Cup of Jones - July 13, 2020
Added 2020-07-13 16:57:41 +0000 UTCWe just got through a week absolutely jam-packed with reactions, reviews, and previews. It’s an example of how we need to roll with the industry when events occur and stuff is ready to be covered, and it makes me grateful for stuff like Hunting Huber that’s already produced and rolling out when we might need to step away from expected shows/streams to focus on Treehouse Live, Devolver, Ubisoft, etc. So your support not only keeps the lights on here at EZA, it allows us to put our full force into things that we’re really passionate about, and hopefully that passion translates when we produce coverage of the biggest games people are talking about.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI1SrIufVPw
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.
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
CABBAGELAD - Well now I need an editorial on your Welsh heritage. Proud Welsh listener here. JONES - I do not know a ton about my heritage, but I have been to Wales (when I was 9) and I remember being blown away at the size of some of the words in the language.
Comments
Hey Jones, I've read online that a PO box will hold packages for 10 days then return it back to sender. Thought I would let you know.
Ibrahim Sozer
2020-07-25 10:55:17 +0000 UTCJust a quick question today. I thought to ask this after I realized that I have over 300 hours in The Binding of Isaac Rebirth on PC. At this point, I don't even need to look up descriptions for the items or what stat effects they have, I've just memorized them all. Is there a particular game like this for you all? One you think you have the most hours in, one you just simply go back to for some mindless, "turn off your brain" fun, or one you've played so much that you've virtually memorized? Take care all, L&R & Sorry Enforcer, Spongejay1
spongejay1
2020-07-20 17:15:24 +0000 UTCHow’s it going Jones? Long time patron, first time poster! I was the guy who made the multi-colored silhouette EZA poster on Twitter, and then sent the poster to you guys a long time ago. I was wondering, what are your thoughts on your pal Craig Skistimas leaving Game Attack and starting his own podcast interviewing friends? It would be awesome to see you become a guest on his podcast! Thanks for all the hard work you and the rest of the Allies do, it is much appreciated!
Ledarius Smith
2020-07-20 06:01:15 +0000 UTCMr. Jones, My question this week is about feedback within the community and within the company itself. Sometimes it feels like you may provide placating answers when faced with community critiques, possibly to avoid conflict or remain tactful. How willing are you to put us in our place when we get out of hand or firmly select a side in a contentious debate that is also controversial? How is feedback approached internally within EZA? I can see each of the allies being kind and letting the others express themselves, but has there been a time when a line was crossed and it needed to be addressed in a pointed manner? Since it is a light week for questions, do you care to discuss your philosophy on how to address to expectedly unreceptive persons? Respectfully, Morgan Mohalla
Morgan Mohalla
2020-07-20 05:43:17 +0000 UTCBloodworth should absolutely do more racing games or even F1 stuff! I know he's already super busy but it would be interesting!
Anthony Scibelli
2020-07-19 17:31:44 +0000 UTCHeya Jones, I know, I know. Just ignore him and he'll go away. But if Easy Allies was in love with Russia's top chess player, would it think he needs more security or does he need his fantasy and freedom?
Asbo Zappruder
2020-07-18 20:26:45 +0000 UTCWould you rather go back to the studio sooner knowing you have to wear masks while there, or just stay home until all this stuff is over? I'm struggling to see any points between those two right now with everything going on. L&R, Josh Read
Josh Read
2020-07-18 00:42:56 +0000 UTCI’m curious: how do you communicate with developer/publisher representative during online previews (in case they see that you need some help or you have question or problem that needs to be addressed)? If you can’t talk about this, feel free to skip this question.
Alexander Zyryanov
2020-07-15 11:04:38 +0000 UTCBrandon, thank you so much, you're so amazingly kind, patient and humble, and you've taken a load off my chest. You offering to redo my submission is completely fair from you, but if the Community Showcase doesn't allow for double submissions, then I'd rather just write a new one for next month. Because I make fanart of each of the Allies every month(as I'm pretty sure you've figured out by now), it needs to align thematically with whichever Ally is guesting that month, as well as its corresponding textpiece. Also I saw Bloodworth talk in chat about bedbugs and it really sounds like a gruesome experience. I'm deeply sorry. I guess now we're both in the know of what hell feels like. Love & Respect to you both. <3
Nik Gothic
2020-07-14 23:49:53 +0000 UTC... Pressed enter by accident- thank you so much- the podcast, the show, the allies all mean a lot to me. Couldn't have done lockdown without you guys. Thank you.
See You When I Get There
2020-07-14 07:43:45 +0000 UTCHello Jones! First of all I want to say, I think the podcasts are beginning to really click! It's really beginning to find a new identity. There are a couple of things about it that I do want to bring up as I think they're worth saying. The first is the lack of importance when it comes to fun, unimportant games. I remember when you and Kyle had the podcast hand off, you said that you just weren't a sports/competitive person. In the last podcast you lost track of who won the Wonderful 101 game. Problem is, if I get a sense that you don't really care, I won't- and obviously no one is supposed to care, but I think there's something about generating a moment of suspense- with a fake element of competition- it really helps break the podcast up! Not every game needs a winner, but I think it's something to be aware of.
See You When I Get There
2020-07-14 07:42:59 +0000 UTCHey Jones! Firstly I just wanted to thank you for re reading that God of War script again - it definitely was a treat! With the world being the way it is right now - even though things are opening up here in Canada, I still find myself weary of going out to any kind of public gathering for obvious reasons. Normally this wouldn't be a huge deal, but I also live by myself in a small apartment, so it can get a little stir crazy after a while (especially in the 2 month lock down before recently going back to work). In any case - I have been trying to find a creative outlet for myself to just keep my spirits up while things are a mess outside. There is one problem though: I don't feel like I have one creative bone in my body. I've tried getting into music or creative writing in the past but it just doesn't seem to click with me. However - I had a thought recently; I've always been that weird kid in school who kind of enjoyed doing analytical writing like book reports or research papers etc. So I thought maybe I would follow the inspiration of the beautifully written reviews I hear from all of the Easy Allies and actually try to write game reviews/ impressions of my own. It's not even anything I aim to post anywhere, simply to write them for myself, and maybe share with my friends. I just find I am often a friend in conversations about games who really likes to dig in to specifics, talk about the things I really love about a game, or the things that didn't click and why I think that might be. I'll write them and maybe if I get the confidence up one day I'll VO them myself for a video - but this is where I need your help! I have no idea how to even begin organizing my thoughts to put them into a coherent review. I have a lot of thoughts written down about Doom Eternal and Last of Us 2, which I recently played, but I find myself wildly disorganized with how to express them. One thing I thought I’d do is give myself a challenge of doing like “1 Page reviews” where I have to figure out how to condense my thoughts in to a smaller target so that I have to be a lot more selective and chisel my thoughts down to the core of what I want to say. My question for you would simply be: Do you have a sort of ‘template’ that you generally like to use when organizing how you want to communicate your thoughts on a game? Or does it just become something you got better at the more and more reviews you wrote over the years? Would love to hear your input! Thanks Jones, Cheers from Canada :) gbzmr
gbzmr (Zamora2Podcast)
2020-07-13 21:42:10 +0000 UTCNo need to read this off, but I found the studio Q&A's were so much better. The interaction in person is so much better. Just needed to throw that out!
Skankman
2020-07-13 20:26:49 +0000 UTCHi Brandon, I'm one of those who finds myself tuning out of the easy allies podcast for whatever reason. I can't tell you why unfortunately but I notice that I actively look forward to your cup of Jones every Monday. It kinda feels like your holding your personality back in the podcast but its out in full swing in cup of Jones. You're charming, eloquent and witty in cup of Jones but in the podcast that only seems to come out in bits and pieces. Maybe the your standards for what you think the podcast should be are holding you back. Anyways just wanted to put in my 2 cents since I don't have any real solutions but maybe it'll spark some new ideas. Thanks for your time!
Flytrap Games
2020-07-13 18:56:40 +0000 UTCHey Mr. Jones! I’m curious regarding engagement levels across the various communities EZA has. I know doing Cup of Jones on Patron every week means you’re always seeing and talking with Patrons via Patreon, but I was wondering: Among Twitch, YouTube, Patreon, Twitter, and others, what platform do you see has the most audience participation? Why do you believe that is and what is EZA doing that maintains such engagement? And conversely, which of these platforms has the least and what could EZA do to be better on said platform(s)? Personally, I believe EZA does a great job across all through comments, conversation through streaming, and responses, but I wanted to know the perception from someone within EZA. Thanks again for reading and as always, have a wonderful rest of your day! Cheers! QUESTION: Among the various platforms EZA has (Patreon, Twitch, YouTube, etc.), which do you believe EZA does the best in having and maintaining audience participation and conversely, which does EZA falls short and what could the Allies do to be better on said platform?
Brandon K Gann
2020-07-13 18:03:34 +0000 UTC
