WEBVTT 1 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:29.679 Hello, and welcome to episode number one thirty four of the Chief Steaks and 2 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:33.560 Controllers podcast. Coming at you a little later than usual, but there's a 3 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:37.719 good reason, I promise you, and as soon as we get right into 4 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:41.600 it, you'll understand what that is. My name is Jason Finelli, and 5 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:47.520 I am the video game and competitive gaming insider for Fox PHL The Gambler one 6 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:52.320 or two point five FM fourteen eighty AM iHeartRadio. Wherever you get your podcasts, 7 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:55.640 you can download and listen to this right now. And this is a 8 00:00:55.679 --> 00:01:00.560 special episode. I don't think I've ever done an episode like this before. 9 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:03.280 I have had interviews, I've had interviews that go longer than one segment. 10 00:01:03.519 --> 00:01:07.719 I've had guests for the entire show, but I don't think I've ever done 11 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:15.239 an actual episode long interview. It's going to be quite a quest and that 12 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:19.079 it's appropriate that the first time I ever do this is with the folks who 13 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:25.159 made Wrestle Quest. Megacat Studios is back on Cheese, Steaks and Controllers, 14 00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:30.040 and we're going to talk about the game because that launch is finally knocking on 15 00:01:30.200 --> 00:01:34.079 the door. James dan zach Manko back with me here on Cheese steaks and 16 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:38.159 controllers talk about wrestle quest gentleman, how's it going, good man? Well, 17 00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:42.560 I'm excited to come back where huge fans of cheesecake can control. You 18 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:48.120 can see how he ended up here. I I a cheese steak, cheesecake. 19 00:01:48.120 --> 00:01:55.280 I don't call him what every wanted on the show, Martin murpetin the 20 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:59.400 better find it all? That's correct, Amen to that. So last time 21 00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:04.920 we saw each there was Pax East. Zach was doing his very a very 22 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:10.599 good uh professional wrestling uh in that in that boxing ring that you got. 23 00:02:12.199 --> 00:02:14.719 Yeah, um, how did that feel? Getting into the ring. It's 24 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:19.319 as opposed to just watching from before, so honestly great, Like just even 25 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:21.879 when we had so for those I don't know, at PAXI East, we 26 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:27.439 had a real ring on site and we had real um indie pro wrestlers there. 27 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:30.159 Um when the wrestling wasn't going on, you know, we were in 28 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:32.560 the ring hanging out. We had a photo boot set up and just being 29 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:37.719 in the ring between the ropes up you know on a stand, it does 30 00:02:37.800 --> 00:02:40.080 make you just want to like bounce off the road, throw your friends around, 31 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:45.439 you just get giddy being in there. Um. So yeah, it 32 00:02:45.479 --> 00:02:47.280 was definitely a blast. And then we did do some you know, some 33 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:52.960 actual pro wrestling. We got a skip going on where my arch nemesis had 34 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:55.120 stole the game and wasn't going to release it, but we managed to defeat 35 00:02:55.199 --> 00:03:01.520 him. So yes, nothing says wrestling like, let's determine the ownership of 36 00:03:01.560 --> 00:03:07.800 this ip or this property then with a wrestling match. The only the only 37 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:10.439 other thing that Trump's stat is custody of a child. We've done that, 38 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:15.000 ay about eighteen years ago. So James, you're watching this match, You're 39 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:16.080 watching Zach, you know, do his thing in the ring, and you 40 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:20.360 have to be half excited and half oh my god, I hope he doesn't 41 00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:23.280 hurt himself. We have too much work to do between now all this right, 42 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:25.520 You know, it's funny we take so many risks and never crossed my 43 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:30.840 mind and at no point that I think Man of Zach breaks his neck would 44 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:34.800 happen. Let's keep thinking, go Zach finally living our dream in there. 45 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:38.439 You know, if you cly wrestle fied ourselves. What if I told you, 46 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:44.439 Jason that wrestle Quest was actually the prequel to Zach actually becoming a wrestler, 47 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:47.159 and the game is a second to that that that would be the most 48 00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:51.120 unique indie wrestling story for the last couple of years. I feel like, 49 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:57.800 if this game ends with Muchacho Man, Randy Santo's actually being Zach Manko and 50 00:03:57.879 --> 00:04:01.639 it's just like this live shot or he's the one playing with the zoys at 51 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:05.719 the end, opens the door and he's like it is screaming, Oh man, 52 00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:12.479 that's a great idea. There's your DLC pitch right there, Zach. 53 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:17.839 We're launching Zach's career. Now were they Were they local wrestlers to the Boston 54 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:21.040 area? Did you bring them from other parts of the country? How'd you? 55 00:04:21.399 --> 00:04:26.279 I noticed one of them at least I've already seen in my playthrough. 56 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:30.920 Uh he's standing. Where was he? Was he at the Macho Man statue? 57 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:34.800 I think? Yeah? Yeah? So they right? Caliro? So 58 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:39.360 are they were they local Boston or friends of yours? Like? How'd you 59 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:42.920 find them? So Cal is a friend of ours? They's are friends of 60 00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:46.879 ours? So Cal we met way back through bookings. His dad, David 61 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:53.279 has been like a career like wrestling community ambassador. He's just one of these 62 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:56.920 bookers that everybody loves. He just treats talent really well. He just is 63 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:00.800 really consistent guy. Love that and Cow's on the come up and we just 64 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:05.000 we met David, we just clicked immediately and he's loved like our kind of 65 00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:11.439 approach to like talent forward, transparency and the TAKERI Dy driven deals and he 66 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:13.680 was like, this was great. Not a lot of those all the time 67 00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:16.920 in wrestling. Let's find more ways to work together. And as we got 68 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:19.839 to know Cow, we like loved him. He's like a fanny pack gimmick, 69 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:24.759 which you can imagine as a retro gaming base, like retro company. 70 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:30.120 We have a soft spot for fanny packs. And then Vinnie Vinnie League Glamrock, 71 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:34.199 who was there. So Vinny was the original trademark copyright owner for the 72 00:05:34.360 --> 00:05:38.720 name Wrestling Quest, so he had an app he was working on. It 73 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:44.639 was intended to connect all of the different independent wrestling events into one place. 74 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:48.680 And it's funny like Vinny was working on that app while we were working in 75 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:54.879 the game and both using the name. We just made a put the barn 76 00:05:55.439 --> 00:06:00.079 like upside down like reverse Mortgar at our houses, placed a giant bad Vinnie 77 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:02.120 was like, every once in a while work on the zapp of my free 78 00:06:02.120 --> 00:06:08.399 time. And after many love letters and emails and phone calls eventually to his 79 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:10.839 employer to get a hold of him. We're able to come to terms on 80 00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:14.319 the wrestle Quest trademark, so we became we became friends. It's funny that 81 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:17.920 he's actually from Northern PA, but Vinny's like a good friend of us now, 82 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:20.240 like I like love. Then he was just talking to him this morning, 83 00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:26.519 and we knew we wanted something with Cal and Vinnie to connect as like 84 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:30.639 our two retros themed wrestlers. Like if you look at the Vinnie glam Rock's 85 00:06:30.680 --> 00:06:34.879 backstory, he's like electrocuted by Nintendo controller to become a wrestler. Pretty good 86 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:39.360 stuff. But we just knew they had to be together at some point. 87 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:44.519 So when we had our wish list item granted through sky bound up having the 88 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:47.079 ring live at Pax East, which was a feat in and of its own. 89 00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:50.720 Getting through all the insurance requirements, the paperwork, and getting all the 90 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:57.040 enforcers like comfortable with the idea of Zach wrestling everybody like, um, you 91 00:06:57.079 --> 00:07:00.360 know, we basically decided we wanted those folks to be there, and then 92 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:03.720 we wanted to get like top performing indie talent that for a casual wrestling audience 93 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:08.319 packs didn't get excited. And there's some folks that are like JT. Dunn, 94 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:12.600 who's like top three unsigned independent talent. Yeah right now, he's awesome. 95 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:16.839 You know. Um Zach actually has like a JT. Dunn collection on 96 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:21.600 his hard drive. Really that's true of his matches, though maybe it's Becca. 97 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:27.879 Actually we have different collections for different reasons. I'm just a fan of 98 00:07:27.879 --> 00:07:30.639 his Helism's like he's just a master heal. Yeah, he's my favorite. 99 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:34.920 Heel at paxis, Like I was dying every time he was like calling out 100 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:39.600 Yoshi or making like you know, Pokemon, You're never going to catch them 101 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:43.639 all. Like I was just so into all of his ad hoc like he 102 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:46.879 healss life, Like he was just great, you know, awesome performer. 103 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:49.720 But it's like we're just fans of wrestling, And so I made Wrestling Quest 104 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:55.000 and as we got to go through like the series of booking, it was 105 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:58.839 a lot of fun being able to work with David and some local promotions kind 106 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:01.560 of cherry pick, you know. Also we got to ask them like who, 107 00:08:01.959 --> 00:08:05.360 like which of them are wrestling and gaming fans and like that intersection was 108 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:09.879 key and which is plenty of hands to choose from. Not to mention a 109 00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:11.600 little mean Kathleen. I don't want to like go let her go unoticed. 110 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:16.360 She was hilarious. I remember distinctly locking eyes with you, Jason, whenever 111 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:18.920 we were watching watching their first card. But yeah, it was, it 112 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:20.959 was. It was a lot of fun. I'm really glad to pick that 113 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:26.800 up. That was. I would say top five proudest moments of being at 114 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:31.600 Megacat would be like looking over and seeing the team respond to like the crowd 115 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:35.000 of people, like going like wrest soul quest, so quest like that was. 116 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:39.480 It was pretty wild, man, And it's um it's the unifying energy 117 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:43.200 of wrestling right Like it was just like too much fun for people to ignore 118 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:48.399 all these like laps wrestling fans that had probably not watched wrestling in a long 119 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:54.000 time. We're just like vacuumed into the entertainment factor and uh, it was 120 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:56.559 just awesome. It was so much fun to be part of it. I 121 00:08:56.639 --> 00:08:58.320 wish every event we did was like that. I was just saying to the 122 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:01.080 team, I don't want to go to Pack's West this year because there's no 123 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:05.480 wrestling ring. What's the point, all right? Well, I mean you 124 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:09.000 could always resurrect backstage assault and just starts through and like like just put a 125 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:13.639 circle down and do hardcore in the parking lot. Maybe it's like a like 126 00:09:13.639 --> 00:09:20.200 a fiery totally. I'm sure they would. If you want to talk insurance 127 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:24.159 requirements, Oh dear, so one thing real quick, I do want to 128 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:28.559 I think a special mention. The one wrestler who sticks out in my head 129 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:33.120 besides Zach of course, was the Was he the Angel of Love? Was 130 00:09:33.159 --> 00:09:37.000 he cupid? Or I still think about that Kim Back and I'm like, 131 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:39.320 man, I wish I could see that a little more prevently. Who talk 132 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:46.320 to me about that guy? He's excellent. Look, get up the name 133 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:48.840 of that tag team right now? So they're through the heart, that's right, 134 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:52.519 Yeah, they're so good. Actually have an autographed date by ten from 135 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:58.559 the event somewhere. Yeah that that that was really cool? Did The entrance 136 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:03.200 was great? Right? It was just so good man excellent. So coming 137 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:07.120 out of packs East, I have to say two things. The crowd, 138 00:10:07.159 --> 00:10:11.799 like you said, was electric, And there was always a crowd at your 139 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:16.360 booth, whether it was in line for the photos or when you were doing 140 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:18.879 the wrestling matches. They were people watching through the glass and the catwalk. 141 00:10:20.200 --> 00:10:22.200 You were in prime position there. I don't know if you intended that, 142 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:26.639 but that was prime spots where people could still watch up above. It seemed 143 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:33.279 like excitement was high, and overall opinion of people I spoke to on the 144 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:37.799 floor and articles that I read after the fact was positive. Is that what 145 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:41.799 you took away too or were there some were there some things that maybe were 146 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:45.120 said to you or whatever that you you thought, Okay, this is something 147 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:46.600 we need to work on or what we need to focus on going forward. 148 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:50.879 We did get some feedback that was constructive, but it's good. Most of 149 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:56.879 it was like high fives and like heartwarming wrestling stories and mail for Zack's wrestling 150 00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:03.919 career. All right. It was honestly, it was a that'll be the 151 00:11:03.159 --> 00:11:07.320 first and maybe only ever trade show we go to where we just have fans 152 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:11.519 in line, just super hype, just telling us how excited they are about 153 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:15.120 the game. Because normally when we're at a trade show, one of the 154 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:18.279 main reasons we're there is to collect live, like dynamic feedback from like expert 155 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:22.559 players and looking ways to improve the game and see what we can learn from 156 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:28.000 these these like pre launched showings and because the rest request had been through so 157 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:33.919 many like fi fistfuls of focused groups and play sessions and events, it was 158 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:37.480 like it was like finally ready for its main event, right Like it didn't 159 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:41.840 just show up for Paxiast that year. We already brought it to two other 160 00:11:41.879 --> 00:11:46.440 Pax East and you know we worked on it for a while. So this 161 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:48.799 is this is where you went all out. This was no doubt, all 162 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:52.679 out, for no doubt, all out trademark that the owners I don't own 163 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:54.120 all that the people who want all out a lot. I'm just saying the 164 00:11:54.120 --> 00:12:01.320 two words leave you alone, Tony um. So my now have a done 165 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:03.679 that. I understand you are going to Comic Con this week, which is 166 00:12:03.799 --> 00:12:09.039 part of the reason why we have we have met where we're meeting today, 167 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:11.320 they will be at San Diego Comic Con. If you're listening to this and 168 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:13.960 you will be to check them out. I am the sky Bound booth. 169 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:16.600 I imagine you have demos there is that what will be? Do they have 170 00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:20.480 a wrestling ring for you this time? But I can't spoil what we have 171 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:24.039 this time not a wrestling ring, but it's pretty dope. I think. 172 00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:26.159 I think if you're a wrestling fan. There's gonna be a whole lot of 173 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:28.559 a whole lot of stuff to do them all right. Making a note, 174 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:33.879 since I won't be at Comic Con, ask after we are done talking today, 175 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:39.080 after I stop recording. Um, that's awesome cool. Um so yeah, 176 00:12:39.080 --> 00:12:41.639 so Thobe at San Diego Comic Con this week, you sold him at 177 00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:46.080 Paxy's launch is coming up soon. August the ninth, We are knocking on 178 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:50.279 the door. How do you feel going into the final month? You're in 179 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:52.320 the final month now before launch, five years in the making. Here we 180 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:56.519 are. What are both of you? What are your first thoughts when you 181 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:58.200 think, man, we are we are at the finish line? Well, 182 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:03.000 August eighth, actually wait, sorry, yeah, yeah, okay, gave 183 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:07.080 you a day. I would say I'm mostly worried about Zach's wrestling career these 184 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:11.919 days. The game. The game's ready, it's tests, it's localized, 185 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:16.399 it's balanced. We've been oiling and doing push ups and just smack talking each 186 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:20.000 other and just going hard for enough cycles now that we feel like the fans 187 00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:24.840 are ready to to get some wrestling. Question. So it's I can't wait 188 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:28.120 for Andy to push the button. Since Andy released still the games, but 189 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:31.240 um, yeah, doubt. Yeah. Everyone everyone's good at something, you 190 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:39.440 know, Shawn Michael's and that gift dude. Yeah, And it's like for 191 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.600 years he just stretching the fingers out, like make sure it's ready, you 192 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:46.879 know, lining up over the button, tapping race keys. But it's like 193 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:50.360 Mario teaches typing, but there's just one key, you know, the wrestle 194 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:56.080 Quest launch keyboard. And he's been pre training this the whole time. Um 195 00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:00.360 comes into the office. He slap at himself with the cheeks. Got this, 196 00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:03.279 no doubt. You know what I'm most excited about for rest Requests and 197 00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:07.399 this I guess it's also for Zach, but for anyone listening. We just 198 00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:11.960 packed rest Requests with Easter eggs and fan moments like so Daisy, and I 199 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:16.960 just cannot wait for people to find them and share them, because the few 200 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:20.799 that have little bits here and there would league or we share them with you 201 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.519 know, first party partners or promotional partners. Like the reaction has been so 202 00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:28.279 incredibly positive, Like it's it's just very obvious that it's crafted with care by 203 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:31.519 wrestling fans and RPG fans, and I just can't wait for people to share 204 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:37.720 some of these insane things we packed in UM for no good reason other than 205 00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:41.200 like love for it, like you've our commercial reason, and uh, I 206 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:43.879 just can't wait. I can't wait for like you know, Twitter to blow 207 00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:48.360 up with people finding some of these really wild things that we brought to life 208 00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:50.440 in the game. Zach, you want to do want to comment on that? 209 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:56.120 UM? Just as far as emotions leading up to launch UM, You're 210 00:14:56.159 --> 00:15:01.080 right, it has been this multi year long development, so it is kind 211 00:15:01.080 --> 00:15:05.120 of like very exciting, very sweaty time. I'm sure once it's actually launched, 212 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:07.840 it'll be like you know, like Bitter Sweet's like finishing like a movie 213 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:11.600 or a TV show or something. You're like wow, like you know, 214 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:16.919 it's almost like how what But I know that Wrestle Quest, we've definitely wrestle 215 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:22.759 Fight ourselves and I can't imagine the next project or excited to see the next 216 00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:28.080 project and taking that energy like into it, taking the mindset of like Wrestlification 217 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:31.879 and you know, stronger and more dramatic, more story, you know, 218 00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:35.919 more impact, more wild moments, that type of thing, and applying that 219 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:37.799 to you know, a game that has nothing to do with wrestling, and 220 00:15:37.799 --> 00:15:41.320 see what happens Okay, so you show that that actually answered a question I 221 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:45.639 had later on. If you're if you would concept in your next game, 222 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:48.440 if you have a choice, would it be trying to adapt something else to 223 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:50.200 an RPG or try to adapt wrestling to something else? So I think you 224 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:54.480 just answered my question. Oh man, Yeah, honestly like both. Like 225 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:58.600 I love RPGs, you know, definitely favorite genre. I don't have as 226 00:15:58.679 --> 00:16:00.000 much time to play them now as it did throwing up and whatnot. But 227 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:03.240 I mean, obviously that's one of the goals of wrestle Quest, was taking 228 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:07.519 that beloved JRPG formula and then updating the parts that have an aged so well, 229 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:11.440 exploring something that's completely new, you know, wrestle Quest is it's all 230 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:15.440 it's wrestling world, so you're not in another yet another like kind of fantasy 231 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:22.399 world. You know, it's this entirely new set up and everything. But 232 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:26.440 I would love to do another RPG, and just as we wrestle fight RPGs, 233 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:29.600 you know, maybe there's something else you can adapt to that formula. 234 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:32.799 But I think the lens that we did it through with wrestle Quests, you 235 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:37.600 can take sort of the spirit behind it, if not the actual you know, 236 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:44.799 boots to the ground tactics, right, James with au there, I 237 00:16:44.919 --> 00:16:49.480 wish every game we did was wrestling base wrestling inspired. I would say that 238 00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:53.399 there is a couple of different times throughout this process, Zack and I talked 239 00:16:53.440 --> 00:17:00.039 about just rebranding like Wressell Cats Studios and like we've opted talked about the wrestle 240 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:06.559 vacation and how like I mean really, um, wrestling can be used across 241 00:17:06.599 --> 00:17:11.799 any mechanic, any genre, and there's nothing preventing us from even aside from 242 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:15.000 what we hope is Russel quest too, like everything can benefit from a little 243 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:19.000 bit of wrestling powder. Agree with that at all? I thought, I 244 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:25.799 wonder if wrestle powder, um, almost's a powder and not you know shot, 245 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:27.960 We're okay, uh. I want to add to that, Jason. 246 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.480 I was pretty bummed out to see that the domain name wrestlvania was taken because 247 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:36.960 I was like, that was going to be good one. But well that 248 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:40.720 and you might be able to console a fellow Indy. I think you're still 249 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:44.559 in the studio. H the guacamelea team because they basically did that with Luja 250 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:48.240 Libre. They made an eventuvania. Um, but yeah, Wrestlvania. Oh 251 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:51.960 God, I like that. I like that a lot. Um, I 252 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:55.079 was actually I mean, I had been following the game, so I knew 253 00:17:55.079 --> 00:17:56.759 what you were coming into, what you were you were trying to do here, 254 00:17:57.079 --> 00:18:02.759 But I was surprised with how many people came away impressed that, like 255 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:04.680 the whole I'm not a wrestling fan, I'm an RPG fan and this still 256 00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:11.119 works for me. Right, that's sort of opinion um prevalent throughout packs East. 257 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:15.079 I know I've read it again after this most recent preview run. What 258 00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:18.920 last week I think in Bargo was, if I remember correctly, Um, 259 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:22.799 did you expect that? Like, were you hoping for that sort of reaction 260 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:26.640 where you get the non wrestling fans to play the RPG? You figured you 261 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:30.000 had the wrestling fans to try out the RPG format. I feel like, 262 00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:33.039 if I have to, it would be easier to convince a wrestling fan to 263 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:34.920 try this then it would be to convince an RPG fan to try this. 264 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:40.359 Does that make sense? Um? Do you think you have done that so 265 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:45.240 far before we've gotten you know, since we first started the game. Um, 266 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:48.240 I don't know. I don't want to speak for Zach. He's a 267 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:49.240 whole lot to say on this topic. But and he'll beat you up. 268 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:53.079 He's a wrestler now, dude. Trust me. He lets everybody know. 269 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:59.720 I just break their chairs before they get to work. A d it's a 270 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:02.359 drive any minutes to fill its gas tank these days because you keep cause of 271 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:07.319 trouble with every gas station attendant. He just greets people with an Okada elbow. 272 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:11.319 Jimmy Johns will deliver to the office. You know, everyone's very hunger 273 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:15.519 here. But that the you know, the the origin of Wrestle Requests design 274 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:21.519 was how do we take like a genre we have so much reverence for that 275 00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:23.599 we like, were raised by, that we love and we know as a 276 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:29.440 player what goes into progression and systems and balancing and like, just to make 277 00:19:29.480 --> 00:19:33.160 a good RPG or a great RPG it's the goal. It's like, it's 278 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:37.559 massive undertaking. And you know, we decided from a product standpoint that if 279 00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:41.799 we were going to double or triple down on Wrestle quest as we did, 280 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:45.480 that, we had to make it accessible to someone who doesn't like wrestling. 281 00:19:45.559 --> 00:19:49.480 So we've been focusing on since day zero, how do we make it a 282 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:55.039 great RPG through wrestling lens and the wrestling characters come to life and we can 283 00:19:55.079 --> 00:19:59.960 actually introduce people to wrestling. And I say, like top five produs moment 284 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:03.119 for Make a Cat. One of them was the ring And one of them 285 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:04.319 that I think shared with a lot of the team members is we had a 286 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:07.119 like a member of the press at the first pack. Heats have played it 287 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:12.279 that like discovered wrestling through wrestle Quest and he wrote he wrote this as awesome 288 00:20:12.359 --> 00:20:15.440 like fanmail later it was like months later and he's like, I took your 289 00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:19.200 advice and I started with the WrestleManias and he's like, can I just subcribe 290 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:25.079 to subscribe to Peacock. He's like, now I'm like consuming every Sunday a 291 00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:26.279 few hours of it for fun. And he's like, I just love this 292 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:30.960 so much. He's like, you brought all the fun that I find in 293 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:36.240 like anime through this larger than life instead of real characters. And he's like, 294 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:37.720 I just can't deal with that. Plus a nostalgia. He's like, 295 00:20:37.720 --> 00:20:41.960 I feel like I missed out on twenty years of wrestling and you like saved 296 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:45.839 me from losing twenty more, like thank you so much. It was just 297 00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:48.559 this really great email. I remember showing the team, I'm like, well, 298 00:20:48.039 --> 00:20:52.400 I guess we won voice. You know, like, even if we 299 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.400 don't ship the game, what else can we say? We changed someone's lives, 300 00:20:55.400 --> 00:20:56.319 We change the lives around here? What do you do with your game? 301 00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:59.839 You know? And the team was like, we're shipping the game though, 302 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:02.240 you guess of course, yeah, no doubt. I'm like, I'm 303 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:03.920 like, as you guys, come down, We're just here to evangelize wrestling 304 00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:08.359 fans, you know, Like it's but it's it's like a you can't make 305 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:12.960 that stuff up. It's like some of my favorite memories of being at Megacat 306 00:21:14.039 --> 00:21:18.559 have been these like profoundly cool fan moments for people today they proposed or their 307 00:21:18.599 --> 00:21:22.640 wives playing whatever games are they. You know, all all those things are 308 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:26.960 what you really remember way later after the medic critic, after the sales, 309 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:30.920 and and it's like the the idea that we introduce people to something we love 310 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:34.960 so dearly, like that is just amazing. So exactly. I don't mean 311 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:37.680 it to keep down of that. I know I know how much you care 312 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:41.119 about all these things. Please like share your sentiment totally. I mean, 313 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:44.720 from from the ground up, the game is always meant to appeal to both 314 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:48.480 audiences, wrestling fans j RPG fans, And it's weird because you know, 315 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:52.759 we were very shocked that rest of the pro wrestling hasn't been explored through an 316 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:56.880 RPG, you know, prior to this um just because there is so much 317 00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:02.160 shared blood there between the larger life characters, the storytelling, you know, 318 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:04.720 these betrayals, dramatic reveals, even a boss fight. A boss fight and 319 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:07.079 RPG. I mean that's like a pay per view for wrestling, yep, 320 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:12.079 so there's there's you know, obviously all of those correlations are explored. Sou 321 00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:17.359 I was also pleased to see people come up and like say like, well 322 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:21.599 I love RPG's but never never watch wrestling, and then play the demo at 323 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:22.599 the booth and the come away like, but this is awesome. I can't 324 00:22:22.599 --> 00:22:26.799 wait. You know, maybe I should check out wrestling now. And um 325 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:30.599 So, anytime someone's playing, I always preface like RBG fan, wrestling fan, 326 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:33.759 both neither, and no matter what they seem, to come away like 327 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:38.160 just pump the game. So happy to hear that. Yeah, now in 328 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:42.920 in your wrestlification of the JRPG, I do want to talk about that panel 329 00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:47.880 too. At Paxy's was excellent. Um, did you find that there was 330 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:51.839 a part of pro wrestling, like a certain section whatever it may be, 331 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:57.200 that didn't fit as well into the RPG formula as you kind of hoped it 332 00:22:57.240 --> 00:23:00.960 would. Like you have obviously wrestlers, you have moves, you have the 333 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:03.960 pin mechanic, which I also want to talk about. That's great, um, 334 00:23:04.119 --> 00:23:08.240 Managers as a passive fourth party member, was there any facet of pro 335 00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:11.720 wrestling that you were like, well, we can incorporate it this way, 336 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:15.440 but it may not be to its full potential? Does that make sense? 337 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:18.880 Was so how I'm getting at there? Um? I think there's some stuff 338 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:21.960 that we probably could have taken like to the next level, and that had 339 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:23.680 we had we had to do over a wrestle quest too, that will definitely 340 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:29.440 you know address like. Um, obviously, wrestling is very physical, and 341 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:33.079 I do think that the combat and wrestle Quest reflects that well while maintaining a 342 00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:37.839 turn based framework. Um, but I think there's there's additional things we could 343 00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:41.319 do to make it, you know, pop off even more in the next 344 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:48.200 go round. James, You know, we we have over ten thousand hand 345 00:23:48.279 --> 00:23:52.799 drawn sprites and wrestle quests just a crazy amount of art and you know, 346 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:56.880 part of like the spectacle and fun and the just insane handcrafted moment. I 347 00:23:56.000 --> 00:24:00.079 wish we had more in budget and timeline for that. I could probably have 348 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:03.319 worked on rest the Quest forever. So I take it with a grain of 349 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:06.799 salt, but I'd like, I love the setup. I love like, 350 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:10.920 you know, cutting, cutting promos and you know, having these big moments, 351 00:24:10.920 --> 00:24:15.920 and I wish we had enough budget improven market for what everyone said was 352 00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:19.200 not going to land to be able to capture things like you know, crazy 353 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:25.799 camera finishing moments and like these, like the dramatic you know scenes and dramatic 354 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:29.240 moments within a match of a boss battle and actually really zooming in and having 355 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:33.240 just insanely cool additional animations, which we already did a lot for that. 356 00:24:33.319 --> 00:24:36.319 But it's true, it's like, I feel like that's just um as a 357 00:24:36.359 --> 00:24:38.359 wrestling fans, and I could have used even more of like just pour that 358 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:42.079 sauce until it was over the cup. You know. Yep, that's fair. 359 00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:45.200 No, that's completely fair. And again, with since your hand rolling 360 00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:48.680 these animations, that the game's already taken five years, you don't want it 361 00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:56.559 to take five more for something with eighty year old James the egan all of 362 00:24:56.599 --> 00:25:03.039 a sudden. So let's get into that panel that you had at Packs East 363 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:07.440 to rectification. The JRP was a restification of JRPG, jfication of pro wrestling 364 00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:11.960 the name okay, restification of job. I thought it was a fascinating talk 365 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:17.759 that really got into like your philosophy behind this game. I loved the mentions 366 00:25:17.799 --> 00:25:21.640 of Super Mario RPG, which, by the way, our time has come. 367 00:25:21.960 --> 00:25:26.440 That game is finally back after twenty seven years. So I remember seeing 368 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:30.000 that trailer and being like the Wrestle Quest, guys are gonna love this. 369 00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:33.200 Like I cried. I don't know about you, but I cried. But 370 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:38.400 anyway, um, I cry every day. My eyes are welling again. 371 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:42.759 Don't bring it up during the interview, Jason. You know I feel about 372 00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:48.400 Gino Mallow every time you do it. It's so good. Uh. And 373 00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:49.880 it looked great. Okay, Yeah, I could do an entire interview on 374 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:52.720 that, and you didn't. You guys didn't make that. We're talking about 375 00:25:52.759 --> 00:25:56.880 the game that you made. Um, So for those who weren't at the 376 00:25:56.920 --> 00:26:00.519 panel, or you're doing it again at San Diego, right, bigger and 377 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:04.920 better bigger and better, more wrestlers this time too. So for oh oh 378 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:08.359 so for some poor sap who was at back ceased and wasn't at San Diego 379 00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:12.359 Comicon me, or won't be at San Diego Comicon, talk to me about 380 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:17.000 what you might touch on here that you've added since the last time, or 381 00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:21.839 maybe expanded upon certain topics that were addressed in that padel that you've had some 382 00:26:21.920 --> 00:26:25.000 time to like flesh out this time. Well, zact before you take over, 383 00:26:25.480 --> 00:26:30.079 I wanted to add that Sergeant Slaughter, Jake the Snake, Jeff Jarrett 384 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:33.359 are going to be giving the panel with us. Oh that's awesome Comicon. 385 00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:36.480 Yeah, and uh, you know Serge has been making his act with out 386 00:26:36.480 --> 00:26:41.200 of push ups constantly. Good, yeah, lots of that. Yeah. 387 00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:45.240 And then just in general, um, you know, we're able to go 388 00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:48.279 a little bit further behind the curtain for like how these folks were involved more 389 00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:52.680 than just licenses, Like we've been really specific and that like some of the 390 00:26:52.759 --> 00:26:56.680 talent um, you know, we've actually been able to apply their creative and 391 00:26:56.759 --> 00:27:00.720 some of their insights on what is like actually being on the road or what 392 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:04.200 it's like living through this independent depressional circuit. Basis, and they definitely asked 393 00:27:04.200 --> 00:27:07.279 some stories to tell, so those folks, those folks are part of the 394 00:27:07.319 --> 00:27:12.319 panel this time. And then the head wrestle father himself, Zack, please, 395 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:15.400 you know, talk us to talk a little bit about the Rustification panel 396 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:19.559 because we just got done redoing it, like the three taking all the different 397 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:25.759 I want to say, like fan service moments or questions and requests people have 398 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:29.519 had, and making sure that that's front and center to give them all the 399 00:27:29.720 --> 00:27:33.480 other raditional wish lists information they wanted to see. That's fair. Yeah, 400 00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:37.240 I think as far as you know what's been expanded on or what's been added 401 00:27:37.240 --> 00:27:42.640 since Pass East besides what James mentioned, really the focus on now on the 402 00:27:42.680 --> 00:27:48.799 section about JRPG like tropes or staples and how we wrestle fied them. Like 403 00:27:48.839 --> 00:27:52.839 we talked a little bit about the combat, but really the idea of restification 404 00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:55.720 is making it, you know, adding wrestling, so making it bigger, 405 00:27:56.000 --> 00:28:00.680 you know, sweatier, more spectacle. So something even as simple as opening 406 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:04.359 a locked door in a RPG, it's this mundane mechanic you find everywhere, 407 00:28:04.400 --> 00:28:07.960 So how do you wrestlefy that? How do you turn that into something that's 408 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:11.480 a delight for the player, and we did in Wrestle Quest is instead of 409 00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:14.519 locked doors, you find tables blocking your path, and if you know anything 410 00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:17.759 about wrestling, you know that table's getting smashed. So instead of finding a 411 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:21.279 key, you find this token that summons an NPC wrestler that you pick up 412 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:22.359 and slammed at the tables. So now when you open a door, it's 413 00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:26.440 this. You know, it's this funny, awesome animation if your guy pile 414 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:30.519 driving it, and it's different for whatever lead character you have to So I 415 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:33.599 mean, even that little bit mixes it up and adds that flair. But 416 00:28:33.640 --> 00:28:38.960 again it's about taking these like kind of stay at elements and amping them up 417 00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:44.160 wrestlefying them. I love that table spot. By the way, the first 418 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:48.000 time I did it in the in the Pink Shop. It's early in the 419 00:28:48.039 --> 00:28:49.960 game, so anybody who's who's gonna play it, that's not a big spoiler. 420 00:28:51.400 --> 00:28:53.319 But oh man, as soon as I did that for the first time, 421 00:28:53.319 --> 00:28:56.319 but I realized what was actually happening, I'm like wow. And I 422 00:28:56.400 --> 00:29:00.680 played that in the demo at PAX season I did it again in the preview 423 00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:03.440 build, and I don't know if I just forgot where I put it out 424 00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:06.000 of my mind, but to see it again, I was like, oh, 425 00:29:06.119 --> 00:29:10.720 yeah, this is still awesome even the second time. So I loved 426 00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:15.200 I love that mechanic there. I also like that you have two stories going 427 00:29:15.240 --> 00:29:21.039 on. I didn't remember that. So Randy Santos Mucaco Man voiced by Patrick 428 00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:23.440 Kikey, is the main guy. He's he's the guy that you've had. 429 00:29:23.440 --> 00:29:26.640 He's front and center in the posters and everything else. But there's a whole 430 00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:30.880 other side story going on here, which I feel like is more rooted in 431 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:36.400 wrestling history. I'm getting I'm sure this is intentional. I'm getting major Heart 432 00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:41.160 Family vibes from this other story. There's a dungeon in the basement, it's 433 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:45.400 in the north, There's a whole all these different sort of things that are 434 00:29:45.400 --> 00:29:49.480 given me this edge. So is this like, is the is the Muchaco 435 00:29:49.559 --> 00:29:55.160 Man's story like the RPG story, and then the other story like the wrestling 436 00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:57.640 history story. I imagine they're going to blend at some point, But how 437 00:29:57.960 --> 00:30:02.799 how is that? How was like writing two different stories to come together? 438 00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:06.440 Were did you intend to do that or did you try to put a little 439 00:30:06.440 --> 00:30:11.279 bit of history into both? A might making sense here, I feel like 440 00:30:11.319 --> 00:30:15.359 I'm not making any sense here. I don't know. Just the Logan story 441 00:30:15.400 --> 00:30:19.799 seems like it's more steeped in wrestling history for the before Jack action. I'm 442 00:30:19.799 --> 00:30:22.119 saying, Becazach that can go deep on this, But I would argue that 443 00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:26.680 there's many great legacy wrestling families, like sure, the Roads and the Funks, 444 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:32.119 and it's like, you know, Bring definitely intended to like like the 445 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:36.440 Logan families intended to be this homegrown wrestling dynasty. And also when we talked 446 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:38.799 about laying out the world map, but the different styles of wrestling and the 447 00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:44.680 regions of wrestling, and you know, we had to have something with the 448 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:48.599 great history of Canadian wrestler could just so many of them, right, And 449 00:30:48.119 --> 00:30:52.680 all that said, we did sign bred Hart, then we had to terminate 450 00:30:52.759 --> 00:30:56.519 the agreement, so that sucks. Thanks Jason, But oh, I don't 451 00:30:56.519 --> 00:31:00.519 know, I'm just messing around, but it's it's yeah, I mean, 452 00:31:00.519 --> 00:31:04.319 it was like our part of our original product was was to have like something 453 00:31:04.359 --> 00:31:07.920 representing all these pillars, and then when we signed Brett, we went really 454 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:12.319 deep on Brink. And then whenever Brett was terminated with wwwe purchasing out everything. 455 00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:17.960 We had to make some really hard changes, and we decided we loved 456 00:31:18.319 --> 00:31:21.720 like the Locan family too much, so we just we just made sure that 457 00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:26.920 there was enough about it that was not just heart based. And and there's 458 00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:30.880 so much to that too. There's probably fifty wrestling the families we found that 459 00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:34.400 are multigenerational, that are just these rich, kind of bleeding grounds of just 460 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:40.359 crazy wrestling talent that the industry wouldn't be the same without them. And there's 461 00:31:40.400 --> 00:31:44.960 just an epic number of Canadian wrestlers, like just crazy good talent that comes 462 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:48.799 out of Canada. And oh yeah, I mean it's like it's probably ten 463 00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:53.279 pages of content on Wikipedia for Canadian wrestlers. Like if you know Chris Jericho, 464 00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:56.559 it's a great one, right. It's like, you know, there's 465 00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:00.920 actually a number of wrestling schools and independent wrestling feds through Canada, which is 466 00:32:00.920 --> 00:32:06.599 not a great slog for traveling. He actually gets a folks from my Jim 467 00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:09.480 the wrestle in Nova Scotia and but you know, locally here and pitching Jim. 468 00:32:09.559 --> 00:32:15.240 But it's it's definitely am like I would say like celebrated sports on hockey, 469 00:32:15.359 --> 00:32:19.799 you know, but it's a right, it's definitely like a celebrated Canadian 470 00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:22.839 event. But Zach, I know you know the logans personally. I know 471 00:32:22.839 --> 00:32:28.319 you actually went to school with Brink, so yeah, yeah, totally got 472 00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:31.599 stretched in the same gyms. Um. So, as far as the difference 473 00:32:31.640 --> 00:32:36.319 between we chatch Himan and Brink Logan, we chatch hi Man is this storied 474 00:32:36.359 --> 00:32:39.599 eide innocent like love wrestling his whole life, and his thing is that he 475 00:32:39.720 --> 00:32:45.000 exists in constant cafe like for him, wrestling is all real, all the 476 00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:47.960 time, um. Whereas Brink is very much in the know, like he's 477 00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:52.559 a mid card jobber in his father's promotion and he does it even though he's 478 00:32:52.599 --> 00:32:57.079 like very technically capable. He's actually a very you know, proficient wrestler. 479 00:32:57.400 --> 00:33:00.519 He's willing to take on that role to help the family business out, like 480 00:33:00.519 --> 00:33:02.079 he understands like Okay, these guys are you know hot right now, Like 481 00:33:02.279 --> 00:33:06.240 sure, I'll help put them over. But it grates on him where he 482 00:33:06.559 --> 00:33:09.680 wants to be a champion because he knows he is the better wrestler, whereas 483 00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:17.319 Muchacha man um he wants to be a hero, like he sees these faces 484 00:33:17.359 --> 00:33:20.359 on screen, he's like I want to be like that. I want to 485 00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:23.079 be this super good guy. So for him, his journey is more about 486 00:33:23.160 --> 00:33:29.799 how do I become this this hero his face without compromising that starry idealism, 487 00:33:29.880 --> 00:33:32.160 like without you know, if it gets into the ins and outs of the 488 00:33:32.200 --> 00:33:36.599 industry. How does he do that without compromising without losing his soul? Really 489 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:39.160 is kind of like the his narrative, whereas Brinks is more about, well, 490 00:33:39.160 --> 00:33:42.960 how do I become a champion on my own terms? How do I 491 00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:46.359 get the get the belt without you know, kind of shoving my family to 492 00:33:46.440 --> 00:33:51.279 the side, letting the family business down. How do I spread my wings, 493 00:33:51.519 --> 00:33:54.599 you know, without kicking dirt my family's face type of thing. So 494 00:33:54.640 --> 00:33:59.480 they're sort of like opposite sides of the same coin Muchacha Man is very like 495 00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:02.119 rash and bold and raisin, and that speaks to like his move set, 496 00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:07.079 whereas Brank you know, is opposite colors, cool colors, calm, cool, 497 00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:12.360 collected. He's professional um in his style is less grandiose and more technical, 498 00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:15.960 wrestling based and everything. So and that that plays into the game mechanics 499 00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:20.119 as well, which Joaman is more more like hard hitting, spread attack, 500 00:34:20.199 --> 00:34:22.360 damage type things, whereas Brinks is more disabling attacks and I'll put you in 501 00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:27.000 a submission. Hold add a deebuff that type of thing. Love. I 502 00:34:27.119 --> 00:34:30.480 love that dichotomy too. There's two different, two different play styles. But 503 00:34:30.679 --> 00:34:34.280 you also in the in the sections with Brink Logan, you have his brother 504 00:34:35.320 --> 00:34:37.360 who is more of the hard hitter, so you still have that. And 505 00:34:37.400 --> 00:34:42.679 then the sister shows up after a while. Um, she's interesting. She 506 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:47.840 she what what sort of uh rpg archetype? I guess were you thinking of 507 00:34:47.920 --> 00:34:52.039 with her? Is she just more like a like a supporting for the other 508 00:34:52.039 --> 00:34:55.000 two. She's got a couple of pretty good moves on her road. I 509 00:34:55.159 --> 00:35:00.760 love the name saddle Sore. I love that it's star. Yeah. So 510 00:35:00.800 --> 00:35:05.119 what were you thinking when you when you were developing the three family members next 511 00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:07.400 to each other, trying to create a bit of a balance. So Selene, 512 00:35:07.400 --> 00:35:13.039 we'll start with her. Um, she brings little sister and she's not 513 00:35:13.119 --> 00:35:15.400 as involved with the family promotion. She's more of like an indie darling where 514 00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:19.760 she, you know, runs the circuit. She goes from promotion promotion promotion, 515 00:35:19.840 --> 00:35:23.039 and she has this whole cowgirl gimmick which does fit some of the Canadian 516 00:35:23.480 --> 00:35:30.199 styles as well stampede, that's right. And as far as like what RPG 517 00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:32.519 class she would fall into, there is a large playable cast and resequist. 518 00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:37.719 It's twelve. Overall, she's what I would consider more of like a dualist 519 00:35:37.760 --> 00:35:42.159 almost, where she has high agility and then a kind of high risk, 520 00:35:42.239 --> 00:35:47.000 high reward maneuvers where a lot of her move set is based around counters. 521 00:35:47.079 --> 00:35:50.679 So you know, you can activate a counter like that's your turn, and 522 00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:52.559 then you basically entice the enemy to attack you. And you can do that 523 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:58.320 with different equipment and manager abilities and what not to draw fire to one specific 524 00:35:58.400 --> 00:36:00.440 character. And she has pound set up, you know, where someone rushes 525 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:04.639 at her, she'll interrupt their move and then whip them into the ropes and 526 00:36:04.920 --> 00:36:07.920 follow up with the back elbow or things like that. Um, the trade 527 00:36:07.920 --> 00:36:09.960 off is that she's kind of squishy. She is like low HP, low 528 00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:14.480 defense, So it's it's again it's all about that kind of like high risk, 529 00:36:14.559 --> 00:36:16.079 high reward. And then how you play into that, you know, 530 00:36:16.159 --> 00:36:20.800 do you double down and equip all those mechanics and all that equipment and those 531 00:36:20.840 --> 00:36:24.199 managers to make those opportunities happen, or do you you know, take a 532 00:36:24.199 --> 00:36:28.800 more measured approach and instead, you know, put heavy armor or put a 533 00:36:28.840 --> 00:36:32.440 manager that can buffer defenses. That so if those you know, those setups 534 00:36:32.440 --> 00:36:37.760 fail, she won't be as as as damaged. Yeah yeah, yeah, 535 00:36:37.880 --> 00:36:39.000 no, go for it. I was gonna say, just to I know, 536 00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:42.079 we talked about it a little bit. For those listening who haven't played 537 00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:45.039 the game yet, I haven't seen a game yet. Managers are passive members 538 00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:50.800 of your party who you can equip, essentially to give a buff to the 539 00:36:50.960 --> 00:36:52.519 entire team. Give like like a park that runs, a passive park that 540 00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:57.559 runs throughout the entire match. The first one you run into is the Alligator. 541 00:36:57.639 --> 00:37:00.760 His name alludes to him like slimy, slimy, I mean, uh 542 00:37:00.119 --> 00:37:04.480 so, and then you'll find more throughout the adventure that you can add to 543 00:37:04.519 --> 00:37:07.559 your party. Equip one at the time, right, it's one one propt 544 00:37:07.599 --> 00:37:09.480 one from battle, uh and then they provide past so go ahead. Sorry 545 00:37:09.679 --> 00:37:13.679 yeah yeah no. The manager is great. Um. Quick side note, 546 00:37:13.960 --> 00:37:17.000 some of the legends you can actually unlock as uh as managers love that. 547 00:37:17.840 --> 00:37:22.360 Yeah, I love that. That's cool, um cool, Yeah, that's 548 00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:27.239 that's awesome. So I want to get back into real quick. Some of 549 00:37:27.239 --> 00:37:30.840 the mechanics in the game. I know we talked about the pin first off, 550 00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:35.639 but before we get into that, you mentioned equipping the abilities and things 551 00:37:35.639 --> 00:37:38.280 like that. I love the gimmick system. I think that's a really cool 552 00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:43.639 way to implement. Like if a wrestler is a powerhouse, you can you 553 00:37:43.679 --> 00:37:46.800 can know there are obvious, you know, perks and downsides to that, 554 00:37:47.079 --> 00:37:52.159 and they are incorporated here. A technician is one and and so talk to 555 00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:57.519 me about developing that system and figuring out a way to get these different wrestling 556 00:37:57.519 --> 00:38:00.599 market types into an RPG. But not like as a class system. It's 557 00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:04.599 a little more to it than that. That's definitely where it started out, 558 00:38:04.599 --> 00:38:07.440 the idea of JRPG classes. You know, you have your your wizard or 559 00:38:07.440 --> 00:38:10.199 your fighter, your thief, et cetera. And that's reflected in the cast 560 00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:14.599 a little bit like each one lends themselves to that to an extent. But 561 00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:16.719 again, like that system is you know, it's been it's been done, 562 00:38:16.760 --> 00:38:21.320 everyone knows it, it's recognizable. How do we wrestlefy it? So wrestling 563 00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:24.320 you have again these these sort of archetypes where the powerhouse, big strong guys, 564 00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:28.480 the high flyer. You know, these lucolibre, you know, deathstifying, 565 00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:31.360 moves off the top rope and whatnotum. So we tied that into the 566 00:38:31.400 --> 00:38:36.679 other combat mechanics for wrestle quests, most notably the hype meter. The hype 567 00:38:36.719 --> 00:38:42.840 meter is peers in every battle and it's an indication of the audience's engagement with 568 00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:45.760 the fight. So if you come in and you're just tapping the attack button 569 00:38:45.800 --> 00:38:47.320 all the time on autopilot, like you know, like you used to do 570 00:38:47.320 --> 00:38:52.119 an RPGs UM, the audience is going to get bored and that meter drains 571 00:38:52.159 --> 00:38:54.400 out and then your enemies get stronger. But if you approach combat with you 572 00:38:54.440 --> 00:38:58.239 know, a little bit of strategy, you can have that meter sway in 573 00:38:58.280 --> 00:39:02.639 your favor instead. When you do, you get more damage, better experience 574 00:39:02.679 --> 00:39:07.960 points, better loot after the battle. So it's all ties back into controlling 575 00:39:07.960 --> 00:39:09.639 that. And the hype types are how you do that, you know, 576 00:39:10.559 --> 00:39:17.320 and they determine how you generate height. So the powerhouse type will generate whenever 577 00:39:17.320 --> 00:39:22.000 you attacks someone or whenever he you know, chaos someone, the technician whenever 578 00:39:22.119 --> 00:39:29.719 he nails a button prompt or inflicts a status effect. So it's the idea 579 00:39:29.800 --> 00:39:34.599 beyond restification is a player agency. Too many times in RPGs, you have 580 00:39:34.639 --> 00:39:37.320 a limited sort of way to express your move set, and there's a little 581 00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:40.480 crossover between the characters, and in some cases it might even seem like, 582 00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:44.840 well, all my characters interchangeable at a certain point, like they're they're more 583 00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:46.880 or less they can all do the same damage. There's no really, there's 584 00:39:46.920 --> 00:39:51.960 no point to have anyone in my party restile guests. We really try to 585 00:39:52.639 --> 00:39:55.480 give the player the freedom to choose their party and then choose their strategy in 586 00:39:55.519 --> 00:40:00.360 combat. So you can just go for straight damage and hope Tom the hype 587 00:40:00.360 --> 00:40:04.239 meter that way, or you know, you can choose your manager, choose 588 00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:08.000 your equipment, choose your character. Is based on inflicting debuffs, and that's 589 00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:10.519 a whole new strategy, and that's a whole new way to get that hype 590 00:40:10.519 --> 00:40:15.679 meter pumped up again. It's all about giving players agency in a genre where 591 00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:20.840 they typically don't have as much, right, Yeah, which makes a lot 592 00:40:20.840 --> 00:40:23.440 of sense. Like I said, it feels more pro wrestling than it does 593 00:40:23.760 --> 00:40:30.920 basic JRPT classes. And I find myself going into party building, like when 594 00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:36.480 I'm crafting it to go to the next section of the game based on that, 595 00:40:36.519 --> 00:40:37.400 Like, if this guy's going to be the technician, I need to 596 00:40:37.440 --> 00:40:40.840 make sure he's you know, built like a technician or a powerhouse and stuff 597 00:40:40.840 --> 00:40:45.400 like that. I really do enjoy that. So this pin mechanic, right, 598 00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:49.480 I have. My only criticism of this game so far is that I 599 00:40:49.519 --> 00:40:53.599 want the pin mechanic to be a solid one two three, like it has 600 00:40:53.639 --> 00:40:58.599 been my entire life watching wrestling. But it doesn't work like that. Sometimes 601 00:40:58.639 --> 00:41:00.679 you can do a little one two and then three, or if you're lucky 602 00:41:00.760 --> 00:41:04.960 enough, you can get it a quick three count stuff like that. Um, 603 00:41:06.079 --> 00:41:07.760 have you heard as other people said this to you about how it's not 604 00:41:07.840 --> 00:41:15.079 the normal like normal like cadence, normal cadence, and whether or not it 605 00:41:15.119 --> 00:41:17.320 took them some time to get used to that. I think more so than 606 00:41:17.480 --> 00:41:22.039 the idea of like the cadence of the one two three, we spent a 607 00:41:22.159 --> 00:41:27.599 lot of time thinking, even back to the first Packs East where we kind 608 00:41:27.599 --> 00:41:30.519 of like debuted wrestle Quest in twenty twenty two to now in twenty twenty three. 609 00:41:30.559 --> 00:41:34.159 Even since then, like you know, it's come leaps and bounds, 610 00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:38.119 but tweaking the difficulty has been the major standing point there because you know, 611 00:41:38.199 --> 00:41:40.960 as we play tests, we become experts and we're able to nail it, 612 00:41:42.000 --> 00:41:44.880 and then we show it live and people are like, wow, this is 613 00:41:44.920 --> 00:41:47.199 hard, and you know, we realized that fifty percent of people struggle with 614 00:41:47.199 --> 00:41:50.719 it, and then make it easier and you know, add some other things 615 00:41:50.719 --> 00:41:53.199 to make it feel nicer. So I think more so than matching that cadence, 616 00:41:53.239 --> 00:41:58.800 it's been a it's a way of making it have good game feel first. 617 00:42:00.159 --> 00:42:02.519 That's been our priority. Yeah, I would I would say there were 618 00:42:02.559 --> 00:42:06.960 a couple of times where, even after I got the flow of it, 619 00:42:07.559 --> 00:42:12.239 where I would miss um mostly on three I noticed a two count not on 620 00:42:12.320 --> 00:42:16.440 purpose, I promise, and like I was like, oh wow, I 621 00:42:16.519 --> 00:42:20.320 missed that, and it caught me by surprise, so I was a little 622 00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:25.000 more engaged and ready for the next time the pin being able to pin in 623 00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:29.760 general, how did you decide what enemies to pin and which enemies to not 624 00:42:29.840 --> 00:42:32.280 Because some enemies I can just knock out, or some I can do this 625 00:42:32.639 --> 00:42:38.920 pin mechanic. And are there benefits to pinning as opposed to knocking out? 626 00:42:38.920 --> 00:42:42.840 Because I think I also noticed if I failed enough times, I just beat 627 00:42:42.880 --> 00:42:47.199 them. So is there an added besides maybe like extra bonus at the end 628 00:42:47.840 --> 00:42:52.800 to nailing that pin timing or did you think did you ever float the idea 629 00:42:52.840 --> 00:42:57.079 of the pin is the only way you can beat them? Yeah, So 630 00:42:57.440 --> 00:43:01.079 it comes back to the idea about balance for one. And then also, 631 00:43:01.760 --> 00:43:05.760 I don't know if you'd call it quality of life or what, but if 632 00:43:05.800 --> 00:43:09.519 we made every enemy pinnable, which was originally what we intended, we realized 633 00:43:09.519 --> 00:43:14.559 battles would be way too long, sure, because it does add an extra 634 00:43:14.599 --> 00:43:15.519 step where like, okay, now the enemy's down, Now I'm going to 635 00:43:15.559 --> 00:43:20.840 go in and pin them. So we made it suggest enemies that are more 636 00:43:20.880 --> 00:43:24.599 like wrestler wrestlers or wrestling based you would have to pin and normal sort of 637 00:43:24.599 --> 00:43:29.280 like grunt type enemies you can defeat normally just by reducing their HP to zero. 638 00:43:29.519 --> 00:43:30.440 So that was the first kind of step was like all right, like, 639 00:43:31.239 --> 00:43:34.320 you know, how long do we want this game to be? Because 640 00:43:34.320 --> 00:43:36.639 if battles are too long you need to pin every character all the time, 641 00:43:36.800 --> 00:43:38.519 it's going to drag out. So we tried to have a mix, especially 642 00:43:38.760 --> 00:43:42.840 early on when you're just learning and things like that mix of you know, 643 00:43:43.000 --> 00:43:49.639 make it one to two rather than all three are mandatory pins. The other 644 00:43:49.800 --> 00:43:52.840 other aspect of that, too, is that we also wanted to have more 645 00:43:52.880 --> 00:43:58.599 ways than just pinning to defeat the wrestlers. So many abilities are based around 646 00:43:58.679 --> 00:44:01.960 finishing moves instead, where if you can get your enemy fatigued we call it 647 00:44:01.719 --> 00:44:07.400 is either when they're at low HP like sub twenty percent, or if it's 648 00:44:07.679 --> 00:44:12.360 just the thing where you can add it as a status effect. There's a 649 00:44:12.400 --> 00:44:15.039 lot of moves will fatigue your enemy. You know. They're like moves that 650 00:44:15.159 --> 00:44:19.199 aim towards the gut or things like that. When they're in that fatigue state, 651 00:44:19.239 --> 00:44:21.920 you can do a finishing move on them which has a chance to automatically 652 00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:24.559 koe them. So it gets back to again the idea of wrestling. Sometimes 653 00:44:24.559 --> 00:44:28.360 it's not always like a pin how you do it. Sometimes you know, 654 00:44:28.360 --> 00:44:31.920 it's just you knock them out cold. So there's that, and that's a 655 00:44:31.960 --> 00:44:37.119 whole other combat strategy to approach those enemies that need pinned. Yeah, okay, 656 00:44:38.280 --> 00:44:43.880 yeah, I noticed like after a while the pinning mechanic did become a 657 00:44:43.920 --> 00:44:45.039 little more natural. I don't want you to think I'm still stuck in the 658 00:44:45.079 --> 00:44:52.039 cadence, but I also completely agree with you that if every enemy could be 659 00:44:52.079 --> 00:44:57.519 pinned, the game would be bloated. So I'm glad whoever decided that, 660 00:44:57.800 --> 00:45:01.000 whatever whatever team decided to pull back back on that have to show that restraint, 661 00:45:01.039 --> 00:45:04.760 which I'm sure it was hard to do because it's a really cool thing. 662 00:45:05.119 --> 00:45:09.199 That was who Arson shout Darson, um shout out there because that was 663 00:45:09.239 --> 00:45:13.039 a that was the right call. Good. Yeah, I appreciate that. 664 00:45:13.519 --> 00:45:17.119 Um So, last mechanical thing or last thing I want to get into kay 665 00:45:17.280 --> 00:45:20.840 mechanically, But and then I have two more two more questions, one mechanically 666 00:45:21.000 --> 00:45:25.880 and one story mechanically. Tag teams triple teams. Um, very cool way 667 00:45:27.000 --> 00:45:30.639 to incorporate, uh, the tag team feel by just setting up for a 668 00:45:30.639 --> 00:45:36.239 tag team and then as long as they're compatible being able to execute that team 669 00:45:36.239 --> 00:45:40.159 move. What does that What does it take to become compatible in order to 670 00:45:40.239 --> 00:45:45.559 unlock those moves? Because I noticed in the beginning I didn't have had tea 671 00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:49.159 people on my team, but there wasn't the tag team move there. Do 672 00:45:49.239 --> 00:45:52.639 they have to level up so many times together in order to create that that 673 00:45:52.679 --> 00:45:58.119 tag team edge or do they have to be a certain level and then just 674 00:45:58.159 --> 00:46:00.360 have those people in the party does that makes that Yeah, it's the latter. 675 00:46:00.440 --> 00:46:04.199 You have to be at a certain level before they're available, and then 676 00:46:04.199 --> 00:46:09.800 it depends on when those party members are together, because they will some will 677 00:46:09.840 --> 00:46:14.119 come and go, others will be available at only at certain parts. Eventually 678 00:46:14.280 --> 00:46:16.360 you know you have all of them at your disposal. But it, yeah, 679 00:46:16.360 --> 00:46:21.119 it depends basically on individual power level and then story progress and then you're 680 00:46:21.119 --> 00:46:23.199 making parties of three at once you have more than three, do you have 681 00:46:23.239 --> 00:46:28.079 to like eventually select Yeah, So that's actually one of the one of the 682 00:46:28.079 --> 00:46:30.760 things we actually don't talk about too much in panels or at the booth and 683 00:46:30.760 --> 00:46:36.360 whatnot. There are several dungeons that have you splitting your party into multiple sub 684 00:46:36.440 --> 00:46:38.400 teams. Interesting, so you know, like early on, I would say, 685 00:46:38.400 --> 00:46:40.079 like you know, in the first quarter of the game, and there's 686 00:46:40.079 --> 00:46:43.639 one where you have two parties of two. But eventually you get to the 687 00:46:43.639 --> 00:46:46.760 point where you have three parties of three and there's different things where you know, 688 00:46:46.800 --> 00:46:52.480 it's separate tracks in the same dungeon where you have to solve tandem puzzles 689 00:46:52.480 --> 00:46:54.159 and things like that, And once you get to that point, you can 690 00:46:54.199 --> 00:46:59.880 also assign a manager to each one of those parties. Obviously we had as 691 00:46:59.880 --> 00:47:01.159 like save stuff like that for the late game once you're used to all the 692 00:47:01.199 --> 00:47:04.800 mechanics, but um, you do encounter those, you know, a handful 693 00:47:04.840 --> 00:47:09.039 of times route. Just for another sort of unique take on dungeons and RPGs, 694 00:47:09.360 --> 00:47:13.159 are you switching at will? Or is there like you do an event 695 00:47:13.159 --> 00:47:15.119 and then you switch the now you're switching at will because most of the time, 696 00:47:15.199 --> 00:47:17.639 most of the time it requires like you know, you'll have Team A 697 00:47:19.199 --> 00:47:21.599 you know, up on a catwalks or something, but there's something blocking their 698 00:47:21.599 --> 00:47:24.719 way and teamb down in the ground can deactivate that and vice versa. I 699 00:47:24.760 --> 00:47:34.119 got it. Okay, well that's cool. That's cool. Complex dungeons in 700 00:47:34.199 --> 00:47:37.639 my wrestle quest, yes please, um yeah, that's exciting cool all right. 701 00:47:37.760 --> 00:47:40.840 Uh So, my one question about story is I'm gonna go I'm gonna 702 00:47:40.840 --> 00:47:44.920 talk about Randy Santos for a second because in my written preview, which you 703 00:47:44.920 --> 00:47:47.480 can read at mmorpg dot com for those listening, went up last Thursday the 704 00:47:47.519 --> 00:47:52.320 twelfth, I think it was, um, you mentioned he's always ink fabe 705 00:47:52.639 --> 00:47:57.079 and there's dialogue between him and other characters, which someone mentions the writers and 706 00:47:57.159 --> 00:48:00.760 he's like, writers, what are you talking about? And things like that. 707 00:48:00.400 --> 00:48:04.480 I think the idea and if you don't want to talk about this, 708 00:48:04.559 --> 00:48:13.519 I understand of exploring that moment in every wrestling's fans life where they realize what's 709 00:48:13.559 --> 00:48:20.840 actually happening, right, Like that moment of realization that well it's not it's 710 00:48:20.920 --> 00:48:23.559 not real, or it's it's scripted or whatever. I don't think using were 711 00:48:23.639 --> 00:48:29.079 fake. I'm sure you guys don't either. Um, is that something you 712 00:48:29.119 --> 00:48:35.639 plan to explore or is is that not something you wanted to do in this 713 00:48:35.679 --> 00:48:38.039 first girl round? I love that idea. I love if that's something you're 714 00:48:38.039 --> 00:48:40.880 gonna do, that's that's cool as shit. Um, I got to beat 715 00:48:40.960 --> 00:48:45.159 myself. Oh but I just I wanted to. I wanted to make sure 716 00:48:45.199 --> 00:48:47.760 I asked about that because it's something that definitely stuck out to me. Definitely. 717 00:48:49.480 --> 00:48:51.199 Yeah. I mean, not not to give too much away, but 718 00:48:51.239 --> 00:48:54.440 again, that's Randy's you know, entire character. You know, is is 719 00:48:54.480 --> 00:48:58.440 this idea of Kfabe? You know it's for him, it's so real and 720 00:48:58.920 --> 00:49:01.320 that and this this child I would like innocence he has with it's not even 721 00:49:01.360 --> 00:49:05.880 so much highlike innocence it's more just like this purity he has with the sport 722 00:49:06.320 --> 00:49:09.000 and the idea of being a hero. And obviously as he gets deeper in 723 00:49:09.039 --> 00:49:14.360 the industry and he's going on this journey, that that idea, that innocence, 724 00:49:14.360 --> 00:49:17.199 that purity gets challenged again and again. So eventually it comes down to 725 00:49:17.239 --> 00:49:21.400 the point of him, yeah, sort of having that moment and then it's 726 00:49:21.400 --> 00:49:22.320 like, well, where do you go from there? What do you do 727 00:49:22.400 --> 00:49:25.920 with that? So, again don't want to get too much away, but 728 00:49:27.119 --> 00:49:29.360 I think you'll be pleased when you have a chance to play the entire game. 729 00:49:29.880 --> 00:49:35.119 Awesome, that's exciting. So San Diego Comic Con this week, and 730 00:49:35.159 --> 00:49:37.679 then we're a couple of weeks out from launch. August eighth. I keep 731 00:49:37.719 --> 00:49:40.519 wanting to say ninth. It's not the ninth, it's the eighth. August 732 00:49:40.599 --> 00:49:45.360 eighth is when you can play wrestle Quest on everything even Oh, another thing 733 00:49:45.360 --> 00:49:49.199 I wanted to ask you about. You guys are coming to Netflix. You 734 00:49:49.239 --> 00:49:53.119 will be mobile via Netflix. You will be exclusive to the Netflix app. 735 00:49:53.159 --> 00:49:57.519 So you load up the Netflix Apple on your phone, you find wrestle Quest, 736 00:49:57.639 --> 00:50:00.679 you download it to your iPad, your iPhone ORR and and you can 737 00:50:00.679 --> 00:50:02.840 play Wrestle Quest on the go. Um, talk to me a little bit 738 00:50:02.840 --> 00:50:07.760 about how that came to be. I know that's relatively new. Last couple 739 00:50:07.760 --> 00:50:09.079 of months. That was I think it was announced. What may I want 740 00:50:09.079 --> 00:50:14.239 to say May or June that actually happened. What about Netflix as a mobile 741 00:50:14.280 --> 00:50:19.440 carrier or mobile carrier, a mobile host for your game stuck out to you 742 00:50:20.119 --> 00:50:22.559 not only you know, as a publisher, but also as like an alternative 743 00:50:22.559 --> 00:50:27.599 to self publishing, if that makes sense. You know, they had a 744 00:50:28.320 --> 00:50:31.679 kind of a call out throughout the industry looking for like narrative driven, like 745 00:50:31.760 --> 00:50:40.960 story driven game projects, and somebody who was working on press for Wrestle Quests 746 00:50:42.000 --> 00:50:45.840 on the behalf of sky betten was just working with them in like a collaborative 747 00:50:45.840 --> 00:50:49.320 way of saying, hey, like there's this game we think he's check out. 748 00:50:49.320 --> 00:50:52.360 It's called Wrestle Quests. Here's here's the hook, and here's the art. 749 00:50:53.239 --> 00:50:57.599 And they just embraced it right away and they were just really excited about 750 00:50:57.679 --> 00:51:00.480 adding it into the fold. So we're you know, for us, it's 751 00:51:00.559 --> 00:51:04.199 um, it's a way to get wrestle Requests and more hands, more people. 752 00:51:04.519 --> 00:51:07.519 You know, they brought more languages, more regions. Um, you 753 00:51:07.559 --> 00:51:13.320 know, I can't wait to see how like that platform develops. In general. 754 00:51:13.360 --> 00:51:16.880 I think I think there's a lot of new momentum and like the subscription 755 00:51:17.639 --> 00:51:21.159 like World on the Future, Like I think I mentioned a lot of games 756 00:51:21.159 --> 00:51:23.880 coming that way. Um, we didn't see it as something that takes away 757 00:51:23.880 --> 00:51:28.480 anything either from the wrestling fans. I have to imagine a lot of folks 758 00:51:28.519 --> 00:51:30.679 who are playing on mobile aren't aren't playing on Switch and vice versa. So 759 00:51:32.000 --> 00:51:36.159 you know, it was kind of like serendipitous. I guess, you know, 760 00:51:36.199 --> 00:51:38.159 some folks who were just wrestling quests fans brought it up and they kind 761 00:51:38.199 --> 00:51:42.679 of sought it out. Yeah, now will that be touchscreen play control with 762 00:51:42.760 --> 00:51:47.119 play both deadly touch screenplay? I'm not actually sure. I don't think there's 763 00:51:47.159 --> 00:51:55.440 controller um functionality for the mobile port. We're kind of like watching them build 764 00:51:57.000 --> 00:52:00.760 the Netflix platform. So we're like driving the car while the back the cars 765 00:52:00.800 --> 00:52:05.000 being assembled. Right. Interesting, It's like it's like they're like I just 766 00:52:05.000 --> 00:52:08.960 just shard that this morning with Zac as an analogy for how we operate Megact 767 00:52:09.119 --> 00:52:13.840 driving with the car still no doubt. But but it's funny because like the 768 00:52:14.199 --> 00:52:16.480 you know, the Neflix Games team was like five people and now it's like 769 00:52:17.079 --> 00:52:22.400 fifty people or something. So they're just actively adding in all these layers and 770 00:52:22.480 --> 00:52:25.559 layers of of kind of like feedback of like how fans are responding and how 771 00:52:25.559 --> 00:52:29.199 to make bigger, better games and where they goes or we're excited to be 772 00:52:29.239 --> 00:52:31.000 part of it at this phase because they just stacked up a ton of talent 773 00:52:31.039 --> 00:52:35.400 and do all sorts of cool stuff. So it's it's been interesting to watch 774 00:52:35.400 --> 00:52:38.440 though, because even since we started wrestle requests for the Netflix platform to now 775 00:52:38.599 --> 00:52:43.280 that platform, that team has developed a great deal. Yeah, have they 776 00:52:43.320 --> 00:52:46.079 been hands on in your or they just kind of let Yeah, they're super 777 00:52:46.119 --> 00:52:50.519 hands on. Yeah, they have like a they have like a high high 778 00:52:50.599 --> 00:52:53.079 expectation for a mobile expertise, which we don't have, like we're not a 779 00:52:53.079 --> 00:52:57.519 mobile games company, right, So so that's been awesome. Um, they 780 00:52:57.519 --> 00:53:00.679 definitely have like a north Star quality Standard two which made it so pretty good. 781 00:53:00.480 --> 00:53:05.360 Awesome. Well, gentlemen, I really appreciate your time. I know 782 00:53:05.360 --> 00:53:07.559 you're getting ready to go out to San Diego, so the fact that you're 783 00:53:07.559 --> 00:53:12.440 able to sit down with me talk about your great game very much appreciated August 784 00:53:12.440 --> 00:53:15.920 eighth, Wrestle quest on Everything. If you haven't pre ordered, or you're 785 00:53:15.960 --> 00:53:19.360 not ahead of the game yet, get on it. Because if you're a 786 00:53:19.400 --> 00:53:22.840 wrestling fan, an RPG and fan both or neither, I do think there 787 00:53:22.920 --> 00:53:27.599 is something for you here. And Zac Manko and James Degan, I can 788 00:53:27.639 --> 00:53:30.599 talk to you guys forever, but I know our time is coming up soon. 789 00:53:30.639 --> 00:53:34.559 Wanted to make sure I said a proper farewell and thank you for coming 790 00:53:34.599 --> 00:53:37.920 on, very excited to play your game, and good luck with everything. 791 00:53:38.039 --> 00:53:40.679 I guess that's all I think I can say. Thanks Jason, thanks for 792 00:53:40.719 --> 00:53:45.840 having us one wrestling fan to another. Yeah. Always a pleasure, always 793 00:53:45.840 --> 00:53:47.039 a pleasure. Thanks guys, And with that that is the end of episode 794 00:53:47.079 --> 00:53:52.000 number one thirty four of The Chief Stakes The Controllers podcast presented by Fox PHL 795 00:53:52.039 --> 00:53:55.079 The Gambler one or two point five FM fourteen eight am. iHeart Radio. 796 00:53:55.239 --> 00:53:58.800 And as I say every week, if you're listening to these words, you've 797 00:53:58.840 --> 00:54:00.960 reached the end of the episode. I very much appreciate that you have done 798 00:54:01.000 --> 00:54:04.280 so. It always means a lot to me that everyone listens to this show. 799 00:54:04.480 --> 00:54:07.360 When I get to talk to really cool people, or if you just 800 00:54:07.400 --> 00:54:09.840 listen to my voice for a now, and with that, I wish you 801 00:54:09.920 --> 00:54:14.599 a fantastic weekend and even better week right behind it, and I will be 802 00:54:14.639 --> 00:54:38.960 back again next week with Moore on che Steaks and Contract. Goodbye,