WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.240 --> 00:00:15.160 Don't be bad. It's the Internet. You're busy. Let's do this for 2 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:19.000 February eighth, twenty twenty four. For the next hour or so, let 3 00:00:19.079 --> 00:00:21.960 me help you sort through the world of gaming on Games Mornings Live with me 4 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:26.719 Jeff Grub. Today, Disney is investing one point five billion dollars in Epic 5 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.519 to make a next gen Club Penguin, just without the Penguins. But first, 6 00:00:30.519 --> 00:00:34.560 please join me in welcoming today's co host of Games Mornings. It's Jana 7 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:39.479 Choa. Everybody, Jan how are you doing? I am feeling great, 8 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:44.600 Jeff Grub, I'm feeling good. I had one of those moments where you 9 00:00:44.679 --> 00:00:50.159 are maybe under the influence of substances. I'm gonna say happiness, and then 10 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:54.159 you just see the grand calculus of the universe. Sure, and then where 11 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:58.200 you fit inside the universe Grub. And then it just like just like the 12 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:02.960 switch sound effect, you're clicking the place. Was this happening in Da Vinci 13 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:04.840 Resolve or was it like, were you working out or what? No, 14 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:10.319 this was just happening in my mind palace as I was as I was fighting 15 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:15.560 my demons and then embracing my demons as well. Uh, the phone comes 16 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:21.120 out of their bodies, Jan Greb, I think you know what I'm gonna 17 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:23.040 do. I'm gonna I'm gonna write a self help book. We become like 18 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:27.959 a life coach for gamers specifically. Okay, yeah, gamer coach, but 19 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:32.200 not but not not in gaming, just how to be better people or what. 20 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:38.200 I Well, you know it's gonnas gonna be tough climb, right there. 21 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:42.439 Uh but yes, yes, reach out to me, folks, and 22 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:49.519 I will reach back to you around with consent though, of course. Uh. 23 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:53.040 Jane, how's this week going for you? It's been a uh kind 24 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:56.200 of we had a lot going on. We're busy, and then you're also 25 00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:59.799 like editing that thing for Dan that's going to debut today. We're able to 26 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:02.239 get everything done. You feel like you're staying on top of things. Everything's 27 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:07.120 done, I realized, And maybe we'll talk about this on the dump truck 28 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:12.719 later, but I do miss editing video for as much as I enjoy all 29 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:17.960 of our live to tape stuff, our podcast, and I do enjoy slicing 30 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:24.360 and dicing of course, right, Yeah, that's just a secret at this 31 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:29.800 point. Yeah, it's just for you. My sigh up is that it's 32 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:31.400 been posted this whole time. I just didn't tell anyone and they have to 33 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:36.879 go find it. It's like frog fractions three. It's out there somewhere on 34 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:40.560 Steam. Yes, I've been. Maybe if you ride the Amtrak in San 35 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:45.039 Francisco, it is actually on a USB and I'm waiting for someone to find 36 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:47.560 it. Yeah, don't pick up the wrong USB though, you'll find some 37 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:51.919 really messed up stuff. Yes, yes, yes, don't do that one. 38 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:55.360 Just the jan USB. Uh. All right, let's see we should 39 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:59.199 probably explain what we do here most weekdays. I, Jeff Grabble, help 40 00:02:59.240 --> 00:03:01.719 piece your gaming life life back together. That includes breaking news and maybe even 41 00:03:01.719 --> 00:03:06.080 some of our own original reporting. For all these topics, I'll get the 42 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:08.240 input of a bona fide expert who will make me look smart. If you 43 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:13.080 are watching live on twitch welcome. You can always listen to the show later 44 00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:16.000 on podcast feeds by searching for game Mes Mornings, or find the RSS on 45 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:20.800 giant bomb dot com. You can also catch the show later with chapters and 46 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:24.840 timestamps on YouTube. Hello YouTube. All right, we have a lot to 47 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:30.000 get into, so let's start the morning mess with Disney invests one point five 48 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:35.400 billion dollars in epic games and announces major Fortnite partnership. This comes from Christopher 49 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:39.719 During at Games Industry Dot biz. The Walt Disney Company has invested one point 50 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:44.960 five billion dollars to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games and has announced plans 51 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:49.919 for a major collaboration with Fortnite. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and the is 52 00:03:49.960 --> 00:03:53.800 the controlling shareholder of Epic and we'll continue to maintain control of the board following 53 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:58.280 the close of this transaction, Epic told Games Industry up dot Biz. Disney 54 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:01.840 and Epic described the project as an as an open, persistent social universe it 55 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:05.560 will be. It will be a games experience, but also offer the ability 56 00:04:05.560 --> 00:04:10.080 for fans to watch, shop and engage with content, characters, and stores 57 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:15.000 stories from across Disney's portfolio, which includes Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, 58 00:04:15.400 --> 00:04:18.480 and the Avatar brands. Our exciting new relationship with Epic Games will bring together 59 00:04:18.519 --> 00:04:24.519 Disney's beloved brands and franchises with the hugely popular Fortnite in a transformational new games 60 00:04:24.519 --> 00:04:30.600 and entertainment universe, said Disney CEO Bob Iger. There's more to this. 61 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:35.079 There's more quotes, including Bob Iger being like a who knew people were playing 62 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:40.399 video games. You know, here's the Bob Iger said, and I wrote 63 00:04:40.439 --> 00:04:45.160 down Bob Iger said, insanely when I saw gen Z and jen Alpha and 64 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:47.560 millennials, the amount of time they were spending in terms of total media screen 65 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:51.079 time on video games, it was stunning equal to what they spend on TV 66 00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:56.439 and movies. The conclusion I reached, we have to be there, fucking 67 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:00.319 Robert, what's going on over there? Buddy? Why Grub? Why do 68 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:05.079 they let these people have a lot of money, much money as he has. 69 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:11.160 That's that. I'm glad you added insane to that, because that is 70 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:15.199 absolutely insane of Bob Iger to just realize this. Yeah, to kind of 71 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.759 be telling on yourself a little bit, Grub, do you think there are 72 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:25.040 CEOs out there? And the answer is yes, that assume that, And 73 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:28.879 haven't ever looked at the numbers to how big the video game audience is. 74 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:31.839 They just still think it's a bunch of nerds. Uh, yeah, probably. 75 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:35.079 I bet Bob Chapik was just like eating video games, not even understanding 76 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:38.759 what you're supposed to do with them. So at least they do that yet 77 00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:41.199 that they have the better Bob in there now he's like at least like looking 78 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:45.040 at numbers being like, oh, people are playing these. They they realize 79 00:05:45.879 --> 00:05:51.199 the product they already made is catered more mostly toward towards children. So you 80 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:57.240 would assume, let's attack the other things that kids are into video games. 81 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:00.560 Yeah, I think, like I think they think about it along those lines, 82 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:02.959 and they don't go very down, very far down that line of thought. 83 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:05.279 They're like, well, we have the things they care about, the 84 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:08.839 characters, So just put out a fucking mobile game and call at the end 85 00:06:08.839 --> 00:06:12.480 of the day, is Bob Igery gonna suddenly realize, oh my god, 86 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:19.160 gen and z Jen Alpha millennials and Gen X they all read books. We 87 00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:25.120 should make books. It feels like it, Yeah, for sure. So 88 00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:29.399 in terms of what this looks like, jan we don't fully know, but 89 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:31.480 there is a couple of like little tidbits here. This is going to be 90 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:39.079 a Fortnite expansion experience, something that stands alongside Fortnite, like those other recent 91 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:42.920 games that Epic released. At least that seems like how it's going to take 92 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:46.439 form. Then they also had that tagline of and that they mentioned it there 93 00:06:46.439 --> 00:06:51.639 in a quote of like of game, Create, Watch, and Shop. 94 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:55.800 It was like like those four words creates. Probably not the right word, 95 00:06:55.800 --> 00:06:59.279 but it was like basically like four thanks, including shop. So it's like 96 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:04.680 sound, it's like PlayStation Home. It sounds like like the metaverse that they've 97 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:09.360 been talking about forever that they said it'll have interoperability with Fortnite. Of course 98 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:12.079 it will if probably if you buy a character in one of these games, 99 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:14.879 it's likely going to work in Fortnite. Are they going to give Mickey Mouse 100 00:07:14.920 --> 00:07:18.839 a gun? Who knows? But I see how a lot of this stuff 101 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:23.480 makes sense part of me. And maybe this is cynical, and maybe it's 102 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:27.600 because they haven't shown me anything to care about yet. I'm like, you're 103 00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:30.720 not seeing this thing, And the only thing I'm imagining is the day it 104 00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:32.199 gets shut down, like I can like in five years, when no one 105 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:36.160 cares about this thing anymore and it just like quietly closes. Are people go 106 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:39.759 like, oh damn, they're closing that that. I feel like I can 107 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:43.439 like grand opening, grand closing is what I'm like seeing here. But maybe 108 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:45.720 I'm being a bit too cynical. I don't know, what do you think? 109 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:49.879 I think we've kind of had that approach and expectations even when we were 110 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:55.759 into it, Scout, I swear to God with something like Fortnite, assuming 111 00:07:55.800 --> 00:07:59.360 and just looking at the doomsday clock waiting for it to write exactly. And 112 00:07:59.480 --> 00:08:05.439 it's the point. Yet Fortnite, in spite of itself even and in spite 113 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:09.120 of greater gabor culture, hold one second problem, Yeah, Scout, see 114 00:08:09.160 --> 00:08:13.639 something. Yeah. This also reminds people in chat Nikki's saying like Disney Infinity. 115 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:18.639 This is reminded me of that as well. And I mean, until 116 00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:24.639 we see something that people really care about, I have a hard time seeing 117 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:30.319 this as anything beyond one of those failed efforts. What separates this from any 118 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:33.600 of those, I'm not one hundred percent sure just yet, because I feel 119 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:39.919 like I think we had this conversation earlier this week on the BombCast, where 120 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:46.679 companies kind of adjusting to the trends and making something like a games as a 121 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:52.799 service or any of these type of social hubs, VR hubs whatever, that 122 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:58.240 the audience is not explicitly asking for. That's when it tends to fail or 123 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:01.679 just not hit the mark. And I think that is where I may join 124 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:05.240 you Grub initially. Of all right, I do feel a little bit cynical, 125 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:07.960 and I don't know who this is for what this is for? Just 126 00:09:09.159 --> 00:09:16.440 yet I think maybe because of the monetary investment, I hope and I want 127 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:20.639 it to work out, but yeah, I just also start to think about 128 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:26.279 how precious Disney is about all of their IP and does Mickey Mouse hold a 129 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:31.399 gun? Like how can you edit Mickey Mouse and like the Mickey Mouse Club 130 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:35.679 to fit to a social hub? Right? Can anyone just be Mickey Mouse? 131 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:43.320 I mean presumably by Disney investing one point five billion dollars into Epic, 132 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:46.120 that's got to lubricate that process a little bit. Like what Jane's talking about. 133 00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:50.879 Everybody is games, like you know, Star Wars, Jedi a Survivor 134 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:54.519 is a real headache for a studio like respond to make over a EA that 135 00:09:54.639 --> 00:10:01.480 has to like get everything run by the Creative Visions group over at Lucasfilm, 136 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:05.240 and that stuff is very laborious and it's very challenging. And Disney's a real 137 00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:09.320 stickler about all those things when it comes to their characters, probably because they 138 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:13.039 believe it's for good reason. They think that's what keeps the the long term 139 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:16.639 value of those characters. But you know, if you are putting one point 140 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:20.679 five billion dollars in Epic. Presumably you can have like offices right people right 141 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:24.320 in the Epic office to talk to that are working on these things every day. 142 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:31.279 Like this is like one point five billion dollars is in an exclusion to 143 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:33.519 them being like, Okay, we're gonna go put one point five billion dollars 144 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:39.600 into making our own games or into partnering with a bunch of other studios across 145 00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:43.240 all all these things, or doing something with roadblocks or whatever. It's like, 146 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:45.879 no, we are all in on Epic. So if we're all in, 147 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:48.679 let's actually make sure that those pain points are solved and ready to go. 148 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:52.000 I hope they're thinking about that. I know they like, you know, 149 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:54.720 you know, John Trank's over there. It seems like he's very much, 150 00:10:56.120 --> 00:10:58.399 you know, behind a big part of this deal, and he's very 151 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:01.679 very proud of but it. He's the kind of guy that understands those issues. 152 00:11:01.879 --> 00:11:05.039 So I'm like, they're probably going to be able to solve those those 153 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:09.960 aspects. It's just when it comes to Disney, there's a lot of reason 154 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.840 to think that they will abandon this because they've done that with gaming every time 155 00:11:13.960 --> 00:11:18.440 up to up till now. Maybe the one point five billion dollars changes that 156 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:22.039 though. Yeah, and you know this isn't just because I, uh were 157 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:26.120 you know, John Drake is a friend of the website. I also trust 158 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:31.360 John Drake to see see this through and everything. The other aspect reb that 159 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:37.480 I'm thinking is I feel like this may not be Disney readjusting their strategies. 160 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:41.879 What is going on? Is there a ghost just sh by you're just waiting 161 00:11:41.879 --> 00:11:48.159 outside your house right now. But we've seen how and I was just talking 162 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:50.120 about how Disney's been precious about their IP, but at the same time, 163 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:56.679 we've seen how much they're willing to squeeze their IP dry with all these Star 164 00:11:56.720 --> 00:12:01.440 Wars spinoffs, the MCU spinoffs, that I think maybe they're expanding the strategy 165 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:07.960 to not necessarily squeeze the juice out of everything, but to see what else 166 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:13.159 is potentially there with all of their IP put together, Like, Hey, 167 00:12:13.639 --> 00:12:18.799 maybe we should see what we can do in some type of Disney social hub. 168 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:24.200 We already get Disney adults coming to the parks all of the parks way 169 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:31.120 too often. Let's see how we can capture them virtually. I wonder about 170 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:35.200 the quality of these games, though, jam because you know we're coming out 171 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:37.840 of a period there where we had Lethal Company on Steam, and then we 172 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:41.960 had Power World pop off and those things, you know, the very very 173 00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:45.840 in quality or whatever, but they are very popular and caught on. And 174 00:12:45.879 --> 00:12:50.279 then meanwhile over at Fortnite, still very popular in the core game, but 175 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:52.799 they had a couple of other games that were part of their new initiative, 176 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:56.360 like that Lego basically what is Lego Minecraft? Essentially fun, They finally did 177 00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:01.000 it. They made a Lego Minecraft game should be huge. Maybe it is, 178 00:13:01.240 --> 00:13:03.639 but that one, like I thought that was the one that would really 179 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:05.159 take off, and I don't hear anyone ever talking about that anymore. That 180 00:13:05.399 --> 00:13:09.279 does not mean it's not popular. That happens all the time. Maybe some 181 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:13.000 huge audiences playing it that I hear from. But what I have heard is 182 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:16.559 many people who are kind of had high opes on these games, and the 183 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:22.960 rocket Racing and the other one that I can't remember. No one really likes 184 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.720 these things, at least, no one's too fond of them. Not really. 185 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:28.759 Everyone's just ready to go back and play real Fortnite if they're going to 186 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:33.759 Fortnite at all. So right now, the track record isn't great that they're 187 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:37.840 able to take these ideas and expound on them and be like, well, 188 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:41.840 obviously, Lego Minecraft, that should work. I know that a lot of 189 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:43.960 people are like, well, no, I jumped into Powell World and immediately 190 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:48.720 had more fun with that than I ever did with Lego Lego Minecraft. I'm 191 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:54.200 just gonna keep going at that. Yeah, I'm not. It seems more 192 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:58.960 impossible than ever to predict where gamers are at, Yes, for sure, 193 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:03.360 Hence why I'm going to help them grub Oh okay, help them out here 194 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:07.039 exactly. Well, you know myself help book. We're going to target them, 195 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:11.279 and then I sell that target to the big companies. This is where 196 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:15.039 you get cut a check from both sides. Yeah, you got to play 197 00:14:15.080 --> 00:14:18.559 both sides. Jan, this is B to B to B me B to 198 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:24.279 B to j uh. Yeah, hey, this is not going to be 199 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:28.360 a quick flash in the pan. At the very least, they will spend 200 00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:31.200 years trying to make this make sense. And really, I think it'll come 201 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:37.919 down to the quality of the experience, and like I think like one tier 202 00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:39.840 can can succeed. Like, okay, people are actually playing these games, 203 00:14:41.080 --> 00:14:43.679 and that is a success on its own. They're spending money in these games. 204 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:46.440 Even if it's like you know that Lego thing. I'm sure a lot 205 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:50.480 of people are playing. It probably does make financial sense so far, and 206 00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:52.360 they could probably get something similar here. Whether or not they are like able 207 00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:58.159 to have this persistent world that they're talking about that where people shop in and 208 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:03.639 consume content, and that's like still to be seen. They could probably Fortnite 209 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:07.960 has had some success with that stuff, with concerts and things like that, 210 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:11.120 But I just like, is it gonna be a whole new tier, like 211 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:16.080 a whole new way of doing that as opposed to Disney plus or going to 212 00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:20.720 the movies or watching cable television. Probably not, but hey, they're trying. 213 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:24.279 Then they have an idea here, and again a lot of money is 214 00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:26.759 invested. What do you think, like, what do we what do you 215 00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:28.600 think we get out of this? First? Do you just think we get 216 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:33.120 like a pretty standard like social Hub or do they have like a video game 217 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:39.240 ready to go? If anything, I think we get more Disney oriented skins. 218 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:43.879 Maybe you remake the parks and like you have some type of interactive experience 219 00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:48.440 like that. Yeah, that would probably be very popular. Maybe the Fortnite 220 00:15:48.600 --> 00:15:56.879 map be shifts again and gets crafted around some more popular Disney worlds like maybe 221 00:15:56.919 --> 00:16:03.000 you have part of it be like buzz Lightyear themed, and then a different 222 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:07.919 part of it is like Mulwana themed. You can easily see this being used 223 00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:14.080 and spun off to start promoting future movies future shows as well, like hey, 224 00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:18.120 you need an ice World where well there's Elsa and the whole crew, 225 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:22.399 and then like part of your Fortnite quest is to reassemble Olaf or something, 226 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:25.679 And you're like, I could, I mean, you can't just see it, 227 00:16:25.720 --> 00:16:30.080 like when it comes to like what happens outside of like the Fortnite bubble, 228 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:36.600 like the sort of the orbit around Fortnite, a battle royale that's aimed 229 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:40.960 at kids that does have like one hundred kids dropping down in the Magic Kingdom, 230 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:44.320 and maybe they're not using like guns, but they're using some other like 231 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:48.159 projectile device to be more family friendly and that gets them in the ecosystem that 232 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:52.360 gets into Disney stuff and it's a win win for everybody involved. You could 233 00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:56.559 be again piecing these things together pretty quickly to be like, oh, this 234 00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:00.279 is them synergizing on all these different aspects of what they have going on here. 235 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:03.559 It's interesting you say bubble grub because sometimes I think of both of these 236 00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:10.960 Disney and Fortnite as to gigantic specific bubbles and I rather of their own. 237 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:17.960 Yeah, So I wonder do these brands conflict with each other at all, 238 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:23.279 Like does the super heavy Fortnite player absolutely abhor Disney and vice versa? Right? 239 00:17:25.400 --> 00:17:29.680 And I wonder where and how they intend to get those people, those 240 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:33.400 groups to mix. Yeah. I think that for when it comes to Fortnite, 241 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:37.880 the audience has been trained enough to be like, this is just like 242 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:42.079 Bunko pops. It is, You're going to get skins for popular things here, 243 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:45.599 so expect more of that stuff. And they've just they've kept doing more 244 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:51.599 and more of that stuff, and the crossovers into other forms of media have 245 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:57.000 been massive and seemingly in no way rejected and maybe at worst ignored by people 246 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:00.039 who don't care about that stuff. And it'say, well, clearly that is 247 00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:03.400 almost a good sign that people feel that they can ignore it, because I 248 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:07.200 mean, it's this, this world of Fortnite and this world of like what 249 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:10.960 Epic is doing over there is big enough to house all these things simultaneously. 250 00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:14.640 I think they're different. I think they're right about that to a point. 251 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:19.200 I maybe just I think maybe if this if my own here is coming across 252 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:23.279 with like a negative connotation, I think it's that I am seeing that one 253 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:27.640 point five five billion dollars, meaning that Disney is going to make fewer what 254 00:18:27.720 --> 00:18:32.519 I consider like traditional video games, things that I would be more excited about 255 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:37.200 than this necessarily. But that doesn't it doesn't mean that necessarily either. That's 256 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:41.119 just a knee jerk reaction and we'll have to wait and see, all right. 257 00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:48.559 Nintendo says it will overcome challenges of generational transition with unique propositions. This 258 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:52.680 is from Tom Ivan at VGC. Nintendo has said it's more important than ever 259 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:56.519 to offer consumers unique propositions in order to stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace. 260 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:00.599 During a Q and A session following Nintendo's find nancial results briefing on Wednesday, 261 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:04.960 the company was asked what risks it's especially mindful of as it looks to 262 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:10.640 build on the success of its dedicated gaming platforms and it's expanding IP business. 263 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:14.240 Since launching in March twenty seventeen, the Switch has sold over one hundred and 264 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:18.319 thirty nine million units. Only two other dedicated system has sold better. Blah 265 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:21.000 blah blah. Then they go on to say, we approach our business every 266 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:26.920 day with a profound sense of urgency. Nintendo President Shuntaro for Ukawa told investors 267 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:32.759 the generational transition of platforms and the dedicated gaming console business is never easy. 268 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:37.480 We have experienced significant challenges following successful platforms multiple times, so we never consider 269 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:41.839 our current situations to be totally secure. Nintendo says it will overcome challenges of 270 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:48.680 generational transition by trying to offer up those aforementioned unique propositions. What those are, 271 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:52.000 obviously they're not saying, But I think this kind of goes back to 272 00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:56.319 something that we all know about what the switch tow is going to look like. 273 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:59.640 Right at the very least, they're going to have some little feature in 274 00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:02.759 there that they're going to market as being very important, whether or not it 275 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:06.039 actually is all that important, right They're they've always done that, and they're 276 00:20:06.039 --> 00:20:14.480 probably gonna come back to that again, right m I I think what what 277 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:18.359 like we can mostly take away from here is maybe lessons for like what the 278 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:21.200 future is going to have to look like for all these companies, maybe except 279 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.160 for Sony. I think people are very happy with the PlayStation just being the 280 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:26.200 PlayStation, and honestly they're probably happy with the switch being the switch. So 281 00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:30.319 maybe it's just a lesson for Microsoft where you know they are they didn't stand 282 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:33.920 out and the Xbox Series X and S h kind of have like, oh, 283 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.559 okay, it's a it's a it's a console, and it's a console 284 00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:40.920 that's a little bit more affordable, and there's no other really differentiating factor, 285 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:44.000 so it's got to it's all gonna come down to the exclusives and the games. 286 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:48.440 And it's like, I think Microsoft learned that lesson pretty quickly in this 287 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:51.640 generation, and that's like behind a lot of what is happening with them, 288 00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:56.039 where like they're looking ahead to maybe shifting things up next next time around and 289 00:20:56.119 --> 00:20:59.200 trying to do something that is a little bit more different so that they can 290 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:03.000 have something to add actually market. And that usually has worked for Nintendo, 291 00:21:03.559 --> 00:21:07.720 even when it's like not worked as well as the Wei. Like the Wei 292 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:10.920 is obviously the prime example. Hey you got the waggle controls. This is 293 00:21:10.920 --> 00:21:14.079 where anybody come play it? And I suppose the switch is the other prime 294 00:21:14.119 --> 00:21:15.720 example, but I always point like to the new three DS of like, 295 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:19.799 hey we got the nub and the eye tracking here, so like you don't 296 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:22.839 have to worry about the like trying to get the three DS in the perfect 297 00:21:22.839 --> 00:21:26.559 spot so the three D actually works. It's like small features like that go 298 00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:32.319 a long way towards making people want to upgrade, and so Nintendo continues to 299 00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:34.920 focus on that. Do you think there's any risk JAN of us getting to 300 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:38.039 a point where it's like or Nintendo getting to a point where they're like, 301 00:21:38.039 --> 00:21:44.039 oh, we are so worried about our unique propositions that they're going to upend 302 00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:48.559 what worked about the switch. I think that's a legitimate fear to have. 303 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:51.839 The part that I don't want to SA rubs to me the wrong way about 304 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:59.160 this news story is the quote about Nintendo products not being daily necessities, and 305 00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:03.559 I kind of for them to not be a daily necessity and something that I 306 00:22:03.640 --> 00:22:08.039 willingly seek out versus something I feel like I have to check, uh, 307 00:22:08.440 --> 00:22:12.920 you know. So I hope they don't fumble the bag here this way, 308 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:19.319 because even seeing this headline makes me feel some type of way where I kind 309 00:22:19.319 --> 00:22:25.839 of want Nintendo to just trust Nintendo rather than try and adhere to whatever market 310 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:30.839 conditions, because it seems like they they make their own conditions this whole time. 311 00:22:32.119 --> 00:22:36.480 That's interesting you're right, like he like for Cole was right that they 312 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:41.720 have absolutely fumbled the bag before previously. But I've never got the sense that 313 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:45.720 Nintendo really thought about that all to much, Like it was just like, 314 00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:48.000 well, no, we're doing this because we're Nintendo and we're just gonna go 315 00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:52.400 out there. And yet sometimes it really has been has messed up, but 316 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:56.119 I think it's always in the end they were able to wrap back around and 317 00:22:56.119 --> 00:23:02.079 make it something that that was their strength again becoming mindful of that process and 318 00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:03.920 being like, we want to avoid the attempt where we drop the bag and 319 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:10.119 instead just jump right to the good idea. It's like, well, maybe 320 00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:12.000 some magic might be lost in there, kind of just maybe keep doing things 321 00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:18.440 in the Nintendo way and maybe and maybe that means there will be some stumbles, 322 00:23:18.599 --> 00:23:21.440 but I think also it could mean some magic. Now, all that 323 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:23.160 said, I do want them to play it safe. I want them to 324 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:26.640 play it very safe with this next hardware. I just want my switch to 325 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:27.720 to be a switch, and I want to keep playing games the way I've 326 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:30.880 been playing on that thing, because I've been very happy with it for going 327 00:23:30.920 --> 00:23:34.960 on seven years, and you know, and all things considered, I would 328 00:23:36.039 --> 00:23:38.599 keep playing my switch, you know if a certain handful of games didn't start 329 00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:42.400 feeling very old on it, So let's keep it that way. Yeah, 330 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:48.880 I don't need RGB lights beaming off of it. I don't need I mean 331 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:51.759 I would like an O led screen though, Oh yeah yeah, please please 332 00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:55.160 please that, Like, I don't need anything fancy or funky with it. 333 00:23:55.240 --> 00:24:00.119 We're good unless unless for a kowa you want to add a watch it? 334 00:24:00.920 --> 00:24:06.920 Okay, the watch? Would the watch be like living inside the switch to 335 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:11.440 and you could like pull it out and strap it on like a slap racist 336 00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:14.440 sort of thing. Or is it like no, you have a separate doc 337 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:15.920 for that and it goes on your nightstand at night? What do you what? 338 00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:21.519 Are you envisioning a different, different doc entirely? Like? I think 339 00:24:21.559 --> 00:24:25.240 the only communication you have is like when you like put put them over together 340 00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:27.519 like a power rangers more for a common writers, I should have a more 341 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:33.359 for type of thing. Yeah, I just think Okay, and I know 342 00:24:33.400 --> 00:24:36.759 he said I don't want a daily necessity except for a watch for a cowam 343 00:24:37.160 --> 00:24:41.559 I want to watch that like has like needles that like go into the back 344 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:45.519 of my wrist and can like tell what I'm eating and like take my blood 345 00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:51.720 pretty frequently. I want to see doctor Mario. Doctor Mario fix me. 346 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:56.240 Our healthcare system is now run by Nintendo. It's a true nightmare situation there. 347 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:00.160 Just take bills. Yeah, you're just I'm gonna chuck some pills at 348 00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:04.720 you, Like, okay, why are you playing that music? All right? 349 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:07.720 Well, last headline before the break. This month's Nintendo Direct could be 350 00:25:07.799 --> 00:25:11.240 a partner showcase, it's claimed. This is from Andy Robinson at VGC. 351 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:17.160 Nintendo's regular February Nintendo Direct live stream will be a partner Direct this year, 352 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:19.759 it is claimed. That's according to the Nate the Hate podcast Shout out to 353 00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:23.720 Nate the Hate, a show which regularly breaks stories in the games industry, 354 00:25:23.880 --> 00:25:29.000 which is suggest Nintendo could use its next Direct to highlight remaining third party switch 355 00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:34.160 content before the expected imminent announcement of a successor console. He says, I'm 356 00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:37.400 going this is Nate. I'm going into the first Nintendo Director this year with 357 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:41.599 the expectation that it's going to be a partner Direct. I don't think Nintendo 358 00:25:41.640 --> 00:25:44.519 will host a general Direct this February. I think they're going to do with 359 00:25:44.599 --> 00:25:48.279 the third parties instead, and elsewhere he sounded even more confident about that. 360 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:52.359 So and Nate usually knows what he's talking about, especially if he's saying it 361 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:57.400 publicly. He's very hesitant to say stuff upicly unless he knows, and in 362 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:00.640 which case it's like, Okay, what was the that I made with Mike 363 00:26:00.680 --> 00:26:03.160 about Metroid Prime four? Pretty sure I'm gonna have to owe him on that. 364 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:07.519 Pretty sure? Pretty sure I just lost that one. This I mean, 365 00:26:07.559 --> 00:26:11.400 listen, If this is what it is, it makes a lot of 366 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:14.759 sense. We are at the end of the Switch switches life. They are 367 00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:18.039 looking ahead to what they're gonna be doing with the Switch successor, and a 368 00:26:18.119 --> 00:26:22.440 Switch Partner showcase could have all those games, and then Nintendo can still talk 369 00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:27.200 about the Princess Peach game and Mario Versus Donkey Kong and a handful of other 370 00:26:27.200 --> 00:26:33.119 things they have going on the Thousand of Your Door remaster, and they'll be 371 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:36.440 just as just happy like having those in trailers and in tweets, and then 372 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:38.720 they will do a real director when they're ready to talk about the Switch to 373 00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:41.920 When you lay it out like that, Jan, it all just sounds kind 374 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:45.480 of right, right. Yeah, I'm trying to think if there's like any 375 00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:52.920 indie darlings that have made their way onto like PC or other consoles that could 376 00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:56.200 weasel their way onto the Switch or that would warrant like being part of a 377 00:26:56.200 --> 00:27:02.519 big announcement like this, Hades two, give me Hades two, Nintendo help 378 00:27:02.599 --> 00:27:06.599 help across the line. Haiti's two Early Accesses is supposed to still come this 379 00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:10.559 year, and it was supposed to be relatively earlier in the year. That'd 380 00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:12.359 be cool if they if that game came out in early access on the switch 381 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:15.960 to or on the Switch, I would be very happy. I would like 382 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:21.519 that quite a bit. Yeah, me too. Yeah, And then god, 383 00:27:21.559 --> 00:27:22.759 I do just want to call it Spoon Heaven's Slam mc awesome. What's 384 00:27:22.759 --> 00:27:27.440 the Hollow Night Silk song? There we go, that's the real name of 385 00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:30.319 that game. Uh, maybe it's maybe something with that. Last time we 386 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.240 saw that was at an Xbox show though, so so who knows, and 387 00:27:33.319 --> 00:27:37.880 I'm speaking of Xbox. Hey, maybe high five Rushes there? Right? 388 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:42.279 Oh yeah, that would be that would classify under the partner showcase. I 389 00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:47.440 mean, you do that and then feature Sea of Thieves as well possible, 390 00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:53.359 I mean circumstances, circumstantial evidence they lined up Baby in Microsoft their business update 391 00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:57.720 meeting for next week. That's where they're sticking to that. It's like, 392 00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:00.960 even though they have this fire storm happening, Like, why are they holding 393 00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:06.240 off on that business meeting update unless they have an agreement like we're waiting until 394 00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:08.000 this all happens in the direct and then we'll talk about it after the direct. 395 00:28:08.920 --> 00:28:11.960 Maybe. I mean, it also could just be that they still are 396 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:15.640 taking time to craft their messaging, you know, tinfoil hats and all when 397 00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:19.359 it comes to that. But that is a possibility here that Microsoft does show 398 00:28:19.400 --> 00:28:22.519 up in some significant way in the Direct, and then they have their business 399 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:27.400 meeting update right after that. That that direct could happen next Wednesday, next 400 00:28:27.400 --> 00:28:33.160 Thursday, and then late next week we get Microsoft talking about those things. 401 00:28:33.960 --> 00:28:37.319 I'm going to be so upset if they have this Nintendo direct, this partner 402 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:41.759 direct, and they let Phil Spencer do this like the Snap, if they 403 00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:44.359 let him do that, I'm going to be livid. He's not earned that. 404 00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:48.920 He's definitely not on that. Definitely, No, let's see here, 405 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:55.920 okay, I mean we have a lot of Nintendo questions still, you know, 406 00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:59.400 will we get out of this, it will be full steam ahead on 407 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:02.440 like Okay, the next time Nintendo really sits down to talk with this iner 408 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:06.319 direct, they have to talk about hardware, and that probably will be true. 409 00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:11.279 But man, at this point, I'm like, God, well that's 410 00:29:11.319 --> 00:29:15.400 Roy Prime for Is it really gonna miss the switch? I guess I guess 411 00:29:15.400 --> 00:29:17.759 it is. I mean, the MIC's usually right about those things, so 412 00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:19.759 I should have just believed then. But I wanted to believe. I wanted 413 00:29:19.759 --> 00:29:23.799 to believe it could come out this year. Why you do this? Listen? 414 00:29:23.880 --> 00:29:26.240 I bet my hair this time. Did not bet my hair this time? 415 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:29.359 Okay, Okay, you bet my hair. I bet your head. 416 00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:30.599 That's right. Sorry to tell you that, Jan by the way, but 417 00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:33.799 that's how it goes. All right, let's take a quick break. When 418 00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:37.039 we get back, we have a lot more to talk about all after this. 419 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:48.359 All right, it's getting back into it. The FTC isn't too happy 420 00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:53.160 with Microsoft's Activision Blizzard layoffs. This is from Nicole Carpenter at Polygon. Microsoft 421 00:29:53.240 --> 00:30:00.000 renigged on and promises it made in court court during its Federal Trade Commission ANTIE 422 00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:04.000 trust trial in twenty twenty three by laying off nineteen hundred employees in late January, 423 00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:10.799 FTC lawyer m Ahmad Abayad filed a letter with the US Court of Appeals 424 00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:15.240 for the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday, effectively telling on Microsoft, and he said 425 00:30:15.799 --> 00:30:21.960 in that documentation, this newly revealed information contradicts Microsoft's representations in this proceeding, 426 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:26.640 The FTC lawyer wrote, Microsoft announced on January fifteenth that it was laying off 427 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:30.000 nineteen hundred workers from its gaming division, around eight percent of that part of 428 00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:33.000 the company. A large portion of those layoffs were at the newly acquired Activision 429 00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:37.319 Blizzard. The percentage of Activision Blizzard layoffs had not been made public at least 430 00:30:37.400 --> 00:30:41.759 at least but at least eight hundred and ninety nine of that oney nine hundred 431 00:30:42.039 --> 00:30:48.079 worked out of Activision Blizzards California offices, according to public records. As we 432 00:30:48.119 --> 00:30:51.559 move forward in twenty twenty four, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizard 433 00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:55.039 is committed to aligning to a strategy of making more money. Basically is what 434 00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:59.480 Phil said, and that means paying fewer people money. And that's the short 435 00:30:59.559 --> 00:31:03.839 version that going with there. But the FTC lawyer cited a letter that said 436 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:11.359 Microsoft's intention was to maintain the pre merger status po with its vertical acquisition of 437 00:31:11.480 --> 00:31:17.640 Activision, specifically contrasted with a horizonal horizontal merger, where companies often eliminate redundancies. 438 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:22.680 Abyad's point is that microsoft stated plan was to vertically merge these two companies 439 00:31:22.839 --> 00:31:26.759 so that Activision would be its own thing, and Microsoft would not really have 440 00:31:26.839 --> 00:31:29.200 any reason to be like, oh, well, we have redundancy here, 441 00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:33.599 we don't need all these people that did change. Microsoft did and its h 442 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:37.079 when it was talking about this said there was an overlap and some of the 443 00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:41.200 people that they laid off here were let go because of that overlap. The 444 00:31:41.240 --> 00:31:45.920 same time, Microsoft has responded and they are basically saying that these layoffs were 445 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:51.880 already supposed to happen, and a letter forwarded to FGC, Microsoft's lawyers claim 446 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:56.480 that Activision Blizzard was planning to make large scale layoffs even if the acquisition hadn't 447 00:31:56.519 --> 00:31:59.960 gone ahead, noting that job cuts have been occurring across the industry as well 448 00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:04.480 whole consistent with broader trends in the gaming industry, Activision was already planning on 449 00:32:04.519 --> 00:32:08.599 eliminating a significant number of jobs while still operating as an independent company. The 450 00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:13.880 recent announcement thus cannot be attributed fully to the merger in a separate statement of 451 00:32:14.279 --> 00:32:17.799 Microsoft spokesorers, and told VGC in continuing its opposition to the deal, the 452 00:32:17.839 --> 00:32:23.480 FTC ignores the reality the deal itself has substantially changed since the FDC lost in 453 00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:29.160 court last July. Microsoft that was required by the UK Competition Authority to restructure 454 00:32:29.160 --> 00:32:32.519 the acquisition globally and therefore did not acquire the cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzer 455 00:32:32.519 --> 00:32:37.240 Games in the United States. Additionally, Sony and Microsoft signed a binding agreement 456 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:40.759 to keep Call Duty on PlayStation on even better terms than Sony had before. 457 00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:45.480 All right, let's just recap here real quick. Microsoft laid off nineteen hundred 458 00:32:45.480 --> 00:32:52.440 people, and some of those were seemingly due to redundancies. When Microsoft was 459 00:32:52.440 --> 00:32:54.920 in court with the FTC, they said that would be very unlikely because we're 460 00:32:54.920 --> 00:33:00.359 going to keep Activision Blizzard as its own, like vertically standing thing. They're 461 00:33:00.880 --> 00:33:06.279 separate from Microsoft Gaming even though we own it. That seemed they did seemingly 462 00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:08.680 go back on that, and Microsoft is now saying, well, we were 463 00:33:08.680 --> 00:33:14.119 going back on that because things changed because we had to make this agreement with 464 00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:19.240 the UK, and that is their argument. And two things I believe them, 465 00:33:19.359 --> 00:33:22.880 and who gives a fuck? Like you were in court, the whole 466 00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:24.799 world was like, why, Like, you're gonna look like the bad guys 467 00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:30.839 if you lay people off. And this is the problems with with acquisitions, 468 00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:35.279 when when you bring people together into one big thing, if the company experiences 469 00:33:35.319 --> 00:33:37.079 any trouble, even more people are going to lose their job than normal. 470 00:33:37.319 --> 00:33:42.839 Listen to eight percent is in line with the entire industries laying off about eight 471 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:45.160 percent of their workers, So it isn't out of the ordinary. And I 472 00:33:45.160 --> 00:33:49.319 do believe my Microsoft that these were probably gonna happen, whether whether the the 473 00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:52.400 deal went through or not. But who cares. You have a ton of 474 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:54.519 money, you could afford it. You could have avoided looking like you're just 475 00:33:54.599 --> 00:33:58.559 any other company. You said you weren't going to be like any other company 476 00:33:58.599 --> 00:34:00.759 in court repeatedly, and here we are. You're behaving just like any other 477 00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:04.640 company. So who can I don't like all this talk is so cheap? 478 00:34:04.920 --> 00:34:10.079 Who cares? Right, jan Yeah, looking around and pointing everyone else is 479 00:34:10.119 --> 00:34:14.719 doing it does not fill me with any type of confidence moving forward, and 480 00:34:14.760 --> 00:34:19.559 it is not an excuse at all. But at the same time, hey, 481 00:34:19.719 --> 00:34:27.119 FTC who knew that merging two giant companies would create a lot of redundancies. 482 00:34:28.920 --> 00:34:32.039 No matter what Microsoft was proposing or saying during those that initial lead up 483 00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:38.400 process with the FTC, these layoffs were going to happen. Who knows as 484 00:34:38.440 --> 00:34:43.920 to what scale, but allowing right, like, yeah, what's I like, 485 00:34:43.920 --> 00:34:45.039 I can push it off a little bit. Seems like they're doing it 486 00:34:45.079 --> 00:34:47.559 now though, because they everyone else is doing it, so we'll just get 487 00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:52.039 it out over with. Yeah, yeah, And and I don't see this 488 00:34:52.199 --> 00:34:58.559 being like the the only round of layoffs, unfortunately at a big company like 489 00:34:58.639 --> 00:35:04.639 Microsoft, especially after acquiring ABK and just maybe like a month, two months, 490 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:08.360 three months down the line, just seeing how many more redundancies or where 491 00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:15.079 they can continue to cut costs just to appease shareholders and whatever financial projections they 492 00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:22.280 need to do. It sucks, it's garbo. It's terrible for everyone involved. 493 00:35:22.679 --> 00:35:30.800 Yes, so continuing the recap. FTC is going is hearing a or 494 00:35:30.039 --> 00:35:36.000 the FDC is taking this to an appeals court in California. I believe San 495 00:35:36.039 --> 00:35:39.079 Francisco. The court has not Yes, the San Francisco Court Appeals has not 496 00:35:39.159 --> 00:35:44.840 announced their decision yet. It's very unlikely that they will based on this get 497 00:35:44.840 --> 00:35:46.599 the deal unraveled. But that is what the FDC is going for and has 498 00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:52.039 been going for. They seem as always throughout this process unfazed by people telling 499 00:35:52.039 --> 00:35:53.960 them, Oh, this probably isn't gonna work. They're like, no, 500 00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:58.480 we're gonna just try every every single thing. And they've tried every single thing, 501 00:35:58.519 --> 00:36:01.119 and frankly, yeah, go for it. Microsoft said one thing at 502 00:36:01.159 --> 00:36:06.360 court, now they're doing something else. So at the very least give them 503 00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:10.360 a hard time and drag them in public a little bit. Now. Activision 504 00:36:10.960 --> 00:36:17.599 is especially weird because in like twenty twenty two they had about ten thousand employees 505 00:36:17.639 --> 00:36:22.800 a little bit under that, and then by twenty twenty three they had thirteen 506 00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:25.280 thousand employees or something like that, maybe even more. They just hired a 507 00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:30.800 ton of people in a year, all after it seemed like this deal was 508 00:36:30.800 --> 00:36:36.079 announced. So they just went on a crazy pandemic hiring spree, and so 509 00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:38.960 it's like they had a ton a ton a ton of people that just came 510 00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:43.519 into that company, and it's like, man, it kind of all goes 511 00:36:43.559 --> 00:36:51.039 back to just wild, unkempt leadership at Activision, torpedoing this deal in a 512 00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:55.440 sort of way. And then but I go back to so what Microsoft can 513 00:36:55.480 --> 00:36:59.079 afford it? You said it. You should have stuck to it. If 514 00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:01.599 you're going to actually try to talk to that talk, walk the walk a 515 00:37:01.639 --> 00:37:06.800 little bit and not just oh, we got two months into this deal closing. 516 00:37:06.840 --> 00:37:09.199 Now we're gonna actually going to just pull the ripcord on on layoffs right 517 00:37:09.239 --> 00:37:14.400 away. It just doesn't look good. Does this also make Microsoft at xbox 518 00:37:14.440 --> 00:37:17.280 sad? Is this also a hard decision? Uh, to have to go 519 00:37:17.320 --> 00:37:22.079 back to the FTC and say like, sorry, you kind of misunderstood what 520 00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:24.719 we said. Yeah, they should, they should feel sad. I mean 521 00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:31.400 the very least, like this is a parade of bad news in a company 522 00:37:31.880 --> 00:37:36.760 for its gaming division that is pretty accustomed to having parades of bad news. 523 00:37:36.880 --> 00:37:39.639 Like occasionally they break out of that and they have, oh, here's a 524 00:37:39.639 --> 00:37:43.920 reason to feel good. But when the deal closed, like people at Microsoft 525 00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:45.920 were feeling good. Uh, the fandom was feeling pretty good over there, 526 00:37:46.280 --> 00:37:52.360 and then it kind of like immediately starts evaporating and they're back into like here's 527 00:37:52.400 --> 00:37:55.280 one bad news store, here's another one, here's another one. And now 528 00:37:55.280 --> 00:38:00.440 the company's making some changes and they aren't explaining it and everyone's feeling anxious. 529 00:38:00.480 --> 00:38:06.760 I don't know, it continues to feel like if you are looking at where 530 00:38:06.800 --> 00:38:09.360 to put your time as a gamer, Microsoft feels like more of a mess 531 00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:15.239 than ever, and stuff like this does not help that. It's just baffling 532 00:38:15.239 --> 00:38:22.280 Grub because I feel like for quite a while it seemed like Xbox Microsoft had 533 00:38:22.320 --> 00:38:25.960 it, at least it seemed like they had it all together minus stuff like 534 00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:30.880 Redfall or Starfield, but they were willing to admit that those were stumbling blocks 535 00:38:30.920 --> 00:38:36.559 over whatever grander future that they were planning. And then, like you said, 536 00:38:36.679 --> 00:38:39.400 it's sol cyclical because Microsoft winds up fumbling the bag and just like shooting 537 00:38:39.480 --> 00:38:45.159 themselves in the foot, at least in the eye of public perception. Again, 538 00:38:45.760 --> 00:38:51.079 this also just seems like terrible management across the board, especially hearing that 539 00:38:51.280 --> 00:38:55.400 from Activision to let's hire even more people that we may not be able to 540 00:38:55.400 --> 00:38:58.400 pay, but it's okay, we're not going to be in charge of the 541 00:38:58.400 --> 00:39:07.360 books soon. Grossly irresponsible, and I don't think the people that got laid 542 00:39:07.400 --> 00:39:09.599 off are the ones that should be laid off. Grub. It seems like 543 00:39:09.639 --> 00:39:15.519 the people that put the numbers together, do they do the big maths or 544 00:39:15.519 --> 00:39:21.039 the pretend maths, I think they should be the ones that go grab yep. 545 00:39:21.360 --> 00:39:30.360 Absolutely. I think that they will likely not see any sort of consequences 546 00:39:30.360 --> 00:39:34.400 for this because they will accurately be able to point to the rest of the 547 00:39:34.480 --> 00:39:37.159 industry laying off about the same number of people across the board. So this 548 00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:39.039 doesn't seem like something that's all that out of the ordinary. It turns out 549 00:39:39.079 --> 00:39:44.360 the entire video game industry is in a wild and broken state, and when 550 00:39:44.519 --> 00:39:46.800 when forced to explain that, if it comes to a situation where they have 551 00:39:46.800 --> 00:39:52.960 to explain that in court, Microsoft lawyers will be able to probably illustrate that 552 00:39:52.039 --> 00:39:58.480 picture for the judge or jury. But as is I mean, I guess 553 00:39:58.559 --> 00:40:00.480 this goes back to the point I was making about I'm glad the FTC is 554 00:40:00.519 --> 00:40:04.480 poking them here, just poke the bear a little bit, just at the 555 00:40:04.599 --> 00:40:08.360 very least you can make them look bad, make them feel bad, and 556 00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:13.880 make headlines paint at Microsoft in in a way that's like, now, these 557 00:40:13.880 --> 00:40:19.719 are cold hearted business people making decisions that really and really don't stand by what 558 00:40:19.760 --> 00:40:22.920 they say, so don't fall under that spell going forward. And so that's 559 00:40:23.119 --> 00:40:27.320 there's value in that as well. I don't know if you've seen this quote 560 00:40:27.360 --> 00:40:32.039 circulating around grub and it's not specifically towards video games, but on Dakota Johnson's 561 00:40:32.079 --> 00:40:37.440 press tour from Madam Madame Webb of course Web Madam Web, Madam Modja. 562 00:40:38.039 --> 00:40:42.920 It's it's a she lays out a very interesting quote where she says, it's 563 00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:45.719 really fucking bleak in this industry. It is majorly disheartening. The people who 564 00:40:45.800 --> 00:40:51.199 run streaming platforms don't trust creative people or artists to know what they've what's going 565 00:40:51.239 --> 00:40:53.559 to work, and that is just going to make us implode. It's really 566 00:40:53.639 --> 00:40:58.639 heartbreaking. It's just fucking so hard. It's so hard to get anything made. 567 00:40:58.800 --> 00:41:01.840 And you can apply that shit to video games. Oh yeah, we 568 00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:07.239 are deep deep down that well, maybe even further down than the streaming industry 569 00:41:07.320 --> 00:41:10.199 is Yeah. The guy that one of the people that was in I think 570 00:41:10.239 --> 00:41:15.280 Starfield, one of the voice actors, mentioned recently that they had three of 571 00:41:15.320 --> 00:41:20.960 their games canceled very recently. So it's like that that's what we're dealing with. 572 00:41:21.159 --> 00:41:25.119 We're dealing with people's work just like disappearing right before their very eyes. 573 00:41:25.599 --> 00:41:30.800 And that's across every publisher. I'm sure. Yeah, damn. I like 574 00:41:30.880 --> 00:41:35.719 I thought it was like a big deal that Batgirl or Batwoman whatever movie that 575 00:41:35.760 --> 00:41:38.599 got shelld by WB Like, we'll never see the light of day. I 576 00:41:38.639 --> 00:41:44.320 didn't even I haven't even thought about all the games that have gone canceled grub 577 00:41:44.360 --> 00:41:50.800 that have probably had voice work done and mocap done and that stuff that those 578 00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:54.239 voice actors or some devs won't be able to put on their resume because it's 579 00:41:54.320 --> 00:42:00.280 right, it didn't come out. That's right. It'll be just lost to 580 00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:06.119 like so many other things. And that's a you know, losing job opportunities 581 00:42:06.119 --> 00:42:08.199 that you thought you were going to have and then having the entire industry sort 582 00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:12.719 of close off to the possibility of anyone getting any extra work right now is 583 00:42:12.760 --> 00:42:16.400 going to be really rough for a lot of people. And yeah, again, 584 00:42:16.760 --> 00:42:21.559 kind of knocking at these companies and Sam that's us said you were going 585 00:42:21.599 --> 00:42:27.800 to do the opposite is useful to an extent, all right, Virtual currencies 586 00:42:27.840 --> 00:42:31.440 are fictions. Take two argues in micro transaction theft of lawsuit. This is 587 00:42:31.480 --> 00:42:36.320 from Tom Ivan at VGC, and we'll explain why they want you to believe 588 00:42:36.360 --> 00:42:38.079 that. And maybe it's true to an extent. But so are all currencies. 589 00:42:38.599 --> 00:42:44.800 Lawyers representing Take to have called virtual currencies fictions created by game publishers in 590 00:42:44.840 --> 00:42:49.679 response to a class action suit concerned with the company's handling of micro transactions. 591 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:52.920 The suit accuses the NBA two K, PGA two or two K and WWE 592 00:42:53.000 --> 00:42:58.519 two K publisher of stealing from players because it doesn't allow them to transfer virtual 593 00:42:58.519 --> 00:43:04.719 currencies from pasties entries to new ones when they're released. Game File reports it 594 00:43:04.800 --> 00:43:09.280 calls Take twos approach unfair, illegal, and greedy, as virtual currency purchased 595 00:43:09.280 --> 00:43:14.800 with real money is lost when the game's servers are switched off, which plaintiffs 596 00:43:14.920 --> 00:43:20.239 argue is relatively quickly following the release of new game entries. By removing plaintiff 597 00:43:20.280 --> 00:43:23.840 and the class members of VC, defendants took install their personal property or fraudulently 598 00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:30.039 appropriated property that had been entrusted to the defendant, according to the then that's 599 00:43:30.039 --> 00:43:34.119 according to the suit, which was filed in Feral court last November, VC 600 00:43:34.400 --> 00:43:37.840 is not plaintiff's property. Take twos lawyers responded last week in a request to 601 00:43:37.880 --> 00:43:43.119 dismiss the case that was spotted by Game File. Instead, in game VC 602 00:43:43.280 --> 00:43:46.960 are fictions created by game publishers subject to the publisher's terms of service and user 603 00:43:47.000 --> 00:43:52.000 agreements. According to Take two's end user license agreement, which players must agree 604 00:43:52.000 --> 00:43:58.360 to before using the software, virtual currency and virtual goods are strictly non transferable. 605 00:43:58.800 --> 00:44:02.039 All purchases of VC MVG are final, and under no circumstances will such 606 00:44:02.039 --> 00:44:07.480 purchases be refundable, transferable, or exchangeable. It reads accept us prohibited by 607 00:44:07.760 --> 00:44:12.199 applicable law. Licensure has the absolute right to manage, regulate, control, 608 00:44:12.239 --> 00:44:15.320 modifies, to spend, and or eliminate such VC and or VG as it 609 00:44:15.400 --> 00:44:22.159 sees fit in its sole discretion. So the argument basically here is we created 610 00:44:22.199 --> 00:44:25.039 our own company script. We can do what we do with it, whatever 611 00:44:25.079 --> 00:44:28.440 we want. And in fact, we made you agree to the fact that 612 00:44:28.440 --> 00:44:30.840 you're gonna let us do with it whatever we want before we even let you 613 00:44:30.880 --> 00:44:34.480 play the game. So you've agreed to this and you have to we have 614 00:44:34.519 --> 00:44:38.639 to abide by it. Now. That, of course, has worked for 615 00:44:38.760 --> 00:44:42.639 a lot of companies for a very long time, and yet very often it's 616 00:44:42.679 --> 00:44:45.440 like, well, listen, you can't just be like in the terms of 617 00:44:45.480 --> 00:44:51.280 service we said we can legally murder you like there are limits to what you 618 00:44:51.280 --> 00:44:55.159 could put into a terms of service license agreement, and they are it seems 619 00:44:55.159 --> 00:44:58.280 like they are trying to go to a bit of an extreme of being like, 620 00:44:58.320 --> 00:45:00.360 hey, we got your money. We gave you the thing and the 621 00:45:00.679 --> 00:45:04.039 thing that we said we'd give it to you. Just because you didn't use 622 00:45:04.079 --> 00:45:06.199 it doesn't mean you don't have it or whatever. And even when the server 623 00:45:06.280 --> 00:45:07.800 shut off, well we told you that that could happen one day. No 624 00:45:07.880 --> 00:45:10.360 transfers. Sorry, you should have spent it when you had the chance. 625 00:45:12.000 --> 00:45:16.800 Uh my question, jan is it? How is it worth it to them 626 00:45:17.480 --> 00:45:22.920 to go to the lengths of fighting this and looking like such bastards instead of 627 00:45:23.039 --> 00:45:27.719 just letting people transfer it. Are they really going to lose out on that 628 00:45:27.840 --> 00:45:30.559 much money if people could transfer the transfer the four bucks they have left over 629 00:45:30.559 --> 00:45:36.599 in the last game. I don't get it again, I don't understand who 630 00:45:36.840 --> 00:45:43.800 are making these decisions grub Who's responsible? Because it doesn't it alienates your existing 631 00:45:44.480 --> 00:45:47.239 customer base because now you know, it puts a bad taste in their mouth, 632 00:45:47.320 --> 00:45:52.559 so they don't want to even participate in your specific ecosystem anymore. I 633 00:45:52.599 --> 00:45:57.679 know, if I was like dumping a bunch of money into FIFA, and 634 00:45:57.719 --> 00:46:01.639 then new game comes out, I can't move that balance over for whatever reason, 635 00:46:04.119 --> 00:46:07.360 I would not play the new game, or I would be very hesitant 636 00:46:07.400 --> 00:46:12.119 before I ever check out another two K game or anything coming out of Take 637 00:46:12.119 --> 00:46:16.639 two. People spend a lot of money in these games, yes, that 638 00:46:16.760 --> 00:46:22.360 you would think you just want to pacify and placate these people that are already 639 00:46:22.400 --> 00:46:24.480 in your ecosystem, right, you would think like the power of the market 640 00:46:24.599 --> 00:46:29.360 would solve this problem and be like it is valuable to keep those consumers happy 641 00:46:29.360 --> 00:46:30.840 because they spend a lot of money on our thing, and so that will 642 00:46:30.880 --> 00:46:34.000 just solve it. It's like, well, clearly that's not happening, and 643 00:46:34.039 --> 00:46:37.480 they're going to great lengths to ensure that they keep those people's money without giving 644 00:46:37.519 --> 00:46:42.079 them more virtual goods, things that you've already made that just happened to be 645 00:46:42.119 --> 00:46:45.880 in the game. You just want them to buy more virtual currency again so 646 00:46:45.920 --> 00:46:49.199 that they But it's like even that, like, okay, I get like 647 00:46:49.280 --> 00:46:52.599 the math on paper, Well, they already bought that virtual currency. Let's 648 00:46:52.599 --> 00:46:55.320 not don't let them use that and force them to make a new purchase so 649 00:46:55.360 --> 00:46:58.760 that we get even more money to buy this thing in this new game. 650 00:46:58.800 --> 00:47:00.119 It's like, of course, I see how that makes you more money, 651 00:47:00.559 --> 00:47:05.920 But I just don't think you're going to lose money in that transfer of the 652 00:47:05.920 --> 00:47:07.679 currency to the new game, because those people are probably like, well now 653 00:47:07.719 --> 00:47:12.519 I got money, I should I'll be losing money if I don't spend more 654 00:47:12.559 --> 00:47:15.559 to buy this other new thing. It just feels like it makes so much 655 00:47:15.559 --> 00:47:20.159 sense to keep that momentum going. Now. Obviously there's tech head overhead of 656 00:47:20.280 --> 00:47:23.280 ensuring that people can transfer their currency, and that probably is some work. 657 00:47:23.599 --> 00:47:27.480 But this is a software company. They could figure it out. I don't 658 00:47:27.480 --> 00:47:31.880 know, Jim, I can't imagine that it would be super challenging to get 659 00:47:32.159 --> 00:47:36.199 that to work though, right of like having to think so, but I 660 00:47:36.199 --> 00:47:39.960 don't know, Yeah, I don't know. It just seems so stupid. 661 00:47:40.719 --> 00:47:45.199 Oh stupid. It's so and like the are arguing that they're they're fictions. 662 00:47:45.280 --> 00:47:50.320 Like everything. I mean, they'll the Law against Murder also a fiction. 663 00:47:50.440 --> 00:47:53.800 We made that up, everybody. That's that's what we decide collectively. It's 664 00:47:53.840 --> 00:47:57.440 not cool. Yeah, and we just decided collectively, the United States of 665 00:47:57.480 --> 00:48:00.480 America made up that's that's not a real thing. We just know that that's 666 00:48:00.559 --> 00:48:05.519 a thing that we all agree upon. It's a fantasy. So that just 667 00:48:05.559 --> 00:48:08.159 a really weird argument to lead off with from Take two's lawyers. But there 668 00:48:08.199 --> 00:48:14.280 you go. I I'm not an ad I'm not advocating for piracy or nefarious 669 00:48:14.320 --> 00:48:17.199 activities. But hey, you know, I'm going to assume it's it may 670 00:48:17.239 --> 00:48:21.679 be easier to rob a virtual bank rather than like a shoot bank. You 671 00:48:21.719 --> 00:48:25.400 know, so like shake shake, shake that shit loose from the tree. 672 00:48:25.440 --> 00:48:30.559 There, Ye just go get off sell Nicks to take two uh shares and 673 00:48:30.599 --> 00:48:34.400 then just be like, those are fictions that's made made up. There's no 674 00:48:34.480 --> 00:48:38.840 rules. There might be some rules, strauss all right. Game stop ad 675 00:48:38.880 --> 00:48:45.360 promoting Microsoft Game Pass leads to more Xbox chaos is from Zack Swizen at Kotake 676 00:48:45.480 --> 00:48:49.199 with a good headline. There a game stop tweet promoting a demo day where 677 00:48:49.400 --> 00:48:53.800 when folks can come in and play some games on Xbox consoles using quote Microsoft 678 00:48:53.800 --> 00:49:00.480 game Pass has injected more chaos and controversy into the ongoing apocalyptic Xbox drama set 679 00:49:00.519 --> 00:49:04.880 up by reports of exclusive games like Starfield coming to PS five, currently affecting 680 00:49:04.920 --> 00:49:08.239 the console warriors and devoted fans. Then that's the drama. There, and 681 00:49:08.519 --> 00:49:13.239 while the tweet and it's promo images likely mean nothing, the reaction shows how 682 00:49:13.320 --> 00:49:16.880 jumpy some Xbox fans currently are, and kind of like, again, we'll 683 00:49:16.920 --> 00:49:22.159 recap that. Game Stop put out a tweet that had some art that referred 684 00:49:22.159 --> 00:49:25.280 to Microsoft Game Pass instead of Xbox Game Pass. I think Warrior sixty four 685 00:49:25.519 --> 00:49:30.719 like just kind of retweeted that and just quote Microsoft Game Pass. And everyone 686 00:49:30.840 --> 00:49:32.119 was like, oh my god, they're chanting they're getting rid of Xbox in 687 00:49:32.280 --> 00:49:36.960 Xbox game Pass. That must be because they're getting rid of Xbox. We 688 00:49:37.000 --> 00:49:38.480 all got to freak out. And I just want to be like, hey, 689 00:49:38.840 --> 00:49:42.480 game Stop doesn't know what the hell they're doing. Everybody. This is 690 00:49:42.599 --> 00:49:45.519 just a little booboo by game Stop. And I think a lot of people 691 00:49:45.559 --> 00:49:49.239 did realize that. And you can try to tell that to the people who 692 00:49:49.280 --> 00:49:52.480 are, as Zach points out, feeling jumpy, and they just aren't going 693 00:49:52.559 --> 00:49:53.920 to hear it. Then that maybe is the real story here. It's just 694 00:49:53.960 --> 00:50:00.599 how jumpy that fandom is. Grub who hurt these people? Yeah, hurt 695 00:50:00.679 --> 00:50:05.400 these people that they're so tied to this. I don't want to use this 696 00:50:05.519 --> 00:50:09.880 term this, This may trigger some people grow but when did they become a 697 00:50:09.880 --> 00:50:15.480 bunch of snowflakes. It is, I mean, very sensitive. It's That's 698 00:50:15.480 --> 00:50:20.159 how I would describe the scenario. Here is a lot of people hearing, 699 00:50:20.519 --> 00:50:24.280 being very much in their feelings. And this is the kind of like to 700 00:50:24.320 --> 00:50:27.639 think about being an adult. Right, you got to put a little lot 701 00:50:27.679 --> 00:50:32.239 of this loyalty to the side and recognize that when a company sweet talks you, 702 00:50:34.119 --> 00:50:37.280 it is they never mean what they say, and it's okay to believe 703 00:50:37.280 --> 00:50:44.400 in them. I have a lot of my enjoyment invested into Nintendo, but 704 00:50:44.480 --> 00:50:46.400 I do look at that company and I know what it is. It is 705 00:50:47.039 --> 00:50:52.599 a merciless money making machine that would do anything to extract more value out of 706 00:50:52.679 --> 00:50:58.800 me, and and it's successfully doing that constantly, mostly by keeping me pretty 707 00:50:58.800 --> 00:51:02.880 placated and give me the things I want. But when the company like fails 708 00:51:02.920 --> 00:51:07.000 to figure out how to do that and then they have to shift gears because 709 00:51:07.000 --> 00:51:12.320 they aren't extracting a value from you, don't be surprised when it's like you 710 00:51:12.320 --> 00:51:16.559 start feeling taken advantage of. That's literally the entire system they are capitalizing on 711 00:51:16.599 --> 00:51:22.639 you in capitalism. And so yeah, I'm not here to preach like even 712 00:51:22.639 --> 00:51:28.000 though I just did. If people are like, hey, I did spend 713 00:51:28.000 --> 00:51:30.199 a lot of money on this thing, and I do feel like I am 714 00:51:30.440 --> 00:51:34.639 am, I had the rug pulled out from underneath me. You're go ahead 715 00:51:34.639 --> 00:51:37.599 complain you should be criticizing this company. Yeah, go to town. That's 716 00:51:37.639 --> 00:51:42.719 completely fair game. But I do urge you, and I made me recognize 717 00:51:42.760 --> 00:51:46.480 that this shouldn't be too surprising in a lot of circumstances. Take a critical 718 00:51:46.519 --> 00:51:50.559 glance and look at a mirror. Look at a mirror, folks. Not 719 00:51:50.639 --> 00:51:53.639 I'm not saying our our giant bomb audience. They are a bunch of lovely 720 00:51:53.679 --> 00:52:01.719 smart people. These folks defened heavily defending Xbox Microsoft and getting all up in 721 00:52:01.840 --> 00:52:07.519 arms and causing more chaos with every single headline that pops out. Y'all need 722 00:52:07.559 --> 00:52:13.400 to fucking chill, yep, just do more than touch grass. Yeah, 723 00:52:13.480 --> 00:52:17.840 the grass is not gonna be enough in a lot of cases. I do 724 00:52:17.920 --> 00:52:25.440 wonder if the Xbox brass has any regrets about sort of fomenting that audience a 725 00:52:25.480 --> 00:52:30.760 little bit. They are very they've been very engaged with the heavily online Xbox 726 00:52:30.760 --> 00:52:35.159 community, and now it's sort of coming back to bite them a little bit. 727 00:52:35.280 --> 00:52:38.559 So yeah, yeah, I hate to bring it to wrestling, but 728 00:52:38.599 --> 00:52:43.119 it just makes me. It now makes me think like, oh, they 729 00:52:43.119 --> 00:52:45.239 thought they were Cody this whole time. Huh, Yeah, I thought they 730 00:52:45.239 --> 00:52:51.000 were Cody, but it turns out they're just Doane. Uh. Marvel spider 731 00:52:51.000 --> 00:52:52.880 Man two is getting new game Plus and new suits in March. To Americ 732 00:52:52.920 --> 00:52:59.079 hittleback Thuru at Game Reactor, it's been close to two months since Insomniac said 733 00:52:59.079 --> 00:53:01.199 they were delaying the Mark spider Man two update that would bring new game Plus 734 00:53:01.239 --> 00:53:04.599 to the game. They didn't want to give us a date back then. 735 00:53:04.679 --> 00:53:07.760 Excuse me, but it's only said to expect it in early twenty twenty four. 736 00:53:07.199 --> 00:53:10.559 Now we know exactly when that is, and Somnek revealed that the next 737 00:53:10.559 --> 00:53:15.760 big update for Marbles spider Man two will arrive on the seventh of March. 738 00:53:15.159 --> 00:53:19.000 We're not told anything new about what's included in it, so we'll have to 739 00:53:19.000 --> 00:53:23.360 settle on the aforementioned and previously announced new game Plus and as well as replayable 740 00:53:23.400 --> 00:53:27.760 missions, new suits and the option that change the time of day and tendril 741 00:53:27.760 --> 00:53:30.480 colors, which means that's cool. Yeah, listen, I want some different 742 00:53:30.519 --> 00:53:35.880 Tendril colors please, and hey new suits. That's like almost the reason for 743 00:53:35.920 --> 00:53:37.800 me to want to get back in there a little bit. Jan this is 744 00:53:37.800 --> 00:53:40.880 going to be the pull question for tomorrow. We'll get we'll definitely post it, 745 00:53:40.920 --> 00:53:44.639 but you're going to jump back in for New Game Plus and Spider Man 746 00:53:44.679 --> 00:53:49.239 two. I can't say that I will grub And I'm thinking about this now. 747 00:53:49.320 --> 00:53:52.360 Most of the time, I often don't jump into a New Game Plus. 748 00:53:52.480 --> 00:53:57.760 Yep. Now that I'm thinking about it, loved Allan Wake two from 749 00:53:57.840 --> 00:54:01.760 last year. I've yet to check out what New Game Plus is. And 750 00:54:01.840 --> 00:54:06.679 for me a lot of the time, it's not just because of time constraints 751 00:54:06.679 --> 00:54:09.639 of we have to play this new title, play that new title. It's 752 00:54:09.719 --> 00:54:15.400 more so where I have a limited amount of time. I know that there's 753 00:54:15.400 --> 00:54:19.440 probably new things that we're all exploring with New Game Plus, but I just 754 00:54:19.480 --> 00:54:22.800 don't have the time to go through. The similar story beats over again yep. 755 00:54:23.400 --> 00:54:29.639 And then prominent leaguer says that announced Sega ip revivals are coming to the 756 00:54:29.719 --> 00:54:34.239 Switch successor. This is from my Nintendo News. By now, you're very 757 00:54:34.320 --> 00:54:37.119 likely aware of the news from Sega that jets at Radio Shanobi, Golden Acts, 758 00:54:37.159 --> 00:54:39.840 Streets of Rage, and Crazy Taxi are all getting a new game. 759 00:54:40.079 --> 00:54:44.800 When the games were announced at the Game Awards in December of twenty twenty three, 760 00:54:44.840 --> 00:54:47.519 Sega didn't really say much about the games themselves. They didn't even mention 761 00:54:47.639 --> 00:54:52.360 what platforms they would be on. Well, a new rumor by prominent leaker 762 00:54:52.639 --> 00:54:57.960 mbkk ss tb HC five no, no, read it how you want to 763 00:54:57.960 --> 00:55:04.519 read it, grab thank you may offer us a bit of insight into where 764 00:55:04.559 --> 00:55:08.400 the games are going to release. According to them, to us, five, 765 00:55:08.840 --> 00:55:12.960 the games will be coming to the next Nintendo hardware. Obviously, nothing 766 00:55:13.000 --> 00:55:15.440 about the matter has been officially announced yet, and there are just as many 767 00:55:15.519 --> 00:55:20.719 rumors about the next Nintendo consoles as there are with the games releasing on it. 768 00:55:21.159 --> 00:55:23.519 Nevertheless, if anything gets announced later on, we'll let you know. 769 00:55:24.960 --> 00:55:30.800 There's also as part like kind of tangential to this added to the list of 770 00:55:30.800 --> 00:55:35.039 games that might be coming from Sega in terms of revivals, now includes Virtual 771 00:55:35.159 --> 00:55:37.000 Fighter. That's that to be very good news. Love to hear that. 772 00:55:37.679 --> 00:55:43.400 I want us to be fully back into the fighting game renaissance. That would 773 00:55:43.440 --> 00:55:46.440 be that would be really great. This makes sense, right, Yeah, 774 00:55:46.679 --> 00:55:52.719 I was gonna ask, would this include the rumored Persona two and Persona four 775 00:55:52.079 --> 00:55:55.559 remains. That's I wonder if those are like, I mean, those are 776 00:55:55.599 --> 00:56:00.159 different initiatives, but I assume that they are just making those for the switch 777 00:56:00.199 --> 00:56:02.280 to. In fact, I want to say that I think when we talked 778 00:56:02.320 --> 00:56:07.400 about that, that was part of the news story that those were getting planned 779 00:56:07.400 --> 00:56:10.679 for the Switch successor. But maybe I'm just making that up, but like 780 00:56:10.880 --> 00:56:15.000 even that wasn't part of that story. Yeah, Jane, I assume that 781 00:56:15.119 --> 00:56:17.760 right now, if you're Sega, you're looking at these games and anything that 782 00:56:17.880 --> 00:56:21.559 is like it's gonna be pretty tough to get run out on the switch. 783 00:56:21.639 --> 00:56:23.440 Well, good news. By the time those games are ready, just put 784 00:56:23.480 --> 00:56:30.119 them out on the Switch successor. Sega's had a lot of almost immediately when 785 00:56:30.119 --> 00:56:32.599 they got out after the Dreamcast. They had a pretty good relationship of getting 786 00:56:32.599 --> 00:56:37.679 games on Nintendo platforms and seeing some success. That's been up and down a 787 00:56:37.719 --> 00:56:40.760 little bit over time, depending on how successful the Nintendo hardware was. But 788 00:56:40.800 --> 00:56:44.239 I think they are very ready to be there on day one for the Switch 789 00:56:44.280 --> 00:56:46.079 too, even though it's going to be very difficult for the Switch too to 790 00:56:46.159 --> 00:56:51.320 match the Switch's success, like just flat out because you know, Switch was 791 00:56:51.360 --> 00:56:53.239 such a surprise and everyone's just had to have it. It's still going to 792 00:56:53.280 --> 00:56:57.519 be very successful and solved very well and probably make a lot of money for 793 00:56:57.559 --> 00:57:00.519 people have games on there that strike that Oh it's especially in the early days. 794 00:57:00.639 --> 00:57:04.519 I think a lot of these games that have that IP recognition with a 795 00:57:04.519 --> 00:57:08.599 lot of longtime Nintendo fans, Sega fans, they really stand to benefit from 796 00:57:08.639 --> 00:57:13.559 being there early on in the first year or two of the Switch to definitely 797 00:57:13.719 --> 00:57:17.880 definitely hardcore degree. I mostly asked that because of the overwhelming success that p 798 00:57:19.000 --> 00:57:23.599 three Reload has had, selling like a million copies already insane for Persona. 799 00:57:23.800 --> 00:57:27.960 Yeah, I wanna know something though, I was looking at this today. 800 00:57:27.960 --> 00:57:30.920 I was on the Steam Store because I was like tracking down some of these 801 00:57:30.960 --> 00:57:32.679 games that are that are come out, like oh, hell Divers, make 802 00:57:32.760 --> 00:57:37.119 sure I have that, and I got a code to check out Penny's Big 803 00:57:37.119 --> 00:57:39.559 Breakaway, And then I was in the store and I was just you know, 804 00:57:39.599 --> 00:57:43.840 this is like a number. You can look at the number of reviews 805 00:57:44.039 --> 00:57:47.159 for Persona five Reload. It was like five thousand or something whatever. It 806 00:57:47.280 --> 00:57:51.639 was, Grand Blue Fantasy, the new RPG that came out like two days 807 00:57:51.679 --> 00:57:53.920 before was already at like twice that number of reviews, if not more. 808 00:57:54.280 --> 00:57:57.800 It's like, oh man, I got I just got it. It's always 809 00:57:57.800 --> 00:58:00.960 important to remember these games that come out of like mobile and other and other 810 00:58:01.039 --> 00:58:06.679 spaces and then like find their way into console and PC gaming are just as 811 00:58:06.679 --> 00:58:12.159 big, if not significantly bigger than the things I'm playing. I was catching 812 00:58:12.199 --> 00:58:14.960 up with one of my good friends and I was asking like, hey, 813 00:58:15.000 --> 00:58:16.559 like, do you do you pick up Tech and eight because he's a big 814 00:58:16.599 --> 00:58:20.320 fighting game head. Uh. And he told me I like, yo, 815 00:58:20.400 --> 00:58:22.079 bro, I don't even have a PS five, Like, I'm just playing 816 00:58:22.280 --> 00:58:27.400 mobile games on my phone. And then Homie shows me like all the Gotcha's. 817 00:58:27.440 --> 00:58:30.000 I'm like, all right, like send me, send me some links, 818 00:58:30.039 --> 00:58:37.039 dog. But I think it is quickly become an audience that the main 819 00:58:37.079 --> 00:58:39.519 gaming audience has not thought about. Oh no, grub. You know what, 820 00:58:40.000 --> 00:58:45.159 John Drake, if you're listening, Disney Disney Gotcha's, Disney Gotcha's, 821 00:58:45.360 --> 00:58:50.280 have they not done Disney gotchas? They must have by now right? Give 822 00:58:50.400 --> 00:58:55.639 me that five star? What's his name? Give me that five star? 823 00:58:55.719 --> 00:59:00.519 Rebecca from Tailspin okay, Well, I didn't know we were going and straight 824 00:59:00.599 --> 00:59:02.320 that direction, but fair enough. I don't know why by mind went to 825 00:59:02.360 --> 00:59:07.320 Rebecca. I was trying to say quack shot, but I said, Rebecca, 826 00:59:08.000 --> 00:59:13.199 okay, okay, that doesn't for the news. We have a pull 827 00:59:13.280 --> 00:59:15.320 question. We'll get to here in a second. Well I get that set 828 00:59:15.400 --> 00:59:16.920 up. Excuse me, jan why don't you tell people what we have going 829 00:59:16.960 --> 00:59:21.480 on? Where they can find you all that good stuff. You can find 830 00:59:21.480 --> 00:59:24.159 me here. I live here. Basically, I've thought about, you know, 831 00:59:24.360 --> 00:59:30.519 maybe doing some extra additional side content in terms of like this isn't quite 832 00:59:30.519 --> 00:59:35.320 a video game. I think it warrants a GB plays of sorts. Perhaps 833 00:59:35.599 --> 00:59:40.360 sure, but look forward to later today folks, Voicemail dump truck popping off. 834 00:59:40.360 --> 00:59:46.800 But before that, it making sure all the best whistles and bells fire 835 00:59:46.840 --> 00:59:52.360 off. I don't know what metaphor is going for there. We will have 836 00:59:52.559 --> 00:59:57.360 catch me if you dan right before the voicemail dump truck today Tomorrow. Another 837 00:59:57.360 --> 01:00:00.159 episode of Gay Mess Mornings BCR popping up off tomorrow, where we will be 838 01:00:00.239 --> 01:00:07.719 talking in depth about Suicide Squad UH and hell Divers too, is tentatively planned 839 01:00:07.760 --> 01:00:10.440 for upf who knows. Maybe we could foam it up. Yeah, maybe 840 01:00:10.480 --> 01:00:14.800 the same thing. Maybe we could skull and bone. Maybe we could scull 841 01:00:14.800 --> 01:00:19.599 and bone. Yeah, we got a lot with an embarrassment of weird riches 842 01:00:19.760 --> 01:00:22.480 to choose from. Yes, And I also like, grab there's too many 843 01:00:22.480 --> 01:00:25.159 games because I want to check out Grand Blue Fantasy. I was like, 844 01:00:25.320 --> 01:00:29.559 I'm might it's an action RPG. I probably won't like it. It's way 845 01:00:29.599 --> 01:00:32.280 too anime for me. Uh and yet I'm like, God, that looks 846 01:00:32.320 --> 01:00:37.280 fun. It looks like a good time. You know, we were talking. 847 01:00:37.320 --> 01:00:39.840 We were just talking about, uh, how the mobile market has seeped 848 01:00:39.840 --> 01:00:45.360 into console culture. And I feel like that's why it's not not that Stellar 849 01:00:45.360 --> 01:00:49.280 Blade is an existing ip somewhere else, but I feel like it taps into 850 01:00:49.320 --> 01:00:53.079 that same brain space that Stellar Blade might be a runaway success. Well, 851 01:00:53.280 --> 01:00:55.679 I think Stellar Blade it's going to be very successful. I do. I 852 01:00:55.719 --> 01:00:58.519 do think that. I mean, as long as it's a decent game, 853 01:00:59.719 --> 01:01:01.960 like it's as good as Bayonetta three. I bet it does way better than 854 01:01:01.960 --> 01:01:07.119 Bayoneta three. Yeah, I think you're right. Yep, Uh Jim, 855 01:01:07.320 --> 01:01:09.480 we were going to play some Steam next fust demos. You still want to 856 01:01:09.480 --> 01:01:12.880 try to make that happen today, or because I saw you played some of 857 01:01:12.920 --> 01:01:16.199 the that poker game Bilatro on stream before we did a show you today. 858 01:01:17.480 --> 01:01:21.440 I just don't know if we've got time gro I know this, Yeah, 859 01:01:21.519 --> 01:01:24.000 we have a lot going on. Everybody listen. I would love to make 860 01:01:24.039 --> 01:01:29.360 something like that happen. But we'll see, We'll see everybody. Uh, 861 01:01:29.440 --> 01:01:36.519 okay. Poll question, which Capcom franchise would you want them to bring back 862 01:01:36.719 --> 01:01:43.480 the most? Fourteen percent said Darkstalkers, fifteen percent said One Musha, nineteen 863 01:01:43.519 --> 01:01:47.639 percent said Dead Rising, twenty percent said Okami, and thirty three percent said 864 01:01:47.679 --> 01:01:52.440 Dino Crisis. And I bet I bet those Dino Crisis fans are going to 865 01:01:52.480 --> 01:01:54.519 be in luck. I bet that's actually something that is really going to happen, 866 01:01:54.679 --> 01:02:00.559 probably pretty soon. Dinosaurs are real hot. I'm sure, sure yeah, 867 01:02:00.639 --> 01:02:04.480 And I mean just from like an attraction standpoint, they just look so 868 01:02:04.639 --> 01:02:09.039 pretty, skinca off the charts. Put sunglasses on a dinosaur. They're even 869 01:02:09.119 --> 01:02:12.880 cooler. Shake those tail feathers. They've got tail feathers now so they can 870 01:02:12.920 --> 01:02:19.719 do that. I'm having a crisis right now over these dinosh do you think 871 01:02:20.119 --> 01:02:23.039 Mike ever gets another Mega man game a real one. I feel like you 872 01:02:23.159 --> 01:02:27.400 have f right, like you have to a certain point, just throw the 873 01:02:27.440 --> 01:02:31.480 man a bone. The Blue Bomber is too popular of a character like the 874 01:02:32.199 --> 01:02:37.800 he is associated with Capcom as far as I'm concerned, and like a serve 875 01:02:37.880 --> 01:02:42.920 bot right like, I love those little freaks. I want to see more 876 01:02:43.000 --> 01:02:45.199 grub grub. Here's here's what we do, Capcom. Get your check book 877 01:02:45.239 --> 01:02:49.000 out, get your check book out. All right, all right, we 878 01:02:49.800 --> 01:02:54.000 just make Mario versus rabbits, but Mega Man versus rabbids, and then we 879 01:02:54.039 --> 01:03:00.199 have the serve bots fight with the rabbits. Here's what that's what we do. 880 01:03:00.400 --> 01:03:06.239 Or or let's just go let's just put the serve in overalls and give 881 01:03:06.280 --> 01:03:12.320 them goggles. They're basically minions. Well okay, well, if we're gonna 882 01:03:12.320 --> 01:03:16.440 go that route, why not just do Mega Man versus minions so that the 883 01:03:16.800 --> 01:03:22.000 rabbits can stay over with Mario and then Mega Man goes with the minions as 884 01:03:22.400 --> 01:03:27.039 he deserves. I don't want to think about what power Mega Man would inherit 885 01:03:27.199 --> 01:03:34.719 from the rabbits, chicks and loving bananas minions. I've never seen a groom 886 01:03:35.280 --> 01:03:38.280 and or a minion. I've never seen any of those movies yet, I 887 01:03:38.320 --> 01:03:45.239 think the gimmicks would legitimately like Despicable Meat. Also Despicable Meat fantastic soundtracks for 888 01:03:45.320 --> 01:03:49.199 all of the movies that they've had. All Right, I'll make it happen. 889 01:03:49.559 --> 01:03:52.599 Uh. In the meantime, I'm just gonna continue enjoying the fact that 890 01:03:52.639 --> 01:03:55.400 Mike is freaking out in chat that you said that the Rabbits should go with 891 01:03:55.440 --> 01:03:59.119 Mega Man. He's deeply upset with you, and I love that. That's 892 01:03:59.199 --> 01:04:01.559 very good. And then also a new poll question, are you going to 893 01:04:01.559 --> 01:04:06.920 go back to Spider Man two for New Game Plus? I will put that 894 01:04:06.960 --> 01:04:11.800 on the screen as I click the no button, just like many of you 895 01:04:11.840 --> 01:04:15.599 already have. But we'll discuss the results of that poll tomorrow on Game mess 896 01:04:15.679 --> 01:04:18.679 Morning's here on giant Bomb. For Dregs Day I should be doing with Tam. 897 01:04:18.679 --> 01:04:21.280 Looking forward to that. Be sure to tune in. That'll be eleven 898 01:04:21.320 --> 01:04:27.800 am Eastern eight am Pacific here on giant Bomb. Jan thank you so much 899 01:04:27.800 --> 01:04:30.880 for spending today talking with me about video games. Man, I really appreciate 900 01:04:30.920 --> 01:04:33.400 it. It's my favorite way to start a Thursday. A couple hours later, 901 01:04:34.039 --> 01:04:38.119 and you are the best audience in gaming. Until next time, have 902 01:04:38.159 --> 01:04:44.039 a good one, take care of yourself and goodbye.