Cup of Jones - July 26, 2021
Added 2021-07-26 16:54:18 +0000 UTCNo more jury duty! Hooray! I thought I was going to be sitting in a courtroom this morning, so I will happily respond to any notes, questions, or criticisms from our lovely community if it means I can do it from the comfort of my own desk. It actually was a very simple court case that I’ll quickly wrap-up at the top of today’s episode. Then there are big things to talk about. Huber’s playing Fire Emblem! Ben and friends are playing Final Fantasy XI! After I had to sit out this week’s podcast, and following a direct question from a Patron, I’ll dig into the Activision/Blizzard affair a bit and discuss what it means for our games coverage.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSNxWh4bx8U
- Brandon
DISCLAIMER: I take questions from the post comments on the previous week’s episode here on Patreon. You can ask a business-related question which I may answer live, or a personal question which I may answer below. If your business question was not answered live, I either replied to it in the comments, or referenced the answer in a recent episode. Feel free to inquire why your question wasn't included, or ask the same question a second time if you think I may have missed it. I will edit your comment/question before reading it live to ensure the show moves as quickly as possible. I typically grab all the questions by midnight (PT) the night before each episode.
Comments
Heya Jones, Yeah, no, I get that but then what about the horse? But would Easy Allies prefer to talk about the moon floating in the sky, a bird learning how to fly, or things you'd like to do? Bonus question: Damiani recently did a fun stream for people catching up on FF14 but it was a pop-up stream. Would he be interesting in doing something similar but with questions taken from Patreon?
Asbo Zappruder
2021-08-01 19:41:45 +0000 UTCGood Morning Mr Jones I’ve been re-watching Mysterious Monsters recently; it’s a reminder why I love this show. I have a suggestion, not sure if these have been brought up before; Would it be possible to display the questions and answers on the screen for clarity? I know there have been occasions when Huber has forgotten to tell us the answer and other times when I couldn’t hear the answer properly, this would also be ideal for anyone with hearing difficulties. Do you know when Mysterious Monsters will return? Love and Respect Robert Lee
robert7lee
2021-08-01 16:46:48 +0000 UTCHi Jones, I’m not usually one to ask questions for Cup of Jones, despite being a regular listener, as I usually feel pretty confident in your abilities as a group to make good decisions and release entertaining content. However over the past couple weeks, since EZA has slowly returned to a sense of normalcy, some ideas and questions have come up, this isn’t to say I’m unhappy and nervous about the state of EZA, just some ideas I thought I could press to you. Firstly, I think right about now would be a good time to upload a promo video to YouTube, showcasing everything you do/what you can get from patreon. In the past couple YouTube comments sections I found a pretty decent area of the audience had no idea what cup of Jones was and how to listen to it, and I feel there’s a lot of good value on patreon right now (soundtrack club/extended podcasts) that haven’t been advertised the best and people probably should know about. Secondly, how do you as a group feel about shows being exclusive to patreon versus something like the next episode week exclusivity on patreon like you’ve sometimes done in the past, personally I feel shows like achieve it yourself and trash babies would be very entertaining to a wider audience and make them more likely to support eza further, but it is up to you. Finally, less serious question, any plans for a Jones x ally (Ben?) Pokémon series; silver squad is my favourite thing you’ve ever done, a selfish request but I’m just wondering. Anyway sorry about the length but I’ve been thinking about these things for a while, EZA has been a great help to me this past year and I look forward to anything you guys do, L&R
Gladiuswingzero
2021-07-31 09:56:15 +0000 UTCJust listened to this episode and I was definitely not the only one giving you recommendations for things to check out last week!
Alec Church
2021-07-30 04:32:48 +0000 UTCRecently, I've seen some reviewers pop up on Reddit review threads, offering to answer any questions people might have on a game. This made me think that perhaps this could be a format for a something. After a review goes out you can submit a post (could be Patreon only) asking for questions. Once a week or two have gone by, you can select some questions and just answer them in a video. If it's a game under embargo and or you won't be able to, maybe you can answer those questions after that embargo. To reduce toxicity, comments will only be chosen if they are about the game, and not about the review. For example, what did you think about the AI systems would be allowed. Why I think you're wrong about the story would not be allowed. Of course spoiler questions will not be allowed either, because that would be for Spoiler Mode. I think it's something that could increase engagement and might allow you to be more in depth with your coverage of some titles. And I hope it's not something that will take much time to create either as it won't require heavy editing and you would have already played the game.
Varun Kachhwaha
2021-07-29 17:10:41 +0000 UTCHey Jones, Is there any chance of Easy Livin returning? I truly appreciate all the group streams within the studio but there's something special about having all the allies under one roof for 50 hours straight. I mean who doesn't love watching the allies get the late-night loopies while playing a ridiculous game (Porky pig, Shrek) and not to mention we gotta see the next chapter in the Isla and Don hit the beach saga. Appreciate everything you guys do! L&R
Shannon Khalid
2021-07-28 23:03:07 +0000 UTCI don’t want to argue with you, but I saw a number of similar situations in my life, and, from my experience, even when something seems black-and-white-simple, it’s usually not. It’s good to discuss this and to raise our concerns, but it’s also worth keeping in mind that there may be some things that Allies simply can’t openly say. Maybe they are concerned that without big games coverage their revenue will dip, and this enterprise will not be able to support itself. Maybe there’s something else we aren’t aware of. I’m not trying to say that concerns and arguments shouldn’t be brought up, but I think in this particular case we can trust Allies to make the best decision on their own.
Alexander Zyryanov
2021-07-28 17:13:54 +0000 UTCHi Jones, I was watching the RTX video of Isla, Elyse and yourself playing Kill Your Babies and thought it might be fun to introduce a few cards into the deck that are classic stinkers (for example, Superman 64) to inject some high stakes. Picture thinking "ok, it's time to let Street Fighter 2 go" only to find that you've accidentally saved ET for the Atari. It could be called the Trash Babies Expansion Pack to tie it in with the new Trash Babies show (plus from a branding perspective, Trash Babies as a title works nicely with Kill Your Babies). Anyway, the idea needs refinement (e.g. you'd probably only want a few cards like this to not ruin the balance of the game) but it was a random thought, and I thought I'd pass it on! L+R, DancingElk
DancingElk
2021-07-27 12:14:31 +0000 UTCHello, Jones. As always thanks for reading my question about suggestions, so here is one! The ever requested interview show! But the hook has to be in its name. Would the EZA Occasional Interview Hour be stepping on the Occasional Board Game show toes? EZA Infrequent Interviews? EZA Intermittent Interview Time? EZA Sporadic Examination? EZA Periodic Conversation? Anyway the point I am going for is to just make it clear that it won't be something that happens on a regular basis.
Parasitepaladin
2021-07-26 22:06:23 +0000 UTCHey Jones, Thank you for making this week's editorial on Activision Blizzard (though it's hard to imagine what else it could have been). You've swayed me with a couple of your points, but I still think I'm disappointed in the group decision to continue covering Acitvision Blizzard games. I agree with your point regarding the nuance of boycotts vs. retaining the ability to criticize, but there's more room to maneuver than you're giving credit for. If all the allies are of the same mind ("screw Blizzard!"), then isn't it possible to stop performing previews/reviews, while still reserving the right to call them out on their BS? To say that it has to be all or nothing is missing the mark, I think, and coming out with an actually editorial policy surrounding these issues would make sense. If not for this, then what would it take for Easy Allies to so? Also, your point that Ubisoft is just as bad or worse is pretty weak. Just because these issues are pervasive and systemic to the industry negates the need to take a stand and say something? You seem to say that to stop covering Ubisoft games would be impossible, but . . . it's not? Furthermore, it would create more space for the team to uplift small studios, as you yourself say is necessary. I know that Easy Allies has largely skirted around so-called "political" issues in the past, but it's getting harder and harder to find that acceptable when you have the platform that you do. Anyway, there's part of the rant that's been brewing in my head since last week. I look forward to this dialog continuing among the allies and with the community. L+R, David
David Olsen
2021-07-26 20:34:46 +0000 UTCHey Jones, I think you skipped my post last week but no worries, I'll just post it again here. Was thinking about the response to not having bits in the podcast and I totally think you should do you Jones. For the record, I have enjoyed your bits especially gaming gladiators. Was the first time I got anything on the podcast which was Corvo vs Adam Jensen. So I am in favor of bringing bits back and was wondering if it needs to be video game related or can be something random. For example, what did each ally eat for breakfast/lunch, what was the last video game they played, restaurant recommendations, or just patron submitted random facts. But if you just don't feel like doing bits I completely respect your decision and will be there for every podcast anyways. L&R, Cody.
Cody Spencer
2021-07-26 19:36:34 +0000 UTCHello Brandon. When you absent on Easy Allies Podcast and someone else hosts it, it's still you who reads all ads. Is there a reason for that? P.S. I saw that you had problems with WiFi in the studio. One of the reasons for poor WiFi connection could be usage of wireless channel that another access point (yours or your neighbors’) is also using (basically, if two devices use the same radio frequency, they are competing for the bandwidth). You can just try using different channels in access point configuration and see which one works better. Or, if you to be more precise, you can install inSSIDer on any laptop with WiFi – this program will show all wireless network (including hidden ones) and what wireless channels they are using. Just pick the one that is the least used (meaning has the lowest signal level across all access points that are using it). I recommend downloading version 2 – it’s old, but it doesn’t require registration to use.
Alexander Zyryanov
2021-07-26 18:40:00 +0000 UTCHey Mr. Jones! After being a part of Cup from the very start and taking it upon myself to participate every week, the recent Cup with the very small number of questions had me wonder if a live episode had ever been that brief, which led me to me to what my question is for you this week: What would Cup be without questions? Just a brief overview, schedule recap, and editorial? WOULD Cup even BE? As much as it’s a highlight of my week it has become courtesy of your kindness, I think about how without being provided the opportunity like everyone else to be a part of any form of content, I wouldn’t have the little amount of confidence it’s given me. Thanks as always for reading, and have a wonderful rest of your day! Cheers! P.S.: Loved the eye-roll, and while writing this question, I couldn’t help but laugh with what I chose for this week. QUESTION: As someone who has had the privilege of participating in Cup every week, what would Cup be without fielding questions? Would you still do it as it is or is Business Question too critical to Cup’s existence?
Brandon K Gann
2021-07-26 17:54:53 +0000 UTC
