Episode 34 - A Fond Farewell to a Console Generation

The Joy of Gaming Podcast, Episode 34:

A Fond Farewell to a Console Generation

Well fellow gamers, it’s been eight long years since the last significant new console launch, but Sony’s Playstation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One have finally arrived. We will go into depth about these new consoles in the coming weeks, but first we spend an episode looking back on the generation that was, and bid a fond farewell to PS3 and Xbox 360.

First though, we have some amazing new fall game releases to discuss, including deeper impressions of games we’ve previously discussed a bit - like Batman Arkham Origins, Beyond Two Souls and Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag - and some new games we’ve just started to dig into, including XCOM: Enemy Within, Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate, and Rayman: Fiesta Run for iOS.

We also discuss a bit of gaming news, including the launch of the PS4 (initial sales numbers, rumors of console failures, and the first crop of games), new story DLC for The Last of Us called “Left Behind", The announcement of Naughty Dog’s next Nathan Drake-tacular extravaganza - aka Uncharted 4, Xbox One Resolution-Gate, the ridiculously high review scores A Link Between Worlds and Super Mario 3D World are receiving, and more.  

And then…we turn our attention to “The Greatest (Console) Generation” – Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 – which will always be known as “Next-Gen” in our gamer hearts.  These are the consoles that changed the face of gaming and brought video games to the masses, and we discuss their storied run with more than a hint of favoritism and nostalgia. Our conversation includes: the rise of downloadable games on Xbox Live Arcade and PSN, DLC add-ons, the biggest 360 and PS3 franchises, innovations of the generation (Kinect, PS Eye), flops of the generation (Kinect, PS Eye - hehe), the concept of gaming console as media and entertainment hub, apps like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, and much more. And we finish with our fondest memories of each console, and reveal our picks of the games that defined the generation. 

The Next, Next Gen is here, and it's only a matter of time before we have to move on for good. But as we move forth, boldly, into the wild, blue, 1080p yonder, may we never forget that which came before. This... is the Joy of Gaming!