Nerds Without Pants

Hello, and welcome to a very special edition of Nerds Without Pants! Patrick takes the helm this week for the holiday that was named after him. That...may not be an accurate statement, but the name of the game is all sorts of clever tricks and cons in the world of video games. Before that, we introduce a new opening segment to the show: Consumption Junction. This is where we talk about all the different forms of media we've consumed since last time, and this week we discuss Julian's new Disgaea obsession, Wreck-It Ralph, inFAMOUS 2, Joe Danger: The Movie, and more. Then, Patrick dips into his pot 'o gold to talk about some tricky games and even trickier game companies. We bring up all the dastardly deeds we can ken, from deceptive console launches to video game hero switcheroos. Plenty of tangents and asides abound, thanks to input from Joe Step, leeradical42, and angelfaceband42. We've got crotch-shattering combos! Telekinetic babies! Ken Griffey Jr.!Patrick talking in Irish brogue! Don't miss it! FEATURED M

Hello again! This week on Nerds Without Pants Julian and Patrick give all of their love to the PlayStation 4. There’s been a ton of negative talk swirling around the new Sony console, and the Pantsless Ones bring a refreshing amount of positive vibes to the discussion. But before that—games! Both of the guys finished Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and they rant about the criminal difficulty of the final boss while raving about the rest of the game. Patrick’s been enjoying his first taste of Suckerpunch’s superhero saga with inFAMOUS 2, and a lot of time is spent dreaming up what their dream God of War game would be like. Regular contributor Michael117 has a question about video game advertising, leading to one of the best drops in the history of NWP. After that, it’s a veritable Sony love-in. Well, after Julian takes jaded gamers to task for being so blasé about a NEW CONSOLE REVEAL. The guys talk about the new controller, Julian’s antisocial stance on all that soci

Welcome to another edition of Nerds Without Pants! No, this show isn't about an epic wrestling match between Antonio Inoki and Great Baba.This time, we revisit a topic that we talked about when we were still the Tri-Force crew on PixlTalk: Japanese games. Instead of rehashing material we take advantage of the fact that we’re nearing the end of the console cycle and grade major Japanese developers on their performance. Before that, we talk about what games we’ve been playing. Rob tried his best to like Aliens: Colonial Marines, but the game failed him, and he had to break up with it. As a result, he’s done with Gearbox as well, and we talk a little about that entire debacle. Rob’s also been playing The Sims 3 (I know, right?), and has a special announcement on a new project. Patrick and Julian tag team the Platinum craziness that is Metal Gear Rising. Julian played the indie game Depression Quest, a text-based narrative that has him wondering if he needs professional help. After that, t

Hey folks, Julian here. I hope you had a great Valentine's Day (or Single Awareness Day if you're like the Pantsless Ones). I wanted to do something special for this episode, but my original idea was love stories in video games. Yawn. Instead, I asked Patrick to come up with an off the wall and eclectic idea, in the way that Patrick does. He did not disappoint, and it's a shame that Rob wasn't able to join us because of BLIZZARD 2013!!! We talk about what we've been playing. It's slim pickings, but Patrick's been powering through Simpsons: Tapped Out and FIFA 13, which leads to a nice discussion about "in-app" purchases. I'm working on Corpse Party: Book of Shadows (review coming soon!), but the big thing for me was playing an upcoming indie game: Pimps vs. Vampires. Pixel artist Thomas Noppers was nice enough to let me participate in a recent weapons test and I liked what I played. Go give him some love on Twitter.We also speculate on what could come out of the upcoming Sony PS4 announcement. Patrick takes

Hello again! Julian here, joined as always by Patrick and Rob for another episode of Nerds Without Pants. No topic this time...we decided to just wing it with some random discussion. Yes, a hodge podge of talking points brought together to form a pleasant bouquet. Some potpourri, if you will. We can all enjoy a little P O T. And if you got that obscure Laugh In joke, congratulations! I love you. I didn't think we had a lot of games to talk about, but actually we had a frakton of games to talk about. Patrick is still preaching the gospel of PS Plus, with beta access to Dust 514 and God of War: Ascension some good reasons to join. Rob's knee-deep in his second Fallout: New Vegas run through, and he confesses his undying love for Felicia Day at last. Okay, not really, but his opinion has changed a little. I try to convince him for the billionth time to finish Alan Wake, and I'm met with his love for Max Payne 3's multiplayer. I give Final Fantasy ATB a thumbs up while taking Dead Space 3 and EA to task. Patrick'

The band is back together for another exciting edition of Nerds Without Pants! This time, the Pantsless Ones talk about the people in the video game industry that inspire them, and why. Inspiration is the topic of the day, but before that, the guys catch up on what they’ve been up to. It’s a little light in the games department this week, as Rob’s been busy and Julian was laid up in bed. Patrick’s been busy, though, and he brings the games with Assassin’s Creed 3, NiGHTS, and Retro City Rampage. He’s also really digging PlayStation Plus, leading to a discussion about what Sony and Microsoft need to do to impress us in the online space next generation. Julian is neck deep into his Doctor Who obsession while also jumping down the Lost rabbit hole. Rob interviewed a film hero of his, Tommy Wiseau, and you should totally read his piece at Just Press Play. The guys brought three people from the game industry that inspire them , and they go around the room trading influences. If

Welcome to a very special edition of Nerds Without Pants. Julian is joined by a couple of lovely ladies—Shanna and Allison—who are experts on the topic of the day: massively multiplayer online role playing games. That’s MMORPGs for you savvy ones. With Star Wars: The Old Republic doing well below expectations and Final Fantasy XIV needing a complete redesign this episode of NWP asks what’s so special about these types of games, and why do people still play them? Final Fantasy XI is the gateway drug for this conversation. Julian has played this game for nearly ten years, and his guest Shanna has spent nearly that long wandering the lands of Vana’diel. We talk about how we each got into this notoriously difficult game, and why we’ve played it for so damn long. Allison has moved on to Final Fantasy XIV, so she tells us why she left. Community plays a big role in these games, and that’s the core theme that the panel keeps coming back to. With all the drama, naughty talk,

It’s 2013 and somehow we survived the apocalypse! Time to ring in the new year in style, with a new episode of Nerds Without Pants. This week we’re a nerd down, as Patrick is convalescing after minor surgery. Filling in is the one and only Ty “Fighter”, who long time listeners will know as Rob’s oft-mentioned buddy. Since every podcast is doing their game of the year lists we decided to buck that trend and instead take a look back at the year that was. Before that, we talk about stuff that we’ve been up to, including Hitman: Absolution, FTL, and Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy. Ty has gone down the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure rabbit hole, and Rob has a walk of shame. Oh, and Julian went streaking on New Year’s Eve! After that we discuss some of the biggest things to hit the video game industry in 2012. We take a look at the implications of Kickstarter on indie game development, explore why we aren’t all that excited over the PS Vita and Wii U, and try to get to th

Happy end of the world, everyone! With today being the supposed end of times according to the Mayans, the Nerds Without Pants thought it would be a great time to talk about apocalyptic games and media. Before that, we catch up on what we’ve been up to lately. Rob is back after recovering from a terrible bout of throat AIDS (don’t ask). He talks about Far Cry 3 and The Hobbit. We also talk some comic books, have a heated debate about the difference between graphics and art design, and more. Julian rants about his bug infested experience with The Walking Dead which leads us to ponder the nature of giving popular games a pass when they have serious technical issues. He also sends a love letter to David Tennant, the tenth Doctor. Who? Exactly. The topic of the day is the end of the world, and we talk about our favorite depictions of the apocalypse in video games and film. We discuss what type of post apocalypse we’d most like to live in, and then finish things off with a doomsday scenario wherei

We’re back! After a month long hiatus, the Pantsless Ones return to entertain and inform on a variety of topics. We begin by catching up, which leads to a lot of comic book talk. Rob’s made a new addition to his legendary Comedian shrine, and he also may have a slight Dark Knight Rises hoarding problem. Don’t worry folks—an intervention is in the works. Unfortunately, technical difficulties plagued this episode, resulting in us splitting up our recording time. In that break, Rob got really sick and couldn’t make it for the rest of the show. Julian and Patrick soldier on and talk about TOO MANY GAMES. This discussion includes, but is not limited to, Assassin’s Creed 3, Need for Speed Most Wanted, NiNo Kuni, and Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom. After that, we talk about holiday gaming memories. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, we compare notes on any deals they stumbled upon. Patrick shares eerie similarities with the Nintendo 64 kid, and Julian shares an epic tal

Welcome to the Halloween spectacular of Nerds Without Pants! Fear not boys and ghouls, the Pantsless Ones always hand out full sized candy bars. We’ve got tons of podcasting goodness to fill your sacks with as well, so have a listen, won’t you? We kick things off with what we’ve been playing, including Happy Wars, 007 Legends, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. We also have a moment of silence and pour one out for Patrick’s dearly departed PS3. Hopefully he doesn’t bury it in an ancient Native American burial ground…we know how that ends. After that, Rob guides the crew as we discuss our deepest and darkest fears. Look into our souls as we talk about irrational fears of sea monsters (that damn giant eel in Mario 64!), feelings of hopelessness, abandonment, and failing to amount to anything in life. It’s an oddly deep episode, but we keep things light as we weave video games into our personal fears, running the gamut from Super Metroid to Silent Hill 3 to Closure. We had a lot

Welcome to NWP at the Movies! This week, the pantsless ones are joined by film critic, actor, artist, and all around good dude, John Gholson. Movies are the topic of the day, but as always we begin with what we’ve been playing and listener mail. This week, we talk about Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD, Patrick’s intro to iOS games, XCOM, and Julian’s existential gaming crisis. John attended the Fantastic Fest movie festival in Austin recently. This particular film fest focuses on quirky horror, action, and sci-fi movies, and John clues us in on Dredd, Cloud Atlas, and My Amityville Horror among others. We get deep into recent films as well, such as Argo and Seven Psycopaths, along with Rob’s recent trip to the Hamptons International Film Festival. We close out this episode talking about movies based on video games. Yeah, they all kind of suck, but there’s some fun to be had, as well. Enjoy Rob and John as they sit as polar opposites on nearly every

After weeks of teasing and scheduling conflicts we finally bring you the Femme Fatales episode of Nerds Without Pants! Games and tech writer for the International Business Times Lisa Eadicicco joins us to talk about our favorite polygonal ladies, but we start off with what we’ve been playing. This week the crew covers Tekken Tag Tournament 2, FIFA ’13, FTL, Borderlands 2, and Resident Evil 6 among other things. We begin the conversation with our thoughts on female protagonists in media as a whole. Can women be strong and still be sexy? Is the tendency to sexualize women in video games any different than the way they are portrayed in film? These questions lead us to a discussion on our favorite female leads and supporting roles in video games. The selections may surprise you! We take a detour into some more serious talk, bringing up male harassment of female gamers, with examples like the Street Fighter x Tekken Cross Assault fiasco and the vitriol over Anita Sarkeesian’s “Tropes vs. Wo

You were probably expecting a really entertaining discussion about our favorite female video game characters with a real life lady guest. Sadly, this episode of Nerds Without Pants is another sausage fest. We hope we can bring that topic to you in the future, but for now please enjoy this free form episode. It’s only been a week since we last recorded, and Rob and Patrick haven’t gotten up to much in the gaming department. Rob brings some movies and books to the table, and Patrick got Child of Eden for his birthday. Julian’s got you covered though, with Way of the Samurai 4, Mutant Mudds, and Double Dragon Neon. After that, we go into some news. We rarely talk about the headlines, but there was some big things in gaming since our last episode, including the announcement of the iPhone 5, the Wii U launch details, and the oddly timed sacking of the creator of Plants vs. Zombies…right after a sequel is announced. Sit back and let your pantsless newshounds give you the straight scoop. We

Nobody’s perfect. We all have our inner demons—those things that we do even though we know we shouldn’t. That’s what this episode of NWP is all about: vices, and how they work into our video games. Since this is technically the second part of episode 5, we skip what we’ve been playing and jump into the discussion. First up, Patrick brings up the subject of gambling, and how prolific it is in our games. Even at a young age we’ve been exposed to this vice in gaming, and we look at how it’s affected us, even without our knowledge. We gamble all the time, including crafting in MMOs or just taking a chance on a game we’ve never played. We also look at the insidious rise of “mystery items” in games—random virtual goods that cost real world cash. Next, Rob takes us into the slippery slope of substance abuse. We look at games that glorify drugs and alcohol, such as Narc and Catherine, and Julian tells a personal story about how GTA IV ensured he would

Well, we goofed. Due to circumstances beyond our control, this episode of NWP is woefully lacking a second segment. Worry not though, true believers! We’ll be bringing you the intended topic of this episode (vices and video games) next week. So sit back and enjoy what we’ve been playing and some bloopers. Julian can’t contain his inner fanboy for Transformers, and even though Fall of Cybertron isn’t his idea of a perfect TF game you get to hear him discuss it at length. Patrick vents his frustration over the ending of Dead Space 2 (no spoilers) and talks some Starhawk, while Rob manages to rave about Counter Strike: Global Offensive without yelling “BOOM! Headshot!” And that’s it! Check out the work of Ken Knudtsen that Rob was talking about here, and be sure to follow us all on Twitter, since we didn’t get the chance to beg for new followers this week. Rob is @robertottone Patrick is @someboss Julian is @julian_titus Join our Facebook fan page, and tune in next

We may have missed an episode, but we’re making it up to you this week with a bonus episode that gets us back on track. Even though we only recorded a week ago we have some games to talk about, including Sleeping Dogs, Final Fantasy VII PC, and Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. It’s a pretty loose episode this week, with a little bit of everything. Rob talks about watching the Will Ferrell movie The Campaign and Julian gushes all over The Expendables 2. Is a Statham Sighting in your future? All signs point to yes. Rob gives us a peek into the depths of his soul, and we close things out with a rant about a recent shooting that leads into a brief discussion on that whole “violence in video games” debate that keeps popping up. Come back in two weeks when we talk about video games and vices. It’ll be a nice gritty look at the seedy side of gaming, as well as your pantsless nerds. Join the Facebook fan page and also weigh in on the violence discussion in the comments below. STATHAM

And we’re back! Scheduling problems and technical difficulties can’t keep your favorite nerd trio from removing their pants and talking about some awesome video games. We kick it off as always with what we’ve been playing, including PlayStation All-Stars, Little Big Planet Karting, Dyad, and Robot Rob’s hatred of Batman: Arkham City. Julian confesses his new nerd addiction: table top games! The topic this episode is everything trophy and achievement. Gamers have been addicted to these little pieces of digital flair for years now, and Patrick wants to know how we feel about them as a group. Rob spends the episode in complete denial of his achievement lust, while Julian and Patrick completely admit to their addictions. We talk about our first achievements, the ones we tried the hardest for, and the ones that seemed particularly lame. We also talk about Rob’s atavistic fear of Disney’s Cars before closing things out with some shameless self-promotion. Join our Facebook fanpage

Sex. Now that I have your attention, why is it something that gaming podcasts don’t talk about very often? Sex sells, and game developers have used it more and more in their games over the years. Your favorite nerdy trio takes off their pants, turns on their mics, and talk at length about sex in vidya games. But before that we talk some recent games, including Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, Slender, and Unchained Blades. We kick things off with a little of our sexual histories, and pontificate for a bit on just who would make it onto our Freebie Five lists. Things then turn to how sex impacts our games and the industry. Did Hot Coffee destroy the potential for sex in games? Did BioWare lose their nerve after the Fox News Mass Effect debacle? Can gamers even handle sexuality in video games in a mature manner, or can we just not have nice things? We explore games that handle sexuality in interesting or subtle ways, as well as highlight some of the inherent problems with trying to tackle these issues. Through

Greetings, true believers! Welcome to the first episode of Nerds Without Pants. Do join us for some generally nerdy talk about games, movies, and comics...sans pants. We kick things off with a quick discussion about what we've been up to since ending our run on PixlTalk, including Ghost Recon, Final Fantasy XI, The Amazing Spider-Man movie, and entirely too much talk about Spec Ops: The Line. If you listen carefully, you can catch a very rare Statham Sighting, as well. Julian asks the listeners for some help with his backlog. Check it out here, and let him know what you think he should play! Then we move on to our special comic book themed topic, wherein we share with you our video game origin stories. We each talk about our earliest gaming memories, what game first made us realize that this was to become our hobby of choice, and why we still game today. We also wrap up each story with a comic book pick, just for you, and at no extra charge. Patrick closes things out with a story about his recent trip to Euro