Podcasting: The new talk radio

    

Source: Adam Carolla Official Website

      During my commute to work or school I enjoy listening to podcasts or audiobooks rather than pumping bass heavy beats for an hour. I, like many college students, have a lot of things in life to balance. Finding time to read a book or a newspaper is difficult especially when you're always on the go. A modern day solution for this is to use digital audio distribution. The concept of an audio book is nothing new. Remember when books were released on cassette tape along with the book? Now audio books are marketed towards mobile device users which is pretty much everyone excluding your grandparents.

      Adam Carolla is a great example of someone who uses digital audio distribution to their advantage. Before he created his popular podcast he was a popular radio host for Loveline with Dr. Drew. After getting canned from show he decided to gather some of his radio friends together to produce a free daily podcast on iTunes. The format and quality was definitely different from his radio show. The Adam Carolla podcast ran from about an hour to two hours and consisted of Adam's rantings about pop culture or calls from the listeners. The show was no longer live, instead it was readily available to download and listen to when you, the listener, chose to. Think of it like a take out meal; you can eat your filet mignon right then and there or you could wrap it up in a doggy bag and pick at it on your way home.

      What's most impressive to me is how they've evolved the show in terms of production value and content over 2 years. Adam Carolla and his crew have revived the Adam Carolla Show and built a new broadcasting company from it. Check out the ACE network on iTunes  which features several podcasts that appeal to a wide variety of people from movie lovers to car enthusiasts. If you like what you hear Adam even has two audio books out with a ton of great content.

Here's me and Adam last year in Toronto

     

Cinematic Storytelling in Video Games: Uncharted 2

    Source: Naughty Dog

     Following my last post on Naughty Dog's upcoming game The Last of Us I decided to take a closer look at this generation's most recognized title, Uncharted 2.
 
     The first title in the Uncharted series was Naughty Dog's first attempt at making an exclusive game on the Playstation 3 which was a brand new platform for game developers. The game follows treasure hunter Nathan Drake on his journey to uncover the secrets of Sir Francis Drake. As Nate delves deeper into his hunt for hidden treasures he runs into old enemies with armies of goons he takes head on alone and sometimes with the help of an ally. This game was received fairly well among gamers but the install base of the console at the time limited the actual audience experiencing the game.

      About one year later the sequel was announced and the reveal trailer was nothing short of amazing.

 

     

     As more of the game was revealed it started to become clear that this game was unlike anything you've seen or experienced before in terms of game quality. The graphics were top notch and the acting was fantastic. This game looked more like a Hollywood production than a video game and that got a lot of gamers excited to get their hands on a Playstation 3. 

    

     The game was a hit, winning multiple awards at the VGAs and receiving high praise from the press. Uncharted 2 made everyone rethink their preconceived notions about video games and their ability to tell a good story while maintaining fun and exciting game play. 

This isn't a movie?

Image Source

    
     2011 - 2012 had some of the most phenomenal and cinematic game reveals. The industry has shifted its focus from churning out countless first person shooters and annual sports games to producing cinematic quality experiences. I believe Naughty Dog's 2008 action/adventure Uncharted 2 has influenced some of the more cinematic titles to be released in the next year. Games like Tomb Raider, Bioshock: Infinite, Far Cry 3, and Star Wars 1313 all look amazing with stunning visuals on par with modern action movies.

     Naughty Dog, not to be outdone, has revealed their next project which blows all these titles out of the water. Let's take a look at the first trailer for this game which was captured on a Playstation 3 using the actual game engine. Impressive stuff.

     Naughty Dog didn't introduce cinematic style storytelling in video games but they surely brought significant innovation and maturity to the medium. Significant enough to cause a lot of game developers to change the way they make games and tell stories. Although Naughty Dog has succeeded in bringing the whole package in terms of visuals and story it seems like story is now more of a priority for developers than making a game with the best graphics. I personally love that the industry is moving in this direction.The Last of Us represents a different side to video games that the ignorant are not aware of. Gamers are not idiots with short attention spans (not all of us at least) and we do appreciate art and deep story telling. This is a title I'm extremely excited about and my girlfriend who can't even operate a controller is anticipating this game. It is sure to be something that people will want to experience together just like a movie.

    The Last of Us set to be released in early 2013 on the Playstion 3 has a lot potential and there is no doubt it will be a hit among gamers and non-gamers alike. Here is a quick demo of actual game play from this post apocalyptic adventure. Enjoy and mahalo.