Episodes

Friday Jan 25, 2019
Episode 11: History of the Xbox 360
Friday Jan 25, 2019
Friday Jan 25, 2019
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!

Friday Jan 18, 2019
Episode 10: CSGO Skin Betting & Gambling
Friday Jan 18, 2019
Friday Jan 18, 2019
On this episode of Hot Button, we are joined by our first ever guest, esports 'expert' and crime aficionado Chris Neuteboom, as we take a journey into the seedy underbelly of 'legal' Counter Strike: Global Offense skin betting and gambling. Tune in to find out just how many lawsuits can pop up next time you decide steal your mom's credit card!

Friday Jan 11, 2019
Episode 09: Modern Warfare 2's 'No Russian'
Friday Jan 11, 2019
Friday Jan 11, 2019
Anyone else remember the time that Call of Duty had you participate in a mass murder? Cause we do. Today we discuss the development and controversy around Modern Warfare 2’s infamous 'No Russian' airport mission. Warning: Some graphic content is discussed and listened to in this episode.

Friday Jan 04, 2019
Episode 08: Epic Games v Silicon Knights
Friday Jan 04, 2019
Friday Jan 04, 2019
David vs Goliath. Rocky vs Ivan Drago. The 1980 US Men's Hockey Team vs Russia. History is full of stories where the underdogs come out on top. This is not one of them. Today on Hot Button, we are looking into the legal battle between Silicon Knights and Epic Games, over the use of Epic's Unreal Engine 3. Listen in to find out how David died, and Goliath went on to make Fortnite.

Friday Dec 28, 2018
Episode 07: The Re-rating of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Friday Dec 28, 2018
Friday Dec 28, 2018
Listen right now criminal scum! This week we discuss the re-rating of a title in Bethesda's SKYRIM series, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. We learn once again the cost of alienating your community and how a few mods of exposed private parts can do more damage to gaming than any amount of gratuitous violence.

Friday Dec 21, 2018
Episode 06: History of the Original Xbox
Friday Dec 21, 2018
Friday Dec 21, 2018
It’s time we take a deep dive into the development of the Xbox! Can Bill Gate's disdain for a certain Japanese tech company really change the video game industry forever? Would the PC Master Race really exist without Disney's The Lion King? We explore the answers to these questions, along with many more you never thought to ask about Microsoft's first game console.

Saturday Dec 15, 2018
Episode 05: Video Game Contests Part III - Just Cause 3
Saturday Dec 15, 2018
Saturday Dec 15, 2018
Ever think about what it would be like to have your very own secluded tropical paradise? Well, join us on the thrilling conclusion of our trilogy as we talk about the time that Square Enix thought it would be a good idea for players to compete against each other to win an actual island all for themselves! What could go wrong, right?

Friday Dec 07, 2018
Episode 04: Video Game Contests Part II - Curiosity: What’s Inside the Cube?
Friday Dec 07, 2018
Friday Dec 07, 2018
The saga of game contests gone wrong continues! Our second chapter introduces 'Curiosity: What’s Inside the Cube?', a mobile tapper game from Fable and Populous creator Peter Molyneux’s with the promise of a grand mystery prize hidden inside. What lies at the center of this free-to-play nightmare? Listen in and find out!

Hot Button Podcast
A podcast chronicling strange and interesting stories in the world of video games!
Featuring Hosts Austin Blakeslee and Randall Beatrice, as well as a group of rotating guest hosts!