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Kinda Funny |OT| A Baker's Dozen!
- Thread starter Calderc
- Start date
Hi Imran. Thanks for coming into this thread - off the top of my head I think you're the first KF member to do so. I think the general mood in this thread is that the gaming side of KF has been a bit complacent over the last year or so (although I'm not entirely sure that's the right word). It feels like KF are coasting a bit and are happy to appeal only to their core audience of Patreon subscribers. To me personally, KFGD is generally fine whenever I listen to it, if a little too long for a daily show, but the bigger issue is with Gamescast.
Since the start of the year the majority of that show each week has been "what we've been playing"; this is fine when there's a big new release or an interesting indie game or something to discuss, but after a while it's become really repetitive, especially when it's the same games every week (Division, Destiny, Borderlands etc. have been done to death at this point although that has improved in the last couple of months). I'd personally much prefer it to go back to having a Topic of the Week format and only do the "what we've been playing" thing when there's a proper review discussion to be had. There's so many other discussions that can be had about the games industry outside of straight talking about games; more than enough to fill a weekly show anyway.
Outside of Gamescast and KFGD, I'd be up for more unedited, live streams or gameplay videos (like the Batman stream not long ago) and I like the idea above about having an Indie Highlight. I know Party Mode sometimes did something similar but it was usually focused on "party" indie games than anything else. A regular Indie Highlight video also works well within Greg's mantra of using KF as a platform to promote others and, as the person who suggested it said, is a good extension of the Showcase.
The main thing I'd like to see is podcast participants having a bit more experience in the games they're talking about. So many Gamescasts have discussions that start with "So I only played this for a couple hours..." and then we never hear about the game in question again after that.
The only games that seem to get any significant amount of play time are GAAS games, to the point where I think of KF as simply being the GAAS game channel. And frankly those games are personally completely disinteresting - if anything I'd rather escape them.
I think this is a big thing that needs addressing. GAAS releases shouldn't be the only games that get spoken about for multiple weeks. If someone comes to the table with an "I've only played this for a couple of hours" game I expect them to follow up later with a more in-depth discussion. I've noticed that sometimes somebody will bring up they've just beaten a game they briefly mentioned previously and will completely gloss over it, whereas GAAS titles get in-depth discussions all the time. For example, KF is the only gaming podcast I listen to that didn't have multiple Fire Emblem: Three Houses discussions as they progressed through the story. Running the podcast like this makes it seem like they don't play, let alone finish, many games.
Heck, if push comes to shove, I would prefer the guys never mention that they've played a game until they're at a point where they're able to have an in-depth discussion about it as a whole. Or, if they do mention a game and end up dropping it, how about telling us why you dropped it? Just give us some sort of depth to the show.
In terms of gameplay content I'd like to see them basically just poach the Easy Allies format. A weekly 2 hour group stream with everyone about for whatever the game is. Doesn't always have to be a multiplayer game, and a monthly tournament is a fun bonus.
This is a bit of a bug bear of mine too. Like at this point, for example, we have no idea if Tim finished Fire Emblem or Astral Chain or if he liked them.We just had the "I'm about 5 hours in" talk with no follow up.
I like the idea of rotating video shows. Like say 4 weeks of focusing on VR content, them 4 weeks of multiplayer, then 4 weeks of horror etc etc. It keeps the content fresh and revolving.
First choice would be full let's play series. Because this actually forces the crew to finish games. One of the biggest problems of Kinda Funny is people either don't play games or drop games after a couple hours just to have a Gamescast impression discussion. These discussions hold less and less value because we know the game is just gonna get dropped and how valuable is a person's opinion on a game if that person almost never finish a game?
Second would be hour long quick look of upcoming games. Not just the big games such as Borderlands because those are pretty boring since they get a lot of coverage anyway.
Glad Party Mode is no more. Never liked the Funhaus style gameplay where it's just improv comedy that often doesn't work.
To summarize, it's basically play more games and actually complete them. Discussion after completing one game is so much better than play 5 games for 3,4 hour each and didn't finish any of them.
Even if it's just them following up to say they aren't playing it anymore, you can spark a lot of interesting conversation just from that. Leaving it up in the air like this is just annoying, especially because I guarantee their end of year GOTY discussion will involve several games we had no idea they actually finished.
I think maybe they don't follow up with a "this is why I dropped this game." Because they'd probably get a decent amount of flak. I feel like they drop way more games than they finish so having half the show being about games you're not playing would probably rub folks the wrong way.
It might also have more viewers come to the conclusion that it's not the games fault but the players, for dropping the game.
Sorry for being an armchair psychitrist. But I think the reason Greg plays so many GAAS and drops so many SP games is because running a company is super stressful.
Maybe he treats gaming like comfort food. And when you go back to a game you know and love over and over it's a lot easier and relaxing than learning a brand new game when you come home stressed out.
But he feels compelled to at least "try" because he feels like it's his job. But sometimes I feel like he starts a game knowing full well he's gonna stop after an hour just so he can say he "played it for a couple hours but it wasn't speaking to me" on the podcast. And then jump right back to his comfort food games.
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I think that's exactly why they don't do it, but this current method is still rubbing people the wrong way and not really solving any problems.
KFGD has been rough with Bruce on IMO. Would have rathered Greg just talk to himself about the PS5 news tbh.
I thought they were supposed to be doing some big event, but instead, it looks like they're just filming a couple of Party Mode style things and having Fran and Bruce commentate over it. They've clearly thrown this together at the last second just as a Patreon obligation.
Yeah, it was a good KFGD today. One of the better ones I've seen.
This is great content, would love to see more developer interviews in this format.
I think one of my favourite subtle in-jokes of KF is that they always refer to Cool Greg as Cool Greg and never his actual name. Even in this video, in the lower third everyone else is referred to by their full name and his just says "Cool Greg"... cracks me up.
Not sure if you knew this or not, but they actually inquired whether or not it was possible to make that his legal name. Alas, it is not, as he has a criminal record.
Not trying to be a downer. But KF's discussion regarding the Blizzard situation has come off as riding the karma wave.
Not much informed or nuanced discussion on the topic.
Would rather see an actual in-depth discussion than tweeting a meme/joke "got em" on Twitter.
After listening to the Waypoint podcast on the issue, the contrast is very obvious.
Not much informed or nuanced discussion on the topic.
Would rather see an actual in-depth discussion than tweeting a meme/joke "got em" on Twitter.
After listening to the Waypoint podcast on the issue, the contrast is very obvious.
What discussion in particular? Because Gary went in hard against Blizzard and it was amazing.
I'm pretty sure they had "actual in-depth discussion" alongside the tweet; it was the main topic on every KFGD this week. I thought Greg, Imran and especially Gary covered it really well.
They went in hard doesn't mean discussion was informed and in-depth. Gary was basically ranting.
One example is that the casters knew what's gonna happen but Gary went on a rant based on the assumption that they didn't.
Not saying it's bad or wrong with their current discussion but after listening to Waypoint podcast, I appreciated their informed and nuanced discussion a lot more.
One example is that the casters knew what's gonna happen but Gary went on a rant based on the assumption that they didn't.
Not saying it's bad or wrong with their current discussion but after listening to Waypoint podcast, I appreciated their informed and nuanced discussion a lot more.
Yeah but thats the difference between the two. KF has become surface level hype men discussions while stuff like waypoint and splitscreen do actual in depth analysis on the topics they discuss.
I was about to say "go listen to Waypoint" after reading the first two sentences but you beat me to it lmao. It's night and day between the two companies. One goes in deep and gets to the nitty-gritty of the issue, while the other basically just says "BLIZZARD BAD".
There are plenty of other directions you can take a discussion on this topic outside of just condemning Blizzard. We all know what they're doing is wrong. If all their discussion is going to amount to just that then they might as well be brief and move on, because I have no interest hearing Gary Whitta repeat the same thing with different phrases for 15 minutes.
Criticise Kinda Funny all you want but their Extra Life streams are invariably great, and the one time of year when being in a different timezone to them is a benefit. Usually it's around Sunday morning my time when they get into the delusional-from-being-up-for-24-hours phase of the stream and Greg starts telling ghost stories or whatever.
I love the 24 hour streams.
Highlight of KF for me was Greg and Colin, drunk, discussing Spidey coming to the MCU
They're good. Especially when they're sleep-deprived and just go crazy.
I still think Where's Josh from last year was one of the funniest moments they've ever had:
This clip doesn't do it justice but I couldn't find the full thing.
This clip doesn't do it justice but I couldn't find the full thing.