Cup of Jones - 10/10/17

Any Japanese snack requests? Throwing a box together soon!

Hedgey

Where's the new episode you mentioned in last night's Group Stream?

Mac

Hi Jones, So Ben Moore said on Frame Trap that he wants discuss with the Easy Allies how to improve pre-release coverage so that it better addresses ethical concerns in high-profile games that may be hidden from the public until general release (the key examples being, of course, loot boxes in games like Shadow of War and Star Wars Battlefront II, and the degree to which these are exploiting players for money). I'm sure you'll share outcomes of those internal discussions if and when you're ready, but for the time being, what would you say to the idea of putting out single videos centred entirely around a game's areas of ethical concern, either clipped from one of the podcasts or produced ad hoc like Spoiler Mode? Thanks, Dominic EDIT: I now see that there's a fair bit of overlap between my question and Rez's just above, so perhaps you could just address the suggestion of standalone YouTube uploads as a solution for addressing discrepancies between pre- and general release builds.

DaleBastion

Hi Jones Based on a comment you made before about what would happen if you were to lose your your voice and this weeks episode of FrameTrap, I am interested on your thoughts on "reviews in progress". It seems to be picking up as a trend by many review sites as a way for them to share their views come embargo date and give consumers some idea about the quality of a game but given the number of games with major online components it allows them to delay their final review score until they have experienced enough of a game to provide a "better" score. The most recent example of this being Destiny 2 where most outlets have reviews in progress out near the release date but only published their scores the week after the raid was released. Would you consider implementing something similar in easy allies, maybe in the same stream format as the revamped Cup of Jones? A lot of the time with being on the fence for a game purchase it comes down to q few burning questions about a game, like the intrusiveness of loot boxes in shadow of war for example, that decides the purchase so it would be great if an ally and maybe a moderator has a quick stream to discuss the reviewer's experience of the game so far if they know the review won't make release date.

As a Superman fan I LOVE Henry Cavill, but him being better than Christopher Reeve is complete crazy talk!

Hi Jones, I just wanted to say that I'm loving the new setup and format. Keep it up! As far as questions, I'll tack on to what some others have said in these comments: Do you guys have a practice of setting aside a percentage (5% or so) of your monthly income and dedicate it for future purchases / promotions of EZA throughout the interwebs?

Alex Castellanos

Hey Jones, two things: I wanted to point out my name is "La Russa" pronounced with a long "u" and it made me laugh because you've said it right every other time, haha. Second, have you and the allies considered using a portion of the Patreon money to advertise for EZA itself? Just like Michael Kozachenko advertised his channel on the podcast, maybe EZA should advertise on What's Good Games or SIFTD, which have similar "Sponsor" tiers like EZA, or even something smaller like Danny O'Dwyer's NoClip "Producers." I know most of the money goes to Allies' salaries, but long-term it may be a good investment. Just a thought, may reach a new audience.

Joseph La Russa

You've talked about how some EZA fans have superstar status. Among them is The Hashtagonist. Could you discuss your history with that crafty feline?

Robert I.

Jones. Have you and the Allies considered getting your twitter accounts verified? maybe even the official EZA Twitter account?

Jordan Buitendyk

No question from me this week. just wanted say, you pronounce my last name perfectly. Thanks! And I love the new format! Much love and all the respect

Tim Bechen

Hello Brandon, this is a follow up on my prior review question. When reviewing a game do you go into it with the mindset of reviewing a product or critiquing it like art? Personally I see something like Destiny/Mario which are focused on mechanics to be more like a product and something like Journey/Ico which is centered around the experience to be more like art, not that there is anything inherently worse or better than the other. Do you evaluate every game from a standard template like story, gameplay, presentation, etc or do you evaluate it on what it is trying to accomplish?

Hi Brandon, could you talk about the making of the 'Allies Assemble' video? Who came up with the concept? Who shot it, and how long did it take? Who edited it? What was it like making that video unsure if the patreon would be a success? I love that video, so any behind-the-scenes tales would be great.

Dylan Wiggan

His numbers are terrible, though. I have no idea how he's able to keep up the same level of quality he had on TV.

TurboChickenMan

Unfortunately I had this thought after the Batman-centric episode. I've always thought that the oft-derided "Batman voice" that Bale does in the Nolan movies was an annoying but necessary thing. Then I started rewatching the Animated Series this past year and realized they do it perfectly. "Batman" is his normal voice (i.e. even when talking with Alfred) and "Bruce Wayne" is a extra-charming voice he puts on when in public. I love how this emphasizes the idea that Batman is his true self and Bruce Wayne is a character he puts on when needed. I guess my question is: are there other versions of Batman that take this view? Fun fact, I posted this before listening to this extensive Batman voice talk on the podcast. O, the coincidence!

RobBobWill

I always love a Cup of Jones! Thanks for sharing, and keep up the great work ;)

Mumble Mumbleton

PS: Sometimes to be Inclusive you have to be exclusive. And sometimes the community has to RESPECT that maybe they are not being inclueded, there is no 100% aproval rating. Being from Argentina i know im probably never going to met you guys in person, so i feel frustated with the M&G and other things exclusive for LA or close, but i dont DEMAND that you travel 13 hours in a plane to come here or that you dont do a M&G. Always remmeber that in a democracy the silent part is a majority.

I hope this gets in the next episode. Dear Brandon and EZA: We are not your bosses, we do NOT own you, WE DONT tell you what to do or not to do, we are suppoused to support you via our money so you as a group can do what you want to do. Or at least is what i think. I give you money every month so you can do what you want to do, not what I WANT YOU TO DO. There were a lot of times that the games you streamed or topics you covered in your shows that i didnt like but i didnt DEMAND that you stop doing it. I dont want to make it longer, i hope you get the idea. Love from Argentina Kevin

Do you think that Ocarina of Time editorial will see the light of day through EZA?

Not to be redundant, but I actually find this aspect refreshing sometimes when I just want to watch/listen to something upbeat/positive overall. Keep it coming, I appreciate the work Easy Allies does!

Isaiah Matthews

Not sure if this topic has been brought up, but...I was curious what the policy is, if any on use of profanity/bringing up sensitive topics while streaming and in content in general? personally I could care less about swearing/offending someone (within reason...leaving it at that), I see/hear a lot less swearing from Easy Allies than other content I digest (co-optional podcast hosts and guests I follow, Jim Sterling, ACG, et cetera). Is a conscious decision, or something that might have been carried over from any policies that might have been in place at GT?

Isaiah Matthews

During the Fullplaythrough stream of FF7 at GT it became somewhat of a lucky charm due to the power of memes. It's hard to summarize exactly how it happened because the stream took place over such a long period of time but Lightning was attributed with stuff like getting a Gold Chocobo on the the first try and a bunch of other stuff. If you're really interested in it I suggest going back and watching that stream. It should still be on Youtube.

Olf Himself

I know it's been a heavy week, so I want to ask something light. In fact, I want to ask about lighting. I've noticed you use a lot of red around shelves and voice booth. Is it because of Halloween or is it just you "corporate" color?

Alexander Zyryanov

I am sure this has been asked before, but I honestly don't know the answer. How did the Stand-Up of Lightning become so significant? During the final group stream of Gametrailers, when it was being discussed as to how the stream was going to end, Ben r`an off and fetched Lightning so everyone could gather around it for the hug. But why? Even during the Easy Allies announcement trailer you (Brandon) turned and nodded at Lightning. How did this start? Especially considering that Final Fantasy XIII is (to my knowledge) not particularly popular.

Hey Brandon, In response to the group stream selection this past week, I wanted to compliment you on your reply concerning the situation - very well said. Something still has me concerned though: I felt that, through the act of voting with such a wide variety of games that we can all pick, there is a strong lack of focus in what you may be open to play. It is difficult for all of us to sift through the myriad of options on a week to week basis (yourselves included). While the selection of games was limited in the past with three choices, those were all vetted by you guys first and were great picks. Would it not be better to amalgamate both ideas for the better? Perhaps making a larger list of games (6-10) that might be good for a stream that week and then allowing the community to vote would be a happy medium. Would it be possible to set that voting up as a $2 Patron-only poll? Pick obscure indie games, AAA titles, and everything in between with different genres and then let us decide between those. If you feel this is difficult, do the top 2 of the 6-10 games on non-tournament nights for variety's sake. That way, the integrity of these great streams may not be compromised. I've been following the GT and EZA crew for 10 years combined. You guys have always and still make the most amazing art...and I'm sorry I've only spoken up now. Love & Respect Sean

Bit of a fun little bit of history. Ninjas didn't wear black. In fact at the time they would more than likely attempt to blend into crowds so they would wear w/e colour was suitable or available. Keep in mind that colours came from dyes and not every colour could be made. The idea that Ninjas wore black was something that sprung up from a traditional form of Japanese theatre which the name escapes me. Actors that needed not be seen would wear black on stage.

I too am curious to Brandon``s reasons, but I do believe that he paid the developers back more than the average players by mentioning it all the time on videos and proving it personally that this game is perfectly enjoyable without the player spending a cent.

BHL

If those people want to watch youtube personalities go through those games, they are more than welcome. EZA is about giving to the community an enjoyable experience, one which is not fueled by their own person's misery. If they think this is the group for that, then they need to rethink a lot of things. By blocking that game, and games like that, EZA set a good precedent. If people want to watch a stream of that game, or any others, there are plenty of people willing to that can give engaging enjoyable entertainment, such as Jessie Cox. The 9 Allies, none of them would offer anything by this game, but an uncomfortable livestream where everyone loses.

drd7of14

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/EPNetworkTV" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/EPNetworkTV</a> Wow...I wasn't aware that Vic Lucas was still pretty much still doing Electric Playground. Used to love this on G4!

drd7of14

Hey Brandon! You've talked a lot about Galaxy of Heroes and a few other mobile games on Cup of Jones and other shows and when doing so, you've frequently brought up a point that confused me. You mention alongside these games that they're great games that you've not put any money into, and it begs the question. Why? You've gotten dozens and dozens of hours of enjoyment out of Galaxy Of Heroes and you praise it for being a game you don't need to drop cash on, yet why not support the developer if they've given you this much? Is this a personal stance out of principle? Is it something to do with the pricing or quality of the storefront? Something else entirely? I'm really curious! L&amp;R.

Considering that Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash is now banned from EZA coverage, and the resulting saltiness that has ensued, I feel like the weak-worded condemnation of Peach Beach Splash fans didn't go far enough. The recent Eminem freestyle on Donald Trump drew a line in the sand between fandom and standing up for what's right, flatly telling those fans who support both his music and Donald Trump "F*** You". Since you are clearly not giving any airtime to Peach Beach Splash (because the game is doing many things wrong), do you share a similar sentiment towards shedding yourself of EZA patrons that push for pervy games denigrating women? Or are you happy to take their money?

Pixel Perfect Polygons

Dear Jones, the EZA staff tries to be inclusive and save in your shows to make as few people uncomfortable as possible while still talking candidly about video games. You stated as much before. I think that's a good thing. However, while I don't want you swearing into the microphone all the time, I miss Ben when he's unleashed. At this point, Fiasconauts is your only "disclaimer: adult language and themes" show, though you might argue that Huber Syndromes about enjoying the kill and reviews of violent games aren't exactly for kids either. Will this be the mantra going forward for almost all shows, or will you consider after hours or unleashed versions/episodes of streams or streams in general? Sometimes, like the "This Is You" stream, that free PS4 jackbox type game, I feel it could be holding back the show. Or maybe I'm wrong, but what are your thoughts on this? Something for everyone but not everything for everyone? With L&amp;R, Christoph

Gotta say that I agree with you. It's one of my pet peeves. I think the focus should always be on the people on the couch playing the game and that the back mic should be around to help people not on the couch chime in on the game. Not for them to have separate conversations and drown out the players.

Olf Himself

Honestly, if your choice was in earnest, then that sucks if it got vetoed. However, in my opinion just because we were presented with an opportunity to recommend and vote for a game, that does not give us the right to have the final say on the matter. If the allies decide they don’t want to play a game, then that’s their call, it’s their business at the end of the day. We as Patrons are supporting them because we like what they make, we are not supporting them to make whatever we’d like.

BeatenDownBrian

Lucky that the question of audio and volume came up in this weeks Cup of Jones as I actually have a bit of a bone to pick. I really enjoyed Damiani's sections during the SNES Classic stream. But when Damiani is trying to showcase the Explore glitch and explain how to do it, Jones and Huber are having the loudest conversation going more or less straight across the back mic, meaning that you can't hear anything Damiani is saying (Honestly, you can't hear anything that anyone's saying). Eventually they pay attention but some more awareness in the future would be nice. <a href="https://youtu.be/_dQtudUHhWY?t=5h36m55s" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/_dQtudUHhWY?t=5h36m55s</a>

Harrison Holt-McHale

I lowered my pledge today. It was only from 10$ to 5$, I don't believe my actions will really harm EZA in the long run and clearly I want to support you because as of right now it's still 5$ but the events of the last 3 days have soured me on EZA. Jones your statement at the start of the group stream made my blood boil in it's snide dismissal of everyone that voted for the game and I find EZAs actions to be out of line with their own motto. How can I be loved and respected when you call my earnest suggestion of a game inappropriate, how can I be excited to participate when my involvement is tossed aside and we are chastised to support you "In the right way".

I can answer that one. Those users who have failed payments for any reason but don't update their details in time during the processing window (I believe 5 days?) come off the total shown on the overview. However, they are included in the tiers still. Once they have a clear payment again next month, they're re-added

Skankman

Any thoughts on Michael Caine's classic movies such as Zulu, The Ipcress File, The Italian Job, Sleuth, and The Man Who Would Be King?

TurboChickenMan

I've summed all patrons numbers from each reward tier and got 6594. But on about page there is only 6184 patrons. What makes such noticeable difference?

Alexander Zyryanov

About a year ago I've suggested to create some videos and/or images that we can share in social media to promote Easy Allies. You've liked that idea at that time. Since it never came to life I've decided to kindly remind you about it.

Alexander Zyryanov

Hi Brandon, with regards to the video game reviews that had been done by the Allies, are there any occasions where some of the allies may disagree with the review itself? Have you also encountered moments where upon doing your voiceover for a video review, you realised that you disagree with the statements that was being made about the game, or you develop a way to tune out any opinions you have about the game/review itself and just concentrate on doing the voiceover. The reason is that I have watch the Destiny 2 review, written by Huber, and I must disagree with his score. If it was me, it should be lower as overall, I felt the game is still not a major improvement over Destiny 1. Do the other allies shared similar sentiment to this game.

P.S. I always believe that the ears on the bat cowl hides some high tech sensors like hearing aid and sonar in order to compensate for the fact that he has to cover his ears under it for protection, and his cape can use for gliding and hiding his body so that enemies will have a harder time aiming for his torso when his moving or reading his movement when fighting hand to hand. Both of these could be contribute to why he was first compare to a bat before he gets official recognition few years later. I have a hard time imagining people would come up with a bat-man image without those two things, but maybe its just me. As for the grappler I really don't think he would use onsite installations or a fixed route for his deployment, I mean it might save having to damage public buildings without hooking or punching holes into walls all the time, but onsite installations are too dangerous as it can be track back to him or even worst to Wayne Enterprises, while a fixed route makes him easier to track overall. His enemies are not idiots, gangsters and super villains are known for their resourcefulness after all, after the initial crack down they will start a city wide man hunt for the Bat or whatever they call him at first just like in Arkham Origins. I do agree completely that a Bat Mobile really makes no sense unless the city block is completely abandoned, that is why the Bat Wing as a stealth V/STOL makes the most sense in the modern day versions of Batman, but I do understand that a Bat Jet (not flexible) or a Bat Helicopter (too loud) makes no sense in the days before V/STOL is a thing, a motorcycle is too small to transport enough equipment and also has no way to protect the rider, I think that is why they go for a car that can climb walls in the first place.

BHL

Brandon, you have one of my favorite vision of what early Batman should be, I especially love how you mention that they should keep the origins of characters mostly separate, I believe that there should only be a single thread that ties all of the batman mythos together: the city of Gotham itself. The only way for Batman to work is to understand that Gotham is the origin and ally of Batman, but it is also his greatest enemy, because of the fact that it encompasses all that is good and bad of the Batman universe, his work can never be truly done. It also explains why Ra's al Ghul is such a fearsome enemy to Batman, because Joe Chill is a nobody created by the city itself in turn marking the city as both Batman's target of protection and vengeance, making Ra's goal to destroy the city for its capacity to incubate corruption and insanity shockingly resonating with something lurking deep within the Bat, for he knows the day the Batman gets his vengeance is the day Gotham dies.

BHL

I can second an audio version! It's very difficult for me to have time to load up a youtube video and leave the screen on my phone up the whole 1 hour+

Rosamune

Can we get the audio only cup of jones? I would love to have it available on soundcloud after it airs, nowadays listening instead of watching comes much easier for me and i find I am better focused on what is being said. Love the new cup of jones format though.

I need a detailed breakdown of your history and opinions with the various rides and attractions, past and present, good memories, Troop's side of things, etc. Also a LA native so it's a topic of interest for me

VGJunky

Question: Do you ever feel like people are simply asking too much from you guys sometimes? While I don’t ever want to discourage people from sharing their ideas for shows etc., and this is something I may be guilty of myself, but sometimes I feel people ask questions like “why don’t you do a show like X” or “why aren't you making Y”, without maybe considering the practicality, lack of a studio, and the sheer man hours that would be needed to create some of this stuff. Or, do you just love getting all these idea’s/suggestions, as it shows people are engaged with, and excited about Easy Allies?

BeatenDownBrian

Feedback: Just a few quick things, first just to say well done Jones! I think moving COJ to live is proving to be a success. Just on the volume levels of each ally, I can only speak for myself, but I can’t say it’s ever been an issue I’ve noticed, and when I’m listening I tend to be doing so in a loud work environment. In terms of the mics blocking faces. I also don't see it as being a major issue, and for any potential pay off it would offer, it would hardly seem worth investing in new mics to solve it imo. Lastly, on figuring out how to tackle editorials. Maybe editorials and question based episodes could be rotated bi-weekly. Where during an editorial week you could only address questions on the given topic, and then include any others you skipped that week, on the next questions based episode. My only fear with that, is that it would leave you a large volume of questions for the following episode, so I dunno how helpful that is.

BeatenDownBrian

Jones, The Bat symbol on his chest is a tool

Ibrahim Sozer

Please no star wars talk

Ibrahim Sozer

The Batman talk was great, your take on that mythos. The Riddler's my favourite. And hey! The Animated Series on Blu-ray next year: <a href="http://www.cbr.com/batman-the-animated-series-blu-ray-collection-2018/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.cbr.com/batman-the-animated-series-blu-ray-collection-2018/</a>

Ville Ranto

Hi Brandon! What's your take on European comics? Any history with the classics like Asterix or The Adventures of Tintin, for example? I'm currently collecting the Asterix albums as I've sort of rediscovered them now after first reading them 15-20 years ago.

Ville Ranto

Hey Jones, Daniel again, with the recent success of the WGG gals, do you or any of the allies feels like you should gain more recognition? for example Andrea Rene hosted the Nintendo World Championship, you still have pending your Twitter account be verified, i think EZA should have more recognition of people in the media. On the Batman side i would love to see a Batman beyond game by RockSteady, the Arkham series is one of the greats and they should keep the series going.

Daniel Garza Andrade

Great episode. My theme suggestion for the next editorial CoJ is Disneyland - your history with &amp; thoughts for the future etc. L&amp;R

Hey Mr. Jones! Oh, you know me, I gotta always send a question! (If Patreon will actually keep it in the comment bank.... &gt;=-T) Super quick question this go round: The Last Jedi trailer from a week ago as you read this: Have you watched it? If so, good, meh, or bad for you? If not.... please rectify that as soon as you end this episode of Cup of Jones! X-) Bonus points for doing another hour long trailer break down like Red Dead Redemption 2..... I'm kidding...

Brandon K Gann

Thank you for doing these Mr. Jones! L&amp;R

You should comment at the start of each CoJ how to participate. Some people join the youtube chat and ask questions there

BeardedScotsman86

Sounds like my kinda Cup of Jones! Gonna settle in for a cup after work.

Ren Solo

Batman is the dark glue that holds the DC universe together. He's mostly the logic of the team when he's not fucking shit up with his controlling attitude.