SGJ Podcast #16: Pirates, Pauls and Squirrels Oh My!

By | Published 06/05/2013 at 2:54 PM
AAaarrrrrr!

AAaarrrrrr!

Welllllllcome to episode #16 of the Space Game Junkie podcast. This week, Jim and I have no guest and the baaaaarest thread of a topic. This results in what has to be the most random, off-topic podcast we’ve done yet. I mean what other space game podcast (is there one?) talks about space pirates, Marvel Heroes, Squirrel Girl, being renamed Paul and so on? I blame the fatigue my own self. ;)

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We would love it if y’all would chime in about your stories of being a pirate in space games, because honestly that career path doesn’t much fit us, you know? :) We look forward to your stories, as well as your comments, below, and invite you to subscribe to us if you’ve not already. Thanks for listening, and enjoy! :)

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SGJ Podcast #13: Dominium Q&A with Malcolm Sparrow

By | Published 05/15/2013 at 11:40 AM
What Does It MEAN?!

What Does It MEAN?!

Hey kids, welcome to episode #13 of the Space Game Junkie! This time, Jim and I get up early in the morning to talk to Malcolm Sparrow, the lead developer of space combat and trading game Dominium (formerly known as Dominion) and it’s current Kickstarter campaign. This podcast is a bit shorter than usual because we did it at 6 AM my time, and I had to rush to work afterwards, just so y’all know. ;) As a treat, you’re all hearing me pre-coffee. ;)

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As always, we invite you to comment on the podcast below, invite you to subscribe to us via RSS or iTunes, and thank you for listening. Enjoy! :)

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SGJ Podcast #01: Graphics vs. UI vs. Gameplay! FIGHT!

By | Published 02/27/2013 at 11:01 AM
More Chit Chat

More Chit Chat

Hello, and welcome to episode 01 of the SGJ Podcast. Join Jim from the Bad Movie Podcast and me as we try to adapt something of a format in order to have some more focus and structure! ;) We talk about some news, some games we’re playing, and our topic for this week, which games that are still worth playing even though their graphics and UI are on the archaic side. We also look at the opposite side of the coin, games that have held up well over the years.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We also have an iTunes page now, as well as our RSS feed! Yay! Thank you for listening, and please find our show notes under the cut. :) Also, since I’m still pretty new to this podcasting thing (it’s old hat to Jim, thankfully), please don’t hesitate to give me constructive criticism on how I can improve my performance either in the comments below or in the forum. :) Hope the length is okay with y’all, but again, new to this stuff, still trying to be efficient. ;) Thanks again! :)

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Spacey Gamey News and Deals – 12/28/12

By | Published 12/28/2012 at 10:40 AM
News Satellite Dish

Last News of 2012?

Hey guys, happy last Friday of 2012! Not a lot of news today, so let’s dive in:

That’s all the news I could find! I know, right? There are some AWESOME deals today though:

  • Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion is on Steam’s Daily Deal for $13.59, which is the cheapest I believe I’ve ever seen it, and a TOTAL steal. Trinity is also a steal at $6.79.
  • FTL is going for $4.99 on the official site right now, which is also a great deal.

Finally, there’s some lovely ship art by James Paick on the Concept Ships blog.

And that’s it! Have a lovely day and weekend, and thanks for visiting! :)

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Spacey Gamey People I’m Thankful For

By | Published 11/13/2012 at 10:53 AM
A Thankful Turkey

This Turkey is Thankful I’m Not Eating It. ;)

Warning, incoming corniness alert. ;) As Thanksgiving approaches here in the U.S., I’ve been giving thought to who and what I have in my life to be thankful for. In my non-blogging life, I have a wonderful job, an amazing girlfriend, a cadre of the best friends a guy could ask for, adorable cats, my favorite car I’ve ever owned (yay Honda Fit!) and so much more. As this blog wonderfully takes up a good portion of my life, I tried to also think about what I’m thankful for in terms of the spacey gamey…er…space. Last year I listed the games I was thankful for, so this time, I’ll list the people I’m thankful for. :)

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Smugglers 5: Turn-Based Elitism

By | Published 11/06/2012 at 7:00 AM
A System Map in Smugglers 5

Give Me a Ship and a Star to Sail Her By…

There are few games in this or any genre of gaming which have had as wide-ranging and long-lasting an influence as Elite. Pioneering two genres at the same time — the first person perspective space sim and the space trading sim — Elite is a game that still influences the genre nearly thirty years later.

One of the more recent offshoots of Elite’s pedigree come to us via early handheld computers such as the Palm Pilot with games like Space Trader and Solar Wars. These games offer all the trading and mission variety found in games such as Elite, Wing Commander: Privateer and so on usually without the 3D engine. These games have made their way to the PC as well, including games like Black Market and the Smugglers series. Today, we’ll be looking at the latest iteration in the latter series, Smugglers 5, and see how it fares.

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Update – Elite: Dangerous Kickstarter Launched!

By | Published 11/05/2012 at 4:52 PM
Frontier Elite II

MOAR PLZ!

Edit 3: According to Eurogamer, Braben says video and screenshots are on the way. Soon, I hope.

Edit 2: This BBC story has a video where, in the background, you can see footage of the game being played.

Edit: So yeah, THIS HAPPENED! Elite: Dangerous has launched its Kickstarter, and while there are oddly no screenshots or video, we have this:

Elite: Dangerous is the game I have wanted Frontier to make for a very long time. The next game in the Elite series – an amazing space epic with stunning visuals, incredible gameplay and breath-taking scope, but this time you can play with your friends too. I want a game that feels more like the original “Elite” to fly, and with more rapid travel (to allow for the multi-player nature of the game) – so you travel quickly using local ‘hyperspace’ travel rather than by fast-forwarding time – but with the rich galaxy of Frontier – and more, so much more.

They want 1.25 million pounds in 60 days. As much as I’m excited by this, I’m hoping they show us more of the actual game rather than relying on faith alone. I’ll keep you updated!

Original: On Facebook today, the Facebook feed for Elite — which I THINK is official, or hope it is at least — posted the following:

 Everyone: thank you for your patience.

We should have some exciting news for you within the next couple of hours..

Watch This Space

About half an hour ago. What could it be? A release date for Elite 4? An HD remake of Frontier: Elite II?!?! I MUST KNOW.

Stay tuned folks!

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Evochron Mercenary 50% Off on Steam Until 4/26

By | Published 04/24/2012 at 12:01 PM
Evochron's graphics are pretty explosive.

Get This Explosiveness for 50% Off!

Hey y’all, as part of Steam’s current midweek madness, the fun open space trading/fighting/racing/mining/cleaning(?!) sim Evochron Mercenary is on sale at %50 on Steam, making it $12.49. It’s a fun game with a ton to do, so if you’re looking for an Elite-type game, check it out. Enjoy!

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“Project Space” Q&A – What Could Have Been, What Might Yet Be…

By | Published 04/10/2012 at 9:18 AM
Project Space Concept Shot

This Would Rock if It Were an Actual Game...

A little while back, I discovered a prototype game called “Project Space” that looked to be a mix of Freelancer and Elite, at least according to that awesome YouTube video anyway. I therefore took it upon myself to contact the folks at the company behind it, Sidhe, to find out more about this sadly canceled game that might again see the light of day if there’s enough interest. Managing Director Mario Wynands got back to me, and was open to doing a Q&A. You can read the results after the cut. Enjoy!

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Rest in Peace Jumpgate: My Rambling Obituary

By | Published 04/03/2012 at 2:19 PM
Jumpgate Logo

RIP Old Friend...

Around 2000, whilst still a professional gaming journalist, I was turned onto a little MMORPG called Jumpgate, which looked to be as close as we were ever going to get to either a Privateer or Elite Online (and it was). I gobbled up all the info I could about the game and covered it as much as I could (check out my old interview, preview and review covering the game).

I played the game on and off for the next ten years, putting in at least 800-1,000 hours. To date, it’s still my most-played game, and one of my most memorable. Unfortunately, on the official Jumpgate website, it was announced that the game would close up for good on April 30th, 2012.

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