Hot Button

Episode 27: Requiem for a Dreamcast - History of Sega Consoles (Part 1)

For better or worse Sega has been a part of our culture for 80 years. From a domination of the arcade industry to pissing off the entire internet with a hedgehog's teeth. Today we look into how Sega sprinted, tumbled, innovated, and poorly timed it's foray into the console game, in which they were either wildly successful or a horrible failure, depending on when and where you look.

Episode 26: Warner Bothers - How the Westworld was Lost

It's time for some more court documents! This episode, it’s Robot Cowboys vs Mutants as we cover the lawsuit between Bethesda and Warner Bros over the “similarities” in Fallout Shelter and the Westworld mobile game. We’ll tell you about how one smaller company plagiarizing itself led to two entertainment giants fighting it out in the courtroom.

Episode 25: Video Game Special Editions Live!

Hot Button Live from the Volume Cafe! Special Edition!! In our very first live episode, we break down a list of some of the dumbest, most unnecessary, most inappropriate, and most ill conceived video game collector’s bundles ever. From the cheapest add on junk to the most expensive publicity stunts. Fridges to figurines! Panties to Baterangs! Remote control cars.. to real cars. We cover it all!

Episode 24: Birth of A Killer App - The Origin of Halo Part II

For the second and final part in our series on Halo: Combat Evolved, we learn about the game's journey from Mac game to Xbox exclusive. Want to hear a bunch of billionaires get mad at each other over a game about a spaceman shooting purple aliens? We got you covered. Join us to catalog everything that made the cut and everything that didn't, as one of the the best FPS games of all time limped its way across the finish line.

Episode 23: Birth of A Killer App - The Origin of Halo Part I

Every once and a while a game comes along that changes the industry forever. And few have changed the game in the way that Halo: Combat Evolved has. From Microsoft's success in the console game, to the proliferation of the FPS genre on consoles, a lot can be attributed to the Halo series. On this episode, we dive into the history of Bungie, and the story of how Halo came to be. Join us on part one of a two part journey, as we discover how one of the most iconic first person shooters of all time didn't even start as a shooter let alone a first person game, and how it almost had some of the stupidest names we have ever heard.

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.