The HotSpot - Spy Party - 1/25/12

@darkspineslayer Shockingly enough, this one was completely not my fault. We had some problems with our upload server yesterday. It's up now! @eiji1 Yeah, it typically goes up on SoundCloud a couple hours earlier, as it's audio-only. Uploading the video takes a GD eternity.

@TomM_GSCom Hey, have you started uploading to soundcloud early? Because I've already downloaded the ep from there...

So how about that new one? or should I just start expecting these on thursdays now XD

I loved this podcast. I haven't been so enthralled by a game designer speak since listening to Will Wright, which makes the dud of Spore even more complexing with the team of great minds that was behind it. Anyway, loved the show. I vote for more Chris Hecker.

I needed to comment on how much I enjoyed this cast as to balance out all the hate. Chris Hecker reminds me a lot of the lead designer on Magic: The Gathering (Mark Rosewater) which is a big compliment. We need more people this excited about what they do. I could have listened to many more hours of this guy talk about Spy Party and I will most definitely be joining in on the beta when it goes live.

That was the worst hotspot by far. Not only does that game sound TERRIBLE, but even if it were great that annoying guest would make it bad. You could tell that Tom McShea was just waiting for that guy to shut up, but it never happened. After this show, I'm certain that Hecker is the sole reason that Spore was a massive flop. Maybe he should rethink his next adderall refill.

Great show! I thought Hecker was an awesome guest. He's passionate about video games, and he brought up some very interesting aspects about game design that doesn't usually get a lot of attention.

Love hearing indie developers talk, great show!

Ah! for God's sake magrino stop bringing guests and bring back the homework. we want the hotspot to be the funny and amusing thing it used to be. It's not like we actually listen for information about video games.

also guys, he's a developer, not a public speaker. As long as he makes a good game (and this one looks like it has the potential to be) i really don't mind him speaking a tad it fast

@Kevin-V Hi Kevin! You might have mentioned this in a previous hotspot or a blog entry before but I can't seem to find it. I noticed that you studied in Oberlin, a very prestigious music school. I'm very curious about how you got from there to where you are today. Please share the story as I am sure it is a very interesting one. Thank you! Peter

I don't know where my comment went, maybe GS deleted, but here it goes again. Was this show all about this game? After 25 minutes I couldn't take anymore.

timothy dalton of gamespot? ouch. tom is better than that.

HotSpot has way to many interviews :\ I want my old HotSpot back! >:[

Hope atmosphere isn't that cold in GS these days that Kevin-V needs to wear cap and coat all along...

This is not a talk show, it's a long, boring commercial.

That documentary would be funny, homeless people going after pigeons. I can imagine the blood splatter and feathers flying XD

could tom mcgreeno do a public reading with that Halo book? I'd watch that.

Special Guests are a great idea, as long as the one you invite doesn't hog up the whole show with unlistenable ultra-babble. Even if I cared about his game I couldn't have made it through that show. Brutal, brutal stuff.

lmao at 1:02:12

That guy has to be jacked up on adderall. So annoying.

This is a very original idea for a game and chris seems very nice I hope when this becomes available it gets picked up on steam or XBLA and they make some money.

I liked the way Chris Hecker talks. Its fast and to the point. Also, thank you Tom for the link to the manuel i needed it :P

wow that was pretty unllistenable. made it 20 minutes and couldnt take any more of that guys insanity. interested in the spy party game but really wish they could have edited that discussion to like 10 minutes max and then talked about other games. booo-urns!

@lazarius12 I truly am out to get you.

"Halo" BOOOOOO....lol. For the pun, not the game.

I finally send in a pop quiz email to try and win that Pikmin thing and now you get rid of the segment. That's just figures.

@mehrdad19872010 @endorbr @chrisbell2401 Times, they will be a-changin'.

@TomM_GScom - Well anything sounds bad when you read it like that. :D

I thought I would miss the old hotspot theme, but the 90's pseudo hard rockin theme has grown on me.

Dark Souls is a great blend of player and avatar skills.

Listening to Chris Hecker talk I felt like 45 minutes had passed but when I checked the timer it had only been 15. Is he trying to sell Micro Machines? Or just really "that" excited? It's kind of distracting and I would actually like to hear the HotSpot regulars get to talk during a podcast at least once in a while.

Man who put crack in his coffee this morning.

Cool. Thanks team.

The Indie game "Bloody Good Time" was similar as well. (Cheap on Steam).

Chris Hecker, great energy. Love when people say things that I actually already know, but never thought about them in that way. The distinction between player skill and avatar skill idea is great. It's like David Jaffe saying that story to him doesn't matter, the base of it all must be gameplay. Myself, i'm a RPG fan, so most of the times i'm into the "story" and "avatar skill" line, but it's great to hear people like this talking about the things we love!

I can't wait to play Spy party! I'm excited about the possibilites with Wii U and PS3/Vita.

Chris Hecker was really great. He just needs to lay off the coffee, whoa.

That being said, it sounds like an awesome game.

@chrisbell2401 I agree. If it was 2 hours like the one Jonathan Blow was on and a significant amount of time was alotted to the designer and then the show returned to normal, it would be better. However, a show dedicated to a specific game is kind of like a spoiler cast with the designer of that game and not the normal show.

love this show but i get a bit bored when devs are on. I respect massively what they do but i'd prefer to simply have the guys talking about games, unencumbered

I wonder how long this Hotspot would've been if Chris Hecker spoke at a normal speed. Not making fun of him or anything. But wow that guy can talk.

Wow Chris Hecker talks really fast.

Spy Party :D

@darkspineslayer I think this might be just you? If you've subscribed, the show should be there. If not, maybe try unsubscribing and then resubscribing? Sometimes that works.

Awesome, I've been waiting all day for this.

Nice show!! is it me or anybody else sense that chris hecker talks alot!

Hotspot not on iTunes feed :(

This is possibly my favourite Hotspot yet, funny and very informative. Also I now have a new game on my radar, Spy Party. If you don't get many Popquiz questions, I'll send you more. You don't have to send me anything but I think the questions are cool. Thanks Tom, this was a great.

HotSpot got!