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Cup of Jones - February 9, 2019 (Patreon)

Published:
2019-02-09 17:54:09
Edited:
2019-11-29 01:31:31
Imported:
2021-08
⚑ Flagged

Content

I wanted to have this week's Cup be in the garage, but the tech to do solo streams in there isn't quite set up yet. I did get a new PC, and I'm aiming to start streaming from there next week. The upside is I'm going live today from the streaming room in our brand new studio, despite the audio being a bit more distant than I had expected. As I will illustrate in my answers and updates today, there are still elements of the studio we're ironing out. It means you'll get to see us grow as we learn more about making the space the best it can be, and I'll update you every step of the way. Now to answer three weeks worth of questions!

- Brandon

Files

Cup of Jones - February 9, 2019

Your weekly Cup of Jones!

Comments

Anonymous

live stream offline, tech to do cup o j fails

Anonymous

Hey Jones, the Allie's rapid progress on the studio is remarkable. A bit of feedback: I absolutely loved puppet Piranha Plant. Please consider bringing him back now and then. Consider it a return on the puppet investment.

Anonymous

Dear Jones, I really like Trailer Jones, but there is one thing that annoys me a tiny little bit. So you are watching the trailer, sharing your thoughts, discussing what is good and what is bad and so on. And then you give it a score. And, correct me if Im wrong, it is always you who gives the first score. And after that the other Allies give their score. And the fact that they know your score before they give theirs, is what annoys me. There are exceptions, but more often than not all the scores are way too similar. You are dropping the anchor, Jones. Your score is the anchor. Anchoring occurs when, during decision making, an individual relies on an initial piece of information to make subsequent judgments. As a result, the scores are biased. I would like everyone to reveal their true score. To do so, I recommend you to switch from sequential to simultaneous decision making. You could have everyone write down their score on a piece of paper. This also allows for more dramatic reveals. Please consider that, because I love when you guys rate stuff. L&R

Anonymous

Great to catch Cup of Jones live, man this must have been a long show. Always great to hear from Jones though. L&R

Brandon K Gann

Hey Mr. Jones! After watching the most recent Hall of Greats, I remembered that initially, there was a plan of some kind to go through every entrant as a full playthrough (if applicable) and I was wondering if this idea would be incorporated into the 52K goal of Full Playthrough Fridays? I know some games already have full playthroughs on Easy Allies Plays (Super Metroid, Metal Gear Solid, Super Mario 64, Resident Evil 4, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and Final Fantasy VI), but it occurred to me this provides a list of games to start with once the goal has been reached and that way, it could take care of two things at once. And personally, I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one who wouldn’t mind seeing full playthroughs of Ocarina of Time, Symphony of the Night, Chrono Trigger, Pokemon Red/Blue, Resident Evil: Remake, Metroid Prime, Bloodborne, and Portal. In any event, this was just a fun thought I had and wanted to hear your take on it. Either way, thanks as always for taking my question and have a wonderful rest of your day! Cheers! P.S.: It’s always in good nature. Your answer had me laugh pretty hard. But to respond about what if it happened to me? My future self would know I wanted to know the answer to three very personal questions. Outside of them, I’d think it would be pretty neat, but that’s just me.

Anonymous

Hey Jones re: GOT anything, you should involve Huber. He revealed on a recent Reaction Shots he is rewatching the full series to prepare for the final season. Also, re: Patron opinions ... you are no longer GT and can make up your own minds. If something is brought up by a patron or ally and all nine of you say “meh” it probably won’t be entertaining to the majority of viewers. Speaking as someone who just started watching six months ago I have no prior GT baggage so I say do what you do best which is come up with ideas, decide amongst yourselves how to proceed and give us friggin awesome content. L&R @Jessie_blu_

MaxVSTheGames

Hi Jones! I don't know if you feel confortable answering that question, but I thought I would ask anyway since I'm curious. I was wondering, aside from you, who was the closet and who was the furthest from the garage? How did that change now with the studio? You mentionned that Ian and you were the cloest, but who's lives the furthest from the studio? Is it even farther than the garage for them? Thanks!

Anonymous

Hello Jones Last week you talked about reactions and how doing a mediocre reaction is not necessarily better than doing no reaction. The example you gave was forcing Ben to react to something he wasn’t really interested in. I would just like to say that I agree 100%. I find you guys are at your best when you are passionate and interested in the topic or stream at hand. When the audience can tell from just watching how into something you are. Conversely, and I say this with the utmost Love and Respect, you are at your weakest when you are clearly not interested or when you half ass something and I feel doing something because you feel you have to rather than that you really want to would invite this. I love reactions as much as the next guy but not doing them properly could turn them into bad content rather than just mediocre content which I would say is worse than no content at all. You guys rarely do anything that makes me angry but last years Blizzcon reactions wasn’t very good in my opinion. It felt like the guys on camera were just talking among themselves rather than with the audience. Through out the stream Chat was constantly trying to get in contact with them to give information, feedback on the stream or simply ask questions. At the end one of the guys said something to the effect of ”hope you enjoyed the stream but for all we know we might not even be Live because we’ve not had chat open.” That felt half assed and unprofessional because why live stream if you are not interacting with Chat. Since you get so many views on your reaction videos this could leave a bad impression on potential new viewers or patrons. To reiterate - if you are doing something please do it with passion and go all in. PS: Sorry for the rant.

Anonymous
>>19723786

Safety reply to the repost because I think patreon ate my last post.

Anonymous

Just on the Business side of YouTube views. Thumbnails and brand matter for analytics unfortunately. I know Ian has a certain style, and it is great, but the algorithm favors 'faces' and certain fonts so maybe Kyle is on to something. Eventually the Logo and brand being more dynamic is something you guys should bring up if YouTube growth is a concern (Blood did mention though time available is hard to find). As for advertising you guys should really look at <a href="https://www.midroll.com/podcasters/." rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.midroll.com/podcasters/.</a> Just adding frametrap and easy allies on youtube (not listen statistics) with views of 75k should be netting a decent amount per year (not counting actual audio impressions). Tim gettys from Kinda funny and Matt Patt from Game Theory are people that take interest in the analytics and I am sure would help you guys navigate some ideas. How to put together a sell page/sheet, and ideas for using the algorithm to draw people from your reviews to other shows, etc. The youtube creator community is can be a great help. Just Suggestions. Keep up the great work and congrats on the studios. Please keep reminding people to sub from amazon prime on twitch!

Anonymous

Hi Cup of Jones, For the January Q&amp;A I posted my question just 2 hours after the post going up and it didn't make it in. (I'll set an alarm next time rather than relying on the e-mail notice). It's not just about me though, because even if my dumb question does make it in, I'll feel a little bad for the other person down the line who got pushed out because of my dumb question. As you get more popular and more people pledge to that tier, it will only be more people getting left out. Even with a notice of when we can submit, people might be working or busy during that time and can't get their question in before the limited question spots run out. Using the January Q&amp;A as an example a rough count of 44 questions got posted, 28 got answered and #31 was my question spot. Suggestions on making it more fair: 1. Just get through all the questions. Q&amp;A is a full $10 above the Community Showcase tier which gets through all of it's submissions and technically it's only $3 above the previous tier. 2. Do it lottery style. It would take 5 minutes to copy and paste all the questions into <a href="https://www.random.org/lists/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.random.org/lists/</a> and it would put the questions in a fair, randomized order. 3. Have a Q&amp;A cleanup crew of 2 people make a video finishing off the rest of the questions when they find the time to do so. You could even make it a Patreon Exclusive video. 4. A text response to the leftover questions on Patreon could be a nice consolation. 5. If manpower is an issue you could cut to only 3 or 4 Allies per month. That way you're getting more work time value and with less people it would make the show go faster. Then the next month you could swap out for different allies and say who they will be in the Patreon post. 6. Pull a King Solomon. Make Cup of Jones and the Community Showcase hard cut at 2 hours just like the Q&amp;A.

strawhatninja

Jones I know you guys just moved to the studio and are looking and sounding better then ever, but is there anything the you or the other allies miss about the garage? I know for me I don't like changes to my daily life, and it takes me a while to get used to them.

Anonymous

Still have to finish the current COJ but will throw this in anyway. Hey Jones, Can you give us a little take on your 'Heel Turn' in the PRO STRATS ONLY segment. I feel like Kyle wrote the sample incorrectly for this bit as he explains write "insert game title" I am stuck on "insert section" do I do this or that P.S.O. This has insanely pigeon-holed the segment and now that you have called it out as having the answer within the question rather than open-ended "I am stuck on the moon-level please help". You have now been trapped in a disingenuous character to your actual persona and I cannot watch anymore. I skipped ahead last week as I couldn't stand more derision. Time will tell if this segment gets sunset or improved to an open-ended format where you guys can actually ad-lib which would be a much better and more wholesome way to start the podcast.

Anonymous
>>19731826

Honestly its us the Patrons that are derailing it, everyone is sending in really easy problems.

Anonymous

Mr. Jones, The studio has been a big goal for a long time. Now that you have it, what is your goal for the business? Will you have more industry guests? Commit to charities? Development of industry contacts? Sponsorships? Celebrity endorsements? Climb the ladder of youtube? Become twitch superstars? Expand the operation with a more aggressive content schedule? Boost patron numbers? Restructure and improve the website or patreon tiers? What is your next big step, what is the timeline and what is your plan to follow through? I want this question to be for the sake of critical reflection for you and the allies and I am curious to know what you are thinking for the near future. Of course, you don't owe us any explanations, feel free to skip this if you don't like its pointed nature, but I would love to hear what the Brand Manager is planning. Respectfully, Morgan Mohalla

Anonymous

I know a few Allies have done Disneyland days/meetups around the week of your anniversary, are there plans to do anything similar this year? I need to know if I’ve gotta shove Disney into my schedule/budget!

Anonymous
>>19732714

At least some of us are getting together on Friday the 22nd <a href="https://forums.easyallies.com/topic/5261/year-3-disneyland-community-meetup" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://forums.easyallies.com/topic/5261/year-3-disneyland-community-meetup</a>

Anonymous

Hey Jones! You saying that the podcast is a "Kyle production" made me wonder: what would you say qualifies you for the permanent position at the desk? I think your previous status at GT and you being the owner of the garage elevated your position within Easy Allies (unintentionally or not) but now with the studio we're getting a real sense of the flat hierarchy that EZA works as, so you having this position stands out a bit more. Sorry if it's a weird question, love you being there every week, just curious about your thoughts! L&amp;R

Anonymous

It's not my studio and you've done a great job, on a budget, in short time. That being said, for what it's worth, I'm not a fan of curtains on the faux window, nor the fake looking (and potentially uneven) glass dividers. I don't know about the US but both curtains and window dividers are old fashioned here. It's been all about large sections of uninterrupted glass, particularly in the background on sets. Plus, the comment that said it obscures what you're actually showing is 100% correct. Not a question just throwing my one and only criticism into the hat.

Anonymous

Hey Jones! What's your favorite Buffy episode that is NOT one of the "big three" (Hush, Once More With Feeling, The Body)? Mine might be The Zeppo, but it's close!

Anonymous

Here is a suggestion: A 'what's behind the mystery door?' fundraiser. I'd throw in 100 bucks to find out! L&amp;R Matt

Anonymous

Thanks for answering my question! My mistake thinking the camera wasn’t over the TV. It might just be that the couches are no longer ‘straight on’ to the main camera and are angled towards chat/Damiani. So yeah, does seem folks are facing and looking to the left of camera more, maybe moving chat or slightly repositioning couches would help with that? Totally appreciate that there’s so much more going on than most streamers. I’m sure it’ll all feel great in time. Cheers!

Anonymous

You talked about using both EZA Studios at the same time for a show and that the tech still needs to be figured out. You also were asked about fitting all the Allies into the main stage while E3 coverage. Couldn't this be a good step before you go for using them both at the same time for a show to have the back line from the past years in the streaming stage to test this setup? Maybe just go there while the main stage is prepared for the next press conference?

Anonymous

You're right, Jones. Your Chair/Cooking analogy is ridiculous. Take your time when cooking. Set out all your utensils and ingredients. Sniff your produce and message your meats. Take some time to get to know the food you will use. Educate yourself slowly which each meal. Don't overwhelm yourself. Watch videos, read sections of books, and blogs on just that one meal that you want to prepare. I live to cook. I love it. I cook from home and my current job is managing several kitchens (CAVA) in Virginia. I've been managing kitchens for 13 years now. Cooking is very easy for most to get into and anyone can get progressively better over short period of times. I also can make furniture and it is a very difficult task and has different rewards.

Anonymous

Hey Brandon! I had an idea after watching Ian's latest episode of EZ Update where he and Huber are repairing Drywall and this was after you talked about putting a Couch in the background behind Ian in that same room. And it hit me, what if that entire blank white wall was a Video Game or EZA related Mural?!? Either favorite video game characters through the ages or simply EZA related characters such as Tabletop Characters or even Box Peek stuff. When Ian pops up during the EZA Podcast viewers would get a quick glimpse of a very interesting background celebrating Video Games or EZA etc. Heck, maybe Ian or one of the other Allies already knows someone who would be perfect to paint such a thing? If you get a moment just google Video Game Mural and you will instantly be inspired by some great creations and if that sounds too intricate there are even Video Game related Wallpaper options out there!

Anonymous

Hey Jones, I was wondering. How did you get permission on adding a window in the "Control Room" peeking into the stage room?

Anonymous

(Sorry if this shows up more than once, Patreon is eating my comments.) Hey Jones! I’m still waiting out the “asking a lot about the studio” period before I ask any studio questions, so instead I had a stream idea! Often during group nights there is a tournament based on whatever game recently came out, which I really enjoy, but I wouldn’t put those streams on the same level of “event night” as say a Hall of Greats stream. So, my question is, have you (or the other Allies) ever considered having a big yearly EZA tournament in the vein of the Nintendo World Championship? Something that lasts longer than your average group night, includes more than one game that speaks to more than one Ally’s talents (that way it’s more balanced and we couldn’t guess the winners), and something that is more akin to being an event stream. Since it would be the big EZA tournament, you would obviously have to add stakes to it, whether that be through bets or your EZA-flavored rule set- There could even be teams if you wanted! Just an idea that I thought would play the group’s strengths that existed outside of needing to choose a game based on the industry’s release schedule (or that would need to be an expensive trip somewhere). L&amp;R TAHK0

Anonymous

Hi Jones! Last week you brought up of the concept of a Hall of Greats related patreon exclusive show. I 100% support that idea! Speaking of shows, maybe considering doing a video like an episode of and for that reason but a little more serious, for EZA show ideas. You could make a patreon post asking for ideas for shows, and a group of allies could just quickly go through them all saying whether they like the idea or not with a simple yes or no. I say that figuring you'd get like 100 ideas so getting through them all quicker would be better. Not saying any of these shows would ever happen, but at the very least you'd have a creative way of knowing what people want to see. Hell, you don't even have to make a video. Just do the post and see what will come out of the brains of the community.

Anonymous

Have you considered reinforcing the Goddess in any way? I don't know how well standees hold up over a number of years, but I imagine they're vulnerable during moving, or if lots of people are walking past. Just some strips of plywood or particle board glued to the back of the cardboard should prevent any tragedies. P.S man is it hard to find out concrete numbers about Disneyland parking. Apparently West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada has the single biggest parking structure in the world at 20,000 cars. I assume Disneyland has more parking spaces overall, but unless you and the allies go down there and count them, I can't figure out just how many there really are.

Anonymous
>>19759818

My informal research has West Edmonton Mall as the biggest at 20k, SeaTac airport #2 at 13k, DTW with 11.5k, Disney World at 11k, Universal Studios at 10.5k, and Disneyland at #6 with 10k.

Anonymous

I HAVE USED UP MY COJ SPOT. CAN SOME ONE PLEASE GET JONES' TAKE ON THE ALADDIN TRAILER. HAHAHAHAHA

Anonymous

Hi Brandon. This weekend I’ve started playing the last game in my backlog – Red Dead Redemption II. As many others I’m a bit struggling with controls. I also have an idea about how to improve them and it will be nice if you tell me what you think about it. 1. Weapon/item wheel is bad, because you have to perform three different actions with three different inputs (hold/release LB, move Right Analog Stick and press LT/RT). Since you don’t use everything all the time it would be much better to use Horizon-style weapon wheel, when you can assign anything to one of several available slots and access the rest from the inventory menu. 2. Combining aim and character interaction on LT is bad because they are different actions. It’s better to combine character interaction with environment interaction (Y) and move “climbing the horse” action to climb button (X). I would also assign interaction to LB, move weapon wheel to RB and assign cover to Y. Also I think that there should be an option to display route to you goal inside the world (either by line or markers), since this system is already in place for the hunting. And it’s not smart to combine horse summoning distance with fast-travel limitations in huge open-world, since the only way to get out of nowhere (if you don’t have a horse) is to die and respawn, which is way less realistic.

Anonymous

EZA’s Kingdom Hearts III review is an exceptional example of your shortcomings as critics, and may be your most lacking review since your inception as EZA. It’s emblematic of common faults within your critiques, the most glaring of which being a lack of insightful scrutiny. The review read as if it was written months ago, like the score was predetermined before a controller was ever held. Points were made and quickly abandoned without any deeper dive into its bearing on the product as a whole, reading more like bullet points on the back of the box instead of an interpretation of an artistic production. It’s akin to saying you enjoy a Monet painting because the colors are pretty; there’s an outright lack of acute observation, insightful analysis, or expression therein. Jones, I am not a motherfucker, here to spit on everything you do. In fact, one of your own reviews I find exceptional: Gears of War 4, a game I personally adore. Despite the game’s competency and overall high-quality production, you detailed that competency wasn’t enough in a fourth entry, and more importantly, WHY it wasn’t enough. It’s this kind of insight that separates game reviews from reading like a book report to a comprehensive artistic critique, and it’s a differentiation I know EZA is more than talented enough to achieve.

Anonymous

Morning Jones! Now that everyone is getting settled in the new studio (congrats, btw), is there a chance that you personally will be streaming more regularly? I know there's been talk of RDR2 Online streams with an EZA posse, Dreams (whenever that gets released), and of course our weekly Cup of Jones (which, I love), but I miss the full playthroughs you used to do on Thursday nights. Just curious if this is something on your mind now that you all have more space. L&amp;R Brian Denu P.S. Please play Mass Effect.

Anonymous

Hi Jones, will you do like a voice over intro for Huber's Show? something like "Live from The Easy Allies Studios... " or "recorded from The Easy Allies Studios in front of a live audience..." :P

Anonymous

Jones. I understand it's important to keep the so-called Mystery Door in the studio closed, and to not ask about what's behind that door. But just for our mutual peace of mind, could you please say if you expect that level of importance to change within the next year? Thanks, Dominic

Anonymous

Good Morning, Jones I was wondering something, what do you do when you want to play a game but don't know what game you want to play at that moment. Do you play whatever comes to mind, do you go back and play a old favorite , do you just not play till you find that right game in the moment or does this situation never happen with you.

Andrew Chalmers

Hi Jones, I have a merch suggestion to go along with the other EZA memes A t-shirt that says: "I have a merch suggestion!" on the front and "We need better merch" on the back

NotYourMom

I usually don't make suggestions on how to run your business, but I have some feedback about the most recent episode of Trailer Jones. The video that appears on the bottom of the screen seems a little too big. Shrink it by maybe 20%? Also, maybe add a border to the video. something to help it blend together with the background? Or maybe put the video in a different place and rearrange the Allies seats? I don't know, I'm sure you will figure it out, but the video just seems out of place.

Andrew Chalmers
>>19794575

I was thinking the same thing. Perhaps a physical TV at the base of the desk facing the camera would look better (I think Kinda Funny do this in their studio).

Anonymous

Hey there Jones, Knowing you're someone who has had a history with musicals, both being in them and watching them, I'm curious if there are any personal recommendations to watch? I've never been into the genre. I had two sisters who were theater majors and went to a lot of renditions of Sondheim musicals when they were in college, and never got a feel for it. I even played in a pit orchestra for Anyone Can Whistle in high school. Despite this, when I can feel a song coming on, it usually just makes me upset. I am, however, always down to try new things. Most recently I tried watching La La Land (which I actually enjoyed quite a bit) and Mama Mia (which I absolutely despised). What are some musicals you would personally recommend to someone who does not like them, and alternatively what are some of your personal favorites?

Anonymous

Hey Jones, you've always been a staple of the podcast, and I think you've only missed it once? Regardless, when it was in your garage, it was easy for you to fill the 4th spot because you were right there. But with the new studio, was there ever any consideration in changing it up? You are great guest, don't get me wrong, but I think it would be cool to get a random assortment of 3 allies, rather than 2.

Anonymous
>>19811970

Strangely I love Disney animated cartoons and musicals, my issue is typically only with live action.

Anonymous

Hello Jones! I don’t have a question, just a suggestion regarding Trailer Jones, so feel free to skip reading this during the episode if you want to save an extra minute or two. I don’t watch very many trailers myself, but I always tune in to Trailer Jones. A lot of the time I’ve never seen the trailers you discuss, and I think it would be nice if before you discuss each trailer, you let that trailer play out in its entirety without chatting over the video. That way I can have some better context about what you’re discussing. I know I can just seek out the original myself, but it would be nice to have that built in to the Trailer Jones experience! L&amp;R

Anonymous
>>19772662

To be fair, I follow someone on YouTube that dives deeply in to critiquing a game as you describe (Joseph Anderson). His critiques are typically over an hour long—some of them reaching over two hours. Doing a deep dive requires A LOT of time, and I think you just have to understand they’re not going to produce a 1-2 hour review for every game. A very small amount of people would actually watch that. Not to mention the increased writing, editing, and voice over work that would add. Personally I appreciate that their reviews get straight to the point and I trust each reviewer has mentally exhausted themselves before reaching whatever score they assign. Knowing they have really thought intensely about what score they give a game has the same effect whether they convey that message with 100 words or 10,000. That’s why I like EZA. I trust these guys.

Anonymous

Hello Jones! I was re-watching the "Better Stuff Before E3" stream, and the part where you played Jelly Mario made me think: Why not more often? There is a lot of streaming potential in all those smaller titles, those free games and flash games. Maybe one day, you guys could do a stream where you pick random games from itch.io . Spread your wings, little bird. Kaw Kaw, Kaw Kaw.

Anonymous

Hi Jones! Long time listener, first time commenter. I’m worried my main comment is going to be a little negative so first, some positives: 1/ The brick in the streaming studio is great. I agree it could do with something else, maybe some framed artwork that might even rotate occasionally to keep it fresh, but overall the brick gives that space a great cozy vibe like the garage had. Thumbs up. 2/ The desk studio is also great and I love the ideas for either monitors or projections to fill up some of that blank space. The different lighting set-ups you’ve been doing for different shows and segments is aces. My big comment however is on your logo and general EZA branding. Last week you went into great detail about the challenges of updating the EZA branding and what sort of time/money/effort that would take, for which I completely understand. What I wanted to add was a bit of context for why (I think) the community has reacted so positively to the logo redesigns for the podcast and streams. It basically comes down to this: as much as the original logo has worked well and become literally iconic for Easy Allies, I also think you have grown beyond it. I kind of see it in the same way EZA outgrew the garage. For version 1.0 of EZA, when you were just getting started, didn’t have any money and didn’t yet know what sort of support you were going to be getting, the garage worked. That first podcast of 4 allies sitting around a single microphone was serviceable but of course you quickly outgrew that and expanded to a desk with more mics, better lighting, and better cameras. But then (just his last month in fact! Congrats!) you guys were able to move into your beautiful new studio, and EZA has already and will continue to benefit from moving out of your lovely but limiting garage and into this new, better purposed space. I think the same is true of the EZA logo and branding in general. It worked as a version 1.0 but it’s time to move on, or at least update it, especially, and this is my most important point, because I think it is a poor representation of what EZA is and has become. I’m not a graphic designer but I like to think I have some understanding of visual language and I believe the old/current logo is at odds with EZA’s identity. I believe EZA is best represented by its celebrated motto: Love and Respect. You are a warm hug, a cozy place that people can come to have in-depth and serious discussions (or even disagreements) about games and other topics, but always in a safe, jolly, and fun way. I think that the current logo, with it’s (I would argue) aggressive colours of black, red, and white, bold type face and sharp lines does not express what EZA is. This isn’t helped by the shorthand being the capitalised EZA, which is full of sharp angles and lacks any curves or softness. Yes, these elements combined can read as strong and confident. Nothing wrong with that! But they can also (and I think do) read as stark, clinical, rigid, and even kind of threatening or aggressive, none of which are qualities of Easy Allies. I think the reason people have responded so positively to the new logos for the podcast and steams is that they specifically fix these elements. The deep black has been replaced by a still deep but softer feeling blue, the red has also softened as it creeps just a touch towards pink, the sharp corners have been rounded off, and while the words ‘Easy Allies’ are still a strong, confident bold, much of the other text, such as the word ‘podcast’ or social media tags, have thinner lines, giving the image contrast, whimsy, and a playfulness. Even the title being slightly slanted off a perfectly horizontal angle adds to the friendly, fun, jolly vibe. This might all sound technical and silly, but I really think that just these minor tweaks to the original logo make a HUGE difference. Your existing audience seem to agree based on their reaction, and as for potential new audiences, I think the podcast and streaming logos better represent and sell what EZA is all about. Again, I understand that this isn’t a quick, easy, or cheap change. It can’t be done in a day or even in a month. And I also understand the sentimentality you and others might have for the logo that has been with you since the very beginning. But, much like it was time for Easy Allies to move out of your garage and into this shiny, new, warm, colourful studio full of love and respect, it’s also time to move on from the logo in its current form. What do you think? Thank you and the Allies for everything you do. I’ve been a fan since the GT era and an EZA Patreon from day one. I have received nothing but immense value from that investment. Extra special thanks to you Brandon for ‘Cup of Jones’ and giving the community this direct line to you. It’s a brave, bold, probably overly generous gift to us fans, but it is immensely appreciated. With nothing but love and respect, Broderick Melbourne, Australia

Anonymous
>>19831789

Wow, that turned into a long post. Please feel free to cut out some of it if you read it on the show. L&amp;R

Anonymous

Hi Jones, I apologize for the length of this comment, but I was quite sad in this last Cup as you elaborated on the new graphics and behind the scenes decisions for the Easy Allies brand. I work for a design agency and my day-to-day consists of brand/identity, website development and user experience design, so it’s always disheartening to me when branding efforts aren’t near the top of a client’s priority list. I’ve heard you talk at length about this subject over the months and years of Cup of Jones, but this recent turn of events brought to light some issues so I wanted to speak up. You expressed frustration at “giving us a gift” with the new graphics and being met with negative feedback, so I’d like to provide an alternative perspective that might help clarify what’s going on here. I don’t think I was alone in hoping for fresh designs across the numerous Easy Allies shows including a full rebrand of Easy Allies itself, so when I saw the new graphics leading up to the studio reveal, I breathed a sigh of relief — FINALLY, they’ve hired a professional to redesign everything. It was so refreshing. Joe Ellis and Chris Leroux did a great job at capturing the vibes of EZA while paying homage to the old logo and graphics. I honestly didn’t expect it because I knew how much effort the new studio move took and I too understand how much work rebranding takes. Fast forward a few days. New shows get published... old logo. “Huh, I guess they’re just busy with the studio stuff and haven’t had a chance to update everything yet.” Another week goes by and we still have old logos on everything. I decided to wait for a proper Cup of Jones so you could address it specifically. Imagine my surprise at hearing that this is not a new logo for Easy Allies, but rather a one-off “logo” for the Podcast. If this metaphor helps, I thought we were experiencing a shadow drop, when in reality, this was a teaser trailer for a game without a release date—and a game, mind you, that may look completely different when it finally launches. You said that your current logo is “good”, but I personally don’t believe it meets EZA’s needs any longer. With the new studio, it doesn’t match the level of professionalism. What Joe and Chris accomplished is a great example of taking a simple idea and applying the correct amount of polish. It isn’t a huge departure from the current logo, but it most certainly elevates your brand to the same degree that the new studio does. I’ve been enjoying your content for a long while despite your brand and graphics but now they are more disjointed than ever. I think many of us are here because we know you from GameTrailers, but what about people that don’t have that familiarity? We’ve been discussing the strengths and weaknesses of EZA recently, and I would contend that one of the most glaring weaknesses is EZA’s lack of cohesion. I’m concerned about the user experience for newcomers and this brand confusion isn’t helping in my opinion. I won't be so bold as to say a new look would get you your 1 million YouTube subscribers, but I do think a rebrand increases the intangible value of EZA and would contribute towards that kind of momentum. Jones, you’ve admitted that you are not a designer, so I want to ask you: Would you consider seeking out an expert in this field to evaluate the EZA brand and recommend a plan of action going forward? Or maybe assigning an Ally or two to take charge of rebranding efforts? If not, would you at least consider moving this item up in your priority list? I believe launching a handful of new graphics (including a new logo) while keeping the old logo in place may have been a mistake and probably warrants corrective action. I hope this doesn’t come across too accusatory. I care deeply about the success of EZA, so at the risk of sounding negative, I wanted to give some feedback. Love &amp; respect. - FatherCashew

Anonymous

Hey, Jones. Glad to see you got my package almost in one piece. This was the second time in a row when something was completely destroyed, but what can you do. I have a question regarding your Patreon promo at the end of your reviews. Is there any reason why you don’t mention your own web site at all? I understand you want to direct as much traffic as possible to your Patreon page. But I have to say, easyallies.com is way less intimidating for any newcomers. All of your shows are presented there in a appealing and accessible way. It’s the only place where people can find your reviews in a chronological order. Your Twitch schedule is there, your Twitter feed is there etc. Do you think you should promote it more? PS. If you could eat only one type of Assa for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?

Anonymous
>>19739410

It's Fibber Magee's closet... If anyone doesn't get the reference, see below: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9FGC68YcwM" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9FGC68YcwM</a>

Anonymous

Thank you so much for showing my artwork in the Feb Showcase. I thought maybe I submitted it too late to be included and was unable to catch the twitch show live. I just got the chance to see the show and imagine my surprise when you mentioned my name and my artwork appeared. It makes me feel like more than just a viewer. I love supporting your endeavors as you create entertainment for us, and even though I don't have time for gaming myself, I love watching the interactions between friends. It's reality TV at its realist! L&amp;R April Beatty @ Jessie_Blu_

Anonymous

Hey Jones, business question: I’ve seen streamers on Twitch using a feature where a $5 Twitch Sub would equate to a 5$ Patreon pledge, unlocking the rewards tier for their sub. Now I understand that this might seem like cannibalizing your profit by linking the two together, but it could potentially push some more people towards what you guys do on Patreon. Would love to hear your thoughts on this and whether you guys would ever consider this as an option. L&amp;R! Kamil

Anonymous

Personal question - during the Nintendo direct you seemed excited about He'll blade Setsunas Sacrifice being announced for Switch, wondering if you are aware that it is available in VR! It is presented in a third person perspective still, but translates quite well! Just thought you might be interested in checking it out.

PKFC

I don't know if I've made it in time, but I wanted to tell you that I'm ending my support of Easy Allies. The reason? Pro strats only please. I find that it is a segment of the podcast that is insulting to the intelligence of the viewer/listener and just infuriating. I've never felt this way before about something the Easy Allies have done, but when I actively hate something, I can't support it and so I'm voting with my wallet. You'll miss out on $1 and 1 patron and I have no idea how that works out in terms of value. I have such difficulty hating things in general because it takes up so much effort and it has no benefit. Kyle feels himself is a separate segment of the podcast and I don't need to have smugness rubbed in my face as an introduction and setting of the tone to a generally fun and informative show. I know that you don't manage the content of the shows other allies host, but I know that you read these comments and care about receiving feedback. And if the segment is dead next week, it won't make any real difference. I think we need some time apart anyway. Not that I really have a question or that I'll watch to hear this addressed. I just wanted to type this where someone would see it so it might mean something.

Anonymous

Personal Questions Hey there, Mister: What are your thoughts on the current state of RDR2 online and how Rockstar is handling the updates? What changes or additions would you like to see implemented to the online? I loved RDR2’s campaign and it was my GOTY. When playing the campaign I just couldn’t put the controller down. However, I did not feel the same way after playing hours of RDR2 online. I get that technically the online mode is still in beta but I am just surprised that RDR2 online isn’t more exciting to me, especially considering Rockstar’s success with GTA online. Thanks for reading my question! L&amp;R P.S. Looping a day/night timelapse from RDR2 in the windows of the group stream stage would be pretty cool.

Anonymous

Personal(?) Question: Should we expect a «Spouse quest» with the new Dragon Quest Builder? (Or you prefer to do it with Yoshi?!?)

Anonymous

Studio Question I noticed in the studio tour video that the GT sound booth wasn't present. Is it still in your garage or was it just hidden in the corner somewhere? Also, can we expect to see updates on the non-studio rooms in terms of decoration and organization? L&amp;R Sean

Anonymous
>>19827441

that would be copyright claim in an instant, and the video would be demonetized (it can also impact the channel's visibility on youtube). But they could put links to the trailers in the description (maybe they do ? never checked)

Anonymous

Hi I think I was asking this in chat and I definitely understand that this month has been hectic for the group. When will tickets to year 3 get released? Thanks.