The Explosive Alan Podcast
Join Dan, Ash, Gareth and Nick as they talk games, films and TV, answer the community's questions and attempt to outdo each other in weekly challenges.

E3's almost enough of a distant memory to make any podcast dedicated to it seem totally redundant. Almost. The gang, this time joined by TotalXbox.com/OXM's Aoife Wilson, pick over the bones of the show and share their highs and lows. Is E3 best enjoyed from a distance, or up close and personal? Did workshy fop Dan have a better time than equipment-lugging workhorse Gareth? (Hint: yes) Do our listeners think that E3 is worth bothering with any more? Listen now for answers of sorts.

Direct download: ExAl_Ep33_A-Mii-bo_YoureASuperSmashBroCollector.mp3
Category:Gaming -- posted at: 1:19pm UTC
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Our ongoing quest to get every member of Regular Features on the show continues with a special appearance from living human Steve Hogarty. We grill him about his trip to the annual EVE Online Fanfest in Iceland, pore over the latest news - including Mortal Kombat X, Battlefield Hardline and the Metal Gear Solid film - flagrantly rip off Just A Minute, and discuss the pros and cons of DRM.

Intro Lyrics: The power of hype is a curious sight/Helps a poor game sell, when it’s overpriced shite/Fogs the mind of pre-ordering types/Makes crap appealing, that's the power of hype/Promises broken, shattered dreams/You paid the price for day one DLC/Keeps embargoes late, mm, so the truth won’t out/Power of hype that eliminates doubt/You don't need footage of gameplay/Just need some concept art to make it rain/It's loud and expensive and it lies sometimes/And it plays trick with our minds/That's the power of hype

Direct download: ExAl_Ep32_YouGottaFightForDigitalRightsIn3rdParty.mp3
Category:Gaming -- posted at: 12:10pm UTC
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We were lucky enough to rope in Jon 'Log' Blyth (AKA Loggy B), recently departed Official Xbox Magazine writer and regular member of the highly irregular Regular Features podcast, before he departs for a new life as a publican. The whole gang is back together for the first time in what feels like forever too, so you really have no reason not to listen to this hot 'n' heavy five-man aural chatbang. Also: Kinectless Xbone fallout, Far Cry 4, Halo 5, People Can Fly's abandoned detective noir game, lullaby covers of pop songs and a sordid tale of Gareth exposing himself to Log's mum via social media.

Direct download: ExAl_Ep31_CongNatal.mp3
Category:Gaming -- posted at: 2:12pm UTC
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In a week where Nintendo has transformed from cuddly, family-friendly company to hate-coding bigots (depending on who you talk to you, anyway), we largely ignore that - for now - and put our collective mind to the latest Call of Duty, Project Morpheus' terrifying shark demo, the Amplitude Kickstarter, Nintendo's other big problem and an interesting challenge that combines storytelling with expert punmanship. Episode 30, you guys.

Direct download: ExAl_30_CallOfBeauty-HouseOfCoDs.mp3
Category:Gaming -- posted at: 9:02pm UTC
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With Ash and Gareth swanning around the Windy City this week, we've had to bring in the big guns to compensate for their absence. Enter Kotaku UK editor Keza MacDonald, who did such a good job that we only noticed the other pair weren't there when the entire recording went by without a single dick joke. Lots of good stuff this episode, with talk of our encounters with Watch_Dogs, Tomodachi Life, Dark Souls II, and Final Fantasy XIV; news of a new Project Zero, terrible Wii U sales and the baddest of bad CoD losers; a Google-themed Challenge and a truly Great Debate about the rise of free-to-play and microtransactions.

Direct download: ExAl_Ep29_LivingInATomodachiLife.mp3
Category:Gaming -- posted at: 1:43pm UTC
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Watch the Tomodachi Life Nintendo Direct! Actually, listen to this podcast, featuring special guest Johnny Chiodini and talk of Super Smash Bros., Amazon Fire TV, the Assassin's Creed movie and MS & Sony's foray into TV shows, first, then watch the Tomodachi Life Nintendo Direct.

Direct download: ExAl_Ep28_YouHaventHeardTheLastOfUs.mp3
Category:Gaming -- posted at: 2:12pm UTC
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We defy you not to do THAT whistle after reading that title (doing it in your head counts too). The Struggling To Get-Along Gang are joined by award-winning indie developer Mike Bithell, creator of the wonderful Thomas Was Alone. We quiz him about Volume, his upcoming reinterpretation of the Robin Hood legend and drag him into the rest of our nonsense, including a particularly tense challenge, a debate about online trolls and news of a disastrous indie game jam, the new head of Xbox and bloody Oculus Rift.

Direct download: ExAl_Ep27_BithellWhileYouWork.mp3
Category:Gaming -- posted at: 11:56am UTC
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There's been a lot of talk about the "Conscious coupling" of Facebook and Oculus VR, and who are we to avoid jumping on the "we know the inner workings of a multi-billion dollar corporation" bandwagon? So yes, FacebOculus dominates the chatter this week, but there's still room for Assassin's Creed Unity, The Last of Us PS4 rumours and Star Wars news and a challenge based on gaming locations that Dan is surprisingly awful at.

Direct download: ExAl_Ep26_MightAsWellFacebookYoureAddictedToRift.mp3
Category:Gaming -- posted at: 11:01am UTC
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Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes has proved to be incredibly divisive among the gaming community, so we've predictably jumped aboard the controv-o-wagon to discuss Kojima's plans and what it spells for big-budget game development in general. Before all that though, we've got chat of Project Morpheus, Titanfall, Sim City finally going offline, Super Game Jam and, sigh, Sonic the bleedin' Hedgehog. Also's Simon's super-scary challenge goes horribly awry so we mimic something off Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow instead.

Direct download: Ep25_ZeroesTheorem.mp3
Category:Gaming -- posted at: 12:00pm UTC
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Believe it or not, this episode contains a world-exclusive announcement that, conveniently, actually relates to the episode number. Strange AND bizarre. The revelation comes courtesy of guest and long-time listener, not to mention novelist and scriptwriter extraordinaire James Swallow. This episode tackles the week’s big releases Titanfall and Dark Souls II (in song, of course), news on everything from BAFTA Game Awards results to a Frog Fractions sequel, a tricksy odd-one-out challenge and (in our humble opinion) one of the best Great Debates we’ve ever done. It’s a cracker of a show, basically.

Direct download: Ep24_SwallowAndAlansSons.mp3
Category:Gaming -- posted at: 12:31pm UTC
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