WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:14.880 You'll never go me bait. It's the internet. You're busy. Let's do 2 00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:18.960 this for April twenty second, twenty twenty four, the next hour or so. 3 00:00:19.079 --> 00:00:21.960 Let me help you sort through the world of gaming on Game Mess Mornings 4 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:26.079 Live with me Jeff Grubb. Today, Embracer Group is shifting to the Garfield 5 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:30.679 and Friends School of Business, and Starfield is totally hot and uncensored around the 6 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:34.439 world. But first please join me and welcoming today's co host of Game Mess 7 00:00:34.439 --> 00:00:37.840 Mornings. It's Emma Fife. Everybody. Emma, how are you doing. 8 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:44.840 I'm great. Yeah, I had you know, it's early on the West 9 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:51.520 coast, so I had myself a little bowl of on sale granola with almon 10 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:56.119 milk. And now my cat, who's just out of frame right here, 11 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:59.960 let's me if I can get him. Hey, this cat, he decided 12 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:04.480 that he deserves to finish that. So that's that's how my morning's going so 13 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:10.239 far. Yeah, my cat has gotten worse about eating human food. He's 14 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:15.239 an old bastard now and he's gotten worse about it, and it's definitely has 15 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:19.319 caused him some intestinal issues when he like finds the kid's food under their table 16 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:23.640 or whatever. Yes, they're messy, their kids, and so every day 17 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:25.439 it's like I got to get in there and clean that up or else he 18 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:30.359 is going to eat it and have stomach issues. Truly, My brother has 19 00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:34.599 a one and a half year old and his dog has never ate better in 20 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:40.319 his whole life. I was facetiming with them yesterday. She had a bowl 21 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:45.159 of pretzels. He ran off, My brother ran after her, and I 22 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:51.480 just watched as the dog immediately stuck his whole bretzel. Yep, that's how 23 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:53.799 it goes. Yeah, you can't. The kids are basically animals, and 24 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:57.040 it's too busy, too busy taking care of them to like realize, oh 25 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:00.280 my god, this cat is going to make himself so sick and I got 26 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:04.280 to clean a cat butt of poop and stuff. It's a whole thing over 27 00:02:04.359 --> 00:02:07.359 there. No, it's real, real, and he's a he's a long 28 00:02:07.400 --> 00:02:09.360 hair cat too, So it doesn't come out easy, everybody. It's it's 29 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:14.000 worse than you're imagining. Absolutely, But that's a good way to kick off 30 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:16.639 on Monday. A little little cat. Cat cat butt talk, cat butt 31 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:21.039 talk. Yeah, welcome to cat butt talk, everybody. How was your 32 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:23.759 weekend going otherwise? Am I was it refreshing to you? Do you feel 33 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:28.400 well recovered? You ready to get back at it? I do? Uh 34 00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:32.080 yeah. My body decided that I needed to just lay in bed all weekend. 35 00:02:32.439 --> 00:02:36.759 My back was just like, Nope, we're going to just lay here. 36 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:43.560 We're gonna play some switch and we're gonna watch some I would say I 37 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:46.800 was gonna say, watch some terrible television, but I actually everything I watched 38 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:52.479 this weekend was good. So yeah, I finished Fallout. I thought that 39 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:57.000 show was pretty good. It definitely like I gotta keep stuff in perspective because 40 00:02:57.159 --> 00:02:59.520 I'm like, I'm kind of a I think I'm a little bit of a 41 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:02.000 TV snow. I'm like, there's like a couple of shows that I think 42 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:06.240 are actually good and the rest of it's kind of mindless dribble. That's fine 43 00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:07.919 to watch or whatever. I'll still enjoy it, but I'm not. I 44 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:10.879 don't think it's up there with you know, the Sopranos and and Or. 45 00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:14.000 Those are our two shows, and my god, those are better than everything 46 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:21.280 else. And they are Or is literally the highest bar in television. It's 47 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:24.599 so so good. But that being said, I really dug the Fallout show. 48 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:31.439 It's funny because I thought that the pilot was outstanding, and then the 49 00:03:31.479 --> 00:03:34.879 rest of it was pretty good, but then it got it back in the 50 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:38.199 end for me, so overall NET positive, really looking forward to the next 51 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:40.800 season. Then I went to try to go watch The Three Body Problem on 52 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:46.120 Netflix, and I got like halfway into the first episode and I found it 53 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:50.199 repellent. Like I'm just like, there's something about the way the show looks, 54 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:53.800 the way they're acting, the way it's written. Everything was just pushing 55 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:57.680 me away and I'm just going to go read the book. Screw this. 56 00:03:58.120 --> 00:04:00.639 I just cannot handle it, Like, I don't like. Netflix just feels 57 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:05.879 like they want to be that the second screen just on in the background show 58 00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:10.319 and so they're not even trying though, and it's I'm like, I could 59 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:14.800 not stand that show. Yeah, I haven't watched it. My brothers read 60 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:17.480 the book and he said he watched it and he liked it. But yeah, 61 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:21.839 I mean yeah, for me, I watched h Freakin' Fallout and I 62 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:27.040 watched X Men ninety seven, so I had a great weekend of television. 63 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:30.360 X Men also very good, absolutely very good. Yeah. I think Fallout 64 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:32.160 just like a really solid show. They did a pretty good job with it 65 00:04:32.199 --> 00:04:34.120 not like und blowing or anything like that, but I, you know, 66 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:36.720 definitely way better than like what they were doing Halo and all that stuff. 67 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:41.399 The other thing that happened to me this weekend was I tried I tried my 68 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:44.360 new roller blades, and they were a little they were a little they were 69 00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:46.040 a little bit different than the last one. So I was like, I 70 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:49.560 think my ciner balance on my foot was like way different that was expecting. 71 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:55.120 I basically ate shit right away and landed on my wrist. I like tore 72 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:59.199 up my elbow and stuff. It was. It was real rough. Yeah, 73 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:01.160 so I did the whole piece and love thing. Instead of you know, 74 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:03.639 like instead of a playing ice, like that's the old tech. You're 75 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:08.519 not supposed to put ice onto injuries anymore. I just did compression and kept 76 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:12.160 it elevated and rested. Now it's you know, kind of back in action 77 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:15.199 we're doing. It could have been way worse. But then I'm like, 78 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.839 Okay, I need to acclimate myself to these different staates. Yeah, it's 79 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:24.680 wild. When you're a child, you don't have that far to fall. 80 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:27.160 Yes, it was very so, so when you fall down, you get 81 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:29.959 back up. It's no big deal. I ripped up the entire back of 82 00:05:29.959 --> 00:05:32.360 my leg rollerblading as a kid, got severe roadburn. I was back on 83 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:35.680 my rollerblades next day. No, yeah, exactly. I know. I'm 84 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:38.879 like, Man, I don't another one of those and I'm done. I'm 85 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:42.240 gonna turn it dust. So gonna be careful of here. All right, 86 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:45.240 let's explain what we do here most weekdays. I, Jeff Greb will help 87 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:48.279 peace. You're gaming life back together. That includes breaking news and maybe even 88 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:53.120 some of our own original reporting. For all these topics, I'll get the 89 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:56.000 input of a bona fide expert who will make me look smart. If you 90 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:59.079 were watching live on Twitch, welcome. You can always listen to the show 91 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:02.160 later on podcasts feeds by searching for Game Mess Mornings, or find the RSS 92 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:05.639 on giant bomb dot com. You can also catch the show later with chapters 93 00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:12.120 and timestamps on YouTube. Hello YouTube. All right, we have a lot 94 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:15.000 to get into, so let's start the Morning Mess with Embracer Group announces plans 95 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:19.279 to split into three separate companies. This is from Chris Scullyen at VGC. 96 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:25.120 Swedish game and media holding company. Embracer Group has announced its plans to split 97 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:29.680 into three separate entities. The group will separate into three companies as Mody, 98 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:33.879 Coffee Stain and Friends and Middle Earth Enterprises and Friends. And I'm not joking, 99 00:06:34.120 --> 00:06:38.800 that's what they're actually calling these things. Those are the actual names, 100 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:44.759 Coffee Stain and Friends and Middle Earth Enterprises and Friends, each of which will 101 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:48.120 be listed as a separate company on Nasdaq Stockholm. As part of the separation 102 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:53.720 process, Embracer has entered into a new financing agreement through Asmody, which is 103 00:06:53.720 --> 00:06:58.279 worth nine hundred million euro. Embracer says the proceeds for this will repay existing 104 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:02.199 debt and reduce leverage in the remaining Embracer group. As Modi will continue to 105 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:06.800 operate as a publisher and distributor of board games, trading cards, and digital 106 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:11.920 board games, and will consist of twenty three fully owned studios. Coffee Stand 107 00:07:11.959 --> 00:07:15.439 and Friends will focus on PC, console and mobile games, including community driven 108 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:19.279 free to play games, Live ops games, and indie slash double A games. 109 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:23.759 It will operate under premium and free to play divisions. Of the premium 110 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:28.680 segment will consist of Coffee Stain, THHQ, Nordic ghost Ship, Tuxedo Labs, 111 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:33.959 Tarsier Amplifier, Game invest and others. Finally, Middle Earth Enterprises and 112 00:07:34.040 --> 00:07:39.920 Friends will be a creative powerhouse in Triple A game development and publishing for PC 113 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:44.800 and console and will own the Lord of the Rings and tombraator Ips, along 114 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:48.480 with the likes of Dead Island, Metro and Kingdomcome Deliverance Studios. Joining Middle 115 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:53.680 Earth Enterprises and Friends will include Crystal Dynamics, Dambusters, Idos, Montreal, 116 00:07:53.800 --> 00:07:58.800 Flying Wild Hog, Tripwire, Vertigo Games, Warhorse Studios, and four A 117 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:05.720 Games. Yeah. That's that's the gist of the news there. Okay, 118 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:09.759 So most of this is just sort of like inside baseball, them trying to 119 00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:16.199 reposition themselves to be better financially positioned to attack the marketplace with their new projects 120 00:08:16.279 --> 00:08:20.360 and so that they're basically so they're not a situation they were in last year 121 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:24.199 where you know, Dead Island two comes along, sells really well, does 122 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:28.560 very well for them, and it didn't really make a dent in their numbers 123 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:31.200 because it was such a large, unwieldy company with so much debt that a 124 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:35.720 successful game didn't benefit them. This should shift that a little bit so when 125 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:41.279 they if they have future successes, like you know, and I think they're 126 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:46.000 still co publishing that Space Marines game with the with the God with a team 127 00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:48.879 that left recently, and it's like, okay, so if that that happens, 128 00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:52.639 they might get some benefit now to to these companies, But beyond that, 129 00:08:52.679 --> 00:08:56.360 it also feels like a chance to get away from the Embrace or name. 130 00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:01.200 Uh do you think that this is going to succeed at like resetting the 131 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:11.799 perception of Embracer and now these new companies in effectively they have been operating as 132 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:16.679 it's like Embracer and then a bunch of divisions And basically what they're doing here 133 00:09:16.759 --> 00:09:24.879 is say they are making the divisions into their own separate companies. And I 134 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:28.519 think that that actually is potentially a smart move because, as you say, 135 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:33.639 getting away from the Embracer name of it all and putting themselves in a position 136 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:39.919 wherein you have three companies sharing a massive amount of debt. So suddenly that 137 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:48.320 debt becomes a lot more manageable and there's more opportunities to recoup being in these 138 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:54.080 smaller positions of Okay, this company, Coffee Stain and Friends has has put 139 00:09:54.120 --> 00:10:00.120 out a new game in Roadblocks, which is something that they actually do and 140 00:10:00.600 --> 00:10:05.039 you know, you get sort of more individual attention on the different like brands 141 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:09.159 within the company, so to speak. Yes, I mean, I think 142 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:13.799 definitely what Embracer definitely needed. It needs a lot of things, but one 143 00:10:13.799 --> 00:10:18.480 of the things that needed was to sort of be able to scale things down 144 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:24.480 so that some of these component parts can get feel like they're getting more attention. 145 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:28.799 And now that like the top of the chain sort of stops at like 146 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:33.320 a publicly traded company, that makes more sense in some ways. It still 147 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:35.720 doesn't make These things don't make a ton of sense, but they make a 148 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:39.559 little bit more sense that the Embracer did. Overall. That could help a 149 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:45.919 lot of these studios. But mostly I think we are not a lot has 150 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.960 changed. Probably is really what happened has happened here. These are still gonna 151 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:52.559 be this. Yeah, They're still gonna have the same operating issues they did 152 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:58.759 before. Yes, I also think that I don't get why Asmodi doesn't have 153 00:10:58.759 --> 00:11:03.159 any friends. It's uh coffee friends, Middle Earth Enterprises and friends. Where's 154 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:05.000 Asmodi's friends. It's got twenty three studios in there, is it? Just 155 00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:11.600 like I mean, and as Modi is the one who's out here making tabletop 156 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:16.320 games. You need friends, You need that the whole idea. Yeah, 157 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:22.559 oh boy. They like announced this in a big presentation like on the stage 158 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:28.600 with Lars Winge Firs who's the CEO, and another I think the probably the 159 00:11:28.679 --> 00:11:31.960 chief financial officer, uh being like, hey, all right, get excited 160 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:35.399 for this, and it's just like, man, they are in such a 161 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:39.320 weird position that this is like the big event for them that they're announcing that 162 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:46.840 they're spinning off all these things into their own verticals going forward. Do you 163 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:50.279 think that they're like, we're going to look back in a couple of years 164 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:54.000 and be like, oh okay, yeah, god remember Embracer and we'll be 165 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:56.240 able to like put that stuff behind us. Or do you think this is 166 00:11:56.240 --> 00:12:01.519 the stink is going to carry on? Well, I think that the stink 167 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.279 is potentially going to carry on, and some of it has to do with 168 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:13.519 just I don't know the state of gaming and games media. We've seen so 169 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:24.039 many instances of these companies restructuring of and that affecting the workforce and potential future 170 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:28.039 titles. Now, look, do I think that people are trying to churn 171 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:31.200 any kind of content be it TV, shows, video games, etc. 172 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:35.799 Out At an alarming rate wherein the quality is suffering. I kind of do, 173 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:45.879 but you know, but the fact remains that this impacts people who despite 174 00:12:45.879 --> 00:12:50.360 the fact that there's like a people are talking about respect for humans in the 175 00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:56.200 chat and this is you know, kind of showing a lack of respect for 176 00:12:56.320 --> 00:13:01.159 humans. Because you know this, a lot of jobs cancel, a lot 177 00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:03.679 of games. Do I think that those games were necessarily going to be huge 178 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:05.360 hits? I don't know, but I hope that this puts us in a 179 00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:16.559 position wherein you know, the companies operating on as these smaller separate entities have 180 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:22.320 the opportunity to recuperate and you know, get people back into the workforce. 181 00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:26.600 But I don't know, it's uh, yeah, it's just a it's just 182 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:33.519 a bummer all around. Yeah. I also wonder like what does it look 183 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:37.120 like where where like the debt all gets shipped like with like as Modi's worth 184 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:41.279 nine hundred million euro and they're like, oh okay, and it will basically 185 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:45.279 be taking on all the debt that's going to uh leverage like enable, it's 186 00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:48.519 going to reduce leverage in the Romanian Embracer group. It's like, why is 187 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:52.080 asmody having to take all that on? Is that something that's going to drag 188 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:54.919 down the uh, the board game group. I don't know, it's it's 189 00:13:54.159 --> 00:14:01.000 a weird move, yeah, it's uh. But you know Lara Kroft friend 190 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:05.519 of Middle Earth, yes, a friend of Middle Earth indeed. Yeah. 191 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:13.519 So they sold off Saber, they sold off Gearbox that like, those things 192 00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:16.320 felt they felt too big for what's happening here. These do feel like smaller 193 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:22.639 initiatives overall. Although you know Idos and Crystal Dynamics are still pretty big studios, 194 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:26.799 they actually are a bit smaller than something like a Gearbox or even a 195 00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:31.679 Saber, which has several studios under its banner. So Thistific feels like a 196 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:37.360 paring down and like a kind of trying to write size, which is that 197 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:41.360 word that executives always use when they don't want to say downsizing. The downsizhing 198 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:45.519 has already happened, the layoffs have already happened here, yes, and now 199 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:48.879 it's like, okay, let's rebuild the company in an image that looks like 200 00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:52.440 it can actually grow again, because I think that's where they were going to 201 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:56.799 be in a real tough position with Embrace or overall. The growth was originally 202 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:58.879 coming from acquisitions they were making it more acquisitions to be like, Okay, 203 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:03.720 revenues up, revenues up, revenues up, because we added more revenue from 204 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:05.360 these companies that we bought, right, and they were at the end of 205 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.679 the road of that, and so now it's like and then they were looking 206 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:09.399 at like, Okay, well, now that we're at the end of the 207 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:11.799 road, how can we get embraced into a place where it feels like it's 208 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:16.639 growing fast enough? And it's like that doesn't that's probably going to be really 209 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.720 difficult to pull off. So now they just like they sold off a bunch 210 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:22.039 of studios. They have a bunch of studios left, and it made them 211 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:26.519 smaller overall businesses that feel like they have a higher ceiling. Now it's a 212 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:31.360 kind of a house of mirrors a little bit. Yeah, But I mean 213 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:35.000 I hope the studios underneath it are able to make good games. I guess 214 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:37.200 that's all that really happened. I mean, that is really what it boils 215 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:48.000 down to. And ultimately, I am four breaking up extremely large corporation, 216 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:54.960 you know what I mean, It's like the potential of smaller businesses to operate 217 00:15:56.080 --> 00:16:02.519 independently and make something that is ultimately more interesting that they're putting all of their 218 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:07.960 resources into definitely exists. So yeah, as you say, hopefully these smaller 219 00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:11.840 companies just make good games, all right. Moving along here, Stellar Blade 220 00:16:11.879 --> 00:16:15.799 will be uncensored in all regions. This is from Jordan Midler at VGC. 221 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:21.639 A post from the game's Twitter account reads, Stellar Blade offers the same uncensored 222 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:25.360 version in all countries, including the Japanese version. This post came in the 223 00:16:25.399 --> 00:16:30.320 wake of some PlayStation titles having regional variations, which players have routinely called out 224 00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:33.399 for perceived censorship. Stellar Blade will be released on April twenty six as a 225 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:40.399 PS five exclusive demos available, all that stuff. This is probably mostly notable 226 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:45.080 because so many games recently in Japan have been have had different versions so that 227 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:48.320 they could get the appropriate age rating so they could actually go on sale in 228 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:53.039 the country, and that's happened repeatedly now, and this news actually was like 229 00:16:53.159 --> 00:16:57.639 so it caught the attention to like executives over at EA where they're like, 230 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:03.240 hey, we put out Dead Space in Japan and it has like similar looking 231 00:17:03.320 --> 00:17:06.920 monsters and a similar level of violence. And if you've seen seen Stellar Blade, 232 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:08.799 the way that like she like slices apart the Monsters is pretty violent. 233 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:12.240 Dead Space had to have a different version. They're like, why the hell 234 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:15.880 did we have to do that? And Stellar Blade does not, which you 235 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:18.720 know is never like you never would be like, oh, you know, 236 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:21.680 why do punish everyone else the same amount you punish me? That's never a 237 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:25.160 good look. But I get what they're saying there, but Stellar Blade seems 238 00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:27.240 to be getting away with it. I wonder if they're like, this is 239 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:32.400 like the EBB and flow of regulation in so many countries where it has nothing 240 00:17:32.440 --> 00:17:33.599 to do with Stellar Blade, and maybe just has something to do with like, 241 00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:37.920 oh at the moment, maybe Japan's being more lax on the regulation. 242 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:41.839 I don't know, but as it stands, Stellar Blade is going to be 243 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:47.200 uncensored, which probably doesn't mean like full frontal nudity. It probably just means 244 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:51.559 I have to tell you, When I saw Stellar Blade and uncensored, my 245 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:57.319 immediate thought was oh more jiggle my yes. And I think I noticed this 246 00:17:57.359 --> 00:18:00.839 story was like number one on VGC, and I'm like, what the why? 247 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.440 Who cares? Like of course yeah, And it's like, oh, 248 00:18:03.640 --> 00:18:08.440 because people, it's like that unrated DVD edition where like people think that implies 249 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:11.759 something like scandalous when really just means like, well, no, there's a 250 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:15.920 version you submit to the MPAA and this version didn't get submitted to the MPAA. 251 00:18:17.079 --> 00:18:22.359 That's all that actually means. But there's something like scintillating about the possibility, 252 00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:26.119 and so when people hear uncensored, yes, the bind immediately goes there. 253 00:18:26.119 --> 00:18:27.960 I totally see that, which is why half the reason this story is 254 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:33.319 in the rundown is to grab the attention. Of course, absolutely, I 255 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:37.440 do wonder like what this game's legacy is going to be as we go through. 256 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:41.480 It's it's out in a couple of days, right, God, is 257 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:47.519 it out very soon? Man, I'm trying to play it a little bit 258 00:18:48.599 --> 00:18:53.759 and I was like, oh, yes, uh, it's sexy anime lady 259 00:18:56.000 --> 00:19:00.599 fight monsters. Yeah. I don't. I don't think it's that d I 260 00:19:00.599 --> 00:19:03.680 don't think it's got a ton going on. I thought though, fighting was 261 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:10.000 pretty good in the boss fights, and like it's got a vibe like in 262 00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:15.680 between those those big moments too. But god, yeah, it's it has 263 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:19.039 not deserved the amount of attention really that it has gotten. It's I think 264 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:22.680 it's going to be a pretty decent like B game when it's all said and 265 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:27.319 done. Look you bring the Waifu's people show up. We had this conversation 266 00:19:27.640 --> 00:19:34.599 about Yep, they absolutely do all right. Midori confirms a sequel to Sonic 267 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:38.039 Frontiers is in development and the name could get a change. This is from 268 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:41.960 my Nintendo news. It would seem as though the Sonic team's next big project 269 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:45.799 is a sequel to Sonic Frontiers, which launched in twenty twenty two. The 270 00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:51.759 news was first shared by Daniel RpK and was corroborated by reliable Sega Atlas leaker 271 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:56.440 Midori. Sega has not announced a sequel to Sonic Frontiers, but it seems 272 00:19:56.440 --> 00:20:00.000 as though it is their next big game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. 273 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:04.960 I am someone who liked Sonic Frontiers enough. I didn't think it was spectacular, 274 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:08.839 but I thought it was a decent first effort for like going in that 275 00:20:08.920 --> 00:20:12.839 direction with Sonic, and they got more right than they got wrong. They 276 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:15.160 just didn't get it like super right. It wasn't like, oh well, 277 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:18.759 this is just of course, this is the way you're going to do things. 278 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:22.160 It's like, okay, this feels pretty close. I think though, 279 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:26.480 a sequel is a no brainer because it's like so many ideas that could build 280 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:30.119 on from there. So this is my expectation too. I'm not too surprised 281 00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:33.319 to hear this. How about you, I fully forgot about the existence of 282 00:20:33.359 --> 00:20:37.200 Sonic Frontiers. Well that I mean that. And that's the thing is that 283 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:42.559 when a game is good, fine exists, you do just kind of forget 284 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:45.720 about it, you know, totally, because it doesn't it doesn't make a 285 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:53.119 big splash unless there's something that's really keeping it in the public conversation, typically, 286 00:20:53.160 --> 00:20:57.079 be it that it's really good or really bad, or it's fallout and 287 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:04.720 there's bugs, just so many there still are. But but yeah, I 288 00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:07.480 mean, when when a game is just kind of like good, it kind 289 00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:11.640 of comes and goes. So that's how I feel about Sonic Frontiers. And 290 00:21:11.640 --> 00:21:18.599 and exactly as you were saying, when you're in a situation wherein there's a 291 00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:22.559 lot of good ideas and you mostly got stuff right and it did fine and 292 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:26.599 people mostly liked it, Okay, why not make a safe ball, right. 293 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:30.519 It's the kind of thing where Sonic is not like in some position where 294 00:21:30.599 --> 00:21:36.680 everything that they're trying is working right. The Sonic Superstars came out after Sonic 295 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:41.359 Frontiers. That one really came and went and I beat that game. It 296 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:47.799 was I think it's kind of bad. Okay, it's it's it's like, 297 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:51.039 there are some parts of it that are enticing. I think it looks pretty 298 00:21:51.079 --> 00:21:53.720 good. The characters look pretty good once you really get move and that's fine. 299 00:21:55.720 --> 00:21:59.960 But the boss fights are inane and the levels are not like that inspired 300 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:03.480 or anything like that. Yeah, but you know, I get like, 301 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:04.799 Okay, so that's like the two D or like the two D gameplay. 302 00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:10.319 It's got three D visuals on a two D plan. That's that should continue 303 00:22:10.359 --> 00:22:12.279 to be continue to happen. Yes, although I think I would prefer Sonic 304 00:22:12.359 --> 00:22:18.519 Mania at the same time, Sonic Frontiers is that kind of thing where I 305 00:22:18.599 --> 00:22:21.839 can just to put that on. My kids will start just messing around in 306 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:23.119 that game in a way that they can mess around in a lot of like 307 00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:26.920 decent three D platformers, and the game is conducive to that, and there's 308 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:30.880 something a playful, uh that I think Sonic should be embracing with that. 309 00:22:30.920 --> 00:22:36.839 So I think Sonic Frontiers is a really solid foundation for that, even if 310 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:41.000 I think people's reactions to it very like greatly beyond like Okay, so I 311 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:42.799 think it's a solid foundation. Some people playing like no, this is just 312 00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:47.000 a straight up bad game. Some people playing no, I really enjoyed myself, 313 00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:48.920 and I think that's like the kind of the funnel that exists in But 314 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:53.079 I think all that stems from this foundation they could build on really well what 315 00:22:53.200 --> 00:23:04.200 they follow up. I played so much Adventure on the Dreamcast, and yeah, 316 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:11.039 I'd love to have that joy uh recaptured for me. And but we 317 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:15.160 are going to need to figure out uh Mara. Dreamcast had the little like 318 00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:18.799 cartridge thing that you put into your controller and you could just like take you 319 00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:22.480 go with you the VMU. So we're gonna need to figure that out. 320 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:27.000 Because I like to play with my chow's and the VMU. They should bring 321 00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:30.400 back the VMU just in general. Just let me have a VMU for whatever 322 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:36.400 reason that would be worth it to me. Oh my god, making the 323 00:23:36.599 --> 00:23:41.559 chow garden and like just making new chows. You could get such cursed ones 324 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:45.240 off. It's so good. I like it because it's like you would you 325 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:48.640 could like take your VMU to school and then then your brother would be like, 326 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:52.000 all right, I'm gonna go sit down and play some Dreamcast games. 327 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:52.839 And it's like, wait, where the fuck is the safe thing? Oh 328 00:23:52.920 --> 00:23:56.960 the VMU. My asshole brother took it to school and now I got Now 329 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:02.319 I can't play anything. It's like, yes, that it was a cool 330 00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:04.720 idea and they should bring it back. That's what I want. Yep. 331 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:07.200 All right, let's take a quick break. When we get back, a 332 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:11.720 lot more headlines, including what's happening with Fallout and its resurgence. Right after 333 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:22.279 this, all right, we are back, and as promised, Fallout seventy 334 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:26.720 six records its best concurrent player count on Steam just a week after setting previous 335 00:24:26.759 --> 00:24:32.720 record. This is from League Mathur at ign Fallout seventy six, the open 336 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:37.519 world multiplayer RPG title, has broken its all time concurrent player count on Steam 337 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:41.759 six years after its launch. The game from twenty eighteen has received a surge 338 00:24:41.799 --> 00:24:45.960 of popularity after the Fallout TV show on Amazon Prime Video. After the player 339 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:48.680 surge saw the game record its best ever active player count, the record has 340 00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:52.519 been broken once again. The record was broken just one week after the previous 341 00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:56.119 record was set. As it stands, Fallout seventy six recorded sixty four thousand 342 00:24:56.160 --> 00:25:03.000 players actively playing the game on Saturday, per Steam database. The previous record 343 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:07.359 was a week ago below forty thousand. I think it's probably worth noting as 344 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:12.079 I remember it, Fallout seventy six did not launch originally on Steam. I 345 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:18.400 think it launched originally on the bethesta launcher. That could be wrong. I 346 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:22.279 think that's the case, though I think you're yes, I'm pretty sure, 347 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:26.160 but either way, it's like setting new records because of the show, not 348 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:30.960 too surprising, and like as a follow up to that, Like yeah, 349 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:34.680 Fallout four's five and twenty five percent increased player account is approaching hell divers two 350 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:40.160 levels. This is from Paul Tassi at Forbes. Thanks to a massive resurgence 351 00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:44.359 in interest due to Amazon's great new Fallout show plus some big, big time 352 00:25:44.440 --> 00:25:48.119 sales, Fallout four is experiencing what are far and away its best numbers since 353 00:25:48.119 --> 00:25:52.200 it's launched on Steam in twenty fifteen. Fallout four used to be topping out 354 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:56.359 at respectable twenty four thousand players a night, which is very respectable, by 355 00:25:56.400 --> 00:26:00.880 the way, but as it stands it has one hundred and sixty thousand concurrent 356 00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:06.519 players and rising over the weekend. This is approaching more more recent Steam mega 357 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:10.119 hit of the moment, the multiplayer twenty twenty four released Hell Divers two, 358 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:15.359 which currently has one hundred and seventy five thousand players. Yeah, so that 359 00:26:15.559 --> 00:26:21.079 is buck wild bananas numbers. And I mean I think we go over this 360 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:22.839 over and over again where it's like, yeah, if the show is a 361 00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:26.559 hit, it can really fuel the games. But every time something like this 362 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:30.920 happens and puts it in like such stark contrast of five hundred and twenty five 363 00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:36.559 percent growth one hundred and sixty thousand concurrent players, like the second most for 364 00:26:36.680 --> 00:26:41.839 a game that is like primarily like a premium price game, like the only 365 00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:44.759 games above that were like Hell Divers and then some free to play games. 366 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:48.279 It's okay, yup, that is wild, And a lot of people are 367 00:26:48.279 --> 00:26:51.359 saying, I'm sure Microsoft and but as they're kicking themselves for not having like 368 00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:55.279 Fallout five, Yeah, fall of five writing to go, it's like, 369 00:26:55.680 --> 00:26:57.799 yeah, of course, But I think part of like where we're at in 370 00:26:57.880 --> 00:27:02.440 terms of gaming is like if you can get an older game to pop off 371 00:27:02.519 --> 00:27:04.799 again and people might play it as if it's a new game, that's a 372 00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:11.960 success as well. Oh that's the dream, honestly, is for your previous 373 00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:15.960 projects to have some kind of longevity in popularity and the thing that we are 374 00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:22.319 absolutely seeing. And I mean this happened with The Witcher back in twenty nineteen 375 00:27:22.359 --> 00:27:26.119 as well, where suddenly there was this huge surgeon sales of The Witch are 376 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:29.480 three. I think that it was like, now, granted it had just 377 00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:33.200 come out on Switch in October of that year, I want to say, 378 00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:40.319 but like it was failed went up by some crazy number like five hundred percent, 379 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:44.039 over five hundred percent, and even without the Switch sales, it was 380 00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:48.759 still a pretty healthy, like sixty percent increases in sales. So I mean, 381 00:27:48.799 --> 00:27:53.160 the fact that this is happening with Fallout on such a massive scale, 382 00:27:53.319 --> 00:28:00.079 especially because you do have these games being out there for very very affordable pricing, 383 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:03.480 you know, it was, it was very I'm I have to assume 384 00:28:03.559 --> 00:28:07.720 it was intentional that these games were on I mean, they're on sale on 385 00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:10.920 Steam all the time anyway, and they're all like in Xbox Came Pass. 386 00:28:11.160 --> 00:28:15.960 But one has to assume that there was some intentionality behind the fact that these 387 00:28:15.960 --> 00:28:22.359 games were on massive sale when the show dropped, and clearly they're it's having 388 00:28:22.359 --> 00:28:27.599 the desired effect. Yep, it is, And I think you know games 389 00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:30.880 weren't they did. They didn't used to be this way. They used to 390 00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:33.160 be like, hey, they would come out and then a couple years later 391 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:37.680 that game would be obsolete to the point where it's like you couldn't continue to 392 00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:41.160 sell that and you could, like it's kind of even hard to like rent 393 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:44.720 them still, like back when rentals things were still happening, it's like, 394 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:47.839 no, that's old stuff. People don't want it anymore. And then like 395 00:28:47.960 --> 00:28:51.200 since about like twenty fifteen, maybe a little bit before, a little bit 396 00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:56.960 after, but around twenty fifteen is when like these perennial forever games started to 397 00:28:56.039 --> 00:28:59.480 hit in a really long way, and not just like forever games as in 398 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:04.160 online multiplayer live service games, stuff like Fallout four and Witcher and before that 399 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:08.119 Skyrim. Skyrim's like, oh yeah, exactly that before like people just continue 400 00:29:08.119 --> 00:29:14.960 playing these forever and and having like a new way out to surface these things 401 00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:18.880 and continue to sell them is beneficial, and clearly the TV show is that. 402 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:22.640 I think the other thing this really highlights for me is just how much 403 00:29:22.680 --> 00:29:25.920 of a miss that Halo Show was because it didn't do the same thing for 404 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:29.000 Halo. It didn't move the needle for Halo at all. Yeah, I 405 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:32.160 think when it did move the needle, it was mostly people just being like, 406 00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:33.480 I hate this. I want to go play something that feels more like 407 00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:41.279 Halo. Yeah. Well, I once again am looking at wiki data and 408 00:29:41.440 --> 00:29:45.799 it is it has been since the show came out. And again, the 409 00:29:45.839 --> 00:29:51.920 thing that's really interesting is the fact that you know, Amazon Prime typically releases 410 00:29:51.960 --> 00:29:53.119 their show on a week to week, their shows on a week to week 411 00:29:53.160 --> 00:29:56.759 basis the way that network shows do, but with Fallout, they released all 412 00:29:56.759 --> 00:30:00.160 of it at once, and typically in that case, going to see that 413 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:07.200 the wiki trends start going down if it was a TV show that didn't have 414 00:30:07.319 --> 00:30:11.920 any supplementary material. But of course this is based on the Fallout video games, 415 00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:18.160 so we've just seen it go up and up and up. Literally there 416 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:22.799 was there were like a couple of days in the middle of the week last 417 00:30:22.839 --> 00:30:26.839 week where it dipped a tiny bit from what it had been the top, 418 00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:30.920 which was the day after the show premiered, and now like it's it's gone 419 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:40.759 up by hundreds of the since it's wild yep. And I think that that 420 00:30:40.920 --> 00:30:44.400 is difficult to predict, but I think it's something well, I think it 421 00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:47.240 did play into some of the decision to release it all all at once. 422 00:30:48.359 --> 00:30:49.359 But I think it's also the kind of thing where it's like, once that 423 00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:53.400 snowball gets going, it does just kind of build and build on itself, 424 00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:57.599 and I think we're seeing that, and you know, even if it's not 425 00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:02.920 people watching the show, I think just the zeitgeist a round Fallout is encouraging 426 00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:04.119 people. I asked over the weekend, like, hey, why did the 427 00:31:04.119 --> 00:31:07.039 show make you want to play the games? And many of the answers were 428 00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:10.880 I didn't watch the show, but everyone's talking about it, and that got 429 00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:14.839 me left thinking, Hey, I like Fallout or I have thought and I 430 00:31:14.839 --> 00:31:18.920 should finally play it truly. Yeah, I mean, you know, my 431 00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:22.279 fiance I spent all weekend playing Fallout four. I'm like, I got to 432 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:26.759 load up New Vegas, which is my favorite. So yeah, because again, 433 00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:33.880 it's like, I think that the thing that the show did particularly well 434 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:38.640 any story gripes that people might have aside, is it did such a great 435 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:47.680 job of portraying that universe and that version of a nuclear apocalypse, and it's 436 00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:51.880 weird to be like, yeah, it made it's a really fun apocalypse, 437 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:53.960 but it is kind of fun. That's the point of Fallout is it's goofy, 438 00:31:56.160 --> 00:32:01.920 and yeah, it's a this this is not surprising to me at all. 439 00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:10.599 However, the insane spikes are really put stuff in perspective. Let me 440 00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:15.880 let me put it that way. Yes, yeah. The highlights for me 441 00:32:15.559 --> 00:32:19.599 for that show were when it got the goofiest, when it was like when 442 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:22.920 John Daly shows up as a snake oil salesman and his snake oil actually works, 443 00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:27.240 and I'm like, yeah, oh oh yeah it's Fallout. I forgot, 444 00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:30.920 like I forgot I'm watching the Fallout. That actually it really really got 445 00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:31.960 me where I'm like, Okay, I'm glad, I know, I'm glad 446 00:32:31.960 --> 00:32:36.319 they recognize what show we're watching and that they reminded me that that's what I'm 447 00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:40.640 watching. Spoilers for the Fallout TV series very very minor, very minor, 448 00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:47.559 so don't stress about this, but I guess cover your ears. Fred Armison 449 00:32:47.720 --> 00:32:52.880 showed up randomly, Yes, very good bit like radio teaching, and he's 450 00:32:52.880 --> 00:32:57.720 got he's got the perfect like Fred Armison character for that guy. Like people 451 00:32:57.720 --> 00:33:01.240 get fully mad at this music. Okay, oh man, that was a 452 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:07.200 great great yeah, and every everything with Matt Berry, like oh god, 453 00:33:07.359 --> 00:33:10.000 it's just yeah, o god. Yeah. The NPCs were great. Let 454 00:33:10.039 --> 00:33:13.640 me that way, yes exactly. Matt Barry was great. But yeah, 455 00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:16.279 just Fred Armison talking about the Mids. Those are the Mids there. You 456 00:33:16.279 --> 00:33:20.319 can hear him right there, Yeah, you hear him. Yeah, like 457 00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:23.440 part Landia's smile, It's yeah, Fallout Landia. I would watch a whole 458 00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:27.319 series of Fallout Landia. And then they went out of their way to make 459 00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:31.720 sure that we hated Thaddeus because anyway, I'm not going to say anymore, 460 00:33:31.720 --> 00:33:35.160 it's great. You should watch the show. Loved it. Yeah, it's 461 00:33:35.160 --> 00:33:38.519 a it's a really good time. Okay. So then they you know, 462 00:33:38.519 --> 00:33:42.440 they just weren't going to have a Fallout five. That was not going to 463 00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:45.400 happen. No, No, it wasn't. No, they definitely weren't. 464 00:33:46.519 --> 00:33:52.839 You know. I think that the thing that I will say is that it's 465 00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:59.240 good that they've gotten Fallout seventy six to the point that it's at now when 466 00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:04.720 suddenly you have a bunch of people who are interested in Fallout, either again 467 00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:07.719 or for the first time, and they find themselves in a situation wherein people 468 00:34:07.800 --> 00:34:15.000 who possibly had previously been avoiding Fallout seventy six have been hearing oh it's playable 469 00:34:15.039 --> 00:34:17.039 Now show comes out, they're in full Fallout mania and they go, you 470 00:34:17.079 --> 00:34:20.440 know what, I am going to get Fallout seventy six to try now. 471 00:34:20.480 --> 00:34:23.400 And by and large, my understanding from people who stuck with it is that 472 00:34:23.480 --> 00:34:29.519 it is actually, you know, fun to play now, certainly more fun 473 00:34:29.559 --> 00:34:31.079 than it was at launch. Yes, and I think it's the kind of 474 00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:36.440 thing where Okay, so we see sixty thousand concurrent players for Fallout seventy six. 475 00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:38.239 It was seven, normally has around twelve thousand, but one hundred and 476 00:34:38.239 --> 00:34:43.800 sixty thousand for Fallout four. People are going to play Fallout four and I 477 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:45.920 listen, I like that game a lot. I think most people don't like 478 00:34:45.960 --> 00:34:47.760 it as much as me, and I'm like, I'm fine with that. 479 00:34:47.800 --> 00:34:52.239 I really really really do not care. But I think what's going to happen 480 00:34:52.280 --> 00:34:54.920 is like people be like, that didn't quite scratch the scratch the edge for 481 00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:59.960 me. Maybe now I will go go check out Fallout seventy six because I'm 482 00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:01.599 like, in there, I think a lot of people are like, I 483 00:35:01.639 --> 00:35:05.400 want to play a Fallout game, let me just go play the last real 484 00:35:05.480 --> 00:35:07.159 Fallout game. I think that's what people are doing right now. I think 485 00:35:07.239 --> 00:35:10.079 that is what people are doing right now. I think once they get sort 486 00:35:10.079 --> 00:35:14.039 of through that process and they look around, like, oh, this Fallout 487 00:35:14.079 --> 00:35:15.440 seventy six, that's right, this is new where they've done a ton of 488 00:35:15.480 --> 00:35:19.320 updates. Everyone I talk to that place that seems to like it. I 489 00:35:19.320 --> 00:35:22.840 think they will funnel into it into it a little bit more after they sort 490 00:35:22.880 --> 00:35:27.280 of splash out of Fallout four, and I think the game is like well 491 00:35:27.280 --> 00:35:29.800 positioned to take advantage of that. We say they didn't have a Fallout five, 492 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:35.119 but they on percent have a ongoing Fallout game to take advantage of. 493 00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:40.960 Yeah, totally, yeah, absolutely, And you know, I like the 494 00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:50.079 idea of playing Fallout seventy six with friends again. Apparently you're kind of locked 495 00:35:50.119 --> 00:35:53.000 into playing by yourself for a while, but I'm not against it, Like, 496 00:35:53.199 --> 00:35:55.639 yep, yeah, it could be fun. Yeah, I think. 497 00:35:57.360 --> 00:36:00.000 God, I just I just finished Tales of Kenzera Za and I want to 498 00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:02.239 play some more Hades too on my steam deck. But I'm like, you 499 00:36:02.280 --> 00:36:05.960 know what, I Fallout seventy six on my steam deck seems like I'm probably 500 00:36:05.960 --> 00:36:07.639 be a pretty good time. And yeah, I heard it's like again you 501 00:36:07.639 --> 00:36:10.960 could like mostly pay play by yourself and I'm like, I'll do that and 502 00:36:12.039 --> 00:36:14.079 then like later on, if I have a character I want to do some 503 00:36:14.159 --> 00:36:16.320 multiplayer stuff with, I'll have it ready to go, so we'll see. 504 00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:20.480 I am in the fall out mood as well as everyone else. I'm I 505 00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:22.960 would I am in a fallout mood. But you also mentioned Hades, which 506 00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:27.599 is where my head is at right now. Yes, absolutely, did you 507 00:36:27.599 --> 00:36:29.679 get a chance to play any of it? Because it was God, It's 508 00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:32.400 it's real, real good that Hades. I haven't played the technical test. 509 00:36:32.639 --> 00:36:37.840 Yeah, I haven't gotten a code for It's very good. I'm going to 510 00:36:38.039 --> 00:36:43.960 just reach out to Yeah direct Honestly, I think Jan just signed up for 511 00:36:43.960 --> 00:36:47.559 the technical test on Steam and then just he just got approved natural so that 512 00:36:47.719 --> 00:36:52.159 it'll be fair. I haven't looked directly on Steam and maybe I did get 513 00:36:52.159 --> 00:36:54.320 approved and I did, then I will not be doing any work today, 514 00:36:55.079 --> 00:37:00.880 sorry to my employers. All right, there's rumor that Sony is considering launching 515 00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:05.320 Hell Divers two for Xbox. This is from Jonas Mackie, a game reactor. 516 00:37:05.920 --> 00:37:08.440 Sony released Hell Divers two for PC and PlayStation five earlier this year, 517 00:37:08.480 --> 00:37:13.440 and it immediately became immensely popular. Since then, it has remained one of 518 00:37:13.480 --> 00:37:16.360 the most popular titles on Steam and shows no signs of slowing down, and 519 00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:21.440 perhaps those great numbers could grow even further in the future. According to Xbox 520 00:37:21.480 --> 00:37:25.000 Era insider Nick nick Baker shouts to Nick, Sony is currently in talks with 521 00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:30.119 Microsoft to potentially release Hell Divers two on Xbox, but he notes that negotiations 522 00:37:30.199 --> 00:37:37.079 or conversations around it are in a very early stage, very preliminary. Microsoft's 523 00:37:37.079 --> 00:37:39.400 gaming bus Phil Spenser has previously said that he thinks Sony should release Hell Divers 524 00:37:39.400 --> 00:37:43.920 two on the Xbox, and it would almost certainly mean millions of extra players 525 00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:49.800 and more revenue for Sony. Emma, I'm in a space where I look 526 00:37:49.800 --> 00:37:52.960 at games that like sometimes skip Xbox, and that's not what Hell Divers two 527 00:37:53.000 --> 00:37:57.159 is. Held Divers two is a PlayStation published game. But I look at 528 00:37:57.199 --> 00:38:00.760 games that skip Xbox and I go, I kind of get it. I 529 00:38:00.840 --> 00:38:02.119 kind of get it, Like that's a little bit, it's quite a bit 530 00:38:02.159 --> 00:38:06.360 of extra work, and that's that juice might not be worth the squeeze. 531 00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:08.920 Sometimes it is, but not not always, and these companies are being a 532 00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:12.920 little bit conservative. I get it. Held Divers two is a game that 533 00:38:12.960 --> 00:38:16.400 would do very well on Xbox just straight up would crush on Xbox. This 534 00:38:16.559 --> 00:38:22.599 is it's and so is it money on the table or is it the cost 535 00:38:22.679 --> 00:38:25.519 of doing business? That's the comp that's the like the choice that companies now 536 00:38:25.519 --> 00:38:30.639 face, and those companies being Microsoft and Sony, and Sony's like, well, 537 00:38:30.679 --> 00:38:34.280 no, Microsoft is like looking at those two options, and there's they 538 00:38:34.320 --> 00:38:37.559 seem to be leaning towards that's money left on the table, and they're starting 539 00:38:37.559 --> 00:38:40.119 to put more stuff on PlayStation Sony. I think it's like for a long 540 00:38:40.119 --> 00:38:44.559 time been like that's the cost of doing business, of growing the PlayStation brand 541 00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:47.599 and growing the PlayStation five install base, is we leave money on the table 542 00:38:47.599 --> 00:38:52.119 by not putting games on Xbox. Of course, I do think that that 543 00:38:52.159 --> 00:38:58.119 position probably is softening, and Helldivers two just feels like the right game to 544 00:38:58.320 --> 00:39:04.039 sort of burst through that. Oh absolutely. I mean that's the thing is, 545 00:39:04.280 --> 00:39:12.639 you know, for me growing up a child in the nineties, you 546 00:39:12.679 --> 00:39:20.840 know, my first experiences playing shooters was on like well, you know, 547 00:39:20.960 --> 00:39:22.679 Nintendo sixty four Refold and I obviously, but then other than that, it 548 00:39:22.719 --> 00:39:28.400 was you know, playing Halo on Xbox, and so yeah, it totally 549 00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:32.360 appeels to me like Hell Divers two would crush on Xbox. Yes, I 550 00:39:32.519 --> 00:39:37.239 mean, I think there's plenty of people that that is their only barrier of 551 00:39:37.440 --> 00:39:40.119 entry for Hell Divers two is that they have an Xbox and they don't have 552 00:39:40.159 --> 00:39:45.480 a PC and they just haven't been able to play it yet. Yep, 553 00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:49.760 And I think if it was. I mean, it's a game with cross 554 00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:52.119 play already. When you're in the game, the game makes it very clear 555 00:39:52.159 --> 00:39:57.519 that everyone's working towards the same goal. And so like early on players were 556 00:39:57.639 --> 00:40:00.639 like, man, we wish we had the Xbox players in here helping us. 557 00:40:00.679 --> 00:40:02.239 That would be nice because we'd be able to make a stronger push. 558 00:40:02.440 --> 00:40:07.239 And so it's already got this communal. This is a Hell Divers too. 559 00:40:07.320 --> 00:40:08.800 This is a Hell Divers two thing. This isn't like, oh, this 560 00:40:08.840 --> 00:40:12.599 is a PlayStation game. It doesn't feel like that when you're in a show 561 00:40:12.719 --> 00:40:16.440 like this is its own world and it separated from all those other desires to 562 00:40:16.519 --> 00:40:22.199 keep like to have another game on a list of exclusives. All that said, 563 00:40:22.559 --> 00:40:25.599 what do you think the chances are of this really happening? I think 564 00:40:25.639 --> 00:40:30.440 conversations probably are happening, But conversations. As I think when we see on 565 00:40:30.440 --> 00:40:31.480 the show all the time, people talk about everything all the time, and 566 00:40:31.519 --> 00:40:36.760 everything's always on the table, every acquisition has been talked out or whatever. 567 00:40:37.320 --> 00:40:40.039 Dead Space two actually does get brought up in conversation. They do consider it 568 00:40:40.239 --> 00:40:45.360 that sort of thing. But what are the chances of this really happening. 569 00:40:45.920 --> 00:40:59.079 I I think that they're going to be proprietary and not do it. But 570 00:40:59.199 --> 00:41:04.239 I think that that is a mistake because you've already won, you know, 571 00:41:04.960 --> 00:41:10.280 and you're going to make more money by making a deal with Xbox to release 572 00:41:10.639 --> 00:41:15.360 your gut Like but I I get this is not the first time we've seen 573 00:41:15.440 --> 00:41:22.880 something wherein oh it was on on Steam and on PlayStation for some reason, 574 00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:28.840 I think of Fall Guys, where like when that launched, it was on 575 00:41:28.880 --> 00:41:32.119 Steam and it was on PlayStation if you wanted to play on console, right, 576 00:41:32.199 --> 00:41:37.440 So, but again, this game already supports cross play. It just 577 00:41:37.480 --> 00:41:39.280 to me, adding Xbox is a no brainer. But you know, I 578 00:41:39.320 --> 00:41:47.239 think that there's the perception of yeah, yeah, it does feel like this 579 00:41:47.280 --> 00:41:50.519 is the one that they'd be able to get away with it the most, 580 00:41:50.559 --> 00:41:53.280 and yet it would probably still cause some headaches for them. Among their die 581 00:41:53.320 --> 00:41:58.760 hard community. But they're diehard community is not necessarily shown up for these kinds 582 00:41:58.760 --> 00:42:00.360 of games. They're the ones that are like very interested in like the single 583 00:42:00.360 --> 00:42:07.599 player, narrative driven games that have like high high Cineta right exactly. So 584 00:42:07.960 --> 00:42:09.440 it feels like, yeah, let him have twel divers too. At a 585 00:42:09.480 --> 00:42:15.320 certain point. Yeah, I'm gonna say on like the grand scale of time, 586 00:42:15.760 --> 00:42:20.519 so like, you know, five years and within five years this does 587 00:42:20.559 --> 00:42:23.679 happen, I think, but we'll see. That's not a guarantee. Definitely 588 00:42:23.679 --> 00:42:29.519 far from a guarantee, all right. Moving on, Ubisoft is reported to 589 00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:34.559 have completely scrapped plans for more Watchdog games watch Dogs games. This is from 590 00:42:34.559 --> 00:42:38.159 Marcus Pearson at Game Reactor. There seems to be no more hacker adventures from 591 00:42:38.239 --> 00:42:42.599 Ubisoft, and the company is said to have completely given up on the brand. 592 00:42:42.920 --> 00:42:45.119 This is according to a leaker with a track record of sharing information about 593 00:42:45.119 --> 00:42:52.000 past Assassin's Creeds games who describes Watchdogs as dead and buried. The person mentions 594 00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:55.079 the failed Watchdog's legion as they coup de gras for the game series, and 595 00:42:55.199 --> 00:43:00.480 that Ubisoft has subsequently canceled several ongoing projects linked to the series. Including one 596 00:43:00.519 --> 00:43:06.679 with a Battle Royale theme. Ubisoft seems to have left the hacker lifestyle behind 597 00:43:06.719 --> 00:43:10.400 of its in favor of its millions selling Assassin's Creed and Far Cry games, 598 00:43:10.639 --> 00:43:15.360 with the recent release of Mirage and a seventh chapter in the later latter series, 599 00:43:15.400 --> 00:43:22.119 Imminites. Yeah, okay, so this one also is like, not 600 00:43:22.159 --> 00:43:25.719 like completely shocking, but it is. I think it's indicative of like where 601 00:43:27.000 --> 00:43:30.920 the trouble that these companies face where Okay, yes, you do have Assassin's 602 00:43:30.920 --> 00:43:34.280 Creed and you do have far Cry, and these things are successful, and 603 00:43:34.360 --> 00:43:38.599 so the answer I suppose is double down on the successful franchises to at the 604 00:43:38.639 --> 00:43:43.920 expense of the thing that hasn't quite broken out yet. And yet it's like, 605 00:43:44.000 --> 00:43:46.480 man if it always feels like Watchdogs is just like one or two things 606 00:43:46.480 --> 00:43:52.679 away from really fighting itself and breaking into that next echelon. And at the 607 00:43:52.679 --> 00:43:55.679 same time, maybe it's like they thought Legion was that, and because it 608 00:43:55.719 --> 00:43:59.440 didn't, they're like, Okay, well that was the big chance for it, 609 00:43:59.480 --> 00:44:01.039 and because it and now it's time to scrap everything. I get it 610 00:44:01.079 --> 00:44:05.440 to a certain extent, But what do you think this says about Ubisoft? 611 00:44:06.039 --> 00:44:15.760 Oh boy, Ubisoft I, Yeah, this is not so surprising to me 612 00:44:15.880 --> 00:44:22.679 because I do feel like everything that Ubisoft puts out outside of their you know, 613 00:44:22.760 --> 00:44:30.400 Big Assassin's Creed Farcry kind of series, it struggles. And look, 614 00:44:31.159 --> 00:44:37.079 there's been plenty of other game series over time that have had this exact kind 615 00:44:37.119 --> 00:44:42.400 of situation of Okay, well, this is the last one of these games 616 00:44:42.400 --> 00:44:45.800 that we're going to put out, and if this one doesn't do well, 617 00:44:46.119 --> 00:44:53.800 then this series is done. And it's like, I I feel like, 618 00:44:54.800 --> 00:45:00.119 I don't know, has Watchdogs had enough chances to abandon it. I can't 619 00:45:00.159 --> 00:45:07.199 really say yeah. So I remember that first Watchdog's getting announced to be very 620 00:45:07.199 --> 00:45:10.719 exciting one of the early next gen games shown off at the time. It 621 00:45:10.800 --> 00:45:15.039 looked very promising. The game comes out didn't quite live up to expectations, 622 00:45:15.079 --> 00:45:17.880 but had a lot of cool stuff there. Uh. And then I think 623 00:45:17.880 --> 00:45:22.880 for me a big problem is like the sequels like always felt like pretty separate 624 00:45:22.920 --> 00:45:25.079 from like all everything they built with the first Like so they go to a 625 00:45:25.079 --> 00:45:30.400 different town and then have different characters, and it's like, Okay, I 626 00:45:30.440 --> 00:45:34.079 get what you're doing. You're kind of doing the GTA thing, but in 627 00:45:34.199 --> 00:45:37.599 GTA, you know, the cities have so much character, Like, yeah, 628 00:45:37.679 --> 00:45:40.679 that like conveys so much of what the game is about. And I 629 00:45:40.719 --> 00:45:44.719 got I am trying to remember. I'm going to assume the second game was 630 00:45:44.800 --> 00:45:49.679 San Francisco because they did a bunch of stuff about Facebook and Google. So 631 00:45:50.039 --> 00:45:52.000 now I'm like remembering, it's like, yeah, that was San Francisco, 632 00:45:52.039 --> 00:45:55.360 and people like it was like kind of a pretty realistic San Francisco. But 633 00:45:55.440 --> 00:46:00.519 that's like as much as anyone ever said about that world. And then was 634 00:46:00.559 --> 00:46:02.480 like London, but it was like this goofball thing and they were doing more 635 00:46:02.519 --> 00:46:07.360 with like the characters you could pick up and trying to have more systematic elements, 636 00:46:07.599 --> 00:46:12.199 and it just seems like that stuff didn't pan out quite either. Yeah, 637 00:46:12.519 --> 00:46:15.320 I don't know. I think that Watchdogs is the kind of thing where 638 00:46:15.360 --> 00:46:21.679 three tries probably was enough to know whether or not that idea had the ability 639 00:46:21.719 --> 00:46:25.320 to break out or not. And yet I don't think it's a great idea 640 00:46:25.360 --> 00:46:31.840 for them to be kind of, you know, returning and sort of falling 641 00:46:31.920 --> 00:46:37.920 back in terms of their position to just fall out or far cry and an 642 00:46:37.920 --> 00:46:42.239 Assassin's Creed though, like, yeah, the Assassin's Creed has been proven to 643 00:46:42.239 --> 00:46:45.599 be like when it works, it works, but when you miss it like 644 00:46:45.760 --> 00:46:49.400 goes off the rails hard for several years and people are like, no, 645 00:46:49.480 --> 00:46:52.519 I'm done with that. And Mirage is the Mirage I think did well because 646 00:46:52.559 --> 00:46:55.840 they're like they're promising like smaller scale and like kind of like bringing things that 647 00:46:57.039 --> 00:46:59.639 like back to the original and it's like, Okay, yeah, you did 648 00:46:59.639 --> 00:47:00.599 that. I don't think you're doing that with the next one, and probably 649 00:47:00.599 --> 00:47:04.199 for the next several after that seems like they're getting bigger and bigger again. 650 00:47:04.559 --> 00:47:07.320 You could burn people out real quick. Absolutely, I mean, and it 651 00:47:07.400 --> 00:47:14.519 is interesting, you know, with Mirage, because I do feel like Valhalla 652 00:47:14.559 --> 00:47:17.960 was I know a lot I liked Valhalla, and I know a lot of 653 00:47:17.960 --> 00:47:22.760 people that really liked Valhalla, so I think that there was like pretty positive 654 00:47:22.840 --> 00:47:27.960 feelings around Assassin's Creed in general, except to be like, well, this 655 00:47:28.440 --> 00:47:32.199 felt like we were missing the kind of you could. I mean, obviously 656 00:47:32.239 --> 00:47:36.360 you can still go to the stealth route. I attempt to play every single 657 00:47:36.360 --> 00:47:39.719 game like a shirt of your solid so you know, uh, not enough 658 00:47:39.719 --> 00:47:46.400 boxes for my taste. But but yeah, I mean like there's yeah, 659 00:47:46.519 --> 00:47:53.800 but Valhalla was massive, yes, and and Mirage was kind of bringing it 660 00:47:54.400 --> 00:48:00.760 back to a smaller scale and the sort of more traditional as in gameplay of 661 00:48:00.800 --> 00:48:07.119 Assassin's Creed. So I think that feelings around that game, right around that 662 00:48:07.320 --> 00:48:15.559 series right now are overall hopeful. So to me, I feel that that's 663 00:48:15.719 --> 00:48:22.719 why it kind of makes sense that they're really putting their resources into that, 664 00:48:22.719 --> 00:48:27.639 because they're like, Okay, we're in a in a situation wherein we have 665 00:48:27.800 --> 00:48:31.320 a real right to win. Yep. Yeah, and it's and I don't 666 00:48:31.320 --> 00:48:37.159 think it's like much better over it like Far Cry, where yeah, Far 667 00:48:37.239 --> 00:48:40.599 Christ's got a formula, a very strong formula in terms of they are going 668 00:48:40.679 --> 00:48:45.159 to do what that game does over and over again, to the point where 669 00:48:45.199 --> 00:48:47.039 it's like, you know, they were trying a lot of interesting stuff in 670 00:48:47.079 --> 00:48:52.079 Far Cry too. You know you could like shoot off branches off a tree 671 00:48:52.079 --> 00:48:55.719 and then we would realistically break and fire would spread in a realistic way. 672 00:48:57.000 --> 00:48:59.880 And then they do Far Cry three and it's like, we don't think players 673 00:48:59.880 --> 00:49:02.119 can about that stuff, and I think, unfortunately they're right, But then 674 00:49:02.159 --> 00:49:05.400 I think what that put that puts them in a position where it's like, 675 00:49:05.440 --> 00:49:07.880 well, then we're just going to and it's maybe this is like reflective of 676 00:49:07.880 --> 00:49:12.199 their overall strategy. We're just going to repeat back the things the players tell 677 00:49:12.239 --> 00:49:15.199 us they like by like using the metrics that we see what that's what they 678 00:49:15.239 --> 00:49:17.400 engage with, and we're just going to keep making that over and over again. 679 00:49:17.760 --> 00:49:22.119 And then things start to feel pretty stale. And I really don't know 680 00:49:22.119 --> 00:49:24.960 how many people are that excited about Far Christ six, and then it came 681 00:49:25.000 --> 00:49:29.880 along and was kind of disappointed on its own, and it's I guess Far 682 00:49:30.000 --> 00:49:39.960 Christ seven going to solve that. Ubisoft is very much a quantity based so 683 00:49:40.079 --> 00:49:47.480 perhaps by scaling back on some of their ancillary projects, they can focus on 684 00:49:49.480 --> 00:49:57.119 making their flagship titles good. Yep, speaking of Ubis, let's jump down 685 00:49:57.159 --> 00:50:00.480 to this last story real quick. No, Killian Murphy, he is not 686 00:50:00.599 --> 00:50:04.920 starring in Far Christ seven. There was a brief period of eyebrow raising when 687 00:50:04.960 --> 00:50:07.079 a leaker recently seemed to suggest that Killian Murphy was going to be the next 688 00:50:07.079 --> 00:50:10.880 star of Far Christ seven. No doubt, it's high profile leading villain like 689 00:50:10.960 --> 00:50:15.199 we like as the high profile leading villain like we saw with Gean Carlo es 690 00:50:15.239 --> 00:50:17.320 Mosito in Far Christ six. Turns out, no, that's not happening. 691 00:50:17.880 --> 00:50:21.440 Which I mean, even if far Krei does nap stars year in there, 692 00:50:21.480 --> 00:50:24.480 Killian Murphy, last year's Best Best Actor Oscar winner, Killian Murphy. Come 693 00:50:24.519 --> 00:50:29.800 on, Murphy was shown, Yeah, go ahead, it's Killian Murphy's oscar 694 00:50:29.840 --> 00:50:35.039 statue. Actually is going to be the villain. Absolutely, yeah, It's 695 00:50:35.039 --> 00:50:38.360 going to be an oscar statue with his name printed on the placard at the 696 00:50:38.400 --> 00:50:42.639 bottom of it. Yes, exactly, I mean, and I would be 697 00:50:42.719 --> 00:50:45.119 terrified. It's like, what's the definition of insanity. It's a it's a 698 00:50:45.239 --> 00:50:49.880 it's an oscar. Which okay, so Murphy. It was shown by the 699 00:50:49.960 --> 00:50:53.679 leaker Jonathan with a zero instead of an O, as part of a series 700 00:50:53.679 --> 00:50:58.079 of images seeming to suggest elements of far Christ seven, but they have been 701 00:50:58.079 --> 00:51:00.239 a bit too cryptic for their own good, leading to this bit of alleged 702 00:51:00.320 --> 00:51:04.960 news, though perhaps other sites may not have been wise to fully jump to 703 00:51:05.000 --> 00:51:08.119 this casting conclusion in this context. The French leaker later said, mind you, 704 00:51:08.280 --> 00:51:12.400 I never said Killian Murphy was going to be in the game. The 705 00:51:12.519 --> 00:51:17.599 image means something else, which to me that means it's like, what do 706 00:51:17.639 --> 00:51:21.039 you think of when you think of killing Murphy? Right now? You think 707 00:51:21.079 --> 00:51:25.119 of Oppenheimer and you think of nuclear weapons. So now the far didn't Far 708 00:51:25.199 --> 00:51:28.760 Cry five have a new go off at the end of its game. So, 709 00:51:29.480 --> 00:51:32.880 I mean, I don't know who knows, but web I just hopped 710 00:51:32.880 --> 00:51:37.159 in the chat very quickly to let you all know that the same day that 711 00:51:37.239 --> 00:51:40.679 this leaked, Killian one an ifter, which is the Irish version of the 712 00:51:40.719 --> 00:51:45.679 Bafters. It's the highest honor that an Irish actor can get. And whenever 713 00:51:45.719 --> 00:51:50.519 you googled his name or you search for him on Twitter, the first thing 714 00:51:50.519 --> 00:51:53.320 that came up wasn't him winning Anifter, it was him being in a Far 715 00:51:53.480 --> 00:51:58.199 Cry again. He should just do it, or fucker, he should just 716 00:51:58.239 --> 00:52:02.519 do it now it absolutely and ask for all the money in the world exactly. 717 00:52:04.280 --> 00:52:07.280 Yeah, they probably give it to him. Yeah, either way, 718 00:52:07.360 --> 00:52:12.400 Far Crist seven it's happening. Maybe maybe this means it takes place in Ireland. 719 00:52:12.480 --> 00:52:15.000 I would like that. That would be fine. Yeah, Yeah, 720 00:52:15.239 --> 00:52:22.719 we need more, uh games that are not set in the US. There's 721 00:52:22.760 --> 00:52:25.280 a lot of games set in the US. Uh, you know, we 722 00:52:25.400 --> 00:52:29.599 make our way down to Mexico. I feel a fair amount, but uh, 723 00:52:29.800 --> 00:52:31.519 you know, I think Europe needs some love. YEP, I think 724 00:52:31.559 --> 00:52:37.000 Ireland especially. That would be very cool. All right, you know we're 725 00:52:37.000 --> 00:52:40.159 gonna skip the little big plan three services shutting down. That's said they're shutting 726 00:52:40.159 --> 00:52:43.440 down. They did that without any notes. It's that we're gonna go to 727 00:52:43.559 --> 00:52:47.880 Sony and Apollo discussed joint bid for Paramount, says source. This is from 728 00:52:49.000 --> 00:52:55.639 Dawn Chimowski or Chimaluski at Reuter's uh Sony if Sony is and Apollo are making 729 00:52:55.679 --> 00:53:00.039 a joint bid for Paramount Global. According to a person familiar with the matter, 730 00:53:00.320 --> 00:53:04.079 the companies you have yet to approach. Paramount, which is an exclusive 731 00:53:04.119 --> 00:53:07.760 deal talks with Skydance Media, an independent studio led by David Ellison, though 732 00:53:07.800 --> 00:53:12.920 some investors have urged Paramount to explore other options. The competing bid, which 733 00:53:12.960 --> 00:53:16.239 is still being structured, would offer cash for all outstanding Paramount shares and take 734 00:53:16.239 --> 00:53:20.679 the company private. The source set Sony would hold a majority stake in the 735 00:53:20.760 --> 00:53:24.000 joint venture and operate the media company and its library of films such as classics 736 00:53:24.039 --> 00:53:30.000 as Star Trek, Mission Impossible and Indiana Jones, and television characters like SpongeBob 737 00:53:30.079 --> 00:53:36.199 SquarePants. According to the source, Okay, so this is obviously not PlayStation 738 00:53:36.320 --> 00:53:40.199 news doesn't mean it couldn't affect PlayStation. It almost certainly would in some ways. 739 00:53:42.760 --> 00:53:45.719 But what do you think this means for Like Sony's strategy overall is because 740 00:53:45.760 --> 00:53:50.639 like Sony had Crackle for a while, they now these days they just licensed 741 00:53:50.679 --> 00:53:53.440 their shows and movies to like Netflix primarily, but to a bunch of different 742 00:53:53.440 --> 00:53:57.440 services. They don't have their own platform. Is this a play to like 743 00:53:57.480 --> 00:54:00.119 build back up toward a platform of their own or just like having more stuff? 744 00:54:01.199 --> 00:54:07.239 So it's super interesting because Paramount, you know, merged with Showtime, 745 00:54:07.559 --> 00:54:12.119 which was huge for me because I was like, well, I have Paramount 746 00:54:12.119 --> 00:54:15.679 Plus and I have Showtime literally just to watch Yellow Jackets. So this works 747 00:54:15.679 --> 00:54:28.880 out. But I am I don't love monopolies, and everybody is definitely trying 748 00:54:29.239 --> 00:54:35.960 to. I mean, but how do you not try and acquire companies when 749 00:54:36.800 --> 00:54:43.039 the Walt Disney Corporation is basically running the planet And I don't know. I'm 750 00:54:43.079 --> 00:54:46.639 also like, as far as video games go, I'm just envisioning all future 751 00:54:47.519 --> 00:54:52.320 you know, Sonic the Hedgehog titles being on Sony since Paramount has the you 752 00:54:52.360 --> 00:55:05.519 know, film and television rights. But I just I wouldn't be so surprised 753 00:55:05.599 --> 00:55:13.280 if this went through, because I feel as though Paramount is kind of tread 754 00:55:13.320 --> 00:55:23.480 and water, and Sony is in the very advantageous position of not simply being 755 00:55:24.360 --> 00:55:31.159 a media company. They also make hardware electronics. That was really what Sony 756 00:55:31.400 --> 00:55:37.400 was originally known for. It's it's the same way that Amazon is in an 757 00:55:37.440 --> 00:55:44.519 advantageous position because of I mean, Amazon gestures to the world Amazon and and 758 00:55:44.679 --> 00:55:51.280 Disney theme parks, NBC Universal Theme Parks. So I wouldn't be surprised if 759 00:55:51.320 --> 00:55:54.559 something like this goes through. Yep, it's kind of a training in that 760 00:55:54.599 --> 00:56:00.000 direction. Yeah, real quick, before we get the pull, that trailer 761 00:56:00.199 --> 00:56:05.039 for the Tales of the s Shire Tales of the you know, not Tales 762 00:56:05.079 --> 00:56:09.400 of Jason Schreyer Tales of the Shire is here. This is the survival game. 763 00:56:09.480 --> 00:56:13.320 I think, yeah, that's what it looks like for Friendship. It's 764 00:56:13.320 --> 00:56:17.000 animal crossing. But but Hobbits, it was just two weeks ago, it 765 00:56:17.079 --> 00:56:22.239 says forty six minutes ago. So all right, fair enough. It looks 766 00:56:22.239 --> 00:56:24.840 pretty decent. It looks like kind of fun and cute. I think, 767 00:56:25.519 --> 00:56:30.079 yeah, I'm interested. We'll see, all right, I got a pull 768 00:56:30.199 --> 00:56:32.920 question to get to. I'm gonna get that set up. While I'm doing 769 00:56:32.960 --> 00:56:36.159 that, Emma, why don't you tell people where they can find you on 770 00:56:36.199 --> 00:56:38.519 the Internet and all that good stuff. Yes, you can find me on 771 00:56:38.519 --> 00:56:43.719 the internet at Emma Fife. That is my name, That is my handle 772 00:56:43.920 --> 00:56:47.599 on basically everything, all the social media that I don't actually participate in but 773 00:56:47.679 --> 00:56:52.280 still exist on. And the m Fife on TikTok again. Really just a 774 00:56:52.360 --> 00:56:58.719 lurker there on em Fife in the Giant Bomb discord. So if you really 775 00:56:58.760 --> 00:57:01.360 want to talk to me about something or yell at me about something, find 776 00:57:01.360 --> 00:57:08.400 me there. Uh and I there should be If you're going around the gaming 777 00:57:08.400 --> 00:57:15.679 wikis later this week, you might see my face talking talking about some wiki 778 00:57:15.719 --> 00:57:22.000 stats. Woo ooh, I'm excited. All right. Whole question, I 779 00:57:22.119 --> 00:57:28.559 have this one from Friday. Did you play Kingdom Come Deliverance? Twenty four 780 00:57:28.599 --> 00:57:32.719 percent said yes, seventy six percent said no. Now they're making another one 781 00:57:32.719 --> 00:57:37.159 though, actually that was part of the whole deal with Embracers splitting out those 782 00:57:37.199 --> 00:57:39.760 groups. Kingdom Come Deliverance is from more Horse Studios, and they're making a 783 00:57:39.800 --> 00:57:45.199 sequel. I think it's the second one has a chance to do a little 784 00:57:45.199 --> 00:57:46.320 bit better. Than that, but I'm not I guess I'm not shocked that 785 00:57:46.440 --> 00:57:50.719 only twenty four percent of responded. So the three thousand people that voted said 786 00:57:50.760 --> 00:57:52.199 that they actually played this game. Is this one game that you've played? 787 00:57:52.199 --> 00:57:55.480 Have you even heard of Kingdom Come Delivery? Oh I am? I am 788 00:57:55.519 --> 00:58:00.400 seventy six percent? Yes, yeah, you know it's a historic open world 789 00:58:00.480 --> 00:58:04.719 RPG. It's it's got some cool stuff in there. But the game definitely 790 00:58:04.719 --> 00:58:08.880 had some sort of bad juju when it came out in terms of people at 791 00:58:08.880 --> 00:58:13.400 the studio. Embracing Gamer gave a little bit which kind of sullied things back 792 00:58:13.440 --> 00:58:17.079 in the twenty fourteen or twenty fifteen whenever it came out. Yeah, yeah, 793 00:58:17.119 --> 00:58:20.599 it's pentiment, but Skyrim is a good way of putting in it. 794 00:58:20.679 --> 00:58:24.159 Octom Okay, definitely, I'm still interested in the second game. We'll see 795 00:58:24.199 --> 00:58:28.239 like and we'll see how it goes all right, Newpole question, do you 796 00:58:28.400 --> 00:58:32.440 want another Watchdog's game? Yes or no? We will get the results for 797 00:58:32.639 --> 00:58:37.239 that and discuss it on Game mess Mornings on Giant Bomb on Wednesday. Speaking 798 00:58:37.280 --> 00:58:42.079 to Giant Bomb on Tuesday, we will have the Bomb cast. We should 799 00:58:42.239 --> 00:58:44.800 be doing some fun stuff earlier this week, we'll hopefully be able to get 800 00:58:44.840 --> 00:58:47.960 up on the site relatively quickly. I'll probably find more time for more Fallout 801 00:58:49.000 --> 00:58:52.000 New Vegas. That was a ton of fun. I am like, I 802 00:58:52.039 --> 00:58:53.719 want to be playing that game all the time, so try to find more 803 00:58:53.760 --> 00:58:58.920 time for that. It's really really good, and then you could expect the 804 00:58:58.960 --> 00:59:01.760 regulars Blake Clubs to be back. God, Dan could beat that game relatively 805 00:59:01.800 --> 00:59:06.760 soon. Honestly, he might beat it next time he's he's still playing Superman 806 00:59:06.840 --> 00:59:09.079 sixty four. He's almost through it. He is on the last level, 807 00:59:09.079 --> 00:59:14.519 which he has to play on hard to actually beat the game. We'll see. 808 00:59:14.519 --> 00:59:16.239 But then once he's done, it's it's my turn. And apparently they've 809 00:59:16.280 --> 00:59:22.679 already picked out my game, and I'm frank, I'm gonna say it's I'm 810 00:59:22.679 --> 00:59:25.280 gonna say it's Arm Marines Project Swarm for the Nintendo sixty four. That's my 811 00:59:25.320 --> 00:59:30.639 guess for the game that they're making me play, all right, anything else, 812 00:59:30.719 --> 00:59:32.760 no, not that I could think of em. Thank you so much 813 00:59:32.760 --> 00:59:36.400 for hanging out with me today and talking about video games. I really appreciate 814 00:59:36.440 --> 00:59:39.880 it for having me absolutely and thank you all for watching your the best audience 815 00:59:39.880 --> 00:59:44.159 in gaming until next time, have a good one, take care of yourself 816 00:59:44.480 --> 00:59:49.119 and mio mio. Bye.