Capcom had a pretty awesome spotlight. Granted - lots of stuff from last year, but announcing demos for a lot of them was very cool. Personally, I got the main thing I wanted which was more info about Onimusha. Plus we got more eyes on with Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (which I couldn't remember the name of because ya boy started running again and I made the mistake of doing it too close to recording time. Find me here: a little breathless, thirsty and apparently woozy - BUT I'LL GET GUD I SWEAR). Beyond those two games, of course we should all be excited for Okami 2 and most of us are very excited by the new Monster Hunter.

Other whoozy brain farts (new band name): The Don Lee movies I was talking about Binging was the Round Up franchise. Very Fun, just solid cop movie shit and Don Lee is a tank as always. This franchise has the added benefit that many of the great Korean character actors are featured through out and you'll recognize them all over Korean cinema and TV after you watch this.

The recent Xbox Developer Direct was... Pretty dang good. Refreshing after several years of lackluster showings. Shortly after, Phil Spencer gave an interview that added fuel to this new fire. Xbox is committing to a new philosophy. Will Sony change things up too? Nintendo? Ok, probably not Nintendo; things are going well for them.

Every year the same question pops up: is TGA really an awards ceremony? Is it valid? Or is it just a popularity contest? The answer of course is: yes. It may mostly be a popularity contest, and awards are given out mostly based on sales and crowd opinion rather than critical/quality opinion - that's debatable. BUT the value of the TGA in my opinion is that it offers the clearest window into where the industry itself is going. Why? Because the industry responds to sales and popularity - not critical reception. All award ceremonies are meant to legitimize an industry and let them pat themselves on the back. TGA is essentially the game industry advertising itself to the work - not to gamers specifically.

Plus we talk about a couple specific categories and their nominees.

Sony released it's first State of Play for 2023 and there were a couple surprises outside of the presentation too. Let's hop in and talk about Sony's outlook for 2023!

Whole lotta GaaS games are getting the axe! Many companies who went all in on live services games are now in hot water. At one point it was considered the golden goose, with an EA CEO famously saying: "If you make a single player title and don't have micro transactions - you're a [expletive deleted} idiot."

Of course they went on to get lootboxes all but banned and brought intense scrutiny to microtransactions in general. Truly the villain we needed - we thank them for their service.

So, was it EA who shot the golden goose? Ubisoft or Square getting greedy? A mix? Let's discuss!

It turns out Nintendo won't be light on releases this year. Both of us were delightfully surprised by this direct. But the direct being so big is probably why they didn't want to bother going to E3. Perhaps the back half of 2023 will be light on releases...

Free to play games may be running out of GaaS and E3 won't have any of the first party publishers attending. Bubbles are bursting all over and who's to say whether it is a good or a bad thing long term. Join us as we talk about the reckoning!

For the first time in years - Microsoft seems to have a little something for everyone. Personally we were delightfully surprised by the new Tango Gameworks shadow drop - Hi Fi Rush. While this line up isn't the most exciting line up we have ever seen, it is fun. And it points to Microsoft having a very good E3 this year. Let's talk about their first six months of 2023!

Ubisoft is a sinking ship. And not just because of the latest Skull and Bones delay. It just seems like it cannot get out of their own way. From unexpected bombs like Rainbow Six Extraction, to a road map littered with GaaS titles, it can't help but feel like we are watching a once legendary publisher in its death throws.

25 years ago began possibly the greatest year in gaming. 1998 saw the likes of Metal Gear Solid, Ocarina of Time, Half Life, Resident Evil 2, Banjo Kazooie and much much more. Has there ever been a year as great for as many genres all at once? Has there ever been another year where every publisher was pushing their slate this hard? 

The first six months of 2023 has some very exciting releases. But oddly enough - the back half of 2023 is a blank calendar... Does this mean E3 2023 is going to be epic? Or will there be nothing of note?

You ever miss an old trend? Maybe a game, or genre that used to dominate. Like I miss couch co-ops. I've said it before, I'll say it again but I do.

Well today's episode is all about those dead trends we think could come back or at the very least that we want to come back.

It's that time of year, again. Where we compile our top ten games from the year and make an argument for why you should play them if you haven't. This was a pretty solid year for gaming and so we actually have a top twelve. Matt did the rankings, so there are a couple surprises for me when it comes to which games made what number, but overall all of my personal favorites made the top ten and I'm happy.

In this weeks episode: we talk Matt's Japan trip - specifically Ghibli theme park and the wonder of a park built on vibes. And then we get into Aonuma's take on game design.

Eiji Aonuma is the game director behind much of the Zelda series. He's Miyomoto's protege in many respects. He is a great project manager. But is he creative? Recently he commented on game design, and how he doesn't think it is possible to think "narrative first" because it will limit game hook/loop ideas. Add these comments to some he made in years past and it presents a picture of a man who just isn't that creative.

Japan traditionally put gameplay before narrative for most of its videogame history. So, this is mostly just a traditionalist view imo. But it does shed light on why Zelda has been rehashing the same story every game for 30 years or more.

Can't avoid it anymore. We're talking AI art and AI driven game development today. Mostly about it sucking, but I am open to counter arguments.

It's the worst kind of surprise. We've been waiting and hoping and everything has been lining up to be a winner, but instead it's a big wet fart. Today's episode is inspired by Callisto Protocol and all the games we got hyped for, that had everything going for them, but let us down hard anyway.

This week we invite you to come back with us... to the 70s. Yes! Shag carpeting, in your pants and your home! A time of TVs with dials, wood paneling, and whacky as hell box art. A time when giants walked among us... and did coke and partied in jacuzzis during work hours. We're are talking a little about Atari. Atari was wild.

It's that time of year where we devote an entire episode to the things we are most thankful in gaming this year. If you're in the states you may be travelling or otherwise in need of some company this week - let us be that for you!

As always, we are thankful for you. Thank you!

Today's episode is all about games that started strong and tapered off. Maybe it held a whole lot of promise, or had such a strong intro it just couldn't live up to it. Maybe the game is still good by all accounts. It's an evergreen episode, and subjective - so let us know which you agree/disagree with or maybe one you feel strongly about!

Sorry in advance for the awkward pause. I am sick with a sinus cold and literally forgot the word "sponsor". Matt steps in to save me an dmaybe you'll get a good laugh about it.

I don't know if this ever happens to you, but have you ever loved everything about a game - the puzzles, the story, the environment - and then the combat sorta drags it down? Whole game a ten but you just don't care much for the combat? Today we are talking about games that are better without it.

Bayo 3 had a bit of a forced wrap up, or so it seemed to many fans. Just a quick bow tie outta no where. And this motivated our topic of the episode, how rare it is for game series to "end" at all. So, spoilers ahead if you haven't beaten Bayonetta 3, but join us for a talk about good endings!

Matt's got a heart ache. He's been feeling this way for a while... But he might, maybe, JUST MAYBE, be over Zelda. What does that mean? Does he hate it now? Does he hate joy? Is this like when he stopped liking Kingdom Hearts!?

Apparently it is the early 2000's again. We have Final Fantasy news, we have Silent Hill news and of course we have Resident Evil 4 (remake) news! Sure seems like Silent Hill 2 remake is made for Matt and I, because we haven't played the original (or at least I don't remember it much). As far as RE4R goes, we are both pretty excited. It looks like some of our favorite aspects of 4 have survived the serious filter, and the game visuals look incredible. 

Matt got in to the SF6 closed beta and today we are talking about his thoughts on the game. It sounds a lot like the dev team focused on what fans wanted (I know incredible concept). If the beta is anything to go by, this could be a big game changer for the series, but maybe for fighting games period.

It's a movie episode! With an extra 20-30 minutes of game talk at the end. It's a long episode, but we also hadn't talked in a few weeks because Matt was in Japan with his fiancée. How dare he leave me behind.

I spend an hour trying to convince everyone to watch Cloud Atlas. The entire episode. Everything else is just leading to or adding to my argument that you watch Cloud Atlas. Do it cowards, watch Cloud Atlas.

A list of projects Sony has in development has leaked and while there is hub-bub about the Horizon Zero Dawn remake - there is plenty other stuff in there to talk about too.

Episode starts with some aside talk where I admit in an international bar fight I am choosing a Texan or an Australian - yes even over soccer hooligans. Not gaming related but important nonetheless.

Weird week! E3 is coming back and they are doing the exact thing so many people have screamed about. It's like someone ACTUALLY read what people want and thought "Yeah, let's do that!" 

Plus, Cyberpunk tie-in anime Edgerunners debuted this week and... it has actually spiked interest in Cyberpunk 2077 again? 

Hey doods! This week's episode is a bit special. We have Nicholas De Leon, from Consumer Reports, on the show to talk about his recent article. Matt has been in the market for a new chair, and of course he has been eyeing all the sexy gaming chairs out there. As chance would have it, one of our Patrons is a writer for CR and was working on a deep dive to figure out just what goes into a good chair, and what might make for a great gaming chair. This seemed like a really good opportunity to talk about an important bit of gaming paraphernalia that has used streamers and youtubers to great effect in targeting gamers. 

We reference two articles from Consumer Reports pretty heavily in this episode. You can read them here:

Best Gaming Chairs Deep Dive: https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/gaming/best-gaming-chairs-a5718517198/

Best Office Chairs Deep Dive: https://www.consumerreports.org/office-chairs/best-office-chairs-a1524389651/

I said thank you maybe three hundred times this episode, mostly because every time we thought we were ending we would think of one last question, but ONE MORE TIME - Thanks Nicholas, it was great to have you on. You can pick his brain about gaming chairs, laptops, and routers even more by hitting him up on his twitter https://twitter.com/nicholasadeleon

We expected some announcements at TGS, but to have both a Nintendo Direct and Sony State of Play surprise announced, on the same day, within a few hours of each other? Wild. Add to that - both were pretty good presentations!

343 is having some Halo problems. Again. And they have broken their Co-op promise. Again. 

If you're a long time listener you have heard us say that story in games don't matter. This episode is about how that opinion has thawed. And actually, how AAA games especially, have changed my opinion totally. Games *might* be a top tier medium for storytelling...

Last night, Gamescom 2022 opening night occurred in Germany. And to celebrate? Keighley did two hours of trailers and announcements! While it wasn't a whole lot of gameplay - I have to say: There were quite a few games that piqued my interest. For that alone I gave it a solid B.

Inflation is really cutting into the profit margin for game consoles. So much so that Meta (Facebook) has increased their upcoming Meta2 VR headset by $100. This is especially true in Japan where the Yen is being hit very hard. Speculation there is that Sony and Microsoft may increase the price of their consoles. But what about Nintendo? Well, Nintendo will go their own way as usual.

EVO is finally back and under new management! Matt was able to go this year to meet up with many of the doods and be a part of Sony's first year running EVO. Let's get into the good and the bad - plus all the announcements!

Multiversus seems to really be causing a split in the fgc over the fate of free to play being good or bad. We've said in the past that it would probably be overall good for fighting games to go the f2p route - even though we don't typically like f2p.

Ever see a trailer or read a quick blurb on a game and think "This sounds incredible!" but then when you got the game it just... wasn't? It has everything you want in a game, it checks all the boxes but somehow it came together in a way that left you wanting. Or maybe it promised the world and then didn't even try to deliver those things.

This episode is about those games.

We had been trying to move a little further away from news-centric episodes but today several delay bombs dropped and we had to talk about it. Does this point to a major hole in project management for studios?

We knew things were getting serious when Microsoft bought Activision (and that is being finalized now) but Sony buying Bungie, and for a staggering amount, has really kicked the buying war into gear. Tune in and follow us on a journey of what could be if all the big 3rd parties get snapped up.

Yesterday (7/11) Matt celebrated the second most important day of his life - that's right, his birthday! He's a man now and we decided to reflect on his favorite birthday gaming memories. Can you think of the best games you've ever gotten as a birthday gift?

Rockstar announced it has killed its remaster of GTAIV and Red Dead Redemption. A mixed bag because we both sort of looked forward to RDR coming back but we have mixed feelings about remasters and remakes in general. Is this a sign that remakes, remasters and the dreaded re-re-remasters are finally slowing down industry wide?

Today's episode is all about the Nintendo Partner Mini Direct to round out our Not E3 Gamer Holiday! The title is a reference to an old meme. Would you like to know more?

Welcome to Not E3 week! Last week Sony had a really great State of Play. This weekend is Summer Games Fest and Microsoft's event. So we are taking the downtime this week to reflect on E3 and how this time of year retains its importance even without an event to centralize the news and frenzy.

I'm sure everyone at Sony is pretty happy with how that State of Play went. Of course you had the big three announcements, but it is hard to pick out a weak showing in the entire half hour. Join us as we discuss our favorite announcements and speculate on what we might expect from these games as Sony finally takes the next gen seriously!

Today you have just a few options and so it is hard to go wrong. Whether you choose Sony, Nintendo, PC/Xbox - you'll have good gaming experiences. While we love to argue who is best or if it even matters anymore: there was a time where that decision could actually ruin you, if you chose wrong. The year is 1994, there are 7-ish consoles out, all competing for your dollars with their own exclusives and peripherals. Who do you choose?

Sony confirmed a list of games that will be on its GamePass competitor - PSN Premium. The highest of the three tiers, it will include older games from PS3 down to PS1. While it is an astonishingly small number of ps1 and 2 games that have been announced, overall it looks like a selection of good games from every generation. Especially PS4 - where if you are new to the Sony console ecosystem, Premium offers a mix of the best games from last gen.