WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:09.080 Hey, everybody, welcome to Game Last Mornings with Me Jeff Grub, 2 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:11.199 your host from giant bomb dot com. Thank you for 3 00:00:11.240 --> 00:00:13.679 tuning in. In this episode, we're gonna be talking about 4 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:17.239 the employees attempting to stand up to the EA acquisition 5 00:00:17.480 --> 00:00:20.559 and also saying goodbye to a legend. It's gonna be 6 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:22.600 a good one because we have Jiana Chowell on the show. 7 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:24.160 Jan how are you doing? 8 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:29.879 I am still deep in internet woes Grub. It turns 9 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:32.880 out when you have they have to move the fiber 10 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:35.960 O and T machine to a different part of the house, 11 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:38.840 all the beacons you got in the house also need 12 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:42.600 to be repoed. Got meacons. We need to repoe the 13 00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:47.560 beacons and they have not been repolled efficiently. I assume 14 00:00:48.679 --> 00:00:50.799 you boys not getting all the Internet juice that he's 15 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:51.320 paying for. 16 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:54.359 Are you, like, when you're doing tests and packet tests 17 00:00:54.359 --> 00:00:57.240 and all that stuff, are are you seeing it obviously that 18 00:00:57.240 --> 00:00:59.640 there's an issue or is it more like there's some 19 00:00:59.719 --> 00:01:02.320 in stability in the machine that's even hard to notice 20 00:01:02.359 --> 00:01:03.759 during a speed test or something. 21 00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:07.680 There's a lot of you know, shots at the chuck 22 00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:12.480 for me observing him testing Internet at the SGF house 23 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:15.359 and then like me just loosely trying to pick up 24 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:19.640 on that. Sure, because when I'll run a speed test Grub, 25 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:23.560 everything will look fine on paper. There's some type of 26 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:29.159 instability going on somewhere down the chain, because yesterday before 27 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:32.200 game this morning started with Lex, I ran a speed test. 28 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:35.319 Everything looked kosher, and then the show went on and 29 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:37.599 then it kind of got borked in the middle of it. 30 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:40.680 So I'm not quite sure what is happening there. That 31 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:44.560 being said, I'm not running hardwired, and I know that 32 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:48.359 that is taboo. So everyone calmed down. I know, I know, right, Yeah, 33 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:49.319 it's a new situation. 34 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:52.799 Listen, I did a mini podcast on Wi Fi for 35 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:54.439 a long time and no one ever yelled at me. 36 00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:58.920 Everyone yelled at me. It was everyone Sean and Mike 37 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:01.439 never shut up. And it was hard to get an 38 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:03.879 Ethernet cable down there. So I get it, so okay, 39 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:06.599 But you do think you have like a pathway to 40 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:08.400 like get into this all sorted, because to me, it's like, 41 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:10.520 oh man, it's like to have to redo everything in 42 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:12.439 this house to get internet to work. But like, do 43 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:13.719 you feel you have a plan. 44 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:17.800 The plan grub right now? Long? 45 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.520 I No, that's that's a plan. 46 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:22.560 I love that. You know you might might record. 47 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:25.360 I guess it might require some like power, a powered 48 00:02:25.400 --> 00:02:27.639 Ethernet cable, but a long Ethernet cable actually should be fine. 49 00:02:27.639 --> 00:02:30.439 Ethernet's fine over like long distances. So yeah, especially if 50 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:32.960 you get like a big like a big bandwidth one, 51 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:37.840 a big uh what's it called gauge? Yeah, get the cat, 52 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:40.319 get the cat eight in there. Spending way too much 53 00:02:40.360 --> 00:02:41.479 money on a cable, let's go. 54 00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:44.840 I'm going. I'm also gonna have to route it through 55 00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:48.000 like a switch. Also, not like a Nintendo switch, but 56 00:02:48.039 --> 00:02:53.000 a gigabit switch, just to make sure that the juice 57 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:58.199 is preserved. It's going to be long boys, long boys, grub. 58 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:02.960 Uh camski something. Have you watched the new season A Peacemaker? 59 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:04.159 Ah? 60 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:06.560 Yes, yes I have. What what do you think happened 61 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:08.599 to John Cena's bald spot? Do you think they covered 62 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:11.479 it up or do you think he did the Turkey. 63 00:03:11.120 --> 00:03:13.599 He went to Turkey? I think you think he probably 64 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:16.319 went to Turkey. I think he actually talked about this 65 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:18.520 in an interview because he did go to he'd made 66 00:03:18.520 --> 00:03:22.520 it okay cool, So yeah, when he went back for 67 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:26.599 part of his retirement, tour, right, WWE people were kind 68 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:28.599 of poking fun at his bald spot. 69 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:30.039 Right, Yes, I felt bad for him for that, but 70 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:31.919 it was it was also very glaring. It was hard 71 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:32.879 not to comment on it. 72 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:36.319 Oh, thank you, Michael Olier. He didn't go to Turkey. 73 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:37.639 There was a guy in l A. 74 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:38.840 I bet he was Turkish. 75 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:43.680 But anyway, and yeah, you know, I understand that John 76 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:47.759 Cena wants to preserve his hair for Hollywood, but you know, 77 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:49.919 if you wanted to go shaved head, I think he'd 78 00:03:49.960 --> 00:03:50.960 be completely fine. 79 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:53.960 That's oh yeah, for sure, he could pull off anything 80 00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:56.719 for that stuff. But it's like I definitely noticed Lom like, 81 00:03:56.759 --> 00:03:59.520 I bet there's some parts here where because apparently. 82 00:03:59.120 --> 00:03:59.919 Did it earlier this year. 83 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:03.560 It said, okay, yeah he covered it in acting roles. Yeah, 84 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.919 of course you will, like why wouldn't you. Yeah, that's 85 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:09.319 a that's a good show. Part of me is like, 86 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:10.639 wish is that they could go a little bit deeper 87 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:12.240 on some of the stuff they're doing. But I had 88 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:14.960 a fun time with it. They you know, James Gunn 89 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:18.439 gets me. So I enjoyed it all right, Although I'm 90 00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:20.560 halfway through the last episode, so maybe it gets really 91 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:22.120 bad at the end. Who knows, we'll see. 92 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:26.199 Ah, not my favorite season finale, grub, I'll just look 93 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:27.240 at that. Fair enough. 94 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:28.360 Well, let's find out. 95 00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:30.279 All right, let's explain what we do here. 96 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:32.879 We're Giant Bomb Video Game dof This is independent games 97 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:34.839 media out here on our own, but we have you. 98 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:37.319 When you go to giant bomb dot com slash join, 99 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:40.160 you become a premium member, and you help ensure that 100 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:43.160 we can remain independent out here doing our thing, making 101 00:04:43.160 --> 00:04:44.759 the stuff we like to make, making the stuff you 102 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:47.319 like to see. We're gonna be doing stuff like the 103 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:49.240 Bombiton here at the end of the month, where we're 104 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:51.199 gonna just kind of go all out at twenty four 105 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:54.839 hour live stream October twenty seventh. I want to say, Jane, 106 00:04:54.839 --> 00:04:57.600 you told me yesterday. That's right, okay, Yes, October twenty seventh, 107 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:00.000 starting at five pm that day. We can do stuff 108 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:02.399 like that because we have you supporting us, and we're 109 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:04.759 gonna try to set up a whole new year of 110 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:07.560 support starting that day and really kind of kicking off 111 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:11.240 some awesome stuff going forward. Of course, it also enables 112 00:05:11.319 --> 00:05:13.000 us to do stuff like SGF Game of the Year 113 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:15.759 awards and stuff like that. So please go through a 114 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:18.319 giant bomb dot com slash join become a premium member. 115 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:20.439 It means the world to us. Thank you to everyone 116 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:23.120 who has supported us so far. We notice it. And 117 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:25.439 if you can't, just tell a friend, that's also awesome. 118 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:25.920 We get it. 119 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:29.120 As far as the show, oh please, yeah go sorry Greb. 120 00:05:29.160 --> 00:05:32.639 If you're an existing premium subscriber, here's ten podcast points 121 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:32.839 for you. 122 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:36.800 Shit, okay, As far as the show goes, most weekdays, 123 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:39.600 I Jeff Greb will help piece your gaming life back together. 124 00:05:39.959 --> 00:05:42.519 That includes breaking news and maybe even some of our 125 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:46.079 own original reporting. For all these topics, I'll get the 126 00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:48.000 input of a bona fide expert who will make me 127 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:51.399 look smart. If you are watching live on Twitch welcome. 128 00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:53.759 You can always listen to the show later on podcast 129 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:56.959 feeds by searching for Games Mornings, or find the RSS 130 00:05:56.959 --> 00:06:00.319 feed on GiantBomb dot com. You can all so catch 131 00:06:00.360 --> 00:06:05.240 the show later with chapters and timestamps ontimetamps, timestamps on YouTube. 132 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:09.800 Hello YouTube and scout. All right, we have a lot 133 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:11.480 to get into, so let's start the morning mess with 134 00:06:11.639 --> 00:06:12.639 Ballpit reviews. 135 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:14.319 They have really started to roll in. 136 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:17.199 Gene'll say up front, I am glad we're at a 137 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:20.240 point where it's like a game like this that feels 138 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:22.519 like it should have reviews, but I think at one 139 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:24.959 point might not have because it's just like, you know, 140 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:27.879 it's not from the major publishers necessarily, It's not one 141 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:29.439 of those ones where like you just know to pay 142 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:30.160 attention to it. 143 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:32.600 I think we're past that people know to pick. 144 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:34.759 Up on games like these. And it has quite a 145 00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:37.240 few reviews. It has an eighty six on Open Critic, 146 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:41.120 doing very well, and people are people are talking a 147 00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:43.040 game about this one. They're talking some mess about how 148 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:44.439 if you start it up, you're not gonna be able 149 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:46.560 to put it down. And I just don't need another 150 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:47.720 one of those. I'm scared of it. 151 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:52.839 Yeah, Grub we got code for this fairly early, and 152 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:55.160 I think they had to move the release of Ballpit 153 00:06:55.319 --> 00:06:59.480 because of a silk song. But I've played maybe a 154 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:04.279 good two three hours of it and I have to 155 00:07:04.360 --> 00:07:05.959 remove myself from it. Rub. 156 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:13.279 This is the this is the brick breaker on steroids, Arcanoid, Arcanoid, Yes, fantastic, it's. 157 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:15.759 One of those, and I remember it may not have 158 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:19.279 been Arcanoid, but they are in Arcanoid. Ad Jason game 159 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:22.920 had come out on iOS years back, and I thought 160 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:29.240 it was like Brick Breakers on on crack. I was wrong, 161 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:33.120 because Ballpit is that. This is that Okay, it is 162 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:36.600 that on it is and I say this positively, gang 163 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:42.839 it is arcanoid on fentanyl because it is like that 164 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:48.879 Bath Salt's body rush of like, oh, Okay, we're gonna 165 00:07:48.920 --> 00:07:51.959 not only break all these bricks, but we're gonna do 166 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:54.800 more than that. We're gonna eat faces because we're on 167 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:58.120 Bath Salts. Let's go. Yeah, yes, yeah. It runs great 168 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.879 on Steam Deck as well. If folks curious about that. 169 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:03.639 As far as how it runs on your Asis ally 170 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:11.120 Roger X, fine, I don't know. Yeah this I am 171 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:17.439 all for this surge of support for indie games getting 172 00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:21.360 like a ton of review coverage because it's not just Ballpit. 173 00:08:21.879 --> 00:08:23.800 There's like other titles that have come out in the 174 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:27.000 wake of Silk Song, in the wake of Hades two that. 175 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:30.040 Have actually gotten right, like Bla Feels like the one 176 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:32.720 that really like cracked the code there where it was like, oh, 177 00:08:32.759 --> 00:08:34.960 we should be kind of perking up for these games, 178 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:37.440 and now everyone that's sort of every game that is 179 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.879 in this sort of bucket where it's like, oh, an 180 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:46.000 Arcadie maybe action style not actually, but like Arcadie game 181 00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:49.320 that you could play forever that doesn't necessarily have unending 182 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:51.360 just one of these games that you can lose a 183 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:54.519 ton of time to. Yeah, people are showing up form, 184 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:57.279 especially on the indie side, and that's that's fantastic to see. 185 00:08:57.320 --> 00:09:00.559 I do wonder it's like, you know, the we're hearing 186 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:05.600 reports of people who make games in America in United 187 00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:08.159 in the United States talking about how, oh, this just 188 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:09.799 isn't a job we could do here anymore. We're gonna 189 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:11.240 have to move to other countries if we want to 190 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:13.240 keep making games, because it's like they're just not they're 191 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:16.240 laying us off and they're not hiring new people. And 192 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:18.399 if I want to like get a job, all the 193 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:22.519 jobs are in Scandinavia or Eastern Europe. I wonder if 194 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:24.559 there could be like sort of a reset at some 195 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:27.480 point to like figure out the right team size, to 196 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:30.799 figure out the right sort of mix of budgets and 197 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:33.639 scope based on maybe the success of a lot of 198 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:37.360 games like this. I saw someone say, hey, like fund 199 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:39.960 one hundred games for one hundred million dollars, and one 200 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:42.320 of those is probably going to pop off and do 201 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:44.960 three hundred million dollars and that pays for the whole thing. 202 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:48.000 It's like, yeah, there's probably something to that. It's maybe 203 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:49.720 not as simple as that. Of course it's not as 204 00:09:49.720 --> 00:09:51.600 simple as that, but that that in general, it's like 205 00:09:51.639 --> 00:09:54.120 I wonder, I wonder if it's even possible. I don't know, 206 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:56.960 and it's or maybe it has to just continue coming 207 00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:59.919 from the indie space just because there's so many games 208 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:01.960 and you kind of can't compete as a big company 209 00:10:02.039 --> 00:10:04.039 spending that much money making that many games. 210 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:09.159 But yeah, I think of games like Animal Animal, well Grub, 211 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:13.799 and like how if that didn't have like the Dunkey push, 212 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:17.240 I still think that would have succeeded it. But like 213 00:10:17.320 --> 00:10:20.120 having that that like Donkey stamp of approval definitely got 214 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:22.919 in front of more eyeballs, hurt, did not hurt at all, 215 00:10:23.480 --> 00:10:27.759 And from my understanding, that is also a relatively small team. 216 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:32.399 So I don't know, Grub. I do hope that indie 217 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:37.559 devs kind of make the push forward, because that is 218 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:39.919 a space that I've been more interested in. Like I 219 00:10:40.679 --> 00:10:42.960 you know, it's great that Battlefield six is doing well, 220 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:45.720 but I am kind of like foaming at the mouth 221 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:48.960 seeing all these like insane titles coming out of Steam 222 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:52.399 next Fest. I'm upset that there's so much good stuff 223 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:56.840 out there, but I definitely hope with Steam Dex being 224 00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:59.000 more of a thing and maybe, like the Asis rog 225 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:02.039 Ex Boyfriend, if folks are picking that up and getting 226 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:06.159 into the PC gaming space, that it opens their eyes 227 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:09.759 to the beautiful world of indie games out there. And 228 00:11:10.039 --> 00:11:12.720 you know, I hope more also come out to the 229 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:17.320 Switch too. There's there's a next Best demo that I 230 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:19.919 wanted to check out tomorrow. I think it's like girly 231 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:24.559 Pop forever. It's like a it's like a Doom clone 232 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:30.279 but pop, no, no, no, just pink neon stuff. Don't 233 00:11:30.279 --> 00:11:32.399 stop girly pop. That sounds incredible. 234 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:35.159 Actually that's a okay, Doom but girly but pink girly 235 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:36.080 pop stuff, all right. 236 00:11:36.200 --> 00:11:39.480 Yeah, And like, I just love that there's a space 237 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:41.720 for that, and I hope that that stuff takes off. 238 00:11:42.039 --> 00:11:43.720 And you know, I was just trying to do like 239 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:47.159 an evaluation in my head grub would I spend one 240 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:51.399 thousand dollars on the Asis rog allyx And the answer 241 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:54.279 is no now, but over time, I would love to 242 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:59.120 spend one thousand dollars supporting. However, many indie games that 243 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:03.480 will get me just because I don't know that space 244 00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:06.440 is more interesting and percolating more rather than like the 245 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:08.759 Triple A space, at least for me personally. 246 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:12.120 Yeah, I mean clearly. And it's and the big companies 247 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:13.639 don't seem like they have a grasp on it, you know, 248 00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:16.120 the private divisions that have come and gone. And there's 249 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:18.320 a bunch of similar labels like that that the big 250 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:20.559 publishers have tried and they just couldn't make it make sense. 251 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:22.720 And the ones that do, ea, they're like they found 252 00:12:22.759 --> 00:12:25.240 they find the one that works, Joseph Feris, and they 253 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:26.679 just kind of go back to that well over and 254 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:29.120 over again, and they've stopped, like we don't get unraveled 255 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:31.799 games anymore or whatever, So it's gonna have to come 256 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:34.960 from somewhere else. Ballpit got a four out of five 257 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:37.679 from Christian Donaland at Eurogamers said, Kenny's Sun's new game 258 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:41.039 is a voguish excuse me, vogus spin on an art 259 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:43.840 Atari classic and it rules in eighty out of one 260 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:47.279 hundred from Robin Valentine at PC Gamers says, a roller 261 00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:49.879 coaster ride of ball bouncy and action that loves to 262 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:53.200 break its own rules, and then a nine point five 263 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:56.320 from Jeremy Duff at Gaming Nexus, who says Ballpit is 264 00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:59.720 a wildly inventive twist on a classic formula, blending brick 265 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:04.759 briking with roguelike progression, RPG mechanics, and resource management into 266 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:08.279 a chaotic, endlessly replayable experience. Thanks to a deep roster 267 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:12.159 of characters, seemingly endless ball combinations, and a settlement system 268 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:14.759 that evolves between runs, the game will sink its hooks 269 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:19.159 into you and refuse to let you go. I gotta say, 270 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:22.840 I do feel like it is not helpful advice, but 271 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:24.759 still advice that people should probably take. 272 00:13:25.240 --> 00:13:28.120 If you're not into Rogue Lights, keep trying. 273 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:31.559 I know, there's so many coming out, and these are 274 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:34.919 the games that everyone keeps talking about, like like Absolum, 275 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:38.840 this Hades two. It's just like there's an endless list 276 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:41.519 of these massive roguelikes that in Rogue Lights that people 277 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:45.360 keep bringing up. And I get why. Some people like, 278 00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:47.440 if you grew up playing narrative games, games that just 279 00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:49.279 have a beginning and an end, which I think a 280 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:52.919 lot of our audience probably did. It's so like frustrating 281 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:55.600 to feel like you lose progress. But there is a 282 00:13:55.639 --> 00:13:59.480 reason that these games keep popping off, and you will 283 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:02.600 probably find one that is for you eventually, like that. 284 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:05.559 You know again, like Sean didn't like Hades one, loves 285 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:08.559 Hades two, and it's like that that happens, So just 286 00:14:08.840 --> 00:14:11.720 keep trying. I would say, you know, this one's fifteen dollars, 287 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:13.279 maybe it's the one to take a risk on. 288 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:17.679 And like you said, Greb, if you're into that narrative 289 00:14:17.720 --> 00:14:20.120 that carries over from run to run, there's something like 290 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:23.960 Hades two that will document and have voice lines for 291 00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:28.519 virtually everything you ever do in that game. So there's that. 292 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:32.279 But also if you're not into that isometric combat, there 293 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:35.039 is something like megabunk. I finally tried it out. Come 294 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:40.360 on kah oh crub, I hate Dan record. It's yeah, it's. 295 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:44.720 I don't know, man, that game is immediately so sticky. Yeah. 296 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:47.200 I just I had to put that one aside as well. 297 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:51.039 I'm gonna focus on some other stuff instead, like breaking embargoes. 298 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:54.919 All right, let's see here, EA employees slam fifty five 299 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:58.000 million or fifty five billion dollar buyout in open letter. 300 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:00.799 This is some Darren BoNT Us at GameSpot. In an 301 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:04.120 open letter, EA employees have publicly criticized the company's proposed 302 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:07.960 fifty five billion dollar sale to an investor consortium, warning 303 00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:10.159 that the deal could have dire consequences for the people 304 00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:13.320 who make EA's games. Well who cares about them, certainly 305 00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:15.639 not the people making the money here. The letter comes 306 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:17.720 as a as EA prepares to go private under the 307 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:23.240 new ownership of Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, and God, I 308 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:25.279 get this job, Jance, so I don't have to think 309 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:29.120 about Jared Kushner. And somehow here we are Silver Lake 310 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:34.360 and Saudi Arabia's public Investment Fund, pending regulatory approval. EA's 311 00:15:34.360 --> 00:15:37.080 success has been entirely driven by tens of thousands of 312 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:41.639 thousands of EA's workers, whose creativity, skill and innovation made 313 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:44.960 EA worth buying in the first place. Hell yes, Yet we, 314 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:47.320 the very people who will be jeopardized as a result 315 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:49.840 of this deal, were not represented at all when this 316 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:53.360 a buyout was negotiated or discussed. The employees posted on 317 00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:57.120 the United Video Game Workers Union website referencing fears that 318 00:15:57.120 --> 00:15:59.639 EA will undergo mass layoffs as part of its plan 319 00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:01.759 to find and it's new debt, which is something we 320 00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:05.039 talked about, twenty billion dollars in debt that was used 321 00:16:05.080 --> 00:16:08.720 to buy this company being saddled on the company. It 322 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:12.440 is a junk status loan, so it's like a B 323 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:15.519 B plus B something like that. Basically just means it's 324 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:17.200 going to have high interest rates. So it will be 325 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:20.519 necessarily difficult to service that loan a billion dollars a 326 00:16:20.600 --> 00:16:24.639 year or more in interest payments. So yeah, that's going 327 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:28.559 to be a challenge, and the expectation is EA will 328 00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:31.080 likely make cuts to be able to directly service that. 329 00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:33.600 And that's the whole point because the people who put 330 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:35.799 the deal together will still get their money. The people 331 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:40.200 who have the people who have the right the ownership 332 00:16:40.279 --> 00:16:42.360 stake right now, they're going to get the money when 333 00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:44.600 this deal closed. The people who are taking on the 334 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:48.679 ownership will certainly be paying themselves huge bonuses for being 335 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:53.279 awesome leaders and putting the deal together as well. You know, 336 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:55.000 you know what, Actually, Jen, let's just read the next 337 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:56.559 story as well and kind of bring it all into 338 00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:00.480 one thing here. US senators voice concerns over foreign influence 339 00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:05.119 and national security risks in Saudi funded EA acquisition. This 340 00:17:05.160 --> 00:17:08.759 is from Chriscullian at VGC. Two US senators have voiced 341 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:11.759 their concerns about the upcoming acquisition of Electronic Arts by 342 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:15.200 a group of private investors, including Saudi Arabia's Sovereign Wealth 343 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:18.359 Public Investment Fund PIFF. It was announced last month that 344 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:21.119 EA had entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired 345 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:24.079 by an investor consortium composed of PIFF, Silver Lake, and 346 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:27.880 Affinity Partners. The all cash transaction values EA at around 347 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:30.680 fifty five billion dollars and we'll see the consortium acquiring 348 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:33.640 one hundred percent of the company. In response to the news, 349 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:37.160 United States Senators Richard Blumenthal or bluementhal I should Say 350 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:40.359 and Elizabeth Warren have now questioned the deal, warning of 351 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:44.640 potential security risks and foreign influence over the Saudi funded acquisition, 352 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:47.680 and a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Scott Besant, 353 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:51.119 who is a fucking tool who also serves as chair 354 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:53.200 of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, 355 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:56.519 the two senators urged the committee to apply searching scrutiny 356 00:17:56.599 --> 00:18:01.319 to this unprecedented, unprecedented proposed to foreign privatization of a 357 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:07.559 major American technology and entertainment company. Okay, Jan, So you know, 358 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:10.839 when this deal got announced, we were I think I 359 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:12.960 assume like there's kind of no way this doesn't go through. 360 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:15.880 Jared Kushner's involved. Who's going to stand in the way, 361 00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:21.480 certainly not the United States government, I don't know. Saudi 362 00:18:21.480 --> 00:18:26.079 Arabia and security risks, that's that seems like a fair thing. 363 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:29.200 They helped with nine to eleven. So yeah, that makes 364 00:18:29.400 --> 00:18:31.480 some sense to me that we should maybe be concerned 365 00:18:31.480 --> 00:18:35.160 about that. Do you think between the employees actually speaking 366 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:37.519 up in this case something we haven't seen much of 367 00:18:37.640 --> 00:18:40.960 before with these major acquisitions, like the Activision employees were, 368 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:43.279 I think kind of like, look, it's bad under Activision, 369 00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:46.240 maybe it could be better under Microsoft. Now I think 370 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:48.160 obviously it was just as bad, if not worse on 371 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:50.559 the Microsoft. We don't really know, we can't no for sure, 372 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:52.519 but clearly it wasn't great. A lot of them got 373 00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:54.640 laid off, but they didn't know. I think they had 374 00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:57.319 some hope here. I think they, like everyone just sees 375 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:00.640 like we are like just at on a base level, 376 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:04.720 under risk of getting toys r ust where like, hey, 377 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:07.319 because of that debt, this is we're just going to 378 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:10.640 be strip mined of our value, and because we will 379 00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:13.119 be the biggest cost as labor, we will be the 380 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:15.440 first to go. So we just we see the obvious 381 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:18.799 risk to our livelihoods here. And then on top of 382 00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:21.119 that US senators being like, and now there's security risks. 383 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:23.440 Do you think there's any chance that the steel he'll 384 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:25.680 hits any roadbumps over the next couple of years. 385 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:28.559 I hope it hits all of the bumps, and I 386 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:30.839 hope one of the bumps is Jared Kushner, to be honest, 387 00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:37.279 because Greb like of course, like Eve, with this buyout, 388 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:40.599 it's not like Saudi Arabia is going to supply any 389 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:46.039 developmental talent. They would still be consuming the existing developers, 390 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:48.680 but those developers are going to be the first ones 391 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:51.279 in line to get cut to satisfy the loan. Like 392 00:19:51.319 --> 00:19:56.200 you mentioned, I honest to god, hope that this actually 393 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:59.440 does pick up more steam and maybe the deal doesn't 394 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:05.799 go through because there's it's it doesn't make sense to me, 395 00:20:05.880 --> 00:20:10.319 grub for this to get approved if the everyone on 396 00:20:10.359 --> 00:20:14.400 the inside is yelling and upset about it, if people 397 00:20:14.440 --> 00:20:17.519 on the a lot of people on the outside are 398 00:20:17.640 --> 00:20:20.000 upset about it, and what this could mean not only 399 00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:24.000 to like a one of the last remaining big American 400 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:30.240 video game companies, but also just everything underneath it. What 401 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:33.400