Video Game News Podcast
Video Game News Radio (shortened to VGN Radio) is also known as Medispective and
is a gaming podcast that now covers a range of topics on media in general. The
show is hosted by Kevin Baird, Brian Baird, Don Anderson, and Larry Mac. VGN is
incorporated in Cleveland, Ohio and has been online for 10 years with the
podcast running since mid 2004. They have done NPR interviews and have appeared
on television as point-counter point on national news shows. Kevin Baird also
maintains the iPodder games directory listing.
After going bi-weekly for half of 2006, VGN now produces a weekly podcast,
except in the summer (when it will once again be bi-weekly). Normally the latest
show is posted on Tuesday or Wednesday of the same week.
The show is also a part of the All Games Radio network, and airs Tuesdays at
9:30pm EST at: www.allgames.com
According to recent numbers provided by Podtrac, there are currently 1,500 or
more unique listeners to VGN Radio.
Synopsis
"Perspective from the working class, where the purchase of a video game is
judged not on its quality, but how you can justify its price to your
wife/girlfriend. And how manly you look to others while waving around a pink
controller to make an ape do flips on the screen. " --About the Show, All
Games.com
The basic format of the show consists of Kevin Baird listing the week's gaming
news and press releases to Don and Brian, to which they react in myriad
different ways. One or more segments generally follow the news (see Segments
below).
The Hosts
Kevin Baird
Kevin has had many blue-collar jobs, including working as a barback at
Christie's Cabaret, Grocery Store Bagger, Dishwasher, and spent 6 years cooking
food for various restaurants. A self-taught computer programmer, Kevin founded
Video Game News in 1995 and has hosted VGNRadio since July of 2004. He owns a
console collection (160+ systems in total, including the Gizmondo) and is
comfortable talking about all platform and all genres. Kevin generally plays the
role of facilitator, as Don and Brian sometimes don't have extensive knowledge
of specific games or issues related to the games industry. Not having any kids
(unlike Don and Brian), he generally has more time and money to spend on video
games. Kevin also has several preexisting relationships with video game
publishers and developers and will often get free games/merchandise that is
usually given away as part of a contest.
Brian Baird
Brian is Kevin's older brother. Formerly in the Navy, he's an interstate truck
driver for a hardware store. Father of three daughters, he has tattoos,
piercings, and bad haircuts. Brian provides commentary and movie/music/game
reviews for a devoted crowd. Brian is an avid lover of zombies and horror movies
in general. He and Kevin grew up in a catholic home. Because of that, Brian
began to like the ominous things he wasn't supposed to like as a kid. If there's
an insult or comment to be made on VGN, he's the first to say it. Brian is an
avid player of World of Warcraft.
Don Anderson
Don is a general laborer and has worked as a brick layer and steel worker. Don
spends more time repairing his house than he does on entertainment. He is former
guitarist for heavy metal bands, comedian, bartender, and pizza deliveryman. He
has stories about everything and everyone. Now married with two daughters, Don
lives in a very rural area of Ohio. Don is easily the quietest of the three
(some callers ironically address the show trio as "Don and Crew"), sometimes not
saying anything for long periods of time. In earlier episodes his phone
connection would constantly cut out causing him to miss segments of the show, or
need to delay the show to be reconnected. On January 7, 2007, Kevin announced
that Don would no longer be a regular host, though he's still welcome to return
as a guest.
Larry Mac
Larry Mac has been friends with the VGN hosts for years. He has a strong
connection to the Cleveland music scene and has provided the podcast with much
of its background music. A sports fan who talks quietly, gets disconnected, and
is frequently absent, Larry's contribution to the show is similar to Don's.
November 26, 2006 marked his first appearance as a regular host of VGN. He was
supposed to make VGN a 4-man show, but with Don's departure the 4 hosts have
only recorded one show all together.
Guest Hosts
Jedihillis, Karate Dog, and Akuma have guest hosted the show multiple times and
are often fill-ins for Brian and Larry.
Segments
Schizo Letter Bag- Each week one of the hosts comes up with a question to ask
the audience, and Kevin (and now Brian) reads their responses at the end of the
next show. It was briefly discontinued in May 2006, but was brought back in
October in place of Brian's Five Minute's of Fame. Answers to the questions are
submitted to helldiver@videogamenews.com. People who answer the question and
leave a valid mailing address are automatically entered into the giveaway
contest.
Top 25 titles of the Week- Occasionally Top 10 and Top 20, Kevin lists off the
top selling games, hardware and expansion packs of the week from amazon.com.
Regular mentions are various iterations of Madden, various games from The Sims
series, console bundles, and, surprisingly, Nancy Drew games.
State Watch- Kevin reports when states propose law pertaining to video games. An
example would be Michigan's proposal to make selling mature games to minors
unconstitutional. A related topic is the laws passed in Australia that make more
and more restrictions to gaming.
Game Reviews- Don, Brian, and Kevin review current or next-gen titles. There's
no consistency with the games chosen. Once in a while they'll both wind up doing
a separate review for a game (example: Evil Dead Regeneration). When it comes to
Don's review, the segment is referred to as "The Game Don Didn't Play This Week"
because he often neglects to pick up a game to review, or will have selected a
game but was unable to find time to play it. When he does review games, he
rarely recommends them unless its price has dropped significantly.
Don & Brian's Five Minute Movie Review- Like the game-reviews portion, Don often
doesn't watch a movie. A lot of the time, he either doesn't finish the game or
sleeps through part of it. Brian's movie choice is mostly horror or sci-fi,
specifically with zombie movies making a consistent appearance. Hosts that sub
for Don/Brian generally review movies in his place.
In Brief- Basically it's Kevin cutting to the heart of regular news, where he'll
start the dialog between hosts. When the news is business-related, it's renamed
"Business Brief".
Press Junket- Beginning in September of 2006, Kevin began the Press Junket
segment in an effort to get more game-related news into the show. Basically, he
reads video game-related press releases, while all of the hosts react. This
segment replaced "In Brief."
Games Coming Soon- As the title suggests, Kevin lists off the upcoming titles of
the week for all the platforms. At the end of 2005, it was discontinued simply
because the upcoming games weren't highly anticipated or particularly great
(Example: Prison Tycoon, Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock, 187 Ride or Die).
The Pirates Cove- Covers any news about piracy or illegal technology such as
MAME emulators or PSP Emulators.
Schizo Callers- Same thing as above, where they call in to talk about generic
topics and ask the hosts various questions.
Don's Corner- Don's newest segment where he gets a chance to talk about whatever
is on his mind. Usually any topic-starter with Don has to do with his life as a
homeowner or married man.
Five Minutes of Fame- Brian's newest segment, which is basically the same as
Don's.
Larry Mac's Musical Interlude - Larry Mac discusses the Cleveland music scene
and the specific band providing music for the episode. Some of the featured
bands include: At No End, Opus Dai, and The Ghost of Antigone.
Running Gags
Opening/Ending- In reference to Brian's zombie obsession as well as the fact
that recorded podcasts are not technically "Live from...", every show begins
with Kevin saying, "Undead from Cleveland, this is Video Game News Radio" and
then gives the rundown of what will be on the show. When it ends, he states the
locations where the live feeds can be heard and then says that "you have been
listening to three guys who are not paid off by the gaming industry, but we'd
like to be." And right before the feed cuts off, Don ends each episode with
"Peace!".
VGN Drinking Game- this is what Kevin Baird posted on the website as the
official rules.
You must drink if...
1. Someone writes in and complains about our "Undead From Cleveland" opening
phrase.
2. Someone mentions that we should use Skype, or some other computer centric
voice conferencing system (Like GoogleTalk) that assumes all three of us own
computers. (Don does not.)
3. Someone complains about the music.
4. Someone complains about the language.
5. You must drink the whole bottle if someone writes in and complains about us
stereotyping them or their culture. (Such as people in other countries, or gay
men.)
6. Those who intend to get really trashed should drink whenever Brian mentions
anything that has to do with Zombies.
Medispective
Around June of 2006, Kevin decided to change the name and tweak the format of
the show. With it the "Schizo Letter Bag" segment went discontinued, in place of
different segments. Kevin stated that the show would be bi-weekly instead of
weekly and that the show's name would be changed officially to Medispective.
However, since he owns the name of the site "Video Game News" or "Gaming
News".com the domain remains VGN. On all the sites links the show remains VGN,
and for the most part it's known as VGN everywhere.
On the forums, Kevin Baird explained the new name:
"I feel, ultimately, that the name of our show betrays us. Because we're not
100% gaming, and those that might be interested in what we talk about skip the
show in the listings because, well, they don't care that much about video games
(And have no idea we cover other topics), and those that do like video games
skip us, because we don't cover ONLY gaming. So I've decided to change the name
of the show. VGNR will now be known as Medispective. And yes, I've already
registered Medispective.com Medi is short for Media, and Spective is short for
Perspective. So basically, our perspective on various media. Nothing about the
show will change really. Officially, the show is still VGNR, because it is Video
Game News's radio show. (Since that is the owning company.) But a slow
transition will be made to start calling it Medispective. But, if you want to
keep calling it VGNR, you are more than welcome to. Medispective is just more
indicative of what we're talking about, so that's why the name change."
Are you interested in
mult-player online internet games? Such as runescape and neopets?Internet
Game Online-games, tips, cheats and kids forumsAnother good forum is
the Internet Junction For Gamers IJFG.COM Internet
Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and More IJFG.COM Jokes, Pranks,
Runescape and other cool games at IJFG.COM. RuneScape is set in a medieval
fantasy world, similar to "Guild Wars" or "EverQuest", where players control
character representations of themselves. As with most massive multiplayer online
roleplaying games (MMORPG), there is no overall objective or end to the game.
Players explore, form alliances, perform optional tasks, and complete quests for
rewards and to build character's skills.
RuneScape has often been one of
the top massive online role playing games. It is a unique game. But, with a
unique game, comes unique players. Players get bored, and then try to develop
cheats....autos or bots that will help them achieve success in their beloved
games of Runescape 2.
RuneScape is a virtual world which
is divided into two part: Members Areas and Non-Members areas. People who pay to
play (p2p), receive access to the special areas. They also have access to the
free areas. The members' places are much larger, offer "better" items for the
gameplay of rs2, and much, much more. The character that you create when you
first start playing runescape, moves around the game on foot; either by running,
or walking. Players are challenged to their utmost skills by fighting new
monsters, completing difficult quests, and manipulating marketing. As Runescape
2 is an RPG (Role playing game), there is no set path a person must take to play
rs. They can choose what to do, and when, whether it be training their
money-making skills, or fighting another player. Players usually interact with
each other by chatting through public chat, or private chat.Internet
Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and More IJFG.COM IJFG.com was a
runescape 2 based site. They have now, however, taken another look....
Of course the king of all game
cheating websites is
trick
the trik (otherwise known as RPG Cheats Site), where you can find cheat
forums, mmorpg topsite, arcade games and any mmo game related topics.
The master of massive multiplayer
online role-playing games (MMORPG) cheats can be found at Trik.com
Trik.com; this site is one of the best today. The forum section,
Trik.com forum, originally came from IJFG.com (Internet Junction For
Gamers) , which was one of the best websites that discussed various gamers'
issues. The full name was Internet Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and
More. This site had Jokes, Pranks, RuneScape and other cool games. RuneScape is
set in a medieval fantasy world, similar to "Guild Wars" or "EverQuest," where
players control character representations of themselves. As with most MMORPG,
there is no overall objective or end to the game. Players explore, form
alliances, perform optional tasks, and complete quests for rewards and to build
characters' skills.
Trik.com continues IJFG.com's
success, but Trik.com has more to offer. Trik Topsite can be found at
Trik Topsite; the TopSite is a great addition if you want to find the best
MMO RPG site(s) or raise your site in the rankings. Trik.com also has a
viciously competitive Arcade. If you want to be the #1 Arcade on Trik, then come
prove yourself at Trik.com arcade:
Trik arcade. Trik.com ?Trik.com/topsite ?Trik.com/forum/arcade.php
With the rising popularity of
commercial MMORPG games came the desire from ardent players of these games to
run their own servers beside the ones run by the game's creator. Since the
original server software is not usually available, the behavior of the server
has to be re-engineered. This can be done by analyzing the data stream with the
original server, or by disassembling and analyzing the client which is
available.
Ultima Online was one of the first
large MMORPGs. Due to its openness in implementation, server emulators arose
very quickly, even during the beta stage of development. The destination to
which the client connects was changeable by simply editing a text file. In beta
stage the client-server data stream was not encrypted yet. The term server
emulator became known through Ultima Online server reimplementation such as UOX,
which was the pioneer. Many forks and reimplementations followed UOX, because
its source code was released under the GNU General Public License relatively
early. RunUO is today the most widely used UO-server emulator. After RuneScape
implemented anti-cheating measures, many gamers left and started their own
private servers. The best place to discuss the private server is at
Trik- The Master of Private Server.
Another useful site is
Rune
Web ruwb.com . This site is about more serious RuneScape gold trading,
account exchange, gold for real life cash and many services. It includes tips on
how to avoid getting lured/scammed while using the marketplace. For programming,
visual basics, java, C/C++, scar and all other languages such as PHP, HTML, ASP,
Delphi. There are also sections for graphics talents, plus many cool videos and
fun stuff.
A defining moment in internet
gaming history was when a group of gamers called (hygo 7) decided to start an
ultimate game forum, which they named
hygo.com. It has the best financial backing, the friendliest game community,
and the highest quality of information. Currently Hygo.com has entered a new
phase...Hygo.com is offering the best private server game. With thousands of
members, Hygo.com is your next place to visit, as they have an amazing game with
a community and economy.
Hygo.com - The Online Adventure Game. is definitely one of the top sites you
want to join right now!
Ezud.com is now the powerhouse of
Runescape bugs and glitches. All and any rs2 bugs that anyone could ever
want are now found at the
Ezud forum. From a range of infinite running in runescape, to rs item
duping, ezud truly is an amazing glitching site.
Ezud has an excellent administration, and a great
moderating team. When everyone strives to make ezud.com a better place….it
becomes just that: a better place. Everyone contributes, and helps
Ezud strive.
So come on down to the new type of runescape 2 cheating:
runescape bugging. This is Ezud…this is
RuneScape 2 Bug Abuse.
Contact Information
Call our office today to set up an appointment. Learn more about how we can
help you, and learn more about the other services that we can offer you. All
messages we receive will be answered as soon as possible. We look forward to
hearing from you.
- Electronic mail
- General Information:
