It's with a heavy heart we're announcing this, but everything comes to an end and it's no different with Codec Moments.  For many reasons we've decided to put the adventure out of its under utilised misery, but it doesn't have to be a mournful thing...  we've decided to record The Last Of The Podcast to detail why it's coming to a stop and remind ourselves (and you) of all the fun we've had over the last 11 years!

Shock news!!  We've already beaten last year's podcast count... WHOOP!  Matt and Ali are back to discuss their favourite pieces from the recent Summer Games Fest, PlayStation, Xbox and Ubisoft showcases - all of which contained something interesting to talk about.  Did you watch the events from what was definitely not an E3 as well?  If not, just assume these two know what they're talking about and enjoy.

On 23rd July 2020, Microsoft hosted another online event that promised to showcase new and exciting games for their new console, the Xbox Series X.  Straining with excitement, Ali watched the whole livestream to see if his dreams of ray tracing would be realised this autumn.  Little did he realise that things were going to take an unexpected turn...

Listen to this episode of the Codec Moments Podcast about the Xbox Series X to find out:

• Who watched it live and all the way through
• How many times Ali gets bleeped
• What the main impressions of the gameplay were
• Whether any of the team was too lazy to plug in a quality mic... and cause hours of editing strife to get the tin can nature cleaned up
• Is Halo the game to launch the Xbox Series X
• Will Ali be pre-ordering
• If we think the Microsoft marketing department got the tone right
• Where did Phil Harrison end up
• and more!

Why not join our Discord channels to talk games (and other stuff) and listen to live recordings (and join in) – click here.  If you think that Discord is going to make you spend too much time thinking about cables, then why not check us out on Twitter, Facebook or contact us via email.  The Codec Moments Podcast will return soon.

It’s the 31st October 2017 so that means it’s Halloween, and we are obligated under all rules of recording and publishing to put out an appropriately themed episode.  That doesn’t mean we have to churn out the same piece of content each year though, no.  We definitely wouldn’t do that ;-)… but we would hit you with bad puns galore in the first couple of minutes.  You have been warned.

In this special instalment of the Codec Moments Podcast, Andy and Matt talk about:

• their favourite spooky and creepy games
• that Andy’s a wuss when it comes to horror titles
• the demise of Visceral Games
• what we’ll be streaming on Halloween… hint, Andy will crap himself (again)
• and a seasonally appropriate quiz.

It’s been a good couple of months for racing games.  Whatever your passion there’s probably been something released that you can get into the cockpit of: rallying, Formula 1, karting, track racing, supercars, hypercars, normal cars… it’s all been put out there to satisfy your need for speed (and there’s another one of those coming soon too).  To celebrate this cacophony of cars we chatted with Ali Cornwall about Project CARS 2, Forza 7 and GT Sport, amongst other games.

In this episode of the Codec Moments Podcast, Matt, Andy and special guest Ali discuss:

• their love of racing games but the lack of time to play them (or skill in Andy’s case)
• Project CARS 2‘s hardcore approach
• Forza 7’s failings
• GT Sport being a very welcome surprise despite the woeful parts of the demo
• Mario Kart – because you can’t discuss racing games without the lighter side
• Japanese weirdness
• DiRT 4, F1 2017 and the awesomeness of Codemasters
• that there are other racing games available that they’ve not played.

If you’re at a loose end on a weekend with young children to entertain, what do you do? Go to a specialist convention of course! The Codec Moments Podcast relocated to Doncaster for the Monster Comic Con on the 7th October, held at the local racecourse. There to sample the delights of merchandising, excellent cosplay, questionable food, and to find out just how easy it is to terrify a 3 year old with a Dalek, we’re going to give you our impressions of the day we spent there.

In this episode, Matt and Andy:

• head to Doncaster dragging their daughters with them to frighten them with cosplay
• talk to some panel guests including: Tim Plester Paul Davis Dolya Gavanski Robin Vidgeon
• discuss at length whether you should stay in character all day if you’re in costume
• ponder the dubious positioning of the Q&A panel
• try to work out if it was a good event or not
• debate whether it’s right to see all the comic characters dancing to S-Club 7…
• completely fail to mention the free Kevin Smith book and/or t-shirt that everyone got

In dieser Episode des Codec Moments Podcasts ist es an der Zeit, sich mit der Neuen Ordnung zu beschäftigen und uns der Tatsache zu überlassen, dass wir wirklich die Art und Weise lieben, wie Machinegames und Bethesda die Wolfenstein-Spiele vermarktet haben.  Mit der Veröffentlichung von Wolfenstein II in nur wenigen Tagen werden Matt und Andy von Stuart Cullen begleitet, um über Werbung, Hype und die schreckliche Atmosphäre zu sprechen, die aus der alternativen Realität kommt, die vom Dritten Reich gesteuert wird.

In diesem Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Special sprechen wir über:

• woran wir uns über das erste Spiel erinnern
• Fergus und ein offenherzig nicht druckbarer Dialog
• jeder der Live-Action-Trailer – Sie können sie unten sehen
• der Comic
• Wie dunkel, störend und gut erkannt, ist die alternative Realität
• Warum Multiplayer spielt keine Rolle

Here at Codec Moments after our thoughts on the new devices incoming from Amazon, we wanted to know who was the best between Alexa and Siri and decided to settle it the old fashioned way – duelling pistols at dawn.  Sadly, neither device has hands and is capable of working a flintlock pistol, and we didn’t have extension leads or WiFi signal in the middle of the woods, so we changed plans.  Instead, we set about asking the two virtual assistants a variety of questions to see who would give us the most useful, sensible or realistic answers.  We’d love to say it was a balanced and fully scientific experiment, but it was just more entertaining to find out which remained composed and consistent throughout, and which started to lose the plot a bit.

In this Codec Moments Podcast we find out:

• Alexa vs Siri – who can answer the most questions sensibly
• that Andy starts to fear things are going a bit Ex Machina with his AI companions
• that there can be only one

Recently we all got hands on with the Battlefront II beta demo, getting the chance to sample the delights of the game that’s building above and beyond the 2015 incarnation.  It’s slick, fast paced, and faithful to the source material like no other film to game conversion we’ve had to date.  Is that enough though to sell Matt and Andy on picking the new version up?

In this Codec Moments Podcast, they talk about:

• the different game modes on offer
• how often they were killed
• the lack of team coherence in the early stages
• what Battlefront II does differently
• loot crates
• actually winning a game
• how Darth Maul plays
• and the terribly simple flying controls

Amazon hosted an event on the 27th September and surprised both the press and users with a raft of new hardware announcements for their Echo series of devices.  We’re big fans of the original Amazon Echo here at Codec Moments and the additional options and functionality got us talking about what we’d use them for, and whether we could buy into all of them.

In this episode of the Codec Moments Podcast, Matt and Andy talk about:

• Amazon Echo… a lot… it’s the point of the podcast after all
• the Spot, Plus, Buttons and 4K Fire
• connected homes
• Echo calling and the drop in feature
• how much they think they’ll be spending with Amazon on these in the future

It’s been several years in the making, but Matt has finally caved and gone all in for a steering wheel, pedals and seat setup to make the most of his passion for racing games… and that Project CARS 2 proved to be really, really hard with a pad.  Weighing up the options and deciding on the Logitech G29 and Playseat Challenge it was time to take it to the track.

In this podcast the Codec Moments team talk about:

• The racing kit
• The setup
• Furniture arranging
• Do they make you any better at games?
• How different driving games handle
• Does Andy want to go round and play?

Did you take part in the last month’s Codec Momentum?  Have a listen to see if you got a shout out about your achievements.  Even if you didn’t join in the backlog clearing incentive scheme we run, have a listen anyway… it might help you decide to finish one of the games lurking on your pile of shame.

In this, the inaugural Codec Moments Podcast, Matt and Andy run down:

• Why they ditched The Codec Call
• Who completed their September Codec Momentum’s
• Who won the prize (let’s hear it, WWWOOOOOOOO!!)
• What they’re both pledging for October
• How the leaderboard is shaping up

It’s taken a while, but we actually got round to recording a new Codec Call… mainly because we were stuck in a traffic jam coming back from EGX 2017, and when you’ve a couple of hours stuck in a small metal box with nothing but your impressions of the show you’ve just spent 8 hours walking around, it’s pretty much the only sensible thing to do.  Having immersed ourselves in UK gaming culture for the day and satiated our desire for some new games to muck around in, it’s time to let you know what we made of it all.

In this long awaited episode we talk all about:

• Far Cry 5
• GT Sport
• Missing our junctions on the M42 and driving miles the wrong way
• Strange Brigade
• Stuart getting beaten by Keeley
• Project CARS 2
• Blocked motorway lanes
• The noise of passing traffic
• Andy’s terrible racing skills… karma after last year’s gloating
• Wolfenstein II interview
• eSports
• Is this the last Codec Call?
• Our total failure to spot the VR section until the end of the day
• and a quiz!

Really, what did you expect?  F1 2020 has been released and we wouldn't do a podcast about it?  C'mon!  Matt and Ali can't resist the chance to talk about Formula 1, wheel setups and tyre feel on a race track.  Don't switch off if you're a casual race fan though, there's some new options in this year's iteration that might appeal.

Listen to this episode of the Codec Moments podcast to hear all about:

• Tyre differentials
• Downforce settings
• Oil pressure regulation
• The degree of flex on the winglets
• Whether the Gurney flap has been updated
• If the above is a load of nonsense and they just like going fast in F1 2020.

Why not join our Discord channels to talk games (and other stuff) and listen to live recordings (and join in) – click here.  If you think that Discord is going to make you drive with no assists, then why not check us out on Twitter, Facebook or contact us via email.  The Codec Moments Podcast will return soon.

Rebellion are one of the most underrated studios in the UK.  Aside from the excellent Sniper Elite series, they’ve been responsible for Aliens vs Predator, Ground Control and Battlezone.  They also own 2000 AD comics which means they are working on print, TV and film as well as games.  The independent studio always manages to deliver what gamers want – entertaining, challenging and fun experiences.

At EGX 2017 we got hands on with the next two titles to come from the studio: Strange Brigade and Rogue Trooper Redux.  The first is a co-op puzzle shooter where the pedigree of Sniper Elite comes through to help construct a chaotic, intense but immensely satisfying 4-player action game.  The latter is a full remaster of an often overlooked 3rd person tactical shooter that originally released on the PS2.  We managed to pin down Robbie Cooke and Rich May from the Rebellion team to tell us more about them.

We’re big fans of the Wolfenstein reboot from a couple of years ago, as well as the standalone DLC that followed it up, so with no surprises whatsoever we’re getting excited about the next game coming in October this year.  During EGX 2017 we got the chance to tag along with Stuart Cullen and record his chat with Andreas Öjerfors, senior game designer at Machinegames, to find out what the intrepid Scottish Sun reporter was asking about with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus being just over the horizon.  Would it all centre around the inclusion of a Scottish character, does Andreas want some Irn Bru, or how does Haggis go down in Sweden?  The interview may include at least one of those things…

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, developed by Machinegames and published by Bethesda, continues the story started in Wolfenstein: The New Order and has B. J. Blazkowicz picking up the mantle of freeing America from the oppression of the Nazis and is due for release on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on the 27th October.  We’ll be bringing the review as soon as we can get our grubby mitts on a copy of the game.

At EGX 2017 we got hands on with the PC build of Project CARS 2, testing out the Nurburgring in some very quick racing cars.  Experiencing the new game from Slightly Mad Studios made us remember both the good and bad from the first game, but equally gave us hope that despite a smaller development team, we’d be getting a more rounded racing sim this time out.  To find out more on what’s different with the sequel and how they pulled together such a detailed game, we spoke to Rod Chong, the Chief Commercial Officer of the studio.

Project CARS 2 is out now on PC, Xbox One and PS4, is developed by Slightly Mad Studios and published by Bandai Namco.  Keep an eye on the site for insight from one of the racing drivers involved with development; tips on getting the best out of the controller pad options; and not least, our review.

We mentioned in the last podcast that there was an unused recording from December which we might pull some bits out of.  Well, in true Plain Lazy fashion, we’ve ripped big chunks and cobbled it together as if it was a brand new episode!  To at least give you some hope that we’re not fleecing your time with old, out of date rubbish, we got Stuart Cullen to come back and talk to us about Scotch Corner’s latest content.  Hit up the link to your favourite podcast provider or just go old skool and download it from here to find out what else we’re covering this time.

Listen to this episode of the Codec Call to hear:

• Matt’s thoughts on PlayStation VR
• A Glaswegian waxing lyrical about I Am Bread, eSports and Sniper Elite 4
• How Andy’s discovered the world of Skyrim
• Whether we’re seeking legal counsel over #CodecMomentum
• and some bad pretending that we’ve actually prepped for the recording (see the post closing theme reveal for what we nearly forgot to talk about)

It’s been 3 months since we last put out a podcast, mainly due to insane amounts of work, then lack of work, and then technically not having anywhere to live… but we’re back!  It’s now the traditional time for the Codec Moments team to wax lyrical about the games that surprised and disappointed them over the previous year, and we try so hard not to talk about No Man’s Sky.  That’s not all either.  Hit up the link to your favourite podcast provider or just go old skool and download it from here to find out what else we’re covering this time.

Listen to this episode of the Codec Call to hear:

• What we’ve been playing with – yay for tech based Xmas presents!
• Our biggest surprises and disappointments from 2016.
• How we recorded a podcast in December and haven’t used any of the audio!
• Special guest Stuart Cullen managing to tell us about his Scottish Sun column without saying Halo 1,000 times (check out our Christie Doran interview also mentioned during the segment).
• Listener questions – they’re back!
• Some info on Virtuos Games opening up a Paris studio.
• And of course, our #CodecMomentum winners from the last few months.

Next month sees the 20th anniversary of the release of the Original Tomb Raider and to celebrate, Matt and Andy are giving away a copy of the recently released Rise of the Tomb Raider on PS4!  See below for details.

Not only that, but they have also gone back through the Codec Call archive to 1996, to find what is believed to be the first episode of what was then called out net distributed audio programme.

Listen to this episode of the Codec Call to hear:

• Crisp, clean audio from 2016 topping and tailing the feature presentation
• Slightly dirty tape recordings from 20 years ago, definitely not modern audio with added noise and compression!
• Hear us talk about games from 1996, contemporaneously
• Two decades old gaming and technology news!
• Listener questions, some of which were anachronistic at the time, but seem prescient now!
• Tomb Raider

In September we headed to sunny Birmingham to take in the sights and sounds of the NEC… well, EGX 2016 at least.  Currently the premier games expo in the UK, EGX showcases some of the biggest upcoming games, new tech and indie publishers to anyone who buys a ticket and heads in.  It’s rather good.  Being vaguely prepared, we took mics and recording equipment so that we could capture our thoughts and feelings during the day, as well as grab some interviews with any interesting people we bumped into – there were a fair few there!

Listen to this episode of the Codec Call to hear:

• Strange time-travelling editing techniques that make it sound like we actually did things in a sensible order
• Most of the Lapsed Gamer crew on their thoughts from the day
• An interview with the developer of Wizdish ROVR – a walking frame for VR tech that made Andy fall over
• An interview with the creator of MVR Ascend – VR for any game, on any console
• GT Sport racing pods
• PSVR and how Andy threw cups at his driver in The London Heist
• Hitman (because we just can’t stop talking about Hitman)
• Dishonored 2

The new Codec Momentum points system and league table have been a success, but we’re on the fence as to whether you can say the same about No Man’s Sky.  In this, the 25th episode of the Codec Call podcast, Matt, Andy and Graham talk about this and much more!

In this episode we discuss:

• What games we’ve been playing
• Metal Gear Survive announcement
• PS4 Slim leaked
• Battlefield 1 open beta
• No Man’s Sky (or No Man, Why? if you’ve not got the pun yet…)
• Inconceivably large number ‘Play Your Cards Right’ is the Codec Call Quiz!
• Listener questions
• Oh, and Codec Momentum

We’ve finally done it, we’ve gotten round to updating Codec Momentum with a points system, league table, ranks and personalised banners and avatars for Facebook and Twitter.  Our latest podcast gives you all the details you need, at length, and in great detail too… so don’t skip the 20 mins we spend explaining a very, very simple concept!  We also lost track of time and Matt ran out of recording space whilst we were talking about which games we want to see in VR, listen out for him sounding like he’s phoning it in… literally.

In Got Momentum? we talk about:

• July’s Codec Momentum winner
• The lack of games we’ve been playing
• The new ranks for Codec Momentum
• Why are people still using VHS tapes?
• Which accolades we’re adding to the new Codec Momentum banners
• More Pokemon Go news
• Who’s topping our new Codec Momentum league table
• Andy’s progress with #RouteMaster
• Oh, and something about Codec Momentum.

It’s time for another Codec Call, and in episode XXIII Andy and Matt are dealing with the aftermath of the world wide phenomenon that is Pokemon Go.  One is excited for if, the other really not interested, and they both deal with your questions about the mobile monster chasing game.  Might be worth following this link on server stability too if you want some details on why switching them on might not be as easy as it sounds.

Pokemon Go isn’t the only topic though (even if it is in every news story going at the moment); check out:

• What games have they been playing?
• Andy’s horrific vault of death (see image below)
• Will anyone be surprised that Carmageddon isn’t as good as people had hoped?
• Southern Rail Tycoon allows you to become a train cancelling overlord!
• June’s #CodecMomentum winner and changes to the monthly completion badges.
• A special ice cream interval (if it’s not been edited out…)
• And what we think of digital vs physical prices.

With Sony's press conference on the 11th June 2020 showcasing a huge number of upcoming next generation games, the new DualSense controller, and the all important looks of the PS5, we decided to sit down and capture our thoughts (good and bad) on what we'd seen.  Well, we being Ali and Matt... Andy was too busy to watch the event so had to receive all the info via live text message, then sift through what was true, and what we'd made up.  There was a lot of great things on show, and a few bits that are telling from what was not said about the new hardware, but largely it started to really build the excitement for a new machine.  We also thought we could get away with creating a new word in a Kojima fashion with revealations... might need some more work there.

 Listen to this episode of the Codec Moments Podcast to hear:

• What we thought of the PS5 games and whether we'll be playing them at launch
• When we think GT7 will release
• Why kick off with GTAV... again?!
• How out of date our Mixer references are
• When the first Hitman conversation will be
• If Andy can compare the PS5 to a router more than 3 times
• What the leaked price and release date has come out as
• Whether Matt will buy into an Xbox Series X
• and more!

Why not join our Discord channels to talk games (and other stuff) and listen to live recordings (and join in) – click here.  If you think that Discord is going to be too shiny and exciting with its PS5 talk, then why not check us out on Twitter, Facebook or contact us via email.  The Codec Moments Podcast will return soon.

We’re not sad about E3 2016 ending, but a few weeks ago we made some predictions about E3 and what would be revealed and talked about – it’s now time for us to see if we managed to get anything right.  Were our wild speculations about Kojima, Star Wars and Sam Fisher correct?  Did we predict the reveal of Skyrim being remastered?  Did no one guess the bat-sh!t crazy intro to the Ubisoft conference.  Listen in to find out.  Oh, we talk about what games we’ve been playing too… and this isn’t a short Codec Call either, so make sure you’re comfortable and have plenty of refreshments.

With this years major media expo about gaming that’s not GDC, Gamescom or TGS about to start (sorry, we have to remind the world that there are other events outside E3); we’ve had a think about what the key messages and themes from the major hardware and software producers will be.  Taking a pinch of what we have heard rumours about, adding a dollop of intelligent interpolation, and chucking in some totally ridiculous mental leaps, we’ve come up with what we think some of the stories of the conference will be.  Oh, and we shout out our #CodecMomentumwinner and finishers from May too.

Andy and Matt talk about:

• Microsoft
• Sony
• Nintendo (and are quite ill informed)
• 2K
• Take Two
• Ubisoft (at length…)
• EA
• Deep Silver (and you can see the Agents of Mayhem trailer here)
• and many others.

By no means have we covered everything that’s going to come up at E3 2016… post recording we collectively slapped our foreheads and exclaimed “How did we manage to forget about Horizon Zero Dawn!!“, so if we’ve missed anything you think we should have talked about, drop us a note in the comments below, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook (just search for Codec Moments).  We’ll pick up whether we got anything right or not in our next full Codec Call.

What is going on with the Codec Call schedule?!  It’s only been a week since we posted the horrendously delayed “lost episode” and here comes episode XXI of the Codec Call podcast.  Have a listen and be sure to join our Facebook group.

In this episode:

• We’ve been playing DIRT Rally, Ratchet & Clank, Hitman Sapienza, the Mirror’s Edge Catalyst beta, Motorsport Manager (check out Prof & Brian’s review) and Hungry Shark Evolution
• We discuss Playstation Neo, our shiny new web hosting, Call of Duty Infinite and the remastered Modern Warfare Trilogy and an unnecessary tribute to Andy’s daughter
• We update #CodecMomentum for April, including choosing who won the PSN/XBL/Steam voucher this month.  Make sure you submit your entry for May here!
• Andy updates us on his #RouteMaster challenge
• An update on the Hannah Montana vs Rainbow 6 Siege ultimatum that Matt gave to Andy in episode XX
• There’s a video game movie themed quiz you can play along with.

Some of you thought this day wouldn’t come, and quite frankly, neither did we at times – but here it is, the much delayed Codec Call Episode XX.  Because of the very slow nature of this podcast arriving, it’s a bumper episode recorded and edited over several weeks, with most of the discussion out of date and totally irrelevant now… don’t let that stop you from listening though, there’s tonnes to get mildly entertained by.

We talk at length in episode XX about:

• An awesome Rocket League dev interview between Stuart Cullen (The Scottish Sun) and Jeremy Dunham (VP Marketing and Communications at Psyonix)
• Microsoft’s UWP
• The Division
• #Finishergate
• #CodecMomentum’s March winner and a big shoutout to all participants
• Hitman – do we like the new game now it’s finally here?
• VR price announcements and release info
• #RouteMaster
• The Codec Moments quiz (by Matt this month)
• A competition to win a Metal Gear Rising T-Shirt and Andy’s copy of Killzone Shadow Fall (‘cos he’s never going to finish it)
• All the usual games conversation that we’re using to fill 2 hours (yes, it’s really that long, get yourself a cuppa and comfy chair before starting)

It’s that time of the month again… or rather it’s not because we’ve actually managed to record a mid-month podcast with the power of science!  Well, the power of phones, mini amps, mic, audio recorders and podcast editing patience.

In this episode Matt and Andy talk about:

• What people said after the last podcast about VR
• Morse code messages!
• Games they’ve managed to spend some time with
• Firewatch’s authentic 80’s snappy snaps!
• A special guest sporting superstar!
• Some dodgy stories they stumbled across – like the nefarious VTech hack and the Portable ZX Spectrum
• Fallout’s DLC announcement, and what you all think is the best DLC from any game to date
• A quick catch up on #CodecMomentum (including a special interjection from our legal counsel)
• Our thoughts on the Hitman beta (and Hitman Go) given that we’ve been waiting for this for so long…

This month’s podcast is shorter than the last (thankfully!), but still packed with content.  Andy and Matt discuss:

• Your feedback – that’s right, people actually listen and let us know what they think
• Games from the last month, including Alto’s Adventure, an addictive alpine alpaca chase that’s available on iOS and is coming to Android for free on February 11th.  Yay!  We also spend far too long talking about a free Star Trek mobile game.
• A banana powered WiFi password generator
• An interview with the up and coming Scottish racing driver Christie Doran
• #CodecMomentum and our first monthly winner
• The weakest quiz yet (you have been warned)

Happy New Year!  We hope that 2015 was kind to you and that 2016 will be your best year yet.  Matt and Andy got together on New Year’s Eve to discuss the games that surprised and disappointed them in 2015 and to record the latest episode of the Codec Call podcast; it was a jam-packed, bumper-filled edition that went on almost twice as long as the usual ones, so we thought we’d be kind to your ears and split it into two episodes.  In part 2 we cover:

• #CodecMomentum update, including the announcement of a new monthly prize draw!
• Andy’s #RouteMaster challenge for 2016 – nothing to do with London buses.
• We discuss the games of 2015 that surprised and disappointed us.
• What we’re looking forward to in 2016!

Happy New Year!  We hope that 2015 was kind to you and that 2016 will be your best year yet.  Matt and Andy got together on New Year’s Eve for some couch co-op and to record the latest episode of the Codec Call podcast; it was a jam-packed, bumper-filled edition that went on almost twice as long as the usual ones, so we thought we’d be kind to your ears and split it into two episodes.  In part 1 we cover:

• What’s happening with GAME after the recent profit warning?
• Just Cause 3
• Batman: Arkham Knight – Season of Infamy DLC
• The Sebastian Loeb Rally Evo demo
• Fallout 4
• Star Trek: Trexels
• Our listeners thoughts on local multiplayer and couch co-op
• and we have a quiz based on family gaming!

Another month flies past and we’ve got our act together and made our Codec Call podcast in a timely fashion… must be Christmas!  This month we’re going to natter at you about:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops III
• Star Wars: Battlefront
• Fallout 4
• The secrets behind the Black Ops III loading screens (spoiler-free!)
• Dying Light season pass price increase
• #CodecMomentum update
• and we’ve a Christmassy themed quiz!

It’s time for another Codec Call and in Episode XV Andy and Matt talk about:

• What they thought about the end of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (relatively spoiler-free),
• The Phantom Menace and Sith Master Jar Jar Binks,
• Spending $30,000 on a game,
• The latest in vape-rware (you’ll get how bad that pun is when you listen),
• A bunch of reviews (WRC 5, Mad Max, Dishonored Definitive Edition, PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate (PC), DRIVECLUB BIKES),
• The woes of Call of Duty: Black Ops III,
• Rainbow 6 Siege and Star Wars Battlefront beta fun,
• And the best quiz ever!

In this episode of the Codec Moments podcast which should really have been called "You won't believe the stuff the PS5 and Series X can do!", the team get together to have a chat about everything they know about the next generation of consoles.  It turns out that's not a lot, but they do manage to avoid fanboy baiting each other and starting a fight.  Of course, with Matt and Ali on the mics there's bound to be some racing game talk, and given the DiRT 5 announcement recently it's no surprise that they head down that track.  There's specs, speculation and made up stuff galore - come and have a listen!

If you want to know the following then, you know, crack on...

• Are the team going to get the new consoles at launch?
• Do they care about 8k capability?  Comes with bonus resolution effectivity discussion!
• What do we think of the new machines potential?
• What will the PS5 and Series X price be?
• How hard does Andy work to shoehorn in old podcast references?
• Have we answered any listener questions?
• When will the PS5 and Series X release?
• What's the name of Ali's sex tape?
• If we liked THAT Unreal Engine 5 video?
• and more!

Why not join our Discord channels to talk games (and other stuff) and listen to live recordings (and join in) – click here.  If you think that Discord is going to hide its PS5 and Series X gameplay from you, then why not check us out on Twitter, Facebook or contact us via email.  The Codec Moments Podcast will return soon.

In episode XIV of the Codec Call podcast:

• Andy is mostly phoning it in whilst he plays his September #CodecMomentum game, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, which he’s left until the eleventh hour…
• Professor Kelvin Harris and Brian review Big Pharma from Twice Circled Games (a solid 7/10 from them)
• Andy gives a quick update on September’s #CodecMomentum
• Peter Daish talks about his game (that we recently reviewed) CollectOrb, via the medium of the Prof’s PodBot – you can reach Peter through @Peter_Daish or @DaishGames

In this episode of the Codec Call, Andy and Matt:

• Discuss a disk drive orchestra, the perils of Windows 10 and My Roommate Sonic…
• Announce the winner of our Metal Gear Solid shot glasses competition
• Provide the final update for August’s #CodecMomentum
• and talk about their first impressions of MGS V.

In this episode of the Codec Call, Andy:

• talks all things MGS V with Tech Fixation’s Dexter Jaekel
• gets excited about cute puppies(?!)
• chats gaming collectibles with Stuart Cullen from Console Ninjas
• listens live as a 200,000 gamerscore is broken
• and let’s us all know what’s happening with August’s #CodecMomentum

In this episode of Cost of a Coffee, the Prof and Brian have been playing CollectOrb, the brain child of Peter Daish that first appeared on the PlayStation Vita in May as part of the now defunct PlayStation Mobile programme.  Now DaishGames have ported the title to Android and Amazon’s Fire HD, meaning many more people can experience the shear frustration of rolling a ball around a maze in the dark.

In the latest episode of Cost of a Coffee, Professor Kelvin Harris and his Lab Assistant Brian are taking a good, hard look at Rovio’s Angry Birds 2, which is available now for free on Android and iOS now.

In this episode Andy talks about Dinklebot, the formation of Alphabet by the creators of Google and he is joined by Connor from JoypadAndMe.com to talk about his efforts in the Year of Shame Challenge 3.  The Prof talks to Peter Malamud Smith about a huge free update to the enchanting mobile game, Satellina.

It’s August.  The sun’s out (mostly).  Games are thin on the ground.  Not much to talk about then?  We can still find something!  In this edition of The Codec Call, Andy and Matt discuss the what they’ve been playing; take a look at some bizarre news stories; have a quiz; set a challenge to all the listeners; and talk lots of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

We love Hitman… nothing more, nothing less than that.  Some of the best moments of our gaming years have been spent plotting and executing the perfect assassination in IO Interactive’s murder simulator.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  We spent a lot of time plotting then cocking it up as we misread a guard pattern, or forgot to pack silenced weapons.  However a mission went though, we were always eager to hit restart and strive for a better, neater, cleaner solution to the level – that’s simply what it awoke in us.  With news of a new Hitman on the horizon, we just had to spend some time delving into our favourite instalment (Blood Money), talking about what made it the experience it is, and what we want to see coming in December this year. If you want the YouTube option with full (badly demonstrated) gameplay footage then hit up the video below, and if you just want the audio then go for the podcast option – don’t worry, the video’s not needed to enjoy it, but we recommend it.  We’d love to know what you think the new Hitman game is going to be like so share your hopes and fears in the comments below, via Twitter or Facebook, or even on email.

In this episode of Cost of a Coffee, the Prof and Brian are over the moon for Satellina!

In this week’s Cost of a Coffee, Professor Kelvin Harris and Brian talk to the Simon Byron, the creator of Bang Man and David Chenell, one half of Enormous who developed Powder Alpine Simulator.

You wait for ages then two podcasts come along at once!  Hot on the heels of the They Live: Assault on Cable 54 boardgame episode (literally 5 minutes after), Andy, Matt and Ali discuss what they've been up to in the first couple of weeks of the countrywide lockdown.  How has being confined to their houses affected their gaming habits?  Are they starting to go stir crazy?  Isn't this just normal for Andy?

Listen to this episode of the Codec Moments Podcast to find out:

• Who's been sneaking in gaming sessions whilst their boss has been on conference calls
• How often Animal Crossing is being played
• What the team think of the recent iRacing and F1 2019 virtual race broadcasts
• Whether DOOM Eternal is too intense
• What the They Live Kickstarter is at only 30 mins after recording the last episode
• If the Control DLC is worth it
• and which team member couldn't resist Modern Warfare 2 Remastered.

Why not join our Discord channels to talk games (and other stuff) and listen to live recordings (and join in) – click here.  If you think that Discord is going to rudely cough in your face, then why not check us out on Twitter, Facebook or contact us via email.  The Codec Moments Podcast will return soon.

2014 was a strange year for gaming – there weren’t many highs, or too many lows, maybe because in the first full year of the life of our new console generation there weren’t actually that many new games.  Until November at least.  How do you sum up what you liked and disliked through the year?  We thought we’d do something a bit different to review our picks of 2014, we’ve gone for what surprised us for being as good as it was; and what disappointed us because it failed to live up to our excitement.

Cev, Andy and Matt got together at the end of December to record this Codec Call and talk through their picks of the year just past, and with only a little help from Uncle Grolsch and Auntie Baileys, put together 45 mins of chat that you might find at least a bit interesting… at some point.  You can play along as you listen too!  Answer all these questions correctly and there might be a game in it for you:

1. What are our most disappointing games of 2014?
2. Which publisher has upset us more than others?
3. Is a mmfpsorpg a Russian Otter?
4. Will Cev ever buy some WD40 to keep his chair quiet?
5. How many times can we plug our reviews in one podcast?
6. Could Matt possibly say “absolutely” anymore?
7. Will Andy still be married when we get to Easter?
8. What is the correct pronunciation of Passepartout?

On this week’s Cost of a Coffee, the Prof and Brian get all festive and play a restaurant management simulation…

The Prof and Brian have been away for a while, but today marks their triumphant return for the second series of Cost of a Coffee.  Before we let them get away with the bags of cash they are demanding as an appearance fee theses days, we’re making them take a dog run… RELEASE THE HOUNDS!