PixlBit

The controversial Japanese game developer leaves a legacy of genre bending titles.

Last week was kind of a crazy week of news for video game fans of all walks of life. Naturally the PS4 announcement took up the lion’s share of the attention, and with good reason considering how long the current console generation has lasted. Obviously big and sad news hit a lot of people close to this website with the announcement that 1up would be closing, and some excellent writers getting laid off. With all of that commotion it’s easy to forgive if you didn’t realize that Kenji Eno died last week, as well. You can also be forgiven for asking who that is, because although Eno was a legendary game designer to a lot of people, he was also an enigma that hadn’t been in the gaming news for over a decade.

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You don't have to be hardcore to have an opinion.

It’s been nearly a year since Mass Effect 3 was released, and with it the conclusion of a trilogy that most players had waited 5 long years to see. To say that the ending was controversial would be the understatement of this generation; so incensed were fans at the final moments of Mass Effect 3 that BioWare had to go back to redo the ending, which still did little to please the audience. PixlBit is home to a large number of passionate Mass Effect fans. We’ve said our piece on the trilogy’s end through blogs, articles, and podcasts. Working at a video game website, we keep ourselves plugged in to the gaming community and are well aware of the grievances of the day. But what about the more casual player? I was curious to talk to someone that enjoyed Mass Effect but was completely divorced from the hype train that had been building around this franchise since 2007. How would such a person view the series, the ending, and the fan reaction?

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This issue of PB & Jason was spoken in real time!

The key phrase at the PlayStation 4 announcement event was "...in real time." A point this PB & Jason tries to make is that real-time, scripted footage produces visuals that are often of higher quality than actual gameplay footage, and unfortunately, developers and publishers take advantage of that fact. Regardless, this week's PB & Jason covers last week's Nintendo Direct in brief, and then tackles the announcements of the PlayStation2013 event. Impressions of the reveals are mixed: Most of the actual features included in the PS4, like trying games instantly and streaming your game feed from the console, sound very interesting. The game announcements and trailers, however, seemed disappointing at the same time. PB & Jason is recorded in front of a live studio audience every Wednesday, weather permitting. Click through for listening and download links!

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