In this week's Gaming Fun Fact we go back in time to take a look at motion controls on the Sega Genesis. The Sega Activator is a controller that allows players to move, kick, and punch their way through various experiences like fighting games. It is a ring of infrared sensors set up in different segments that represent individual inputs, the player would stand in the middle of the ring and interrupt the infrared beams to register inputs.

Black Ops 6 has released day one on Game Pass, the first in the series to do so. However, as what was an annual AAA release that required a purchase to access, some are concerned that the expected surge in Game Pass subscriptions will only be temporary, meaning Microsoft could have surrendered too many sales.

The Xbox Partner Preview showed off some upcoming Xbox games including titles such as: FBC Firebreak, Blindfire, Cronos: New Dawn, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, and more!

Former PlayStation exec, Shawn Layden, has been sounding the alarm about what he calls a "collapse of creativity" in the gaming industry that has lead to development companies relying on blockbuster hits - ultimately killing the AA game. Is this a death sentence for the gaming industry as we know it?

In this week's Gaming Fun Fact we take a look at one of the first gaming VR experiences that not only delivered major IP titles such as Mario, but was also a portable solution over 20 years before the Oculus Quest 2's release. We are of course talking about the famous (some say infamous) Nintendo Virtual Boy.

Amazon is now selling a "no console required" Xbox bundle, as the Xbox Game Pass app lands on the Fire TV Stick. The bundle includes a Fire TV stick + remote, Xbox controller, and an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1-month pass. Is this the beginning of the streaming-only future that some believe is coming in fast?

Xbox Game Pass is under fire from the FTC once again due to their price increase and new tiers that erodes "day one on Game Pass" for some users. The FTC's new filing includes a comment that reads "Product degradation — removing the most valuable games from Microsoft's new service — combined with price increases for existing users, is exactly the sort of consumer harm from the merger the FTC has alleged"

Microsoft has integrated Nvidia's GeForce Now service into its Xbox game pages, allowing users to choose between Nvidia’s cloud gaming service and Xbox Cloud Gaming. This new feature lets players launch supported games directly from Xbox.com using either platform.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, and Matt discussed the plethora of game announcements that happened this past week at Gamescom 2022. Then after all that, they discussed Phil Spencer's comments on console exclusives possibly going away and the recent PlayStation 5 price hike in select regions.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, Adriano, and Matt discussed the first Disney & Marvel Games Showcase, the Embracer buying spree, Days Gone movie, and the Helldivers sequel tease.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, Adriano, and Matt discussed logging into the PSN for PS games on PC, Take-Two's expectations for Zynga, and streaming games from Google searches.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, and Matt discussed the new Tomb Raider and its 'team of tomb raiders' feature. The guys raise questions on whether the team mechanics will be cheap in terms of gameplay, or will somehow bring forward a microtransaction agenda for the first(?) time into the Tomb Raider series.

Next up, they discussed the retiring of Sony's accolades feature on PS5. A seldom used feature that most, including our hosts, forgot about entirely and never used. 

Then lastly, the discussion turned to the new Sea of Thieves Season 7 update and it's slew of new features including the eagerly anticipated ship ownership, ship naming, and quick stock up + loot selling features. But with this feature locked behind an in-game currency paywall, is this a fast-lane that is unfair for new players? Especially when considering other equipment in Sea of Thieves is purely cosmetic, with no in-game mechanical effect.

In this episode, we discuss the next Grand Theft Auto featuring a playable female lead, MGM losing the rights to the Tomb Raider films, Grounded's release date and more! 

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, and Matt discussed Discord making its way onto Xbox consoles, Ubisoft's Avatar delayed, and the eShop shutdown for both Nintendo 3DS and WiiU.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, and Matt discussed the Assassin's Creed Liberation debacle, PlayStation Stars - the PlayStation loyalty program, and Bungie officially joining Sony.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, and Matt discussed the official Skull and Bones gameplay reveal, PAX & Start Wars Celebration organizers are organizing E3 2023, Rockstar has shelved some remasters, and the Blizzard CEO is defending Diablo Immortal's microtransactions. Then in the Query Corner Question, we take a look at all the 80s classic movies being adapted into movies including Terminator and RoboCop.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, and Matt discussed the latest Skull and Bones leaked footage, EA's single-player tweet, the Steam Deck's new SSD, and the shelving of the Infamous and Sly Cooper franchises (for now).

This week’s top stories include Chris Pratt’s Mario voice, FromSoftware’s next game, Overwatch 2 replacing the first at launch and more!

In this week's Gaming Fun Fact we explore the world of Bethesda's game engines, starting all the way back with Elder Scrolls: Arena - before the days of the famous (infamous?) Creation engine.

Xbox Game Pass is receiving a price increase and a new standard tier that will not be including day one releases. The new tier replaces the console tier, however, existing console tier customers will still be receiving day one releases. We feel as though the price increase is fair, but this new tier ads another layer of potential confusion and seems to punish console-only players.

Nintendo Switch has had one long run, so long in fact that it is now Nintendo's longest running console ever. This is beating out the previous longest running Nintendo console, the Famicom that had a run of 2,686 days.

Hellblade 2 sales data reveals some concerning numbers for what was a highly anticipated title. The sales numbers also revealed Game Pass "sales" as well, showing numbers that were much lower than we expected. It is important to note, however, that Hellblade 2 did not receive a physical release. Is there an Xbox curse? Is the brand damaged?

This week we go over everything announced at the 2022 Xbox and Bethesda Showcase.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Matt, and Adriano discussed Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest Live including news on Goat Simulator 3, Street Fighter 6, Nightingale, Saints Row, and many more.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, and Matt discuss the latest PlayStation State of Play, which covered games such as The Callisto Protocol, Horizon Call Of The Mountain, Spider-Man PC, Street Fighter 6, and many more!

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Tim and Matt discuss the new Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming stick called Project Keystone, kicking off a conversation about game streaming and if it's ready for the masses, or if it's still too beta feeling overall. The duo also discussed the flurry of new PlayStation releases for PC and mobile by 2025, EA's new Lord of the Rings game, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, new gaming shows/movies (Horizon, God of War, and Gran Turismo), and PlayStation's intention to purchase more companies.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, and Matt discuss the top stories of the week including the EA + NBC Merger, Not-E3 2022 press conference schedule, Embracer's remakes/sequels/spin-offs (Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, etc.), Ubisoft Plus is coming to the new PlayStation Plus service.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, Adriano, and Matt discussed the Starfield and Redfall delay, Alan Wake TV show on AMC, some new EA games - then got bogged down in the conversation about Nintendo's new console. Do they need more powerful specs? Can Nintendo even make a home-only console anymore, or have they designed themselves into a corner?

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week Ryan, Tim, and Matt discussed Daryl Sheets from Storage Wars, the reported Mafia prequel game, Fortnite on Xbox Cloud Gaming, a new Series X chip, and Summer Game Fest 2022. A packed episode well worth a $15 bill all day long.

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week, Ryan, Tim, and Matt discussed the freshly announced Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022, Activision Blizzard shareholders' approval of the pending Microsoft sale, and PlayStation's new game preservation team. As a side note, Matt also learned some Penn and Teller lore (How didn't he know this stuff to begin with?).

Welcome to the Day One Patch Podcast, where we cover the week's gaming news, rumours, reports, and more. This week, Ryan, Tim, Adriano, and Matt learned an important lesson in Starburst eating followed by a discussion on Sony's new in-game ad system, Amy Hennig's new Star Wars game, and Erik Wolpaw's desire to make Portal 3. To wrap things up the Query Corner Question returns this week asking - Should games have most of their lore exposed in the story, or if it should be left to side content and collectables?

This week Ryan and Matt discuss Microsoft's efforts to get in-game ads working in free-to-play games, Oddworld Soulstorm's 'devastating' experience with PS Plus, Breath of the Wild 2, and Sony's 1-billion-dollar investment in Epic for (presumably) metaverse stuff.

The guys also review their week in gaming including discussions on Dying Light 2, Terminator: Resistance Annihilation Line, Lost Ark, and more.

In this week's Gaming Fun Fact we discussed the infamous PS3 development woes, namely how difficult it was to create PS3 games for developers. This was due to the console's complex Cell Processor, ununified memory, and more.

Then in the week's gaming news, we discussed:

Nintendo believes that longer game development cycles are inevitable, however, there are ways to keep on top of them. They believe that they've been doing a good job time balancing modern (and complex) game development.

It's a well known fact that Steam users purchase a lot of games that they never play - typically due to deep discounts during times like the Steam Summer Sale. It has been roughly calculated by PCGamesN that Steam users have spent $19 billion on games that they've never played.

Some believe that modern gaming is the worst era of video games to date, and that the golden age was during the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation. One Metro reader submitted their opinion piece of how they think that the Xbox 360 era was the peak of gaming and how it has gotten worse ever since - we took some of their opinions and discussed them.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has seen some nerfs in its first patch - specifically nerfing the extremely effective perfumes into the ground, as well as taking away an exploit that allowed players to use a spiky shield in such a way that boss fights were extremely easy. We discussed if nerfs like this make sense in a (mostly) PvE game like Elden Ring.

This week we discuss the newly announced Max Payne remake, Crystal Dynamics confirming a brand-new Tomb Raider game, Guardians of the Galaxy benefiting from Game Pass, and PlayStation's upcoming acquisitions.

In this episode we discuss E3 2022 being cancelled, both the digital and in-person events will not be happening this year, but Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest will be in full swing! We also discuss the all-new PlayStation Plus with similar features to Game Pass, consisting of 3 subscription tiers of including PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra, and PlayStation Plus Premium.

At the end of the show, we have the return of the Query Corner Question, where we ask: If you had the resources to make one item or weapon from any video game (or entertainment franchise), what would it be? 

In this episode we discuss: 

- Xbox Game Pass has paid "hundreds of millions" to developers (Source: GameSpot)

- PlayStation Spartacus reportedly to be revealed soon (Source: IGN)

- Ubisoft showcase being reportedly planned with several titles (Source: GameSpot)

- Suicide Squad game delayed (Source: IGN)

In this episode we discuss PlayStation's latest State of Play featuring the full reveal of Hogwarts Legacy. We also discuss Reggie Fils-Aimé's comments about Facebook's Metaverse and why he doesn't believe in Facebook's current definition of the metaverse. After that, we talk about EA Play Live being cancelled and what that means for E3, and finally we talk about always-online games with a focus on Gran Turismo 7's major outage shortly after its launch. 

Sources: 

• Hogwarts Legacy Releases This Holiday, State Of Play Reveals Extensive Gameplay
• Reggie Fils-Aimé Isn't a Believer in the 'Current Definition' of Facebook's Metaverse Vision
• EA Play Live Event Won't Be Happening This Year
• Gran Turismo 7 PS5, PS4 Patch Restores Servers After 24 Hours, Polyphony Digital Comments on Microtransactions

In this episode we discuss:

• Overwatch 2 Beta, and decoupling PVP and PVE (Source: GameSpot)
• Skull and Bones Insider Testing (Source: GameSpot)
• Dead Space remake release date (Source: IGN)

In this episode we discuss: 

• Netflix making games, and buying another new studio (Source: GameSpot)
• Gran Turismo 7 is virtually online only, leaving very few features available for offline players (Source: GameSpot)
• Elden Ring is a huge hit, biggest non-FIFA or Call of Duty launch since Red Dead Redemption 2 (Source: gamesindustry.biz)
• Query Corner Question: Is there too much talking in games?

In this episode we discuss:

• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Marvel's Wolverine revealed for PS5 (Source: PlayStation Blog)
• PlayStation reportedly plans 3 tiers of Spartacus plans (Source: VentureBeat)
• Microsoft may be discussing a Fallout: New Vegas sequel (Source: GameSpot)
• Uncharted movie is a 'new hit movie franchise' for Sony Pictures (Source: IGN)
• Query Corner Question: Can the previous game you played influence your opinion on the next game you play?

In this episode we discuss:

- EA blames Halo and COVID for Battlefield 2042 launch (Source: IGN)

- Horizon: Forbidden West slows down loading so you can read the tips (Source: IGN)

- Steam Deck replacement parts will be sold through iFixit (Source: Gamespot)

- PlayStation censors Martha is Dead (Source: Forbes)

In this episode we discuss:

- Steam Deck battery and how it can drain very quickly under certain settings (Source: GameSpot)

- Microsoft wants to bring Call of Duty to the Nintendo Switch (Source: GameSpot)

- Nintendo Direct February 2022 (Source: GameSpot)

In this episode we discuss:

- Sony buying Bungie for $3.6 billion (Source: GamesIndustry.biz)

- More acquisitions on the way for Sony (Source: IGN)

- Nintendo Switch is in the middle of its lifecycle according to Nintendo President (Source: GameSpot)

- Phil Spencer is getting a lifetime achievement award (Source: GameSpot)

In this week's Gaming Fun Fact we explore early wireless gaming controllers, specifically the Game Mate 2. Many people believe that the Wavebird for Nintendo GameCube was the first wireless controller, but in fact wireless controllers go all the way back to 1982 with the Atari 2600.

Nintendo Direct June 2024 was a loaded presentation that Tim was kind enough to take us through. Major announcements included Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, Mario and Luigi Brothership, Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom, and much more!

PS VR2 may be in trouble as Sony has reportedly cut its investment in VR. This comes off the heels of Ubisoft's own VR woes, with the disappointing sales of Assassin's Creed Nexus VR.

The Elden Ring DLC is here and has officially de-throned The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine expansion as the top-rated DLC on IGN. CD Projekt Red took to social media to congratulate From Software on their achievement.

In this episode we discuss: 

• 3 new Star Wars games by Respawn, including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order sequel (Source: IGN)
• Ubisoft executive says that gamers 'just don't get it' when it comes to NFTs (Source: IGN)
• Blizzard is hiring for a new survival game (Source: IGN)
• Microsoft will eventually stop billing dormant Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass subs (Source: GameSpot)

The big news this week is Microsoft has acquired (full deal pending) Activision Blizzard. This is obviously big news for the gaming industry and for Xbox fans with questions looming on the PlayStation side of things. This week we discuss the deal itself, what our opinions are on the topic, and if PlayStation/Sony should make a counter acquisition.

In this episode we discuss:

- Zynga's buyout and what kind of games we'd like to see on mobile (Source: GameSpot)

- Xbox One production was discontinued in 2020 (Source: GameSpot)

- PS Now gift cards being pulled from stores (Source: GameSpot)

- Kevin Levine's new game will be surprising, but unsurprising (Source: GameSpot) 

In this episode we discuss E3 going all-digital due to omicron, BioWare wants to rebuild its reputation, PS VR2 announced, and a Days Gone debacle.

In this episode we discuss: 

- Ubisoft announces Splinter Cell remake (Source: IGN)

- New DualSense colours and PS5 console covers (Source: PS Blog)

- Microsoft explains how the RROD happened (Source: GameSpot)

The Game Awards 2021 happened this week and there were a ton of world premieres and game trailers! In this episode, we discuss the trailers and announcements that we saw during the show as well as many of the awards, including Game of the Year. 

In this episode we discuss: 

- PlayStation plans to take on Xbox Game Pass (Source: Bloomberg)

- US Congress to pass law to ban scalper bots (Source: IGN)

- Battlefield franchise undergoing a major shakeup (Source: GameSpot)

In this episode we discuss:

- Kojima Productions launching a new division for film, music, and TV (Source: GamesIndustry)

- Epic Games buys Rock Band developer Harmonix (Source: IGN)

- Battlefield 2042 has "millions" of players, outperforming Battlefield V (Source: GameSpot)

- LOTR Studio is making a new game based on a major worldwide IP (Source: GameSpot)

In this episode we discuss: 

- GTA Trilogy shaping up to be this year's "Cyberpunk 2077" as fans request refunds (Source: Nintendo Life)

- Epic CEO wants a universal app store across all platforms (Source: Mac Rumors)

- Phil Spencer says Xbox Game Pass is very, very sustainable (Source: IGN)

- Apple will finally let you fix your iPhone yourself (Source: IGN)

In this episode we discuss: 

- Steam Deck delayed until 2022 (Source: IGN)

- Like Assassin's Creed Infinity, Far Cry 7 is a live game (Source: GameSpot)

- 25+ exclusives in development for PS5 (Source: IGN)

- Windows Store will let you choose install locations and support mods (Source: GameSpot)

In this week's Gaming Fun Fact, we explore the bit wars! Namely the period of time where consoles were fighting for dominance through rigorous hardware upgrades and full force marketing campaigns - many of which rallied around how many bits their console had under the hood. Despite the bit wars' lack of an official start and end date, this period lasted roughly from the mid 1980s until the mid 1990s with the release of the Atari Jaguar.

Then in the mainstream news, the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 rocked the house with a seemingly never ending slew of killer game announcements that may just put Xbox in a great competitive position in the 2024/2025 gaming landscape. These titles included a surprise look at Gears of War: E-Day, a peek at Atomfall, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 deep dive, and much much more!

In this episode we discuss:

- Netflix now comes with Android games (Source: ArsTechnica)

- Nintendo Switch sales hit 93 million (Source: GameSpot)

- GTA and EA executives are big believers in NFTs (Source: GameSpot)

- Marvel's Avengers failed to live up to expectations, Square Enix will still keep making live service games (Source: GameSpot) 

In this episode we discuss: - Xbox 360 Halo servers shutting down (Source: IGN) - PlayStation PC formed (Source: VGC) - More details on Assassin's Creed Infinite, not free-to-play (Source: GameSpot) - Ubisoft Blockchain games (Source IGN) - Nintendo Switch Online expansion pass, N64 emulation issues (Source: Nintendo Life)

In this episode we discuss: 

- God of War coming to PC in January (Source: IGN)

- Uncharted movie trailer revealed (Source: GameSpot)

- Apple considered a cloud gaming service (Source: GameSpot)

- Xbox wants to make more PlayStation-style blockbuster games (Source: VGC)

- Xbox Game Pass sales continue to grow, not as fast as expected (Source: GameSpot)