Echo Screen Live: Recent Episodes
Clan of the Gray Wolf
Join the Commodore & Roo in their free-flowing discussion of all things geekery, from video games to movies to internet culture and beyond.
Each episode features recent news items, a topic of the week, and live questions from the chat room!
Netflix has grown from the little DVD rental company that could into a media producer in its own right, with multiple award-winning original shows and movies under its belt. And all without ads. But is this model sustainable? Is it a death knell for traditional movie studios? The guys break it down for this episode. […]
The Nintendo Switch has officially been unveiled… yay? It’s a controversial system already, to say the least. But after the Wii U, is this Nintendo’s last, best hope to stay in the console game? Or is the press just being typically hyperbolic? The guys discuss. Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at […]
We’re now two movies into the Disney-ification of Star Wars. So how do we feel about it? Is the future all rainbows and light side? Or are we resigned to mediocre movies with creepy CGI actors in them every year until we’re all dead? Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm […]
Surprise! The guys begin the show with a cold open, not having at all discussed the topic or topics of the night beforehand. Join us in a freewheeling discussion between two nerds where everything is on the table… Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. We’re now a podcast on […]
After the debacle of No Man’s Sky, the guys decide to talk about promises from video game advertisements and sneak peaks – how truthful are they? Should we just expect games to be over-hyped nowadays? What are the worst examples? That and more in this week’s episode. Join and chat with us live every other […]
Spoilers… why do we avoid them? Isn’t the journey of a well told story the greatest reward of fiction? Nah. The guys discuss the nature of spoilers, why some people avoid them, why some don’t, and some of our favorites. WARNING, this podcast may contain… well, you get it. Join and chat with us live […]
Twin Peaks, the surreal early 90’s TV drama, is returning under the watchful eye of original creator David Lynch. This is one of Commodore’s favorite series – Roo remains unconvinced that it’s much more than absurdist film-making 101 for weirdos to circlejerk over. Which one is right? We’ll find out on this Convince Me episode […]
It’s more popular than Twitter. It’s the most popular mobile game ever. It’s on local news puff pieces across the country. Pokemon Go has accomplished all this in less than a week, yet the Commodore still needs to be convinced to dip his toe in the pool. Pokemon Go is love. Pokemon Go is life. […]
Apple Inc. The behemoth. The most valuable company in the world. Is there any way that they could lose their way and be brought low in the corporate world again? Or can they weather any potential future missteps to come? What does a post-iPhone world look like? The guys discuss. Join and chat with us […]
Man, Donald Trump sucks, amirite? I mean, that’s what everyone online says… unless you support him, then everyone hates Hillary Clinton. People have long sought out like-minded people, and the internet makes this easier than ever. But what does it mean when so many people can wall themselves inside their own sanitary echo chamber? Join […]
What happens when so many people join a community that it collapses under the suckitude? Well, you get Eternal September. “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” Is this a real phenomena (online or in the real world), or just a way for people to feel superior? The guys discuss. Join and chat with us […]
Emulation. The big E. The Scourge of gaming companies everywhere… or is it? Does emulation of video games really hurt the industry? Or is there a way it could become profitable? The guys discuss. Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. We’re now a podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and Android […]
MUSICALS! Who doesn’t love them? … Besides the Commodore. Roo tries his best to convince Commie to embrace the showtune, and also discuss why musicals are not only everywhere you least expect, but also powerful teaching tools: from learning about the first Secretary of the U.S. Treasury to why you shouldn’t feed plants human blood. […]
From Hearthstone to Magic: The Gathering, there’s a long history of games that become easier when you throw more money at the creators. But is this capitalism run amok, destroying everything good in the world, or just a decent way to monetize a game and make it continually fresh? The guys discuss. Join and chat […]
KITT? The Batmobile? Benny the Cab? As self-driving cars become reality, what form will they take? Will the government really let your car hurtle you down the road at breakneck speeds on its own? Or is it all just a bunch of hype? Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. […]
This week, Google passed Apple to become the most valuable company in the world. In 20 short years, Google has grown from nothing to control so much of our lives, making things better – right? In a world where people are cautious of government overreach into our private lives, should we be afraid of the […]
Crystal Pepsi. The NES. Walking uphill in snow both ways. The past was great… wasn’t it? The guys talk about those things they (and others) look back on with such fondness. They’ll figure out if the good old days weren’t always good, and tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems. Join and chat with us […]
Star Wars came out a few weeks ago, if you’ve been completely oblivious. So now we’re contractually obligated to talk about it due to nerd decree. Specifically, does this signal a rebirth for the franchise that fans were hoping for? How does it compare to the other movies, and will it sustain Disney’s Marvelization of […]
Years after talking about the change from the SciFi channel to SyFy, the guys talk about the state of TV Science Fiction, and whether it’s just fine, waning for good, or about to resoundingly roar back. Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. We’re now a podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, […]
It’s American Thanksgiving, so tonight we have a grab bag of topics concerning things we’re thankful for this year… this year being 2015, in case you didn’t realize. Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. We’re now a podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and Android apps – Search for “Echo Screen […]
No, we don’t mean a giant moving globe, a la “The Prisoner” – the guys discuss big mobile-related acquisitions in silicon valley (such as Activision buying the Candy Crush guys for $6 dollars). Can this go on? Should it? Does it make sense to anyone? Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at […]
As the video game industry grows up, it’s had a checkered history with “mature” games – often confusing maturity with what 13-year-olds consider mature. But in 2015, do mature games actually hold the same cache as R-rated movies? Or is gaming still playing catch-up? Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm […]
This month marks 20 years since the PlayStation launched in North America, and changed the landscape of gaming forever. The guys discuss the PS1, its impact, and how it affected Sony’s strategy in the gaming world. Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. We’re now a podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, […]
More people are cutting the TV cord than ever before – with an increasing number of streaming video options, what is the future of pay TV? What will keep the industry alive, if anything? And what keeps people from making the jump? This and your questions in tonight’s Echo Screen Live. Join and chat with […]
The recent release of the Adam Sandler vehicle, Pixels, has reignited a frequent argument lately – is geek culture being misused by people solely for their own gain? And if so, is that really the problem some make it out to be? The guys discuss, along with news and your questions! Join and chat with […]
The unfortunate passing of Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has caused the gaming world to pause in reflection to respect a giant of the industry, and the guys take time to discuss how his legacy and leadership style will influence others for years to come. Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm […]
AAA video games can cost millions of dollars to make these days, but the game design behind these blockbuster titles can be lacking. Time to open up a discussion about what players are actually looking for in game design from a couple of dummies. That, news tids and bits, and your questions on this Canada […]
Another E3 has passed, and the guys discuss the good, the bad, and the Nintendo of 2015’s biggest gaming trade show! That, news tids and bits, and your questions on this episode of Echo Screen Live! Join and chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. We’re now a podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, […]
Silk Road – a drug trafficking website, among other things – was recently shut down and its founder captured by the US Government. What does this mean for the “wild west” of the internet? Does this signal the downfall of anonymity and near-complete freedom on the internet? And if so, is that ultimately good or […]
Politics and video games go together like peanut butter and motor oil – or do they? The intersection of these topics has been happening for decades, but are video games the correct battlefront to argue about feminism, violence, and free speech? Or is it just an artistic medium that is meant to be enjoyed? That, […]
With every passing decade, it seems like Hollywood creates more sequels, remakes, and adaptations – and less original content. But is this really the case? And if so, is it a problem? The guys discuss and debate. That, news tids and bits, and your questions on this episode of Echo Screen Live! Join and chat […]
Video games as art is an old debate, but maybe it’s time the guys put forth their candidates for which games truly meet the definition. What games evoke emotion and feeling – without getting into characters or story? What games push mental ability? What exemplifies video games as a medium for storytelling that rivals literature, […]
At the turn of the century, G4 and TechTV showed a promising future of geek-related content in mass media. But after a merger, the channel faded and eventually ceased to exist by 2014. What happened, could it have been avoided, and what does it say about geek content in new media? That, news tids and […]
As eSports rise to prominence in the gaming community, the guys try to wrap their minds around the phenomenon. Is is here to stay? Is it a good thing? And where is it headed? That, news tids and bits, and your questions on this episode of Echo Screen Live! Join and chat with us live […]
Another PAX East in the books, and the guys take this time to reflect on conventions. What makes them good or bad? Should list-based panels die already? And which should you choose to devote your time to? That, news tids and bits, and your questions on this episode of Echo Screen Live! Join and chat […]
With general disappointment over “The Order: 1886”, we’ve decided to dig into one of the major complaints with the game – its short length. Are long games inherently better than short ones? What if they use grinding tactics to artificially lengthen? Where do price and replayability come in? That, news tids and bits, and your […]
It’s a question we get often: What do you guys watch on the internet? We discuss our favorite YouTube shows, Twitter follows, and other forms of new media consumption – and why you should consider following them too. That, news tids and bits, and your questions on this episode of Echo Screen Live! Join and […]
It’s been years since the console wars, when schoolyard fights around graphics reigned supreme – but with the rise of indie games and a retro-revival, do graphics matter anymore? The guys debate and discuss. That, news tids and bits, and your questions on this episode of Echo Screen Live! Chat with us live every other […]
Chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. We’re now a podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and Android apps – Search for “Echo Screen Live”. Are we back? We’re back! It’s 2015, which means hoverboards and flying cars are right around the corner… or not. The guys explore the future tech shown in Back […]
Chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. We’re now a podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and Android apps – Search for “Echo Screen Live”. So, freemium games… they’re popular to hate, yet also popular as ever. So what’s to be done – or should anything be done? The guys word vomit their thoughts […]
Chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. We’re now a podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and the Android app of your choice – Search for “Echo Screen Live”. For our 50th episode, we’re going to get a bit meta. Where is this whole YouTube thing going anyway? Over 8 years on, this platform […]
Chat with us live every other Wednesday at 9pm EST. We’re now a podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and the Android app of your choice – Search for “Echo Screen Live”. Games that changed gaming – there have been so many. And in this new recurring series we’ll be tackling their history, our memories, and how […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9 PM Eastern. We’re now a downloadable podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and the podcatching app of your choice – Search for “Echo Screen Live”. Can you enjoy any adapted movie or TV show lately without hearing, “But the book was better”? Game […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9 PM Eastern. We’re now a downloadable podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and the podcatching app of your choice – Search for “Echo Screen Live”. For every video game console, there are those few games that define a console; that show off best […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9 PM Eastern. We’re now a downloadable podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and the podcatching app of your choice – Search for “Echo Screen Live”. Please rate and subscribe! We’re adults now. Some with families, and babies, and mortgages… how are we supposed […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9 PM Eastern. And don’t forget that we’re now a downloadable podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and any podcatching app of your choice – Search for “Echo Screen Live”. We didn’t want to… but it’s too big to ignore. The gaming world has […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9 PM Eastern. And don’t forget that we’re now a downloadable podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and any podcatching app of your choice – Search for “Echo Screen Live”. Anonymity breeds contempt… or just dicks. We’ve all come across internet trolls, but what […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern. And don’t forget that we’re now a downloadable podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and the podcatching app of your choice – Search for “Echo Screen Live” The guys pull back the veil on one of the most important comedic filmmakers of […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern. And don’t forget that we’re now a downloadable podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and the podcatching app of your choice – Search for “Echo Screen Live” Tonight, a fundamental question – what makes a video game? Must it have a story? […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern. And don’t forget that we’re now a downloadable podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and the podcatching app of your choice – Search for “Echo Screen Live” E3 2014 is in the books. Now it’s time for the guys take a look […]
June 3, 2014, marks the 5-year anniversary of Clan of the Gray Wolf! And we have the fans to thank for supporting us long enough to even get this far. Thank you! To celebrate, we’re going to have an anniversary-a-palooza for Echo Screen Live this Wednesday, June 5th! Join us here at 9pm Eastern to […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern. With a new list of the top 20 best recent Sci-Fi movies according to Rolling Stone, it’s time for the guys to pull out their opinion hats and passionately argue why your views are demonstrably false. We discuss where the list […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern. The way women are depicted in video games – we’ve come a long way since the damsel in distress… haven’t we? With this topic all the rage in social media, the guys decide to take a crack with their opinions […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern. Winter is coming. And so is season 4 of Game of Thrones. The guys are hooked, and are here to discuss with you their thoughts on the series – the good, the bad, and the Other. We’ll share our favorite […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! Android Wear. Samsung Gear. Google Glass. Calculator watches. Wearable tech is grabbing tons of headlines lately – but is it the answer to a question no one asked? The guys share their opinions. Plus – Sony enters the virtual reality […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! The Oscars are over. And with that, Roo and the Commodore are in the mood to reminisce about some of the big Hollywood movies they’ve seen lately. What was good? What was bad? And what is the future of CGI […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! With the launch of the PS4 & XBone, is the entire term “next gen” now meaningless, or is there still significance to it? Have games really changed all that much through generations, or are we hitting diminishing returns? All that […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! With the holiday season upon us, the guys talk GADGETS! Which ones are we looking at this year, why we like them, and the crazy things we do to get deals on them. Will you learn any amazing purchasing secrets? […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! Who doesn’t love a good mad scientist? From Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein, 1931) to Victor Frankenstein (Young Frankenstein, 1974), our culture is full of them. We discuss our favorites, what makes a great one, and discuss yours in this Halloween-themed episode. […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! The fabled Steam Box is upon us – a console that will run on open source SteamOS and let you play PC games from the comfort of your favorite futon or beanbag! We discuss the implications and give our thoughts […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! We return this week with another episode of Convince Me! The Commodore and Roo take each other to task for disliking each other’s favorite movies. But can they convince each other (or the audience) to give them another shot? All […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! Tonight we talk board games, but not your grandpappy’s Monopoly… modern “designer” games. What are our favorites? What are your favorites? What’s the state of the industry right now? All that and your questions on this episode of Echo Screen […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! Tonight’s topic: ZOMBIES! … what more is there to say? All that and your questions on this episode of Echo Screen Live!
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern – you can even watch archived episodes! Tonight’s topic: Virtual Insanity – the drive to realism in games. We can talk about some of the ideas brought up in the future of games panel at ConBravo regarding the role of […]
Chat with us every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern – you can even watch archived episodes right here! In the 80’s and 90’s, Japan was synonymous with video games. Then, around the turn of the century, North America started to produce the most popular games in the world. Now, over […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! In a new recurring format – Convince Me! – One of the guys tries to convince the other (& audience) to get into their latest obsession. In one corner, it’s the Commodore with Game of Thrones; and in the other, […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! A new Star Trek movie hits theaters this weekend, so what better time for a multi-pronged debate on the franchise? Who’s the best captain? How has JJ Abrams handled the series? How does the new Star Trek compare to older […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! With the recent closing of Lucasarts – one of the pioneers of adventure gaming – now seems a great time to look back on the genre and see how much of a future it has. Is Lucasarts’s end an omen, […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! Unable to log into SimCity’s servers and play your single player game? Then hop on by the Echo Screen Live, where we’ll talk about the increasing specter of DRM and how much it’s really handicapping our gaming experiences. But please but […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! In which we dissect analysis by Michael Pachter stating that the game industry is evolving, and the closing of companies like THQ, Junction Point, etc. are harbingers of more shakeups to come. (Article found here) Is he right? Does the […]
Chat with us live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! With the release of The Hobbit on the big screen, we ring in the new year to discuss the ongoing legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien, from books, to movies, to games. Plus – News tids and bits from CES!
Join us every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! It’s the last Echo Screen Live of the year, and you know what that means – obligatory navel gazing! Join us as we talk 2012, 2013, and the successful Super Nintendo charity marathon.
Chat with us live on every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9PM Eastern! It seems nowadays that you can’t play a video game without having multiple people attached – other players, social media connections, always online DRM… is the simple one player game dying?
We’re live every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month! Black Friday – the media loves to hype it to the gills. But beyond the deals, lines, and people stampeding over each other for $5 off an HDTV – is there a better way? Has the “holiday” become passe? Plus, we’re bound to talk the […]
The bombshell dropped last week – Disney buys Lucasfilm and a new Star Wars trilogy is coming, starting in 2015. We know you must be so confused, wondering if you should be shouting for joy or gathering pitchforks. But worry not! We’ll be happy to discuss the matter with you and figure out if this […]
Join us every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9pm Eastern! Not a year goes by without politicians decrying the evils of video games – sex, violence, “motion” controls – but do they have a point: Should video games be censored in any way? And if so, how: by companies, ESRB, or the […]
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern! 2012 has been the year of Kickstarter, but with wide recognition comes backlash. But is it all deserved? It’s time to dive into the seedy underbelly and ask the important questions: What is the purpose of Kickstarter? What makes a […]
We’re back! Roo and the Commodore welcome special guest Chris Pranger, host of The Escapist’s “No Right Answer” and localizer for Nintendo of America, to discuss their experiences at the Escapist Expo, as well as gaming conventions in general – the good, the bad, and the ugly. And as always, we’ll be discuss the news […]
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! It goes without saying that we at the Clan of the Gray Wolf want to offer sincere condolences to the victims and families of the shooting in the Aurora Colorado. But an interesting topic has arisen from the tragedy […]
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! After a 3 decade reign by Japan, have American video game developers taken back their long lost position as industry leader? Join us for our Independence Day special! Part 1: Part 2:
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! We discuss if the overhyped media event is even worthwhile… Also, our “Best of E3!” Part 1: Part 2:
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! We give you our predictions for this year’s show as we ponder the audience’s. Part 1: Part 2:
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! Part 1: Part 2:
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! This episode’s topic: “Indie Games… Here to Stay?” Part 1: Indie Games… Here to Stay? Part 2: Your Questions
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! Part 1: Part 2:
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! Part 1: Part 2:
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! This episode’s topics: “iPad 3: Whatever, You’ll Buy it” & “Millennials Grow Up: Is it ok to play video games at 30?” Part 1: Part 2: Part 3:
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! This episode’s topics include: “Tim Schafer’s Really Great Week”, and “Star Wars Sucks… and You Suck For Liking It”. Part 1: Part 2:
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! This episode’s topics include: No Xbox 720 & PS4 in 2012, Facebook’s IPO, and Seriously… Sports Games
We go live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 9PM Eastern Time! This episode’s topics include: SOPA/PIPA, and What Makes a Good Video Game?