Cup of Jones - August 22, 2019

Aw man am i wrong to wish theyd play the soulsilver/heartgold versions? They just encourage you to play them so well. Like dude the frickin run toggle!

Mags Moratto

Safety post.

Daniel Ribeiro

Hi, Jones. I woke up today, ate breakfast and went to read the news on EuroGamer, top two stories were of allegedly sexual assaults by two very prominent and famous game developers - one the co-creator of Night in the Woods and the other a very famous music composer. Other people have come forth to either confirm that they too suffered sexual assault or have heard similar stories about the accused. Sorry to drop this on your lap, but I genuinely believe that is essential that these stories reach as many people as possible. Of course, this isn't just a problem in the gaming industry alone, but in almost every place where people socialize and interact with each other. However, the fact that other people not abused, but that have heard many similar stories about these people never did anything to stop them or at least come forward in support of the victims - the same happened to that bastard Weinstein in the movie industry, were the fact that people knew about it, but did nothing allowed these sexual predators to continue to sexually assault other people. All of this gives me the impression that almost everyone is just happy to ignore the victims in such situations and offer little to no support at all. I'm not asking you anything specific about these cases, I just wanted to provide some context to my question and also help spread this type of news, which is essential to create awareness so people can both be reminded to always protect themselves, others and also to hold those responsible accountable. My question is, since you work in the games industry for almost two decades now and know a lot of people, in your opinion and to the best of your knowledge, what do you believe can be done and needs to be done in order to eliminate or at least diminish the probability of these types of cases happening in the gaming industry? My perception and knowledge of the behind the scenes in the gaming industry is very limited, since I never worked nor dealt professionally in such a industry, however since you have. If my first question is too general, could you at least talk about the culture in the gaming industry that you have dealt and deal with on a daily basis? I have heard from game developers on sexual assaults, sexual harassment, racism and homophobic behaviour countless times over the years and this seems - at least from my limited perception - that this is common culture in the gaming industry. Basically, I just wanna know your thoughts - and Bloodworth's if he's there and wants to share - on these matters. L&R PS. I just saw that another fellow Ally has posted a similar question, so I know these are the types of stories that affects us all. We really need to expose these people as much as possible so they are stopped sooner and have no chance to hurt other people.

Daniel Ribeiro

Hey Jones, I read the horrible story of Nathalie Lawhead' s rape and treatment during two separate game developments involving Jeremy Soule. In the second games development I was very upset to see that in one of the emails the Boss *name withheld* brought up Gametrailers Editor in Chief when asking Nathalie to continue to work on good faith to get a trailer out that Gametrailers could circulate. I don't know of you have read the full story but I hope that if you do recognise these horrible people that you have cut ties with them or even better, never helped them to begin with. Attached is the link to the entire story http://www.nathalielawhead.com/candybox/calling-out

Steven Beaumont

Hey Brandon - Rockstar question here! Following the last Top ten video, I wanted to know - what's your experience with GTA 1&2/London. I'm sure you've discussed this before, so apologies if so. But I think they're really interesting games, and pretty fun.

El Roberto

You said on the most recent Cup of Jones that you plan to play Pokemon Silver on Thursday streams with Kyle. Is there any reason why you are not playing Soul Silver instead? It’s by far the best version of the game, has countless improvements and is regarded by most as the best entry in the series. As well as the improved controls and more fleshed out story, the visuals vastly improved, making it a more pleasurable experience for Twitch viewers as well as yourself. I presume that when people have been recommending you play Silver, most probably mean Soul Silver. (If you are in fact playing Soul Silver, please ignore this message!) L&R

Alex

When on Friday can we expect the podcast (typically what time would it be up for patrons)?

POKEY CLYDE

Will you do another survey in the future, if so do you have any hint as to how often you'll test the patreon's temperature (annually, semi-annual, on every 4th phase). If you do do another survey, will you please consider listing all shows/reoccuring streams and ask your patrons to rate them 1-10 then release the results to the patreon. The sting of loosing a favorite show would be lessened for me if I know only %2 of the patreon also enjoy that show. If %70 of the patreon loves a show you want to retire maybe you can change your language from cancelled to in the vault. I mean, who knows, Ben may have the itch to do D&D again in 4 years. Or maybe a Top 10 could make since as a special one time anniversary show thing. Thanks! L&R Matt

Matt Brookbank

Aloha Brandon, First off, I am excited for most of the Phase 4 changes, especially the return of Gundam build streams and Huber's new series (which sounds like all kinds of gold). The changes to Trailer Jones sound promising as well, making the show more topical as opposed to a monthly collection. Please don't feel like you have to limit yourself to the 3 trailer cap though, if you have the time and will (I know fatherly responsibilities take priority) to make an extra 1 or 2 during certain heavy release months, we all would love it. (Personally would love to see a D23 twofer on the Mandalorian/Rise of Skywalker trailers released this weekend. Or if you have some quick thoughts here, in lieu of it, that would be awesome.) The most painful loss is Tabletop Escapades. I thoroughly enjoyed that series every week. Is the Occasional Board Game show only going to focus on Board games or can card games be thrown in the mix as well? Those were some great streams from your garage. Together We RPG and Don's Design Lab are great choices as well. All in all, I'm looking forward for your content to come. Quick housekeeping question: Back, right after E3, during the Awards stream, you opened a care package with a few Star Wars prizes and a quick competition rule-set. Did that happen already? I've been watching most of the major streams, but I just don't remember seeing it. Mahalo for everything you do, L & R, Namzor

Samo Rozman

I get the sense from Kyle that he has very high expectations for anything he creates and he will stress over making it as good as it can possibly be. Which is great... but all he has to do is sit in front of a camera and ramble on about whatever comes to mind for a bit and I know this community would eat it up. I think his high standards for his work might be stopping him from giving us simple Kyle content. That’s just my assumption. I’d love it if he just merged his Bosman at Home channel with EZA. That channel was great.

Corey Swafford

The stream intro doesn't replace our main logo. So I think that should remain the same in the profile icon, etc. We are working on some new graphic elements for Twitch, but there's a bit of a backlog at the moment. However, the language on the offline image is definitely an oversight. So we'll try to fast track that one in particular. -Bloodworth

Easy Allies

Short and sweet: Thanks for everything. I know it isn't easy cutting things and making changes. I like the changes. They seem necessary and smart. L&R! -Mr. Greig

While I enjoy full playthroughs, could having multiple ones which take place over weeks/months be limiting the size of the audience that attend those streams live? Personally speaking, if I missed the first few episodes of one, I’d be reluctant to tune in, unless I’d somehow managed to get caught up first. There’s also the possibility that if someone is not interested in the game, they’ll also be checked out for months.

BeatenDownBrian

I talked with Damiani about this back in January but haven't seen any updates about this since. When you got the new streaming graphics I asked about the rest of the twitch graphics being updated so it all matches, such as the profile icon and the small graphics for the info below the stream. Most importantly though, the offline image says that you're offline and to check below for the schedule, when there is no schedule below the stream any longer, and there hasn't been for quite some time. With the phase 4 changes having a focus on more group streams, I'm wondering why this still hasn't been updated especially as it's been brought up several times since you got the new stream graphics?

Kristen Rogers

Hey Jones I know cup of Jones is focused more on business, but could we get the semiannual Milo update?

Kola Aina

Hey Jones, when the time comes, will you be willing to do unboxings of the new consoles like the unboxing of the switch? meaning for Stadia (whatever it is), Project Scarlet and PS5.

Daniel Garza Andrade

Hey Jones, OK, so if Easy Allies Phase 4 was a musical, what musical would it be? ps - No, this is not just a naked attempt to keep musical theatre discussion going on Cup. Why would you think that?

Asbo Zappruder

You're doing great, I totally support your changes because they have taken stress off of the Allie's shoulders and filled them with hope and enthusiasm. I'm not greatly impacted by the changes. :D

Corrigall

Some Phase 4 feedback. I support the changes. Some are a shame, I'll miss Tabletop, but I understand. In my original feedback I said that I simply want more content. It sounds like we're getting that. As far as goals and tiers... the tier rewards don't sway me much. I pay $5 a month, and while I make use out of getting shows early, it isn't a big deal to me. If you took all benefits away from tiers, it wouldn't make me change where I sub at. Not that I think you should do so; obviously tier rewards are important to many, and especially for the higher ones. But I wouldn't say you need to worry too much about it. I fully support Top 10s build by single Allies. I would also say, though, that they don't need to be on any kind of schedule. If someone comes up with an idea that interests them, then let's do it. I'd also recommend more content, like Top 10s or videos like Kyle rating Spidey suits, to release content that isn't part of any kind of reoccuring schedule, one off videos that grab ahold of the current zietgeist. For example, when Link's Awakening comes out, Damini releases a video going over some of his favorite music off the older Zelda soundtracks. A little something that can serve as an introduction to EZA.

Pixillated

No matter how anyone puts it, a ”Cup of Kyle” would benefit a lot I think. His ”special personality” and his views fit a solo show perfectly, doesn’t have to be overproduced and can be like ”Kyle’s 15” or something. Or ”Bosman’s weekly update”, just commenting on whatever comes to mind. You guys don’t need to reinvent the wheel, me personally I just stick to the podcast/cup if jones and Huber Syndrome, because they are easily digestible. (Have been a 5 dollar patreon for years) L&R, Sonny

Sonny Laguna

I find I have to do that for most streams because the 2hr time difference between LA and Chicago where I consume my content added into that the night-owl temdancies of the Allies vs my 7am work start time. I'm glad many of the new streams start earlier in their day so I can catch half hour to an hour of the stream in between my evening errands and before bed (as recently remarked upon during Ian and Don Hit the Skittles). I like the short form uploads because I can consume them in my own time but the interaction between loopy Allies is so entertaining and less work to actually produce. I'd like to see a blend where the Achieve it Yourself is a longer less compressed version... Not necessarily uncut but 45-60 min like the last mysterious monsters episode. That was a laugh riot and if they go to the trouble to record all that content I'd love to see it. Hopefully Hubers new show will follow suit and give us 45-60 min of hilarity which can help sooth the wound of the loss of the show that brought me to the Allies (yes I'm talking about TTE). I know 2 hours of Brandon and Huber doesnt replace 4-8 hours of Bensday but I hope the new streaming schedule gives them renewed vigor and maybe they could individually decide to throw a stream up on occasion like Huber did a couple weeks ago. And I'm pretty sure Kyle is still planning to finish his game boy game some time so theres that, but I do prefer the togetherness and joviality of the combo streams that solo streams cant give. That's just my 2-cents though =)

JessieBlu

Hold ...hi Jones

JessieBlu

No need to read most or any of this on CoJ, just some feedback for thought Did you guys consider periodic Solo Top XXs or other short form opinion pieces? You prevent burnout because it doesn't become some weekly or monthly obligation, and you could end up rotating in a way that you might have to do like, one per year if that. Looking at your content lineup I'm still noting that there's still a gap in newcomer-friendly stuff but maybe the seasonal stuff will help. I think that the biggest issue with top 10s was a cohesive voice and the fact that getting everybody involved was apparently too much to handle - doesn't have to be "Easy Allies top 10" it can be "Ben Moore's Top 5 Action Games" or something with some honorable mentions. Maybe there was more work than there had to be with the format, but making it casual seemed to work just fine - nobody cares if it's Kyle at a desk talking about MK chumps with some B-roll as long as he's thought out his list well. That also covers issue of top 10s not performing to the level dictated by their popularity/viewership - just scale back production Again, no schedule, no obligation, but IMO healthy content for putting across your views and personalities in an easy-to-consume package. As an outsider it's easier to wrap your head around what a "top 5" is versus what a "Huber Syndrome" is, and with that particular show shelved your content appears more impenetrable now than previously. Regular Frame Trap - long, games related but a commitment to click on. EZA Podcast - maybe your biggest draw. the most entertaining regular show Irregular Reactions, Reviews, Previews, the most casual-friendly but you're at the mercy of release schedules and outside events Hoping the new seasonal stuff helps. Also, Clips is something sorely needed to help leverage the multiple hours you will be spending on streaming weekly, and I would say that it's potentially more beneficial now since the group/2+ streams will be more entertaining than just taking clips from individual solo streams. Maybe ask Otoshi Gami and Golden Triforce to cut back a little - the clips section of your Twitch page is a disaster due to the clips spam from like TWO people.

VGJunky

Jones I was just wondering how you guys decide if a specific stream or show is successful. I know you probably don't worry about how many views a stream gets, but does that factor into if a show continues or gets canceled? I mostly watch your content when it appears on Youtube so I'm always worried I'm not showing support to a show or stream by not watching it live. L&R

strawhatninja

Seems redundant

VGJunky

:( Dragon Quest Builders series director Kazuya Niinou leaves Square Enix https://gematsu.com/2019/08/dragon-quest-builders-series-director-kazuya-niinou-leaves-square-enix

Logan Young

(Reposting since I didn't see it get mentioned last week, due to the focus being on phase 4 content.) Hey Jones! I've just finished watching the Easy Allies Solocast and I genuinely think that EZA could benefit from a Bosman solo news show once a week in between podcast releases. I'm not necessarily asking for an hour long podcast on top of the regular Easy Allies podcast, but for a smaller 20-30 minute deep dive by Kyle on a news topic from the week, or bite sized covering multiple topics if it's a heavy news week. Hearing him go in depth about Insomniac's history and what that means for the purchase by Sony was really enjoyable!! I think it would be a nice way to keep up with news that gets released after the podcast is recorded and before the next episode, opens up the podcast to more in depth discussion on more topics instead of squeezing a bunch of news in all at once and have the coverage still be relevant and timely to the zeitgeist. Kyle is great and can run a show on his own comfortably, and enjoyably. I thoroughly enjoyed the solocast episode and would love to see more content like it from EZA! Is this something you would consider working towards? L&R Sarah

swarmingbats

I was so sure it was going to be Mass effect trilogy! Silver is my favorite pokemon game but mass effect has the potential to be a more interesting stream in my opinion.

Aside from the banner, we've essentially had that, although things are shifting a bit with the changeup of shows. But it was Mon - Frame Trap, Tues - Friend Code, Wed - TTE, Thurs - Syndrome, Friday - Podcast, Sat - Easy Update. As we get closer to launching some of the other new shows, we'll probably have an eye on those Wed / Thurs openings. Achieve it Yourself was already going up on Thursdays, so that will probably continue. -Bloodworth

Easy Allies

I missed the survey but one thing I would like to see is for EZA to create a proper YouTube schedule, with a show scheduled for everyday of the week. And have that as the banner for the YouTube channel.

Faraz Rizvi

YEEEEEEA!!!! I'm so happy to finally see brandon playing silver! HYPE!

André Roda

I wonder if he didn't count it as a phase 4 question and is saving it for next week.

Olf Himself

(is-uh-gear-ee) is how I usually write it for my students since they can never actually pronounce it as is, Jones. Anyway, so far I've been enjoying the phase 4 announcement and the content so far. I really like the idea of EZA moving away from content that was essentially rebranded GT material and I love seeing everyone do something that they are passionate about (this did lead to us getting shows like Box Peek, Achieve It Yourself, Mysterious Monsters etc.). That being said, I was wondering how much of the EZA content and ideas are influenced by other streams/YouTube channels. Has seeing another content creator inspired any of the allies' ideas for material or is this something that in general you actively try to avoid? L&R <3

Matt Izaguirre

Asked a question last week but was skipped over. I even checked and the ones above and below were read. Was curious to hear the answer but perhaps in a way I did

Bdun912

Hey Mr. Jones! In an effort to take to heart from your first episode back from paternity leave about truncation, for every one of my submissions moving forward including this one, please skip all the way to the end of the comment and only read out loud the questions if you want to take any of them for any episode. Everything above the header ‘QUESTIONS’ is for you to read on your own if you so choose and for my fellow Patrons. Meaning NOT for on-air consumption. With that out of the way, I’m sure you’ll get a ton of questions/feedback/etc. of all the Phase 4 news, but I just to leave my personal reaction to the (personally speaking) most impactful news of the announcement. PLEASE keep in mind, I am completely on board with all the news, and more specifically the reasons, but I have to say the two things that bum me out the most: No more Top 10s and no more Game Sleuth. While I was/am happy EZA had a run of Top 10s, I completely understand the reasoning. I always felt, as you explained in the above episode, it never felt something EZA was happy about. As for Game Sleuth, this is the biggest bummer, but the most predictable outcome. I actually was saving asking about it here in October, because then marks the one-year anniversary since the previous episode. But I had the feeling it was getting the axe, so I held off and sure enough I was right. It’s one of the most unique topics about games I’m most interested in, but as I alluded to above, Mr. Damiani gave totally reasonable answers. I’ll miss it dearly, just wanted to put that sentiment out in the universe I guess. But on to the positives! Personally, Don’t Skip is the biggest plus for me. I missed them as I enjoyed the bite size nature and I’m happy to see them return. Speaking of bite-sized, I’m all about the Trailer Jones reformat! I think this could lead to more episodes and talk of trailers! Finally, I have a feeling I know the answer, but I just wanted to confirm: What was the one decision that involved the most discussion or was the hardest to come to? I feel like dismissing goals was the biggest change, but one of the decisions that felt the most, for lack of a proper term, “No-brainers” especially when paired with the reasoning to drop Top 10s and temporarily moving focus away from Tabletop. Mr. Jones, I am VERY sorry for this novel. I try to keep my submissions short, but as you recently called me out (rightly) for providing in depth reasoning why I’m asking my questions, I understand this is time-consuming. Thank you sir for, at the very least, always choosing to read my submissions. As always, have a wonderful rest of your day and Cheers! P.S.: I am. SO. EXCITED. For the Pokemon Silver stream!!! QUESTION: What was the one decision EZA had the most discussion on and what was the hardest decision you all came to IF it’s not the same decision?

Brandon K Gann

Any chance you'd still consider playing Pokemon Crystal instead of Silver? It's the enhanced version of the latter, a director's cut of sorts. Lots of little improvements, I think the animated Pokemon sprites it adds especially make it a nicer game to look at, which would also be good for the stream IMO. But I'm looking forward it either way, I'm glad you guys are playing more Pokemon!

Joqu

The intention was never for Blood Pact to just be voting for a stream, which is why I've always done a writeup after, why I sometimes continue playing the game on my own before doing the writeup, and why Im trying to add this new roundtable discussion for members. -Bloodworth

Easy Allies

Non-serious question. Suggesting a game for a group of allies to play is a $15 tier. Suggesting a game for Bloodworth to play is $60 tier. Does this officially make Bloodworth the Most Valuable Player of Easy Allies?

Alexander Zyryanov

I wanted to followup on your answer for my question about open-ended discussion shows last week. You immediately brought up the problem that Syndrome had where you and the allies would be forced to cobble together multiple topics and shows every month, killing it in the process. I was actually surprised you thought to frame it that way given how phase four has panned out. My biggest takeaway from the non-streaming initiatives to come out of Phase Four was flexibility. With your crucial weekly or monthly anchors in place (podcasts, streams, etc) and limiting goals out the window, your new shows are afforded the flexibility to work around the allies' interests and changing schedules. I love that approach, and happily encourage it to crop up more in how you think about the future. There's obviously no better way to kill something that is fueled off passion than to try and jam it into a rigid structure. Being up front and honest with your patrons allows you to produce shows whenever is feasible for all involved in the context of still having your other regular stable of shows and streams alongside it to maintain regular engagement. Rather than reiterate the podcast question (it sounds like you just don't think the passion would be there to make it work regardless of schedule), I want to apply this thinking to Trailer Jones. I think the changes you've made to make the show faster to produce and more timely make complete sense. I wouldn't change that approach in the broad sense whatsoever. What I'm curious about is if you're open to Trailer Jones being flexible like the rest of Phase Four, or if it's important to you that the show never deviate from its schedule and its attachment to topical trailers? Once you've established a rhythm (which I know is an endeavour in and of itself that you've struggled with), why not take a slow month as an opportunity that returns to the panel format or covers old trailers or allows you to deep dive into why a specific trailer or a specific portion of a specific trailer is important to a panel or even just yourself? Instead of leaving episodes like this purely as deviations born out of schedule conflicts and negative problems beyond your control, plan and present them as special one-time-only events! Even if you have to cancel the normal episodes of the month in order to produce a single "different" episode, I think being up front about it with your patrons gives you that crucial flexibility. It isn't something you're beholden to in any fashion. I'd love for all of Easy Allies' content to be open to the occasional "special" episode that defies schedule and structure, but we've only got Jones in Cup of Jones to talk to!

Kirbu

May have missed it but are Jones and Kyle planning to stream silver or have they already streamed the game or have started?

Johnathan Candelaria