You guys have any burning questions? About anything? This is Ask Me Stuff, which does exactly what it says on the tin. Leave me a question in the comments below and I’ll endeavour to answer it before the day is out.
Ask Me Stuff
Comments
91 responses to “Ask Me Stuff”
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Mark Serrels
Awesome question. I don’t know man. I wonder about the impact.
If I had to vote right now I would tick ‘no’.
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Aidan
Feel free to not answer if this is too personal, but is there any particular reason you’d be a no?
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James Mac
For my money, popular support in Scotland has independance at about 34ish percent.
I just don’t see Scotland being able to support itslef anymore…
Most of their heavy industry has gone, shipping is largely sold off, the mining sector is largely closed. Banking and Tourism are their big 2, I believe, and neither of those provides what they’d need.
There’s a lot of unemployment being subsidised by Britain, and so is defence and transport.
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Aidan
What are Kotaku’s plans for world domination/awesomeness in 2012? What kinds of things do the team want to focus on this year?
Last year was pretty heavily dominated by Ready, is adopting another cause planned for this year?
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Mark Serrels
I’m wary about just having a cause for the sake of it. The focus for us this year is more focus on the local industry and local events and just better content! More features!
And hopefully a podcast!
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Shane
Three questions. First is a two-pronged question that will help us get to know you a little better. What did you want to be when you were younger? What do you want to be now (long-term future career goals type thing)?
Is there any compensation available for having the Snake Eater song in my head all morning?
Also, is yesterday’s Dark Souls article the upcoming piece you were talking about when you said you were holding on my Demon’s Souls piece? If so, then it was a wise decision – it was a far superior article 🙂
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Mark Serrels
I wanted to be a pirate!
Why would you want to be compensated for such a positive thing.
Yeah, that was the one. Sorry!
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Tracey Lien
I’ve got enough to last me around two weeks at the moment. You may still email them to me if you wish. 🙂
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Tristan Damen
Two questions please, Mark:
1. Are you and Tracey looking for any Reader Reviews?
2. Have you played Saints Row: The Third yet?-
Mark Serrels
1. Sure man, send em in!
2. I played the first four hours before release. Haven’t played it since.
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Tristan Damen
Prepare for inbox inundation… Well a more severe state of it, at least 🙂
It took me a while to warm to it, but by the end I was sad to see the SR3 circus leave town.
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Bukake Kane
Hey Mark,
I remembered reading here a few weeks ago that you used to teach english in Japan. Care to to tell us more about this ?
I used to teach at NOVA for 4 years (yeah it’s got the worst rep…wanna fight about it) but it truly the most awe-inspiring. memorable and most rewarding experience of my life.
When were you there till, were you in the Tokyo area, ellaborate !!
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Stevorooni
Now I’m imagining Japanese people speaking English in some hybrid Japanese/Scottish accent.
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Bukake Kane
AHHAHAHA yeah I’m trying to imagine the poor students attempt to get their heads around the pronunciation of Serrels !!
Se-Rules-San…
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Mark Serrels
I also taught at NOVA for roughly two years in Nagoya!
I had a blast. Amazing time. That’s where I met my Australian wife.
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Thom
THis statement implies you have another wife who is not Australian. Secret family in Japan Serrels?
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Bukake Kane
Wow Nagoya, never had the chance to make it out there.
It is on my To-Do List the next time I make it out there.Yeah I met my Wife whilst in Japan…she was…ummmmm one of my students.
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HotDamn!
Interesting – a close friend of mine also taught a NOVA a few of years ago before it went KAPUT. It did go KAPUT, did it not?
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Bukake Kane
Yup, I was there until the end.
It then got bought out / rescued by another company, which I beleive still owns them.
Pretty sure it’s still called G-Com NOVA.I worked with the new company for a few months until it was time to return home. Call me a Soothsayer or something, because my wife and I had decided to try making a go in Oz, before things were getting dire at NOVA.
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Mark Serrels
I think it’s for people who only want to read about ‘core’ content in the US. Not to up on it.
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Angered Catfish
Do you work in a nice building with a friendly moustached security guy in the lobby, who greets you with a good morning and a smile?
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Leigh
I tried this the last time but while it didn’t show up, it was showing on the mobile site – weird!
What’s your view on the ‘ranting into webcam or mic about videogames’ flash videos phase we are currently experiencing?
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Mark Serrels
What are these?
Not too sure — I will say though, that I’m not a big fan of super long ranty podcasts. I like mine a bit more focused and short.
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Bait
How bad do you think the delay for ME3’s local release vs Origin release will be?
Aaaaaaaand when is the MechWarrior reboot due out already?
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PuppyLicks
I can answer part II,
The devs are aiming for later this year, but I doubt we’ll reach that considering we haven’t seen a single screenshot yet (sadface)More info here:
http://mwomercs.com/ -
Aidan
Local ME3 release is March 8, if I remember correctly.
Unless it breaks street date. Origin might be a day or so ahead, since I believe the US release date is March 6 (or March 7ish, our time).
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Hermes and Thoth
Hey man, I just listened to your Kontaku spot on the radio and it was pretty neat.
I was just wondering how you feel in expressing your opinions and views in that medium as opposed to here/written word?
And I guess, as an aside, whether you have been involved/have ever wanted to be involved in regular podcasting etc.-
Mark Serrels
I’m keen on a Kotaku podcast and have been for ages. Radio has been fun — I find it a lot easier than live tv. Feels more free and easy. There’s more to be conscious of during live tv.
We’re hoping to get a good podcast going here. But I only want to do it if we do it well, and not have it be 3 hour aimless rant on blah blah blah!
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Wynstyn
“There’s more to be conscious of during live tv”
Like swivelling on a chair while maintaining a perfect forwards stare?
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Ruffleberg
UFC Undisputed 3 is leaving it incredibly late to give out any info on the career/story mode
Good or bad?
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Tristan Damen
If they’re mum on the topic, I’d reckon it’ll be same as last time. So depending on how much you liked it in 2010 that may be good/bad.
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Mark Serrels
I have a feeling it’ll be very similar to the previous career modes. Speaking to the guys in a week so I’ll ask then.
As I said to you before — I’d kill for a Fight Night Champion style single player mode in the vein of ‘Warrior’.
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Mark Serrels
Oh wow. Best question.
So many.
Probably MMOs, since I’ve never really given them a chance and I just assume I won’t like them!
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PuppyLicks
Ooooh does this mean we’ll see a future Kotaku feature where you Guinea-Pig yourself to try and play and enjoy an MMO? 🙂
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Rize
What are the chances of getting KotakAU people involved in online games? For example, L4D2: KotakAU vs. TAY, big match of TF2 with community members and staff members mixed up, etc.
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Mark Serrels
I suck so hard at online shooters on PC. I’m guessing that’s what most of you would want to play! I’m even worse at RTS!
LET’S PLAY HALOEZ!
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James Mac
Why is everyone who writes for a games website listed as some form of editor?
I grew up in the days where the editor was the one who managed everything and decided ‘tone’ and what got published.
In my day everyone else was called a ‘staff writer’, ‘journalist’, ‘commentator’, ‘freelancer’ etc.-
Tracey Lien
A lot of it has to do with how the structure of an online publication is different to that of most other forms of media. For example, if I want to write a feature I don’t necessarily have to pitch it to Mark and wait for his approval before I can go ahead with it — online writers have have a level of autonomy that many print writers don’t have the luxury of, so we’re serving a dual role of writing and making editorial decisions.
I would have been happy with the title “Features Writer”, but since I do more than that and the Allure Media structure is to have the second-in-charge be an associate editor, I got called that!
Although if anyone asked me what I am, I would normally say “journalist” because “associate editor” doesn’t really mean anything to most people.
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redartifice
I heard you on the radio this morning- I dodn’t think Johnathan Green was as engaged with the topic as Waleed Aly was.
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D.C.
Whenever Waleed’s on The Project he seems like a cool guy. It confounds me that they put him on the end of the panel when Charlie’s away and let Chris “Let’s all make dad jokes” Brown moderate. Ignore this little tangent. 😛
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Mark Serrels
I’ve had a mad amount of fun on the show actually. There’s talk of maybe making it a regular thing, which I hope happens.
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redartifice
Hopefully if it’s a regular thing you can keep to a “one mainstream/one less so” format.
Although I don’t know how much of a gamer Fran Kelly (the usual host) is, maybe when Aly takes over the drivetime slot you can keep appearing
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Licketty Split
i just started playing that. Love the game, hate the stupid Wii controls. Oh how I hate the Wii controls.
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Mark Serrels
I’m pretty close.
In my piece about the game I think I was harsh, because there are aspects of the game that I truly, truly love.
I actually like the controls — particularly the ability to switch items so intuitively — but there are problems. The lack of cohesion is one. It doesn’t feel like a real place. Some of the padding is ridiculous as well. Collecting the spirit things for example — just ridiculous.
That said — I think it’s a great game, and def in my top 10 for 2011.
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Wade
How do companies manage to make free games for mobile devices such as ‘Dead on Arrival’? Is there some other form of renvenue they recieve? I just dont get it – especially when the publisher is quiet small…
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Mark Serrels
It must be ad driven. Either that, or people just make things and release them for the hell of it. That happens a lot actually. Sometimes people just want to have something completed out there for portfolio reasons, or as an experiment.
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D.C.
You mentioned the other day that you went to Gearbox a few years ago for a preview of Colonial Marines. Do you still get the chance to do that as often as you’d like at Kotaku?
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Mark Serrels
The travelling was often fun. But on magazines you have more space and time to do that sort of thing regularly.
I prefer Kotaku because I don’t necessarily have to write about games as products. I really love that aspect of writing.
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Mark Serrels
Xbox — because my PS3 just got the YLOD on the weekend!
Also — I’m on my fifth 360!
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Andrew
Do you know when we will be able to get the Final Fantasy 13-2 Demo on the Australian PSN?
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Tonez
Hey Mark,
Any update on Trine 2 for consoles? I have both PS3 & 360 so whoever gets it first will have my cash but I still see no sign.
Any idea of what the delay is? It’s strange that it’s not out for both PSN and XBLA which seems to suggest it’s not an issue with Microsoft or Sony but something within Australia.
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N0NEoftheAB0VE
Maybe it hasn’t been classified yet – I know the last couple of times I looked that new Serious Sam game on XBLA gives nothing but videos and has Unrated written there (much like Blacklight Down – or whatever it was called a few years back)
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Cakesmith
Hey Mark, a couple of questions:
1) What game are you most looking forward to this year and do you have any more “Games that made your 2011” to come? (You may have answered this previously)
2) What’s your opinion on the whole Dark Souls for PC thing?
3) Is wearing a kilt really as glorious as people say it is? -
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Paul
Is the wp7 dead on arrival? Do u know any1 who has one or planning on getting one in 2012?
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Tristan Damen
I love my WP7 handset, however, if Microsoft start developing more apps for iOS and then implement the ability to earn Gamerscore from said apps, then its point of difference is shot.
For now at least, I love my cheevo phone.
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Spoons
Is there any other retailer in Australia (or website that can import UK PAL) that is/will sell the Catherine Stray Sheep Edition?
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