Hot Button

Episode 22: The Termination of Jeff Gerstmann by the Coward GameSpot

Have you ever been unjustly fired from a job? Well, today we run through the life of gaming figure Jeff Gerstmann and how he once lost his premier title as editorial director over an honest review that effected thousands of dollars in ad revenue for popular website GameSpot. Hear us breakdown everything from publisher relationships, to the obsession with numeric scores, to the art of criticism, while also discovering how something new can be born out of years of dealing with complete corporate bullshit.

Episode 21: Brown v Entertainment Merchants Association Part II

A landmark Supreme Court decision is said to reshape the law as we know it, and affect all court rulings going forward. Things like Brown v Board of Education, Roe v Wade, Gideon v Wainwright. Today we will hear the oral arguments for another landmark supreme court case. In the conclusion to our two part series on Brown v EMA, we discuss why the Constitution guarantees every 16 year old the right to play Postal 2.

Episode 20: Brown v Entertainment Merchants Association Part I

On part one of our two part series on Brown v EMA, we explore the court cases and appeals that led to the landmark Supreme Court case. Follow us through State Senates, District Courts and Circuit Courts as the video game industry proves time and again that video games, like movies and books, are protected under the First Amendment.

Episode 19: Formation of the ESRB Part III

Welcome to the thrilling conclusion to our epic three part series on the ESRB. We discuss more senate hearings, more companies arguing, and more M rated content. Will the rag tag group of game devs and publishers be able to fight off those pesky politicians with their new initiative? You probably know the answer, but tune in to find out how!

Episode 18: Formation of the ESRB Part II

Our epic three-parter on the ESRB continues! Will Nintendo and Sega finally put aside their petty differences and team up against those Washington fat cats? Or will two giant corporations continue to fight like school children? We’ve got the answers here!

Episode 17: Formation of the ESRB Part I

You have seen the logo on every game. M for Mature. T for Teen. E for Everyone. But do you know where they come from? In our biggest Hot Button undertaking to date, we look into the formation of the ESRB. Follow along on part one of our epic three part journey, as we look into how people's spines being ripped out, girls in their panties, and a couple of blue plastic guns forced the government to intervene, and forever changed the way games are developed, sold and played.

Episode 16: IGN Plagiarism Scandal

Melania Trump, Shia LaBeouf, Led Zeppelin. What do you think of when you hear these names? That’s right, plagiarism! On this episode, we rip into the career of ex-IGN editor Filip Miucin and what looked like his endless quest to steal as many words from other writers as he could... that is until 2018 when his now infamous review of Dead Cells finally backfired.

Episode 15: Super Columbine Massacre RPG! Part II

Our story of Danny Ladonne’s controversial title continues! Including an entry into the world of indie game competitions, beef with another fellow creator, and of course, push back from outlets all across the country. Will his message regarding the outcomes around Columbine be secure? Time for us to analyze and reflect on what many today still call the most offensive game ever made.

Episode 14: Super Columbine Massacre RPG! Part I

What would you say if we told you that a video game about the Columbine High School shooting exists? Now what you say if we told you that it also featured Pikachu and Friedrich Nietzsche? Well today we’re not only going to talk about how that game is somehow real, but also the story of how it came to be and how the public reacted to it. This one is a bit of a sensitive topic as well so listener discretion is advised.

Episode 13: No Man's Sky

This week on Hot Button, we breakdown ambition vs. reality with the announcement and release of everybody’s most hated game of 2016, No Man’s Sky. Can this small team of five turn this massive space exploration game around into a success? Or will the fans just keep relentlessly hammering it down into a swarm of bad reviews and lawsuits? We’ve got all the answers here!

Episode 12: The Ouya

The year is 2013. Forget about the PlayStation 4, forget about the Xbox One, cause today it’s time we discuss everybody’s favorite failed Android-based micro console... the Ouya. How could this massively funded Kickstarter product built to revolutionize an entire industry fall just flat on its face? We’ve got all the answers right here!

Episode 11: History of the Xbox 360

Continuing after our episode on the original Xbox (Go check it out if you haven't yet!), we take an exhaustive look into the development of Microsoft’s crowning achievement, their follow up console, the Xbox 360! Can Microsoft learn from their past mistakes and finally pull ahead of Sony in the console war? You may already know the answer, since you probably have an Xbox 360 sitting in a closet somewhere. But how did they do it? Come listen and find out!