, Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair explore the just-released Halo: Reach and where Bungie's iconic shooter series might go without the studio at the helm. Also, a court ruling threatens the used gaming market, Earth Defense Force returns for another tour of duty, New Super Mario Bros. DS hits the charts four years after release, and HotSpot listeners hit rock bottom.

The HotSpot 09/07/2010

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Not-so-fresh from the long weekend, Tom Magrino, Kevin VanOrd, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair talk Penny Arcade Expo, Duke Nukem Forever, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, Batman: Brave and the Bold, Elemental: War of Magic, PlayStation Move launch titles, and how not to market pizza.

The HotSpot 08/31/2010

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Giancarlo Varanini, Tyler Winegarner, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair explore Team Ninja's Metroid: Other M from every angle and inoculate against the infectious fun of Dead Rising: Case Zero before talking Golden Sun, Xbox Live price hikes, DSi price drops, and more.

The HotSpot 08/24/2010

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Magrino, Justin Calvert, Kurtis Seid, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair meddle in the family business of Mafia II before bundling up for a harsh Neverwinter and tackling Dawn of War III, a second DeathSpank, Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One, Fighters Uncaged, PSP2 rumors, and Sony's 3D gaming push.

The HotSpot 08/17/2010

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Justin Calvert, Kevin VanOrd, Ricardo Torres, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair while away the dog days of summer with talk of Kane and Lynch 2, BioShock Infinite, QuakeCon, and slightly creepy Call of Duty Prestige Edition pack-ins.

The HotSpot 08/10/2010

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Sophia Tong makes a cameo and bolts before Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair begrudgingly talk Madden 2011, Ace Combat and the ongoing Bruckheimer-ization of the industry, and how the upcoming Lara Croft Summer of Arcade game ruined Christmas. Also, HotSpot listeners settle the games-as-art question once and for all. (Not really.)

The HotSpot 08/03/2010

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Andrew Park, Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair dish out real-time discussion on Starcraft II and indulge in Castlevania's Harmony of Despair before tackling narrative-based downloadable content, the upcoming GoldenEye remake, and a rash of social media creativity-driven mystery projects.

The HotSpot 07/27/2010

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 -0700

It's a Comic-Convalescent HotSpot as Shaun McInnis, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair try to recuperate from a wild week in San Diego with talk of Dragon Age II, Street Fighter x Tekken, and loads more.

The HotSpot 07/20/2010

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot crew finds itself in Limbo this week, but not that creepy Inception kind. Instead, Tom Mc Shea, Kevin Van Ord, Giancarlo Varanini, and Tom Magrino attempt to wrap our heads around Playdead's artistic plaftormer. And with not much else happening on the release slate, the merry band shifts its focus to news of the NPD kind. Oh, and hey, by the way, it's the HotSpot's 5th anniversary. Our gift to you? Wooden banter!

The HotSpot 07/13/2010

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Ron Gilbert's in the studio, need we say more?! The DeathSpank creator sits down with Kevin VanOrd and Tom Magrino to discuss his latest madcap downloadable creation, while Sophia Tong, Chris Watters, and Tom Mc Shea devote some very serious discussion to Dragon Quest IX and NCAA Football 11. Plus, one Canadian takes serious exception with Xbox Live's flagrant regionalism. Brendan's back next week!

The HotSpot 07/06/2010

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Shaun McInnis, Chris Watters, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair clean up the mean streets in A.P.B. and Crackdown 2, ponder slumping May sales amidst a wave of big-name releases, whether Microsoft should have expected low Kinect preorders in the first place, and squeeze in a shocking "Did You Know?"

The HotSpot 06/29/2010

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair enlist in the Transformers' War for Cybertron and go into the uniquely entertaining Singularity before contemplating Beyond Good and Evil 2, Seaman for 3DS, the future of Kinect and 3D, and who really cares about 1080p.

The HotSpot 06/22/2010

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Brian Ekberg, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair recover from E3 with a few final thoughts on the show and a slew of listener e-mails, phone calls, and homework assignments! WARNING: This episode of the HotSpot contains suggestive language. Listener discretion is advised.

The HotSpot 06/17/2010

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Tor Thorsen, Tom Magrino, Sophia Tong, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair kill the final moments of E3 2010 talking about the best and worst of the show, and giving yet more impressions of the 3DS, Kinect, and Move. Also, Kevin VanOrd crashes the show because he can't contain his excitement for thatgamecompany's Journey.

The HotSpot 06/16/2010

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Justin Calvert, Kevin VanOrd, Ricardo Torres, Eddie Makuch, and Brendan Sinclair tackle E3 head on, picking their games of the show and trading impressions of Gran Turismo 5, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Kirby's Epic Yarn, the 3DS, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Metal Gear Solid: Rising, Gears of War 3, and more!

The HotSpot 06/15/2010

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, Brian Ekberg, and Brendan Sinclair recap the big news of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, straight from the show floor! The noisy show floor, complete with cleaning crews, neighboring rhythm game booths, and audio equipment difficulties. It's one for HotSpot completists sure to make you feel like you survived the show right along with us!

The HotSpot 06/08/2010

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Brian Ekberg, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair brace for the Electronic Entertainment Expo with early talk of WWE All-Stars, Red Faction: Armageddon, Infamous 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dungeon Siege 3, and the new Harry Potter cover-based third-person shooter.

The HotSpot 06/01/2010

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair lament the unpolished ambition of Alpha Protocol, consider Natal's rumored $150 price point, revisit EA's Online Play scheme, and ponder whether the new Prince of Persia movie would have been better as an hour and a half of someone punching Jake Gyllenhaal square in the face.

The HotSpot 05/25/2010

Tue, 25 May 2010 12:00:00 -0700

It's substitute teacher week on the HotSpot as Brian Ekberg fills in as guest host, and the classroom of Justin Calvert, Tom Mc Shea, Tom Magrino, and Shaun McInnis is getting away with murder. The crew discusses Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Blur and revisits Prince of Persia on the Wii. Elsewhere, there's in-depth analysis on UFC 2010 Undisputed, the new "ham" with World of Warcraft, and some quality time spent with Winnie Cooper and Topanga Lawrence.

The HotSpot 05/18/2010

Tue, 18 May 2010 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot posse of Justin Calvert, Tom Mc Shea, Giancarlo Varanini, Chris Watters, and Brendan Sinclair saddles up for Red Dead Redemption before crowning the new Prince of Persia games. It also has April NPD sales, more Call of Duty spin-off talk, and a Video Game History Month interview with Leonard Herman, author of Phoenix: The Fall and Rise of Video Games.

The HotSpot 05/11/2010

Tue, 11 May 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Ricardo Torres, Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair get caught up in Alan Wake before nuking Lost Planet 2 from orbit. After that, it's time to talk Little Big Planet 2, Wii Party, God of War: Ghost of Sparta and subject everyone to some tragically bad stand-up comedy.

The HotSpot 05/04/2010

Tue, 04 May 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, Shaun McInnis, and Brendan Sinclair scratch the surface of the Halo: Reach beta before weighing in on the Bungie-Activision blockbuster 10-year deal. The gang also goes into Nier, 3D Dot Game Heroes, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and the Red Faction movie.

The HotSpot 04/27/2010

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot experiences what we'll call a trundling week, as Ricardo Torres, Giancarlo Varanini, Justin Calvert, and Tom Magrino talk at great length about Halo: Reach, Super Street Fighter IV, Monster Hunter Tri, and something called...soccer? Also, do you want to be a social maven? If so, have we got some hot conversation starters for you! (Hint: Think earnings reports.) Brendan's back next week! Probably!

The HotSpot 04/20/2010

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair geek out over the possibilities of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and try to figure out whether to be excited or apprehensive of the new XCOM first-person shooter. Also, talk of Dead Rising 2, Kojima's "taboo" project, whether Kick-Ass lives up to its name, and lots of noses being thumbed at "the man."

The HotSpot 04/13/2010

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Chris Watters and Kevin VanOrd team up to take on Splinter Cell: Conviction, Giancarlo Varanini whips up impressions of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and Brendan Sinclair still gets nightmares from Typing of the Dead. Also, more of the Infinity Ward-Activision "he said, she said," Gears of War 3, Bulletstorm, Silent Hill, and the most commercially X-treme homework yet.

The HotSpot 04/06/2010

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Ricardo Torres, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair take a bite out of Apple's iPad, The Conduit 2, and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. Then it's time to ponder Epic Games' mystery announcement, pour an O'Douls out for the developers of Iron Man 2, and get back on the road again with Big Rigs.

The HotSpot 03/30/2010

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Brian Ekberg, Kevin VanOrd, Tyler Winegarner, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair ponder the potential of the 3DS, gush about Resonance of Fate and Cave Story, and then lay down the law when it comes to the rules of trash-talking. Also, the gang rises to the challenge of a particularly tough homework assignment.

The HotSpot 03/23/2010

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Chris Watters, Shaun McInnis, and Brendan Sinclair hitch their wagon to a propane tank in Just Cause 2, plumb the depths of the Moscow subway tunnels in Metro 2033, and explore every last bit of Infinite Space. Then it's time to ponder a slimmer Xbox 360 and draw the line on acceptable trash talk in online games.

The HotSpot 03/16/2010

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0700

With the 2010 Game Developers Conference a thing of the past, Ricardo Torres, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Guy Cocker, and Tom Magrino bust a...oh man, it's gonna be good, wait for it...Move, talking up Sony's new motion-sensing controller. We also get touchy with Fable III, express abject confusion over the GDC Awards, and become overly excited about NPD sales figures. Brendan's back next week! Please don't hold this show against him!

The HotSpot 03/09/2010

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Giancarlo Varinini, and Brendan Sinclair drop the Nemean Cestuses and duke it out with God of War III and Final Fantasy XIII before picking sides in the Infinity Ward-Activision fight, kicking Ubisoft's new DRM policy while the servers are down, and recapping an absurdly busy week of news.

The HotSpot 03/02/2010

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Chris Watters, Tom Magrino, Sophia Tong, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair invest in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, fret about their (temporarily) busted PS3s, and take a look at a Nintendo lineup featuring Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, and Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands. Also, there are more release dates than is appropriate for stick-shaking purposes!

The HotSpot 02/25/2010

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0800

It's a spoiler-ridden Heavy Rain podcast as Justin Calvert, Lark Anderson, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair trade notes on who lived, who died, and why in each of their paths through Quantic Dream's serial killer thriller.

The HotSpot 02/23/2010

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Tom Mc Shea and Lark Anderson swing by to talk Heavy Rain and Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing, then leave it to Justin Calvert, Tyler Winegarner, Brian Ekberg, and Brendan Sinclair to recap the latest news out of the DICE Summit, Civilization V, Starcraft II, free PSP Go games, and God Eater.

The HotSpot 02/16/2010

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair have a front-row seat for Aliens vs. Predator vs. Kevin VanOrd. Then the gang goes over an X10 lineup boasting Fable III, Alan Wake, and Dead Rising 2 before recapping a busy week of layoffs and studio closures for the absurdly profitable Activision.

The HotSpot 02/09/2010

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair return to Rapture with divergent takes on BioShock 2, then find common ground again thanks to Dante's Inferno. Also, Sonic returns to his 2D roots, and Mature-rated games on the Wii suffer another setback.

The HotSpot 02/02/2010

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Justin Calvert, Tom Mc Shea, Chris Watters, and Brendan Sinclair cautiously go where others go on a regular basis--they talk about an armada of new releases, including Star Trek Online, MAG, and White Knight Chronicles. The gang also runs down a huge week of news, including the Dead Rising movie, the iPad, and some stuff about actual games!

The HotSpot 01/26/2010

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Mass Effect 2 fever afflicts the HotSpot crew, as BioWare project director Casey Hudson stops by the studio. Kevin VanOrd, Chris Watters, and Tom Magrino do their best to manage some intelligent comments about the game, while Lark Anderson drops by to offer word on No More Heroes 2. Plus, industry news! Sales figures! Tetris sells 100 million! Wow! Brendan's back next week! Do not worry!

The HotSpot 01/19/2010

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Chris Watters, and Brendan Sinclair peer into the Dark Void, and the Dark Void peers back into them. With Capcom's latest out of the way, it's time to close the book on 2009 with December's NPD figures and take a look at recent innovation in games, or the lack thereof.

The HotSpot 01/12/2010

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair explore the subtle nuances of Army of Two: The 40th Day before addressing the Xbox 360 Game Room and rumors of a new developer for Modern Warfare 3.

The HotSpot 01/07/2010

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0800

It's a bonus spoiler-filled podcast dedicated to GameSpot's 2009 Game of the Year, as Kevin VanOrd, Justin Calvert, Lark Anderson, and Brendan Sinclair spend the better part of an hour gushing over Demon's Souls.

The HotSpot 01/05/2010

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Kevin VanOrd, Justin Calvert, Giancarlo Varanini, and Brendan Sinclair kick off the New Year with impressions of the week's gruesome twosome of angelic beatdowns, THQ's Darksiders and Platinum Games' Bayonetta. Plus, a brief primer on street talk, courtesy of Def Jam: Fight for NY: The Takeover on the PSP.

The HotSpot 12/29/2009

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0800

GameSpot HQ is all quiet this week, which means it's time for an all-clips show of outtakes from a whole bunch of 2009 shows. If mic checks, double takes, and non sequiturs are your thing, we've got a show for you! If they aren't, well, at least it's only 41 minutes long. WARNING: This episode of the HotSpot contains suggestive language. Listener discretion is advised.

The HotSpot 12/22/2009

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Ricardo Torres, Tom Magrino, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair wrap up an exhausting 2009 with a second opinion on Bayonetta, differing views on despicable downloadable content, and more junk than you can shake a stick at.

The HotSpot 12/15/2009

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0800

All aboard! Tom Mc Shea, Justin Calvert, and Brendan Sinclair go hobo and ride the rails with Link in Zelda: Spirit Tracks, take aim at PixelJunk Shooter, and give their memories of God of War I and II an HD face-lift. Also, November NPD numbers, Batman: Arkham Asylum II, Force Unleashed II, and more.

The HotSpot 12/08/2009

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Brian Ekberg, and Brendan Sinclair bleep all over the bleepin' bleepfest that is Rogue Warrior; save France from cows, as well as Nazis, in Pandemic's Saboteur; and look forward to Dead Space 2, Medal of Honor, and...House, M.D.?

The HotSpot 12/01/2009

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair briefly oppress indigenous cultures in James Cameron's Avatar before looking forward to Mass Effect 2, a new Prince of Persia, and the fiscal ramifications of incorporating the Mercenaries franchise.

The HotSpot 11/24/2009

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Kevin VanOrd stops by to talk about the inverted 720 face-plant that is Tony Hawk: Ride, then Ricardo Torres, Tom Mc Shea, Sophia Tong, and Brendan Sinclair look forward to the year-end awards, lament the apparent passing of Pandemic, and peruse the latest ESRB ratings.

The HotSpot 11/17/2009

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Left 4 Dead 2 and Assassin's Creed II make Justin Calvert, Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair feel all tingly, but layoffs at EA and slumping October sales bring the mood back down.

The HotSpot 11/12/2009

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Ricardo Torres, Chris Watters, Ryan Mac Donald, and Brendan Sinclair unload praise and scorn on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in a spoiler-ridden podcast covering the game's single-player campaign, from the controversial airport level to the game's ultimate message (if there is one).

The HotSpot 11/10/2009

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Ricardo Torres, Lark Anderson, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair offer a piercing perspective on Bayonetta, ponder the possibilities of Jake Gyllenhaal's Prince of Persia, and pick apart the potential for Captain America and Thor games.

The HotSpot 11/03/2009

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Shaun McInnis, Justin Calvert, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair get all gushy about Dragon Age, GTA: Ballad of Gay Tony, Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, and Tekken 6. Then, it's time to tackle the DSi XL and Modern Warfare 2's latest controversies in one preposterously packed podcast.

The HotSpot 10/27/2009

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Brian Ekberg, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Magrino, Chris Watters, and Brendan Sinclair craft a Shakespearean SmackDown in THQ's latest WWE game, while Dead Space: Extraction is dead-on-arrival in stores, Modern Warfare 2 for the PC gets controversial changes, and the gang casts future game-to-movie adaptations.

The HotSpot 10/20/2009

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Brian Ekberg, Justin Calvert, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair shift into gear with Forza 3, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on the PSP, and Demon's Souls. Also, Chris Watters swings by to talk Borderlands, and Tom Mc Shea drops in for the monthly NPD sales figures.

The HotSpot 10/13/2009

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Mc Shea, Giancarlo Varanini, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair get giddy over Uncharted 2 and Brutal Legend, tune up Guitar Hero: Van Halen, propose bad ideas for EA's Jack the Ripper game, and set a record for most unrelated 1980s sitcom references in single podcast.

The HotSpot 10/06/2009

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0700

It's go time, as Kevin VanOrd, Lark Anderson, Sarju Shah, and Brendan Sinclair recap the PSP Go before delving into Demon's Souls and Ninja Gaiden Sigma and breaking out the extra-snooty monocles for ESRB Ratings Description Excerpt Theatre.

The HotSpot 09/29/2009

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Mc Shea, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair recap Tokyo Game Show week, from a Wii price drop to Dead Rising 2 to rumors of Microsoft buying EA. Also, more Halo 3: ODST, a touch of Williams Pinball, and a heated debate over whether Batman is, in fact, a scientist.

The HotSpot 09/22/2009

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair lock and load with Halo 3: ODST, tune up The Beatles: Rock Band, recap last week's GDC Austin convention, and instill a healthy dose of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick's skepticism, pessimism, and fear.

The HotSpot 09/15/2009

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0700

With Brendan on assignment covering GDC Austin, Chris Watters, Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, and Tom Magrino grapple with the week's crush of games. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Wet, Scribblenauts, Need for Speed: Shift, (take a breath), Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, NHL 10, and...My Boyfriend? Plus, Courtney Love goes crazy and NPD numbers--both very, very exciting!

The HotSpot 09/08/2009

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Ricardo Torres, Giancarlo Varanini, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair get wistful on the Dreamcast's 10th anniversary with EA Sports president and Sega vet Peter Moore. Also, the gang recaps PAX 2009, talks All Time Greatest Game Heroes, and digs into Muramasa: The Demon Blade.

The HotSpot 09/01/2009

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Chris Watters, Shaun McInnis, Sophia Tong, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair sound off on Guitar Hero 5, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Disney's big acquisition of Marvel. Also, God of War gets collected on the PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 Elite hardware gets a price drop.

The HotSpot 08/25/2009

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Justin Calvert, Giancarlo Varanini, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair get committed to Batman: Arkham Asylum, level up in Dissidia: Final Fantasy, and recap a frenzied news week, featuring a PlayStation 3 price drop, Fable III, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and Rock Band 3.

The HotSpot 08/18/2009

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

With HotSpot mastermind Brendan Sinclair giving his dulcet tones a rest for the week, Brian Ekberg, Chris Watters, Sophia Tong, and Tom Magrino do their best to make with the video game talky-talky. Subjects on tap for the week include Shadow Complex, EA Sports MMA, those irascible NPD sales numbers, and washing-machine Wii peripherals. Do not worry! Brendan's back next week!

The HotSpot 08/11/2009

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

It's Madden week, which means it's time for Brian Ekberg, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair to expose just how much (or little) they know about football. Also, the crew dissects Activision's plans for Call of Duty, Tony Hawk: Ride, and Guitar Hero: Van Halen before delving into games with a message and picking fights with FireHouse and Gallagher.

The HotSpot 08/04/2009

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair celebrate the 200th episode of the HotSpot by putting the moves on Fat Princess, enlisting with G.I. Joe, and doing whatever one is supposed to do with a "BlazBlue." Then, it's time to talk about game-based movies, still more 2010 delays, and a surplus of fun greater than is appropriate for stick-shaking purposes.

The HotSpot 07/28/2009

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Just back from a trip to Comic-Con, Chris Watters, Ricardo Torres, and Lark Anderson tell their war stories to Brendan Sinclair. Also, Splinter Cell Conviction is overturned until next year, the Warcraft movie gets a director, and the holiday release schedule takes shape.

The HotSpot 07/21/2009

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair tune up for make-your-own Rock Band songs, bemoan the Bayonetta delay, run down the monthly sales charts, and more. WARNING: This episode of the HotSpot contains suggestive language. Listener discretion is advised.

The HotSpot 07/14/2009

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Justin Calvert, Andre Segers, Tom Mc Shea, Chris Watters, and Brendan Sinclair storm Battlefield 1943, kick back with Wii Sports Resort, and look forward to another Summer of Arcade before discovering the awful truth about the BioShock 2 delay.

The HotSpot 07/07/2009

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Tyler Winegarner, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair keep busy punishing The Punisher and trying to describe Trine. Then it's time to get online with Starcraft II, LucasArts, and Gaikai. Plus, who thinks Asteroids would make a good movie? Hint: It's nobody on this panel.

The HotSpot 06/30/2009

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

There's more to the HotSpot than meets the ear when Ricardo Torres, Brian Ekberg, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair stick a verbal potato in the cinematic tailpipe of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (spoilers!). But that still leaves plenty of time to talk about The Conduit, id Software being acquired by the owners of Fallout and Oblivion, Mortal Kombat's day in kourt, and Uncharted setting sail for the silver screen.

The HotSpot 06/23/2009

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, Lark Anderson, and Brendan Sinclair threaten to drop support for the PS3 and PSP if Sony doesn't drop the price, and then jack up the cost of its Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor and Prototype discussion. Also, Angry Barry cocreator Aaron McCray talks about his political beat-'em-up and what's wrong (and right) with Xbox Live Community Games.

The HotSpot 06/16/2009

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Who you gonna call for impressions of Ghostbusters, Prototype, and Legendary Starfy? The HotSpot fab five of Justin Calvert, Kevin VanOrd, Sophia Tong, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair, of course.

The HotSpot 06/09/2009

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

E3 2009 saw a lot of people drop a lot of megaton bombs. Brian Ekberg, Sophia Tong, Shaun McInnis, and Brendan Sinclair reflect in the aftermath of the big show, talk a little Sims 3, and pick sides in the cases of Activision v. Double Fine, Darksiders v. New Year's Day, and PC Gamers v. The World.

The HotSpot 06/03/2009

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Giddy from lack of sleep and abundance of gaming goodness, Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, and Brendan Sinclair close out the HotSpot's E3 2009 coverage with a micro-cast recap of what was learned, seen, and played on the show floor. Highlights include Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, APB, Left 4 Dead 2, and hands-on impressions of Scribblenauts.

The HotSpot 06/02/2009

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Chris Watters, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair burn through the Nintendo and Sony press conferences, pausing briefly to reflect on motion controls, Mario, Metroid: Other M, the PSP Go, Mass Effect 2, God of War 3, and so much more.

The HotSpot 06/01/2009

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tor Thorsen, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair recap a news-packed first day of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, with all the latest from E3 briefings held by Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts.

The HotSpot 05/26/2009

Tue, 26 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair bask in the electric glow of Infamous, take a few swings at Punch-Out, and scratch their heads over leaked footage from Team Ico, the price of Tony Hawk: Ride, and what to expect from next week's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

The HotSpot 05/19/2009

Tue, 19 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700

With E3 mere weeks away, Shaun McInnis, Giancarlo Varanini, Kevin VanOrd, Chris Watters, and Brendan Sinclair run down who needs to show what. Also, Activision's latest Tony Hawk game wants to take you for a Ride, and we've got impressions of Bionic Commando and Terminator: Salvation.

The HotSpot 05/12/2009

Tue, 12 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tyler Winegarner, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair bombard Treyarch Call of Duty community manager Josh Olin with questions about the game's latest add-on, the studio's ambitions, and more. The gang wants to go even further Beyond Good and Evil, Thief 4 steals other people's hearts, and Tom comes out as a zombie sympathizer.

The HotSpot 05/05/2009

Tue, 05 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Magrino, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair welcome Telltale Games cofounder Kevin Bruner into the studio to talk Wallace & Gromit, Wolverine, the rumored disc-less redesign for the PSP, games as art, and new developments on the BioShock feature film.

The HotSpot 04/28/2009

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700

It's no-holds-barred podcasting action as Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair submit to Ultimate Fighting Championship, BioShock 2, and Uncharted 2. Once the bleeding stops and the bones knit, it's time to sit down with ESA executive Rich Taylor about the Video Game Voters Network and the imminent arrival of a new and improved E3.

The HotSpot 04/21/2009

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tor Thorsen, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair draw a thin line between tangents and actual topics such as Fallout: New Vegas, a bad month for NPD numbers, M-rated games for the Wii and DS, and Activision's Scratch lawsuit. And for those who enjoy linearity, a perfectly coherent interview with Leisure Suit Larry creator Al Lowe!

The HotSpot 04/14/2009

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Shaun McInnis saw Saw, and he shares impressions of the horrifying puzzle game with Tom Mc Shea, Andre Segers, and Brendan Sinclair. Then the gang gets up in arms about Dead Space's debut on the Wii, Nintendo's problems in Japan, the screenwriter for the new Shadow of the Colossus movie, and a slew of five-word game reviews.

The HotSpot 04/07/2009

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin VanOrd, Sophia Tong, Andre Segers, and Brendan Sinclair go hands-on with the Nintendo DSi and rundown the launch lineup in every sense of the word before moving on to Ninja Blade, Riddick, and more. Also, the largest HotSpot collection of corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies yet!

The HotSpot 03/31/2009

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair recover from the Game Developers Conference with speculation about The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, impressions of Batman: Arkham Asylum, praise for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and mixed reactions to the OnLive on-demand game-streaming service.

The HotSpot 03/24/2009

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tom Mc Shea, Shaun McInnis, Sophia Tong, Andre Segers, and Brendan Sinclair play Animal Crossing for all the wrong reasons before digging into news of Max Payne 3 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma II. Then it's time to put the Resident Evil 5 discussion to bed, revisit GTAIV's full-frontal nudity in lingering detail, and dig up what we can on a 360 gamer by the name of Xkamun1k80r.

The HotSpot 03/17/2009

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Brian Ekberg, Lark Anderson, Kevin VanOrd, Justin Calvert, and Brendan Sinclair go into the gory details on Resident Evil 5, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and MadWorld. After that, they run through a sequel-heavy news week with tidbits on BioShock 2, Army of Two: The 40th Day, RE: Darkside Chronicles, and more.

The HotSpot 03/10/2009

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Chris Watters, Ricardo Torres, Tom Mc Shea, Brendan Sinclair, and game designer David Sirlin talk about watching the Watchmen, balancing fighting games, the used-game business, BioShock 2, Resident Evil 5, and...Quiz and Dragons?

The HotSpot 03/03/2009

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Tom Magrino, Lark Anderson, Ricardo Torres, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair lean deep into the strike zone and take one for the team with Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li. Once they purge themselves of those memories, it's on to Halo Wars, the future of the PSP, the latest Wii release slate, and more.

The HotSpot 02/24/2009

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair provide a dramatic reinterpretation of Killzone 2's gripping narrative before delving into the surreal one-two punch that is Noby Noby Boy and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. Then the gang looks to the future and gets psyched to varying degrees for Lost Planet 2, Alice, Dead to Rights: Retribution, and the DSi.

The HotSpot 02/17/2009

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Justin Calvert, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair go nuts for GTA: The Lost and Damned, Dawn of War II, and House of the Dead: Overkill before taking some time out to watch over the Watchmen game's associate producer Jerry Pritchard.

The HotSpot 02/10/2009

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Wanted: Weapons of Fate executive producer Pete Wanat swings by the studio to curve bullets with Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair, and then it's time to talk Dead Rising 2, Dead Space on the Wii, Red Dead Redemption, the suddenly not dead Free Radical Design, and tons more.

The HotSpot 02/03/2009

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Still buzzing from the weekend's Puppy Bowl V, Brian Ekberg, Sophia Tong, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair try to focus on Resident Evil 5, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Killzone 2, Mortal Kombat vs. Major Dad, and your best box quotes for terrible, terrible games.

The HotSpot 01/27/2009

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Chris Watters, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair knuckle up like 3 Ninjas and go a few rounds with Street Fighter IV, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?, the new Ninja Turtles game, and the legacy of Uwe Boll.

The HotSpot 01/20/2009

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, Sophia Tong, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair whack the Godfather II, play with Deadly Creatures, and run down the best-selling games of 2008 before discussion of the story in Doom 4 morphs into an argument about the merits of early American literature in a fairly surreal installment of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 01/13/2009

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Tor Thorsen, Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair run down the scene at CES 2009, pay a visit to Skate 2's Hall of Meat, ponder a year without a new Rock Band, assess the state of the fighting game, and lament the death of Electronic Gaming Monthly.

The HotSpot 01/06/2009

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0800

The HotSpot comes out swinging for 2009 with the longest episode yet, far surpassing the surgeon general's daily recommended allowance of inane chatter. Find out all about Nintendo's early '09 lineup, rumors of a new Zelda, why Gears of War 2 wasn't nominated for our Game of the Year, and why Metal Gear Solid 4 took home the hardware.

The HotSpot 12/16/2008

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Ricardo Torres, Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair recap the biggest trends of 2008 and look forward to God of War, Brutal Legend, Wolverine: Origins, and (fingers crossed) Michael Phelps vs. Aquaman.

The HotSpot 12/09/2008

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Shaun McInnis, Jon Miller, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair fight through a serious case of "senioritis" to discuss the new Prince of Persia and a packed week of news featuring Uncharted 2, GTAIV for PC, Killzone 2, Brutal Legend, and casual racism as a PR strategy.

The HotSpot 12/02/2008

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Chris Watters, Sophia Tong, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair break down gaming's 10 commandments, lobby for a Halo-Rashomon crossover, show some love to GTAIV, and share their top three games of 2008.

The HotSpot 11/25/2008

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0800

It looks like the best/worst of the holiday blockbuster rush is behind us, so Tom Magrino, Brian Ekberg, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair have time to reflect on the hits that were and run down the New Xbox Experience before seeing Dead Rising and PETA in court.

The HotSpot 11/18/2008

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Shaun White answers the Call of Duty as the HotSpot crew gets down to the Nuts and Bolts of Wrath of the Lich King...Gears of War 2. Also, we get elbow deep in discussion about the ESRB's spoiler-rific ratings summaries and dole out mad props to awesome listeners who donated to Child's Play.

The HotSpot 11/11/2008

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Ricardo Torres, Tom Magrino, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair shoot the breeze (and the aliens) on Gears of War 2, Resistance 2, and Mirror's Edge, then it's on to shuttered studios, the best inventions of 2008, and more phone calls and e-mails than are probably healthy.

The HotSpot 11/04/2008

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0800

California State Senator Leland Yee comes by to defend his gaming legislation and class up the joint, but only after Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair spend the better part of an hour taking things in the opposite direction.

The HotSpot 10/28/2008

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Talking about games is our business, and business is good! Mortal Kombat kreator Ed Boon swings by the studio to talk about taking on the DC Universe and the revitalized Electronic Entertainment Expo. It's a packed podcast featuring six GameSpotters talking up Fable II, Fallout 3, BioWare's Star Wars MMO game, and much more.

The HotSpot 10/21/2008

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Ricardo Torres, Jon Miller, Don "The People's Panelist" Francis, and Brendan Sinclair play with fire as they discuss a Little Big Planet blasphemy, Obama's play for gamer votes, playing as a force of good or evil, and franchises that need to die.

The HotSpot 10/14/2008

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Justin Calvert, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair welcome BioShock 2 lead level designer JP LeBreton to help negotiate the treacherous corridors deep within the week's news, including the Tokyo Game Show, BlizzCon, Saints Row 2, Dead Space, and a ton more.

The HotSpot 10/07/2008

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Jon Miller, Lark Anderson, and Brendan Sinclair drop the hate before recapping a flood of Nintendo news from the DSi to Punch-Out!! for Wii before digging in to discuss the potential of DLC as a bane to retailers and gamers both. Also, Jon relives a painful childhood memory to the delight and merriment of all.

The HotSpot 09/30/2008

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700

There's a new DS on the way, Jack Thompson was disbarred, Bungie's making a new Halo, and Fable II will ship without a promised feature. There's so much news it took Aaron Thomas, Tom Mc Shea, Chris Watters, and Brendan Sinclair nearly an hour and a half to cover it all!

The HotSpot 09/23/2008

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Brian Ekberg, Tom Mc Shea, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair hit the week's high notes, from Wii Music's flop potential to the rampant proliferation of Guitar Hero games. For the non-musically minded listeners, the panel goes off on Warhammer Online, Microsoft considering a Nintendo buyout circa 2003, and listeners' all-time favorite glitches.

The HotSpot 09/16/2008

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700

EA won't be buying Take-Two after all, Microsoft is shutting down Halo Wars studio Ensemble, and Midway laid out the full Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe roster. Shaun McInnis, Sophia Tong, Tom Mc Shea and Brendan Sinclair debate whether any of this is good for the industry in a packed episode of the HotSpot.

The HotSpot 09/09/2008

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Kevin Van Ord, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shenanigans, and Brendan Sinclair take a few whacks at Viva Pinata, Spore, TNA Impact, the Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death, and a week's worth of news in a very special Dreamcast ninth-anniversary edition of the HotSpot.

The HotSpot 09/02/2008

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700

A short show for a short week. This week's installment includes Shaun's report from the Leipzig Games Convention, Jon's impressions of Spore, Chris' response to Brett Ratner's Guitar Hero movie proposal, and Tor's farewell to the host's chair. Also this week: Square Enix's proposed Tecmo buyout, Warhammer Online going gold, Ninja Gaiden II selling 1 million, and the Xbox 360 being cheaper than the Wii...in Japan.

The HotSpot 08/26/2008

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Brendan returns to host Chris, Kevin, and Tom Mc Shark Attack through a minefield of controversial topics, from Kevin's Too Human review to the downside of the casual game trend, a potentially offensive Space Invaders art exhibit at Leipzig, how to fight gaming piracy, and Tom Mc Shawshank's favorite nickname.

The HotSpot 08/19/2008

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Tor, Chris, and Jon kick around the week's gaming news like the Nigerian football team in Beijing. Topics on the pitch this week include Electronic Arts inking deals with Epic and Grasshopper, the latest NPD sales figures showing the PS3 on a roll, Spore going gold, Radical getting downsized, and whether or not an abundance of Wiis can improve a certain Midwestern state.

The HotSpot 08/12/2008

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Brendan's back in the host's chair with an all-Thomas team of panelists (Mc Shea, Magrino, and Aaron) to tackle the week's topics, including Braid, Madden 09, Gears of War's replica rifles, piracy, and the intoxicating (or simply toxic) concoction of sex and violence in games.

The HotSpot 08/05/2008

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0700

To the delight and chagrin of many, Tor resumes hosting after narrowly escaping from the Vegas authorities. In cahoots with him are Brendan, Shaun, and HotSpot neophyte Jon Miller, who uses his dulcet voice to recount his experiences at QuakeCon. Also on the docket: The 360 Final Fantasy XIII pushing back the PlayStation 3 edition, 30 million Wiis, 14.4 million PS3s, new Call of Duty, Too Human going gold, the KOTOR massively multiplayer online game, social commentary in games, and much, much more!

The HotSpot 07/29/2008

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Fully recovered from the long days and longer nights of E3, the HotSpot returns with Brendan, Tom Mc Shea, Kevin, and Lark talking about Activision's decision not to publish Brutal Legend and a bunch of other games, Brett Ratner's qualifications to direct a God of War movie, and spend an inordinate amount of time dwelling on the life and works of one Bette Midler.

The HotSpot 07/17/2008

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Our massive E3 megacast has nearly two hours of news from the frontlines of America's highest-profile gaming event. We've got rundowns of the latest news from Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Konami, and Take-Two, including such games as Borderlands, Fallout 3, Resistance 2, Resistance for the PSP, Final Fantasy XIII on the Xbox 360, Grand Theft Auto for the Nintendo DS (?!), and much, much more!

The HotSpot 07/08/2008

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0700

With E3 looming on the horizon like a...huge looming thing, Tom, Aaron, Brendan, and Tor sit down to discuss the up-again-down-again-up-again PlayStation 3 firmware update, Infinity Ward's mystery project, Fallout 3's Australian ban, The Conduit and what it might mean for the Wii, and why trying to get developers to give frank responses in public is an increasingly Sisyphean task. Also on tap are the top worst-game-crossover submissions and your phone calls and e-mail!

The HotSpot 07/01/2008

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0700

What to you get when you combine a Norseman, an Italian, two Irishmen, Battlefield: Bad Company, a Diablo III announcement, a Rock Band 2 unveil, the inside details on the PS3's trophy and in-game XMB, a bunch of reviews, a slew of crazy phone calls and e-mails, and a shooter based on Catcher in the Rye? This week's show, that's what.

The HotSpot 06/24/2008

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

After a one-week hiatus, host Tor returns to find Tom Mc Shea, Brendan Sinclair, and Chris Watters passed out in a trashed HotSpot studio. After some corporal punishment, the gang sits down to discuss Blizzard's mystery game, The Beatles' Rock Band/Guitar Hero dilemma, game sales pushing $63 billion in 2012, and the week's new releases and game reviews.

The HotSpot 06/17/2008

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

While Tor's away, Brendan, Tom, Tom, and Lark will play. The crew talks about popular series they just don't get, Metal Gear Solid 4, and the Mother of All Leaks (including avatars for Xbox 360, Guitar Hero World Tour details, and new Tony Hawk and Spider-Man games). There's even time enough to tackle one or two other topics (but just barely)!

The HotSpot 06/10/2008

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Yes, yes, yes. Tor, Brendan, and Mc "Space" Shea are sick of talking about GTAIV too, but the dang thing keeps making news--like selling the most units in 48 hours EVER. Also, our panel discusses Call of Duty: World at War, a potential Ubisoft-Take-Two union, iPhone games, Square Enix going all 360, gay characters in gaming, and much more!

The HotSpot 06/03/2008

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

As the US wearily welcomes the end of primary season, Aaron, Tom McShea, Justin, and Tor talk about the latest happenings in the world of gaming, including Tomonobu Itagaki's shocking resignation, Guitar Hero: Metallica, PS3 trophies and in-game XMB, deliberate US Wii Fit shortages, new releases, and your phone calls and e-mails!

The HotSpot 05/28/2008

Wed, 28 May 2008 12:00:00 -0700

After being delayed one day by the Mother of All Technical SNAFUs, Tor dashes a 6-year-old girl's dreams by reconvening panelists to re-rap about such subjects as Ubisoft's posterior-driven Rayman TV Party and Shaun White's Assassin's Creed-a-riffic Snowboarding. Then it's on to Street Fighter 4, Resident Evil 5, BioShock on PS3, and Guitar Hero World Tour (last time, we swear). And, just to mix things up, we answer our first nudist phone call!

The HotSpot 05/20/2008

Tue, 20 May 2008 09:05:00 -0700

After a mad, mad, mad week of press events, Ricardo, Brendan, Tor, and Chris "Dirty" Watters discuss what is transpiring in the wide and wild world of gaming. This week's topics include Wii Fit launch confusion, April NPD numbers, still more GTAIV (last week, we promise), Sega getting the Platinum treatment, Konami staging a Rock Revolution, and--as always--your e-mails and phone calls!

The HotSpot 05/13/2008

Tue, 13 May 2008 12:00:00 -0700

This week Tor, Tim, and two guys named Tom discuss Metal Gear Solid 4 going gold, Too Human finally getting a release date, how best to Viva a Pinata, Activision's $3 billion year, Grand Theft Auto IV's record haul, Tony Hawk's 2008 hiatus, Skate on Wii and DS, Doom 4, and how best to play a game--by rushing through or taking your sweet, sweet time.

The HotSpot 05/06/2008

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 -0700

This week's very special edition of the HotSpot sees a whopping five panelists engage in some multiplayer debate about GTAIV, Acti-Blizzard freezing out E3 and the ESA, Killzone 2 being delayed, and Rock Band turning up profits to 11. Last but certainly not least, Don Vincenzo di Caravella says "ciao" to the GameSpot gang as hosting duties pass to someone of Northern European descent...

The HotSpot 04/29/2008

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0700

What can we say? This week The HotSpot talks about Grand Theft Auto IV--a lot. We talk about the game, the launches, and the response it's generating in the greater gaming universe. We also get gabby about the possibility of a DS price cut, some Spore goodness, Matt Damon, and even EA. Really, though, even the calls are about GTAIV, so turn on your computer and give a listen while you make your way through what could be one of the most acclaimed games of the decade.

The HotSpot 04/22/2008

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0700

This week the HotSpot gang sifts through so much Grand Theft Auto IV news you might just cancel that preorder. Yeah, right. Will the UK become the next haven for game developers? Will you be playing the drums in Guitar Hero IV? Will we ever see the Wonder Twins versus Scorpion? How about an Optimus Prime impression that will blow your mind? Check it all out on this week's edition of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 04/15/2008

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot returns this week to dissect that ever-evolving beast we call "The News." Is Hollywood shaking at the thought of competing against the likes of Grand Theft Auto IV? Is the entire world finally accepting that video games are here to stay? Can we report on Resident Evil 5 without offending someone? We try to answer all of these questions, take your emails and phone calls, and offer up some new challenges, all on this week's episode of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 04/08/2008

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Join The HotSpot this week as we celebrate Europe's entrance into the Rock Band arena. Also, does a rock devil really need to be so devilish? Think of the children! Will Grand Theft Auto IV be delayed again? Is "Photograph" really the best Def Leppard song? What's the proper height of a book? We answer all these questions, call our weekly prize winners, and much more on this episode of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 04/01/2008

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0700

This week The HotSpot talks about the Xbox 360 Blu-ray player and what that means for the PlayStation 3. Also, with its new price cut, will the Nintendo Wii take the current gen crown? Will more delays force Grand Theft Auto 4 into vaporware? Are all these stories completely invented? Get all the answers, your phone calls, prize giveaways, and more on this April Fools' edition of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 03/25/2008

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0700

We fight through the onslaught of Clouds lining up outside to bring you all the news that's fit to read aloud...especially if that news has to do with lawsuits, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band. That's right, everybody is suing everybody, Nickelodeon is making 1,600 new games, and the CFO of EA thinks it's time to step away. The world has gone mad. We try to bring a little sanity with your phone calls, emails, Final Fantasy-based prizes, and more, all on this week's episode of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 03/18/2008

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot gang considers the pros and cons of games being considered porn. Also, did you know that people like Super Smash Bros.? It's true, and we've got the numbers to prove it. Ready for a new Star Trek MMO game? Is Bionic Commando so awesome it will break Xbox Live? We answer all these questions, give away the best prize ever, take your phone calls, and much more on this episode of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 03/11/2008

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0700

This week the HotSpot crew talks about how crazy it would be to have a Blu-ray drive for your Xbox 360. Did you know people like buying games, even in February? Is the ESRB doomed? Want to hear your predications for life in 2108? What exactly is the coolest prize ever? Find out the answers to all that, plus your e-mails, phone calls, and even prizes, all on this week's episode of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 03/04/2008

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Metal Gear Awesome? Heck yeah it is. Is MGS4 so big that no media on earth could hold it? Are the hallways of Atari tall enough for Phil Harrison? Are you ready for 2108? Do you like winning awesome prizes? We answer all these questions, even the one about you liking prizes, and much, much more on the greatest episode of The HotSpot yet!

The HotSpot 02/26/2008

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Tick, tick, tick, tick, boom! Dynamite! The HotSpot explodes after GDC and sends pieces of Bionic Commando, Street Fighter IV, and Gears of War 2 flying all around our little studio. We say our farewells to Phil Harrison, the X360 HD DVD player, non-Madden football games, and one other very special person. So, get into your comfy place, because we take your phone calls, e-mails, and much more on this edition of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 02/19/2008

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Are we seeing the bitter end of the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD war? The HotSpot crew is here to guide you through the carnage. Will you trade your axe for some wheels of steel in DJ Hero? Can a Street Fighter movie get any weirder? Will this month's NPD numbers actually shock you? We answer all these questions, take your phone calls and e-mails, and much, much more on the latest edition of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 02/12/2008

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0800

In this latest episode of The HotSpot, Ryan Davis bids the crew a fond farewell while still taking time to warn us of the dangers of all things non-pencil. Can you guess which games took away top honors at D.I.C.E.? Does Street Fighter IV have what it takes to stay on top? How much more Mass Effect will you be seeing in 2008? We answer all these questions, take your phone calls, and much, much more on this edition of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 01/29/2008

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0800

The HotSpot crew closes out January with some great news! Will GTAIV finally arrive? Will you be able to finally do your drum-vs.-drum battle in Rock Band? Is a hip-hop version of Gears of War 2 on the horizon? We answer all these questions, take your e-mails and calls, and more on this edition of The HotSpot!

The HotSpot 01/22/2008

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Even though there's a brand-new Dragon Ball Z game on the horizon, The HotSpot crew somehow manages to talk about other things. Is the Xbox indeed crack for kids? Does your doctor practice on the Wii? Is $18 billion enough for the game industry to finally buy itself some respect? Also, we say good-bye to Alex Navarro and get his take on this crazy biz. You'll get all this, your phone calls and much, much more on this episode of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 01/15/2008

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0800

The HotSpot returns to find The News has invited all its friends over for a surprise party! It's a good thing The News is a huge dork and the worst thing we had to worry about was EA buying stakes in the Korean gaming market, someone letting Uwe Boll make another movie, and some pictures of Resistance 2...such a nice boy. Of course, we had to call some parents, so don't expect to be seeing Super Smash Bros. Brawl any time soon. We cover all of this, your phone calls, and much more on this week's episode of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 01/08/2008

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Happy New Year! It's 2008 and we've been off for way too long, but now we're back, and we still have no idea what we're doing. If an amazing game peripheral falls but it's surrounded by 80-inch flat screens, does it make a sound? Who sold the most consoles last year? Will this show ever get back on track? We answer most of these questions in the latest episode of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 12/18/2007

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0800

The HotSpot crew closes out the year with a recap of the biggest news stories of the century! OK, maybe not the century, but definitely the biggest stories since last December! Did all that great DBZ news crack the list? Can you guess which story will be number one? Don't agree with our take? Well, you're in luck! Just vent your frustration down below, no...below that, there you go. Leave it right there in the comments section. Have a safe and amazing holiday season, and we will catch up when The HotSpot returns next year.

The HotSpot 12/11/2007

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0800

A football? Oh no, what was I doing? Wake up, stupid! Wake up! With the holiday season in full-on blitz, we talk about, what else? Rumors! Will Bungie be developing Street Fighter IV for the Dreamcast 2? Does your Guitar Hero 3 edition have mono? Did you make our top quotes of the year? We answer all of these questions, take your calls, and much more on this edition of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 12/04/2007

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0800

GameSpot speaks...

The HotSpot 11/27/2007

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0800

No time for leftovers, Junior. These games are still piping hot. The folks over at The HotSpot go over their holiday gaming regimen while taking time to answer all those profound questions. Is Nintendo killing the environment? Could we possibly do another Manhunt 2 story? What does Mr. T have to do with all of this? Find out the answers to all this, plus your e-mails, phone calls, and much more on GameSpot's weekly audio webapodamusisode.

The HotSpot 11/20/2007

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0800

With GameSpot staff sliding out the door for an early Thanksgiving break as we speak, the HotSpot pulls it together and brings you a show on what seems to be the busiest release date in all of gaming. Such heady topics as Assassin's Creed, BioShock, ghosts, wrestling, Call of Duty, and the proper way to make a sloppy joe are all contained in this week's brain-blasting installment.

The HotSpot 11/13/2007

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0800

Could we ask for a better November in terms of great releases? The HotSpot crew puts down the games for a second to handle all the big news of the week. Is Microsoft dropping one of its biggest titles? To whom will Spike TV give the "Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew" award? Will the Prince of Persia movie really take place in New York City? All this, your e-mails, phone calls, and more in this week's audio turducken known as The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 11/06/2007

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0800

The HotSpot crew rolls up their sleeves and digs into those crazy Q2 earnings reports, but who came out on top? Is it lights out for the studio that brought us Fight Night? Could the world use more MMOs? Questionable. Could the world use more Tesla Coils? Heck Yeah! Also, special thanks to Andy for this week's version of the intro. Get all this and another phone call blowout on this week's installment of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 10/30/2007

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot crew cleans up their act only to get thrown out of the booth! Before that though we talk about Bioware and LucasArts teaming up and Sony still selling that crazy PS2. Will Manhunt 2 entice your children? How does an animated Resident Evil movie sound? All these answers, your phone calls and much, much more on this week's audio doodad known as The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 10/23/2007

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0700

Microsoft officially release its new Xbox 360 bundle while Sony confirms its new PS3 model. Will Street Fighter 4 be all that we hope? Is Bioware making the longest acronym ever with a KOTOR MMORPG? Is gaming like a religion and could Haze be the s--t?! All these answers, your phone calls and much, much more on this week's audio excursion known only as The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 10/16/2007

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0700

Capcom gets its act together and finally remakes Bionic Commando and are we excited? Heck yeah! Is EA really going to rule the world? Find out what they've gone and done now. Also, is Majesco destroying our natural resources? All these answers, your emails, phone calls and more on GameSpot's weekly audio mystery tour.

The HotSpot 10/09/2007

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0700

Bungie leaves Microsoft and The HotSpot stops swatting at the airborne oinkers long enough to eat a little crow. The UK still has it out for Manhunt 2 but somehow Nutella is good for kids? Are you going to get a new, cheaper PS3 or a new bundled 360? We set sail with all this, your phone calls and much more on GameSpot's weekly audio voyage.

The HotSpot 10/02/2007

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0700

It's a mad, mad world and the HotSpot gang tries its best to make sense of it all. Is Bungie ditching Microsoft? Would you pay $9,000 for J Allard's Zune? What's really behind those Wii delays? We address all those questions, Oreo Pizzas, your emails, phone calls and much more on GameSpot's weekly audio hootenanny.

The HotSpot 9/25/2007

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0700

The GameSpot crew puts sleep and Halo 3 aside to bring you another action packed podcast. Fresh out of TGS we cover all the big news from the show as well as give you everything you need to know about the Halo 3 launch. If that weren't enough we take your phone calls and much, much more all on GameSpot's weekly audio extravaganza.

The HotSpot 9/18/2007

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0700

We're counting down multiple occasions on the show this week as we wait for the first news from the Tokyo Game Show to start slamming the site. And hey, in case you haven't been hit over the head with it enough yet, Halo 3 is exactly one week away. So you know we've got more to say about that. Plus we talk about the end of FASA, Havok and Intel hooking up, and of course, your e-mails and calls!

The HotSpot 9/11/2007

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0700

The news cometh and the HotSpot report...eth. The GameSpot Gang sifts through the week's news and finds gold with stories ranging from Link's new shooter on the Wii to Guitar Hero 3 on your Mac. Want a new Street Fighter movie? Well, you just might get it anyway. Plus we take your emails, calls and much more all on GameSpot's weekly podcast.

The HotSpot 9/04/2007

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot gang slinks out of a long weekend to bring you all the latest news. Is that PS3 deal still kicking? Is in-game advertising here to stay, and do we even mind? What the heck is Master P doing on here and since when does Joust have global awareness? We answer all this, take your questions and more on this week's podcast.

The HotSpot 8/28/2007

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0700

We return from PAX and Leipzig to put August away for good. Are your peepers ready for games in 3D? Did you know that Manhunt 2 will indeed be coming to a store near you? Why not grab a Double Gulp and Halo 3? Say What? We tackle all this, your phone calls, and much more on GameSpot's weekly podcast!

The HotSpot 8/21/2007

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0700

BioShock is in stores, but we pull ourselves out of Rapture to talk about the last week of news, including developments in the HD-DVD vs, Blu-ray conflict, Halo 3's impending release, and, you know, bazookas.

The HotSpot 8/14/2007

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0700

As the release season starts to heat up with the release of Madden NFL 08, a team of GameSpot editors sit down and discuss the finer things in life, like Halo-flavored tortilla chips, Ubisoft's movie dreams, and, with any luck, the final word on Dietrich.

The HotSpot 8/07/07

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0700

Two more Cons go down and GameSpot is there to pick up the pieces. Blizzard and Quake show us their wares while GTA 4 slips further back on the release calendar. Is Nintendo planning a new handheld? Plus we finally put the Xbox 360 price drop rumor to rest. All that, a special phone-in guest, your favorite albums and much, much more on The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 7/31/07

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0700

Comic-Con may be over but the HotSpot nerds refuse to get winded. This week we cover Lego Indiana Jones, the possible 360 price drop, EA's new Marvel fighting game, Sony's new Rockstar exclusive and much more on the greatest podcast on the internet. Do it!

The HotSpot 7/24/07

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 07:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot Five sob their way through the Best of E3 awards, the Silicon Knights-Epic Games lawsuit, Metal Gear's 20th anniversary, the PS3's sales surge, and the ongoing debate of video games as art before saying a tearful goodbye to Rich, all on GameSpot's weekly radio show!

The HotSpot 7/17/07

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 08:00:00 -0700

Tune in as the HotSpot crew recaps E3 2007 with a look at the Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony press conferences, as well as opinions on E3's new format, the PS3 60-gig clearance sale and Peter Moore's new job. Plus, we share in-depth thoughts on over forty games on display at the show all on GameSpot's weekly radio show!

The HotSpot 7/3/07

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 08:00:00 -0700

Tune in as GameSpot editors amp up for E3 2007 and reveal their plans to cover the world's greatest video game event! We also discuss the new GTA IV trailer, the NPD getting heavy, the ESA's new king of The Hill, WiiWare, Guitar Hero, horsie games, Auto Assault's final lap and more on The HotSpot, GameSpot's weekly radio show.

The HotSpot 6/26/07

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:00:00 -0700

The GameSpot staff dive in for more Manhunt 2, ESRB's trailer policies, Nintendo's rise on the stock market, the looming PS3 game avalanche, BioWare's love of hedgehogs, the potential of a new 2D Contra, E3 2007, Timothy Olyphant, and more on The HotSpot, GameSpot's weekly radio show.

The HotSpot 6/19/07

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:00:00 -0700

GameSpot editors go on a Manhunt, and discuss E3 2007, Sega's Wii reality check, Sir Howard's idea of refinement, Halo's relapsing virus, gaming addiction, PS3 home safety, the DOA movie, and more on The HotSpot, GameSpot's weekly radio show.

The HotSpot 6/12/07

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 08:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot crew discusses the first step in the rebirth of Mac gaming, id's new tech demo, the un-delayed GTA IV, PSP redesigns, the Church of England's love for Resistance: Fall of Man, Square Enix's fear of technology, the end of the Halo 3 beta, and Nintendo's corporate cutbacks all on GameSpot's weekly radio show.

The HotSpot 6/5/07

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot crew burns the Fallout 3 trailer into their retinas, then discusses Virtual Console milestones, GTA IV and gaming analysts, New York's idea of a Class E felony, Brash's bank account, Aliens, Heat, Pac-Man, and yes, more Billy Mitchell all on GameSpot's weekly radio show.

The HotSpot 5/29/07

Tue, 29 May 2007 08:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot crew discusses the E3 conference schedule, Nintendo's and Ubisoft's recent press events, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Haze, Guitar Hero III, Halo 2's partial nudity, Blizzard v. gold farmers, Dirty Dancing, and the horror of live Wii all on GameSpot's weekly radio show.

The HotSpot 5/22/07

Tue, 22 May 2007 08:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot crew discusses the Starcraft II announcement, Metroid Prime 3, Halo 3, GTA IV, Geometry Wars: Galaxies, 80 gig PS3s, banned 360s, the latest chapter in the Texas high school drama, and how to pitch your Hollywood blockbuster via Xbox Live all on GameSpot's weekly radio show.

The HotSpot 5/15/07

Tue, 15 May 2007 12:00:00 -0700

While Rich evens out his tan the rest of the HotSpot gang chat about the Halo 3 Beta, Sony's finances, Nintendo games selling big in Japan, Final Fantasies, Crytek's new IP and much, much more. Plus we have a phone call blowout!!!

The HotSpot 5/8/07

Tue, 08 May 2007 08:01:00 -0700

The HotSpot crew shares their disappointment with Spider-Man 3, then discusses Nintendo's apology for the Wii shortage, GTA IV development, Clements High School, Fallout 3, Rock Band, the Simpsons, and Goku-doku all in GameSpot's weekly radio show.

The HotSpot 5/1/07

Tue, 01 May 2007 08:01:00 -0700

The HotSpot says goodbye to Ken Kutaragi, then discusses Xbox 360 Elite transfers, various PlayStation cameras, Nintendo's development tonnage, the possibility of Starcraft 2, All-Pro Football 2K8's historic roster, Call of Duty 4, Puzzle Quest, the Gears of War screenplay, and the immortal Billy Mitchell.

The HotSpot 4/24/07

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:01:00 -0700

The HotSpot crew breaks down E3 2007's exhibitor list, Vince Young's chances on avoiding the Madden curse, Microsoft patents, PS Network numbers, the Freakonomics of Wii supply and demand, crazy new bar codes, and the immortal Pac-Man cartoon. Here Chomp-Chomp!

The HotSpot 4/17/07

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:01:00 -0700

The HotSpot crew says goodbye to the 20-gig PS3, goes channel stuffing with the Xbox 360, and discusses the FTC's praise for the video game industry, GTA IV, Harvey Birdman, and overpriced Guitar Hero downloads all before debating Scorpion versus Sub-Zero!

The HotSpot 4/10/07

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 09:01:00 -0700

The HotSpot quartet talk about the Halo 3 beta then shift through the seasons of the Xbox 360 spring update, the Wii's summer gaming love, and the PlayStation 3's promising autumn, before giving a wintry reception for HP's new handheld venture.

The HotSpot 4/3/07

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:01:00 -0700

Grand Theft Auto IV's debut trailer has barely crossed our retinas, and people are already upset! Listen to the HotSpot crew dissect these reactions as well as GameStop's Wii shortage theory, the PSP price drop, Insomniac's PS3 rally cry, Rock Band, Mario, Sonic, the Olympics, and David Hayter's rad new hair.

The HotSpot 3/27/07

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:01:00 -0700

The HotSpot racketeers cover the newly announced Xbox 360 Elite, the overseas launch of the PlayStation 3, Xbox Live security, Lego Batman, and the various outrage echoing from Capcom's forums and Florida court rooms, to Mexico and Bono's board room.

The HotSpot 3/20/07

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:00:00 -0700

The newly announced Gears of War movie has the HotSpot crew hitting the casting couch. Plus we discuss the overseas launch of the PS3, Vista going Live, Folding@home, Take-Two's latest squabbles, Devil May Cry 4, NiGHTS, Halo 3, and the return of Psi-Ops.

The HotSpot 3/13/07

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:00:00 -0700

The whirlwind of information that is GDC has left San Francisco, and the HotSpot crew recap the announcement of PlayStation Home, Miyamoto's keynote address, Killzone's cameo, the Developers Choice Awards, plus the notable games and lectures found at the conference.

The HotSpot 3/6/07

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 03:00:00 -0800

GDC's ready to kick-off and the HotSpot crew take a stab at what to expect from the event. Topics include the PlayStation Home rumors, Sony's new deal with Immersion, and Microsoft's bump for Live Arcade. Plus, we ponder ESA lobbying, GTA IV's first trailer, the new Lego MMO, and Zoe Mode's phone number.

The HotSpot 2/27/07

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 03:00:00 -0800

This week the HotSpot crew reacts to Sony taking the emotions out of the PS3 while Nintendo's gleaming the GameCube. Plus the ESRB's hiring, a big-name retailer doesn't quite understand how to price used games, the UK government is raiding car boot sales, and Wing Commander is announced for Live Arcade. But wait, no Tom F. Wilson?

The HotSpot 2/20/07

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:00:00 -0800

This week the HotSpot crew discusses the ESA taking on Canada, the resurrection of an ill-conceived game law, the Wii rocking the vote, Clover Studio sowing the land, Marc Ecko, the Halo 3 beta, and LucasArts' new Star Wars game. Will there be a Hoth level?

The HotSpot 2/13/07

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 03:00:00 -0800

The GameSpot travel team returns from Vegas with a full report on D.I.C.E., plus we discuss the dangers of walking while gaming, PopCap's newest executive, rewards for achievement points, and Halo 3's "shutup button." And of course, we cast the new Metal Gear movie!

The HotSpot 2/6/07

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 03:00:00 -0800

Sony calls the Wii an impulse buy, yet in Japan Nintendo's system is outselling the PS3 at a 4 to 1 rate! Plus, 2K's (finally) ready for some football, DVD Empire stops selling games, Dan Aykroyd is prepping for a Ghostbusters game, and everybody's favorite handheld with two screens wants to hear more about your mother.

The HotSpot 1/30/07

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 03:00:00 -0800

Windows Vista is here, should you care yet? Plus the Wii brings news, Capcom wants an award, Sony teams up with Namco-Bandai for the sake of the Cell, Gears of War charts in Japan, and Duke Nukem Forever refuses to go away. Shake it, baby!

The HotSpot 1/23/07

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 03:00:00 -0800

Burning Crusade breaks sales records, Neversoft takes over the Guitar Hero franchise, folks in Europe want to ban games, LT won't be seen in Australia anytime soon, and Founding Fighters! Who needs new releases when you can have all of this?

The HotSpot 1/16/07

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 03:00:00 -0800

CES has come and gone, leaving barely a ripple on the gaming scene...Good thing the NPD released a mess of 2006 sales figures for the HotSpot crew to discuss! So who won the "great console war" of 2006? Is everybody still buying Madden? Tune in for those answers, the launch of Burning Crusade, and your e-mails and phone calls!

The HotSpot 1/9/07

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 03:00:00 -0800

While Rich scours CES for the next big thing in back massagers the rest of the HotSpot gang tackle the 360's upcoming IPTV functions, whether or not it will get a bigger hard drive and the mighty Zune. Also, we take on Sony's new downloadable games, its claim to have shipped 1 million PS3s and the Sixaxis winning an Emmy? What?

The HotSpot 1/2/07

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 03:00:00 -0800

The HotSpot crew kicks off 20-0-Savage with a recap of GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2006, Time's remarks on the PS3, and Virtua Fighter 5 coming to the Xbox 360. Plus Psychonauts, Gears of War downloadable content, lefty's gaming skills, and the last time we'll ever-ever mention the Wii's wrist straps.

The HotSpot 12/12/06

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 03:00:00 -0800

The final HotSpot of 2006 concludes the year with one more batch of Wii headlines, plus our thoughts on Dragon Quest IX, Microsoft's XNA Studio Express, the virtual rebirth of Firefly, Sega's newest movie license, and that poor little kid who got arrested for opening his presents early.

The HotSpot 12/5/06

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 03:00:00 -0800

With 2006 refusing to go down quietly, the HotSpot crew discuss Halo 3's latest (successful) attempt at grabbing headlines, the Wii's Japanese launch, large numbers and how they relate to the PS3, Gran Turismo HD, and strip club DJs.

The HotSpot 11/28/06

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Back from a long weekend of feasting and near-futile shopping, the HotSpot crew talks Wii sales numbers, the confusing process of getting a PS1 game onto a PSP using a PS3, the Xbox 360's new HD marketplace, holiday gaming, Dave Winfield, and the lameness of the phrase

The HotSpot 11/21/06

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Sony's PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii have finally arrived in North America, and the HotSpot crew shares tales of launch events, online auctions, and console hunts. Plus we talk about gaming executives' bizarre popularity, Halo 3 headlines, and Gears of War's Xbox Live dominance, then run for the borders!

The HotSpot 11/14/06

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 03:00:00 -0800

The Wii has arrived at GameSpot HQ, so tune in for the HotSpot crew's gesture-based impressions! We've also got Wii Virtual Console discoveries, the PS3's Japanese launch, some last-minute preorder woes, Halo 3 rumors, Killzone, and a long-awaited goodbye to Stefan Eriksson. Plus your e-mails, phone calls, and more!

The HotSpot 11/7/06

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 03:00:00 -0800

GameSpot finally has a PS3 in the house, so tune in for the HotSpot crew's first impressions, as well as a rundown of the Wii's launch line-up, preorder blues, the emergence of Gears of War, and Final Fantasy XII ruminations. Plus your e-mails, phone calls, and more!

The HotSpot 10/31/06

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Halloween is afire with fiscal reports from gaming's Big Three! Also, we discuss the PlayStation Network, the Xbox 360 dashboard update, more video game movie news, and Phil Collins' appearance in Vice City Stories, and we place odds on Sandwich of the Year!

The HotSpot 10/24/06

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Sony recently held a huge event for the PlayStation 3, so why does the HotSpot crew still have so many questions? We also discuss the latest overblown reaction to Bully, the production status of the Halo movie, the heavy cost of Lumines Live!, and Lik-Sang's losing battle with Sony.

The HotSpot 10/17/06

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 04:00:00 -0700

With only one month until the PS3 and Wii arrive, the HotSpot squad stakes out eBay, looks ahead to E3 07, pours one out for Clover, grudgingly talks about that Bully-ing lawyer, and begs you not to pay for a cheat code.

The HotSpot 10/10/06

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 04:00:00 -0700

The scramble is on to preorder PS3s, but the HotSpot crew is happy to sit back and wait along with news on Guitar Hero II, the Nintendo Wii, the latest achievement points scam, and a very virtual Hilary Duff.

The HotSpot 10/3/06

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 04:00:00 -0700

X06 has come, gone and left behind all kinds of Xbox and Halo news ripe for discussion! We also talk Sixaxis, DICE, Shiny, South Park, and the latest marketing gimmick to try and sell you a burger all on this week's polyunsaturated episode of the HotSpot.

The HotSpot 9/19/06

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 04:00:00 -0700

This week we've got a skeleton crew coming at you straight from Tokyo, on the set of this year's monumental Tokyo Game Show. Find out what we're expecting from this important event in this special edition of the HotSpot.

The HotSpot 9/12/06

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 04:00:00 -0700

The PlayStation 3's shrinking launch numbers, some 11th hour guesses on the Wii's release, games for your iPod and Red Sox ace Curt Schilling's new game company are bringing the heat on this week's HotSpot.

The HotSpot 9/5/06

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Assassin's Creed's non-exclusivity, the PSP's new peripherals, the trouble with Phantasy Star Universe, Double Fine's new publisher, a brand new World War II first person shooter, and excessive use of the G-word has everybody excited about this week's HotSpot.

The HotSpot 8/29/06

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 04:00:00 -0700

More on Leipzig, Kane's return, various Burning games, Xbox 360 updates, Bully getting bullied, and Bill Romanowski can all be heard within the soothing sounds of the HotSpot.

The HotSpot 8/22/06

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 04:00:00 -0700

The Leipzig Games Convention, the new Xbox 360 camera, more Wii pricing rumors, a compilation of compilations, and the return of everybody's favorite lapboard are reminding us all how quickly the summer is coming to an end.

The HotSpot 8/15/06

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Microsofts XNA, the Halo movie's new director, CES, a PSP price drop, Mutant League Football and candy corn make this week's show a mouthful.

The HotSpot 8/8/06

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Street Fighter sales, the Tokyo Game Show, Gears of War, and HD-DVDs are leaving the GameSpot crew hungry like the wolf.

The HotSpot 8/1/06

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 04:00:00 -0700

E3 is dead, the PSP's got new firmware, and it's a bad week for crime-themed games in this very special ishdition of The HotSpot.

The HotSpot 7/25/06

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Madden goes Pay-Per-View, AMD buys ATI, and we lose our minds in this week's show.

The HotSpot 7/18/06

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Team Fortress 2, Portals, Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays, and the unfortunate soundtrack for Lumines II all sing in perfect harmony in this weeks show.

The HotSpot 7/11/06

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Microsoft's Argo, Sony's controversial PSP ads, Chuck Klosterman, and the great Wii wait all can be found in this week's HotSpot.

The HotSpot 7/5/06

Wed, 05 Jul 2006 04:00:00 -0700

SI for Kids' scoop on the Wii, the PS3 getting the bronze medal, World Cup soccer, and the kings of drifting are on the minds of the GameSpot crew.

The HotSpot 6/27/06

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 04:00:00 -0700

The Xbox 360s unwavering price, Take Twos continuing legal drama, the cost of online business, and Reservoir Dogs Australian vacation are number 15 on this weeks black list.

The HotSpot 6/20/06

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Blizzards future plans, Bill Gates departure, Tim Schafers rally cry, and beauty pageants at gaming competitions elicit a wide range of reactions from the GameSpot crew.

The HotSpot 6/13/06

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Gaming politics, the DS Lite, 3D Realms' Duke Nukem incentive, plus Transformers and MC Hammer pants, are all hit upon in this week's show!

The HotSpot 6/6/06

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 04:00:00 -0700

The crew discusses Iwata's comments on the Wii, gaming at the Olympics, and game addiction clinics. Also, one of the GameSpot editors gets voted off the island...permanently!

The HotSpot 5/30/06

Tue, 30 May 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Apple Computer, Wii prices, Link, and Curt Schilling are just a few of the topics we discuss in a surprisingly busy week of industry news.

The HotSpot 5/23/06

Tue, 23 May 2006 04:00:00 -0700

Special guest Geoff Keighley and Spike TV make a visit to the HotSpot, as we discuss Assassins Creed and the fallout from the PS3 price announcement.

The HotSpot 5/16/06

Tue, 16 May 2006 04:00:00 -0700

It's our last show before E3--we discuss what we expect to see, as well as the name change for the Revolution, John Carmack making another phone game, and more!

The HotSpot 5/2/06

Tue, 02 May 2006 04:00:00 -0700

It's our last show before E3--we discuss what we expect to see, as well as the name change for the Revolution, John Carmack making another phone game, and more!

The HotSpot 4/25/06

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 04:00:00 -0700

The HotSpot crew discuss a possible price drop on the Xbox 360, a new Command & Conquer game, early E3 game announcements, and more!

The HotSpot 4/18/06

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 04:00:00 -0700

This week's major stories include Guitar Hero 2, Xbox 360 games at Burger King, and Starforce getting jilted by Ubisoft. We also cover tons of e-mails and phone calls in another hour-long edition of The HotSpot!

The HotSpot 4/11/06

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 04:00:00 -0700

This edition of the HotSpot discusses the first details on a new Revolution game, Peter Molyneux's company getting bought out by Microsoft, and more!

The HotSpot 4/4/06

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 04:00:00 -0700

The Senate met to discuss video game violence again, while Hollywood jumped off the UMD bandwagon. Oh and don't pull any pranks in Ravenna, Ohio while playing Bob Ross painting on your DS. The HotSpot crew tackles these and other pressing issues!

The HotSpot 3/28/06

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Nintendo announces a brand new Zelda game for the DS, Starcraft Ghost is canceled, and will Eva Longoria appear in a video game? All that, plus your emails and phone calls, and more news on this week's HotSpot.

The HotSpot 3/21/06

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 03:00:00 -0800

It's all about the PlayStation Business Briefing this week from the PS3 to the PNP to the PSP, as well as Zelda on the Revolution, Battlefield 2142, and how to get fired as a UK bus driver.

The HotSpot 3/14/06

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 03:00:00 -0800

The HotSpot crew discuss the release date of the PlayStation 3, copy protection comThe HotSpot crew discuss the release date of the PlayStation 3, copy protection companies promoting piracy, and the diseases that Hillary Clinton has caught while playing video games.

The HotSpot 3/7/06

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 03:00:00 -0800

It's another edition of HotSpot complete with user emails and phone calls, as we tackle the DS Lite's stellar launch in Japan, the selling out of Depeche Mode, and what Dietrich would do with your liver if he had it.

The HotSpot 3/1/06

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Blu-Ray players, a new id game, the Prince of Persia movie, and Gizmondo executives wrapping Ferraris around telephone poles are just a few of this week's topics!

The HotSpot 2/22/06

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Snoop Dogg's new gaming league, the Zelda delay, new game legislation, and the specter of a $700 PlayStation 3 are some of this week's topics. We also answer emails and phone calls from readers!

The HotSpot 2/15/06

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 03:00:00 -0800

HotSpot editors talk about DICE, Final Fantasy Advent Children, Halo 2 on the PC, and disgruntled prostitutes on this week's podcast!

The HotSpot 2/8/06

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 03:00:00 -0800

This week we discuss the layoffs at EA, hirings at Blizzard and Bungie, and MMO games from James Cameron and John Romero!

The HotSpot 2/1/06

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Nintendo rolls out a new DS, Electronic Arts and Ubi tangle over developers, and Texas wants to tax video games 100%? The HotSpot crew untangle the week's news for you in this edition.

The HotSpot 1/25/06

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 03:00:00 -0800

No booth babes at E3? Does it even matter? GameSpot editors get to the bottom of this important matter, and also discuss Sony's acquisition of Zipper, Hideo Kojima's podcast, and more!

The HotSpot 1/18/06

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 03:00:00 -0800

The HotSpot team discusses the possibility of Revolution and PlayStation 3 shipping the same week, as well as the upcoming Transformers movie.

The HotSpot 1/11/06

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Another season of podcast is well underway as we reflect on CES announcements, another Uwe Boll disaster, and the sweet smell of WiBro in the morning.

The HotSpot 1/4/06

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Our first podcast of 2006 talks about DS sales, some major moves in MMORPGs and the snappy looking Phantom lapboard.

The HotSpot 12/14/05

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 03:00:00 -0800

Our final podcast of 2005 touches on Xbox 360 sales in Japan, and the closure of a major Japanese RPG localization firm.

The HotSpot 12/7/05

Wed, 07 Dec 2005 03:00:00 -0800

The ESRB and NIMF engage in a holiday catfight while Sony's marketing team resorts to defacing public and private property with PSP graffiti.

The HotSpot 11/30/05

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 03:00:00 -0800

Hillary Clinton's new 'family protection' bill and the new announcement about the Revolution are just a couple of the topics in this week's podcast.

The HotSpot 11/23/05

Wed, 23 Nov 2005 03:00:00 -0800

The Xbox 360 is now out--we talk more about the console's launch, Tivo on your PSP, and 50 Cent's new 'children's game.'

The HotSpot 11/16/05

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 03:00:00 -0800

Leading into the release of the Xbox 360, GameSpot editors give their frank opinions about the highs and lows of the new console and its launch games.

The HotSpot 11/9/05

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 03:00:00 -0800

This week's topics include Nintendo's upcoming DS offerings, Xbox 360 shortages, the Halo movie, and more!

The HotSpot 10/26/05

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 04:00:00 -0700

In this episode, we talk about Revolution's launch date, Xbox 360's fouling up Wal-Mart's and Uwe Boll's latest foray into video game cinema!

The HotSpot 10/19/05

Wed, 19 Oct 2005 04:00:00 -0700

This week, we chat about Jack Thompson's humiliation at the hands of Penny Arcade, Steven Spielberg's newest foray into games, and more!

The HotSpot 10/12/05

Wed, 12 Oct 2005 04:00:00 -0700

We gab some more about Xbox 360 launch games, the seedy details of the Activision/Spark lawsuits, and why teenagers just don't like games anymore.

The HotSpot 10/5/05

Wed, 05 Oct 2005 04:00:00 -0700

Microsoft's X05 event and new Xbox 360 game announcements are the centerpiece of this week's podcast!

The HotSpot 9/28/05

Wed, 28 Sep 2005 04:00:00 -0700

The id Software lawsuit and potentially bleak future of the Gizmondo headline this week's hot news in games!

The HotSpot 9/21/05

Wed, 21 Sep 2005 04:00:00 -0700

The Nintendo Revolution controller and the Xbox 360 launch date highlight the list of hot topics for this week in the world of video games!

The HotSpot 9/14/05

Wed, 14 Sep 2005 04:00:00 -0700

We discuss Metal Gear Solid 4, other preliminary news out of the Tokyo Game Show, and more!

The HotSpot 9/7/05

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 04:00:00 -0700

The World of Warcraft expansion pack and the closing of Cyan are among this week's hot topics.

The HotSpot 8/31/05

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 04:00:00 -0700

In this week's HotSpot, we discuss Xbox 360 giveaway schemes, Pac-Man in hip-hop, and much more!

The HotSpot 8/24/05

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 04:00:00 -0700

In this week's HotSpot, we shop for Xbox 360 preorder bundles, check out Master Chief on the silver screen, and much more!

The HotSpot 8/17/05

Wed, 17 Aug 2005 04:00:00 -0700

In this week's edition, we talk about Xbox 360 pricing, no Zelda for Christmas, DS price cuts, and much more!

The HotSpot 8/10/05

Wed, 10 Aug 2005 04:00:00 -0700

No player-killing allowed for minors in China! Elsewhere, the F.E.A.R. demo and Madden release take control of a slow summer for gaming.

The HotSpot 8/3/05

Wed, 03 Aug 2005 04:00:00 -0700

GameSpot editors recap the hottest news and trends in the gaming industry from the past week!

The HotSpot 7/27/05

Wed, 27 Jul 2005 04:00:00 -0700

GameSpot editors recap the hottest news and trends in the gaming industry from the past week!

The HotSpot 7/20/05

Wed, 20 Jul 2005 04:00:00 -0700

Join Executive Editor Greg Kasavin, Senior Editor Jeff Gerstmann, Features Editor Bob Colayco, and Features Producer Rich Gallup as they discuss the Hot Coffee brouhaha, the ups and downs of gaming stocks, inflation in the land of Azeroth, and more!