WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:10.599 Hey, everybody, welcome to Gay Mess Mornings with Me Jeff Grub, 2 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:13.480 your host from giant bomb dot com. Thank you for 3 00:00:13.560 --> 00:00:16.399 tuning in. In this episode, we're gonna be talking about 4 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:20.160 EA maybe doing a massive layoffs, some Beast of Reincarnation 5 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:22.000 reviews and what that might mean for the future of 6 00:00:22.039 --> 00:00:24.039 that game. It's gotta be a good one because we 7 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:25.320 have Janatchoa on the show. 8 00:00:25.399 --> 00:00:26.719 Jan how are you doing. 9 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:32.320 Jeff Grub, I am doing fine, solid sixty five. 10 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:35.560 Now I would say that's I mean, listen, we want 11 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:37.640 to be going upward. That's all that really matters to me. 12 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:39.920 That's like when I like talk to my kids, It's like, hey, 13 00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:42.159 I don't care where you could compare to other kids. 14 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:44.520 Just as long as you are improving, that's all I 15 00:00:44.600 --> 00:00:45.200 care about. 16 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:46.359 Jam. 17 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:49.280 What number tie is this? This is tie number two. 18 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:54.359 I wasn't expecting to be on anything today, and then 19 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:56.119 you put the call out and like, all right, well, 20 00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:59.200 let's let's iron the dress shirt, let's get the tie out. 21 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:02.679 This tie number to uh. For whatever reason, I put 22 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:06.799 my camera on log today. This is a bluish white tie. 23 00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:08.359 We're on tie number two. 24 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:10.000 See I like it. 25 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:12.879 I I feel like if I were to start doing this, Jan, 26 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:15.560 I would look like a young Republican when I young man, No, 27 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:17.239 not young anymore, but I would just look like a 28 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:21.920 regular Republican, young at heart, young at heart. Sure, yeah, 29 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:24.200 so I just I'm glad you're doing it. You could 30 00:01:24.200 --> 00:01:25.959 pull it off, and I'm very happy about that. 31 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:26.719 Thank you job. 32 00:01:27.079 --> 00:01:29.599 Thank I do like, I'm like, what, like, you know, 33 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:31.239 I saw you do this, so you post about like 34 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:34.760 buying the ties and polking, like like what fun clothing 35 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:36.040 item could I get into? 36 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:38.680 And I'm at a loss. I don't know. I'm kind 37 00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:41.719 of really in the T shirt and cargo short. I 38 00:01:41.719 --> 00:01:43.920 won't call it a rut. It's a happy valley that 39 00:01:43.959 --> 00:01:44.239 I'm in. 40 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:47.599 I feel like you can get really into like eighties 41 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:50.200 and nineties style windbreakers, Grub. 42 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:53.040 I say, okay, I do like the starter jackets and 43 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:55.120 stuff like that. I have been an eyeing some of those. 44 00:01:55.719 --> 00:01:55.920 Man. 45 00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:59.599 I'm like, you know, retro stuff, but like maybe like 46 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:01.799 columb like I'll like upscale. 47 00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:03.760 Yeah, i'd be swanky. 48 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:06.599 Jeff Grubb, you did pull off the fishing vest quite well. 49 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:08.879 If you want to get into the vest era, I 50 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:10.000 could see it happening. 51 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:12.599 I should, I think I used that there was a 52 00:02:12.759 --> 00:02:14.599 wasps nest that got in the wall in my house, 53 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:17.439 and I think I'm mostly dealt with it. But when 54 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:19.680 I dealt with that, the ones that like were freaking 55 00:02:19.719 --> 00:02:22.280 out like went into the house and like went into 56 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:24.719 like the basement floorboards here, and so occasionally I will 57 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:28.479 find one in the basement, and I used that vest 58 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:29.800 to like kill it real quick because it was the 59 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:32.759 closest thing next to me, and I'm like, well, maybe 60 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:33.719 it might not be dead. 61 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:35.360 So I just got to never wear that vest again. 62 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:38.759 Jeff Grubb, I mean this is completely complimentary. I feel 63 00:02:38.759 --> 00:02:40.960 like you could also pull off like one of those 64 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:45.400 sports photographer vests as well. I could see you on 65 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:48.280 like the the lines of a football game with a 66 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:51.560 gigantic lens next to Marshall and Lynch. 67 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:57.080 Right, yes, yeah, and Randy Johnson. I definitely want to 68 00:02:57.120 --> 00:02:59.000 be a guy who's wearing too much stuff like or 69 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:00.960 it has too many pockets, Like I want to be 70 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:03.840 like like yeah, that like to me is like very comforting, 71 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:06.919 like all these jackets on TikTok or whatever, where it's 72 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:10.439 like it's the travel jacket and there's three thousand pockets 73 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:13.439 hidden all over the place. I would lose stuff in there, 74 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:15.520 but it would still comfort me to have something for 75 00:03:16.039 --> 00:03:18.439 surefect thank you everybody for tuning in. 76 00:03:18.520 --> 00:03:19.599 Let's explain ourselves. 77 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:22.280 We're a bunch of Internet video game dufices over here 78 00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:24.879 at Giant Bomb, and what you can do is support 79 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:27.520 us to make sure we can keep being Internet video 80 00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:30.319 game duficies. Go to giant bomb dot com, slash join, 81 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:33.360 become a premium member. If you do, you are supporting 82 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:37.000 independent games media, and we are very thankful for you 83 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:39.520 for that. It means the world makes our whole world 84 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:43.319 go round, So we appreciate that. If you are someone 85 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:45.199 who's going to become a new member, which you should, 86 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:47.319 it's gonna get you ad free versions of our shows. 87 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:50.240 It's going to get you premium access to exclusive content. 88 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:54.039 I think we have the Cat Jurfman finally really close, 89 00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:55.759 because we have three episodes in the can now we're 90 00:03:55.759 --> 00:03:59.719 gonna have a fourth later this week. It's happening. Nine 91 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:02.919 Line is still going on. This is the run Sewer Shark. 92 00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:05.719 We're recording some new episodes of that soon. These are 93 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:08.039 all exclusive, exclusive shows you can only get if you 94 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:09.039 become a premium member. 95 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:12.599 Jeff grub Soon the folks at home will will learn 96 00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:15.520 about the brilliance that is boy Salad. 97 00:04:16.120 --> 00:04:16.759 Boy Salad. 98 00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:19.399 It's t it's the time of boy Salad. Our age 99 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:21.120 of boy Salad is coming to an end. 100 00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:24.319 I'm so happy everyone gets to learn about boy salad soon. 101 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:26.560 It's I'm very excited. 102 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:30.399 I keep telling stuff about it and she asks me 103 00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:32.480 to stop, but I'm very excited. 104 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:35.079 All right, let's see here what else is gonna sell? 105 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:37.959 As far as this show goes most weekdays, I Jeff 106 00:04:37.959 --> 00:04:40.879 Grub will help piece your gaming life back together. That 107 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:44.000 includes breaking news and maybe even some of our own 108 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:47.120 original reporting. For all these topics, I'll get the input 109 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:49.879 of a bona fide expert who will make me look smart. 110 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:52.600 If you are watching live on twitch welcome, You can 111 00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:55.000 always listen to the show later on podcast feeds by 112 00:04:55.079 --> 00:04:58.680 searching for game Mes Mornings, or find the RSS feed 113 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:01.519 on giant bomb dot com. You can also catch the 114 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:04.160 show later with chapters and timestamps on YouTube. 115 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:06.480 Hello YouTube. 116 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:08.240 All right, we have a lot to get into, so 117 00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:11.439 let's start the morning mess with EA could be set 118 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:14.160 for mass layoffs as it aims to cut costs following 119 00:05:14.519 --> 00:05:18.439 the Saudi acquisition. This is from Chris Scullium at VGC 120 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:21.759 Electronic Arts could be set for mass layoffs following its 121 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:25.600 acquisition by Saudi Arabia Sovereign Wealth Fund, the PIF Fund. 122 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:28.839 The company confirmed on Tuesday that the deal had been completed. 123 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:32.279 I mean it is now fully owned by an investor 124 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:36.399 consortium comprised of PIFF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, with 125 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:38.839 the PIFF, which again is the Saudi Arabian Private or 126 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:42.560 cyber Wealth Fund, owning ninety three point four percent, so 127 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:43.959 they own the vast majority. 128 00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:46.959 The deal is the largest ever leveraged buyout in history. 129 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:49.839 A leveraged buyout is an acquisition where most of the 130 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:53.439 costs is covered by borrowed money. In this case, it 131 00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:57.120 was like reported to be around twenty billion. Bloomberg reporter 132 00:05:57.240 --> 00:05:59.240 Jason Schreyer posted on Blue Sky that this amounts to 133 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:02.600 a total debt of e for around actually eighteen billion, 134 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:05.160 with the company having to pay around one point eight 135 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:10.000 billion per year in interest alone. Tryer reports that EA's EBITA, 136 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:14.759 which is earnings before interest in taxes, depreciation and amateurization, 137 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:18.079 is around one point five billion dollars, meaning it can 138 00:06:18.439 --> 00:06:23.360 just about cover the interest payments without reducing the debt right, 139 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:26.000 So like, first of all, they're not. It's not that's 140 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:29.800 those are different numbers. One point five billion versus one 141 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:31.879 point eight billion. One is less than the other, and 142 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:36.199 it's it's worse. That is just like the the the 143 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:38.720 interest payments, So they'd be able to pay the interest 144 00:06:38.759 --> 00:06:41.360 payments without reducing the debt. So they would just keep 145 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:44.680 paying this number in perpetuity if they can't get that, 146 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:48.600 if they can't pay more of that interest down. As such, 147 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:51.160 the company has reportedly told debt investors that it's looking 148 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:54.480 to make cuts to reduce its annual expenses and it's 149 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:56.759 time for that sung and dance that I think we've 150 00:06:56.759 --> 00:06:59.160 all been expecting. As we were having these conversations about 151 00:06:59.160 --> 00:07:02.519 this over and over again and largest leverage buyout in history, 152 00:07:02.600 --> 00:07:04.759 we were like, heh, this means the games are probably 153 00:07:04.759 --> 00:07:07.160 gonna get worse for a bunch of reasons. Obviously they 154 00:07:07.160 --> 00:07:10.160 were probably gonna have to make cuts, and now here 155 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:13.759 we are really feels like that's in the cards. EA's 156 00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:16.040 annual EBEDA is around one point five billion, which should 157 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:18.360 be enough to service the interest payments, Shryer wrote on 158 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:20.959 Blue Sky, But the publisher has told debt investors that 159 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:24.040 it will cut seven hundred million in annual cost, including 160 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:28.560 one hundred and seventy million in organizational efficiencies, per Bloomberg. 161 00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:33.120 In other words, mass layoffs. That is that's Jason's sort 162 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:34.959 of read on the situation. But I think we all 163 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:37.720 are kind of like, Yeah, what like the one hundred 164 00:07:37.720 --> 00:07:40.480 and seventy million in organizational efficiencies, We know what that 165 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:46.079 means at this point. Yeah, it really just feels like this, 166 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:48.600 This company's gonna hit a wall and the only things 167 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:50.680 that will survive are gonna be the ones that we 168 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:53.079 kind of know ea for at this moment, which is 169 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:56.120 the big sports games, and those will just get more 170 00:07:56.160 --> 00:07:58.439 and shitified and worse as we go along, so they 171 00:07:58.480 --> 00:07:59.360 can squeak out a. 172 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.680 Few more dollars here and there from people, right one. 173 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:07.560 Hundred percent, Greb. We saw this happening with the Microsoft 174 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:12.800 acquisitions over the years, of teams being reduced, redundancies across 175 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:19.360 the board, and all this efficiency cost efficiency cost cutting, 176 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:23.680 and it just feels incredibly corporate and heartless to frame 177 00:08:23.720 --> 00:08:25.879 it as that. And of course the games are going 178 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:28.319 to get more shitty because we're going to be losing 179 00:08:28.360 --> 00:08:32.879 the institutional talent that have been at these studios. I 180 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:35.919 could see this happening with all the sports games. I 181 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:42.120 could see this happening maybe even with the sims other 182 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:45.960 ip that EA owns. I feel like we're just going 183 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:49.320 to get rinsed in repeat games. And hey Ea, you know, 184 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:51.639 I feel like you could have saved maybe thirty eight 185 00:08:51.639 --> 00:08:55.039 point six million dollars if you didn't pay your CEO 186 00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:58.320 that much. That would have helped take care some of 187 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:02.320 the operating costs from the tippy top instead of firing 188 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:03.879 your workers. 189 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:08.240 Yep, anyone who owns EA stock because of this going 190 00:09:08.279 --> 00:09:09.799 through is going to get around two hundred dollars a 191 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:12.440 little bit more than that. That includes a lot of employees, 192 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:13.960 so it's going to be a big pay day for 193 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:16.080 many of them. But it's going to mean a lot 194 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:20.360 of job cuts as well, very likely. You know, the 195 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:22.080 question would be like where do those cuts come from. 196 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:25.759 They've already cut pretty deep. They've as the story says, 197 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:29.600 EA has already made a number of layoffs in recent years. 198 00:09:29.960 --> 00:09:32.480 Last year, Reuters reported that the company laid off three 199 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:35.679 hundred to four hundred staff, including around one hundred at 200 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:38.519 Respawn Entertainment, and canceled a titan fall game that was 201 00:09:38.519 --> 00:09:39.200 in development. 202 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:40.360 Right, It's like and then we. 203 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:42.559 Talk about, okay, well what's left that's in development that 204 00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:45.279 they could cut. It's really it's like Mass Effect, right, 205 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:49.240 I mean it's BioWare you know. I guess because everything 206 00:09:49.240 --> 00:09:54.120 else is making quite a bit of money, but they'll 207 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:56.159 still find ways to cut that to keep putting those 208 00:09:56.159 --> 00:09:58.639 things out. But maybe they don't have faith in buy away. 209 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:01.440 I mean, I guess like motive, a motive, like the 210 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:03.879 what are they all working on? They all worked on Battlefield, 211 00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:06.200 but apparently Battlefield was doing just fine, So anyone that 212 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:08.519 was working on Battlefield, I guess they probably do cut 213 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:12.879 some of those support studios and begin outsourcing that to 214 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:15.720 other studios around the World's that's probably the move that 215 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:16.360 they make here. 216 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:20.080 Yeah, It's it's wild that Battlefield kind of like bounced 217 00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:22.799 back from the dead and had a very successful game, 218 00:10:23.639 --> 00:10:27.759 only for this to only benefit the CEO and for 219 00:10:27.799 --> 00:10:30.480 that team to get laid off. I'm looking at other 220 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:37.600 miscellaneous IP franchises that EA owns. It just feels bad 221 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:41.639 across the board of those games going to shit. And 222 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:45.000 we mentioned this yesterday on the podcast Grub. But like 223 00:10:45.799 --> 00:10:50.399 Mass Effect and some other buyerware games very LGBTQ friendly 224 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:56.000 and given the new owners. I don't know if that 225 00:10:56.120 --> 00:10:59.759 is something that is allowed or how much leeway a 226 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:02.799 company like buyoer is even allowed to have at that point. 227 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:04.159 Yep. 228 00:11:04.519 --> 00:11:07.600 Why don't we have more pegl? I don't think we're 229 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:09.720 gonna get more pegl at this point. 230 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:14.399 Right, more pegl? More PopCap games? What the hell? Yeah? Yeah, 231 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:15.320 that stuff's not in the cards. 232 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:18.600 It doesn't feel like anything that is not a billion 233 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:21.879 dollar seller, like anything that doesn't make a billion dollars 234 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:23.480 probably just is not of interest to them. 235 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:25.960 I also don't think I mean we've already seen this 236 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:31.200 with when a studio or a company will get taken 237 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:34.960 over or acquired by someone else, is that the runway 238 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:38.240 is exponentially shorter at that point to take any type 239 00:11:38.279 --> 00:11:41.159 of risks or to let a game breathe and try 240 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:47.360 and become successful. I feel like EA, this past current 241 00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:50.600 iteration of BA was willing to give a game like 242 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:54.679 Skate some runway to breathe and like try and become 243 00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:57.600 successful figure out their footing. I don't see that happening 244 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:00.240 now if a game does not have immediate return. 245 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.440 Yep, and you know, all all this goes without like 246 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:09.240 pointing out the fact that, uh, you know, the crown 247 00:12:09.320 --> 00:12:14.240 Prince of Saudi Arabia, according to US intelligence, allegedly ordered 248 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:17.240 the death of a journalist. Like that, these are these 249 00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:19.080 are the kinds of things where it's like, oh yeah, 250 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:21.879 it's like, I mean, you know, not that the you know, 251 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:25.080 various other thing. Countries that might have investments in these 252 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:27.320 companies don't have problems, but it's like this is just 253 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:31.679 such a clear attempt to wash the image of Saudi Arabia. 254 00:12:32.039 --> 00:12:33.879 How successful they'll be at that, I don't know. It 255 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:36.759 always feels like it's constantly backfiring, where it's like instead 256 00:12:36.840 --> 00:12:38.799 people just end up hating these companies. 257 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:39.120 More and more. 258 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:43.399 Uh Like that the live golf tournament thing that was 259 00:12:43.399 --> 00:12:46.360 supposed to be a competitor to the PGA fell apart 260 00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:48.519 kind of immediately. It was like falling apart as they 261 00:12:48.519 --> 00:12:52.240 were putting it together. And it doesn't feel like this 262 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:54.200 is going to go I mean, this could go differently, 263 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:56.399 but it doesn't feel like it's going to feel like 264 00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:59.960 it goes much differently because they have this this shoe 265 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.000 amount of debt here and a risk adverse company and 266 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:05.559 people who are not going to be They're just going 267 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:07.960 to keep their heads down while they vest anyone who 268 00:13:08.200 --> 00:13:10.080 like wants to get like continue getting their money here. 269 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:11.080 You know. 270 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:14.879 It's yeah, it's not going to lead to good things 271 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:17.600 for the many, many, many people who work at this company. 272 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:20.360 So like, yeah, I don't really care much at all 273 00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:22.840 about EA these days, but I do care that the 274 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:24.840 people that were working there had jobs. And there are 275 00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:28.519 some some teams that I do deeply care about, like Respawn. Yeah, 276 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:31.320 and you know, like it's just the cuts are going 277 00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:35.159 to keep coming. The games are probably gonna suffer, and 278 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:37.720 and they're gonna be under this this authoritarian regime. 279 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:38.519 Yeah. 280 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:42.759 I I don't see this authoritarian regime willing to take 281 00:13:42.840 --> 00:13:46.960 risks and have any type of fun or what could 282 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:50.159 be considered as fun. I mentioned this yesterday as well. 283 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:52.799 Grub it is. I didn't think it was possible for 284 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.000 the prospect of a future Harry Potter game to get worse, 285 00:13:56.679 --> 00:13:59.120 but it just doubled down. 286 00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:00.960 That's it. That's Warner Brothers. 287 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:04.960 But oh but but don't don't worry that is under 288 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:06.279 the Ellison's Chance. 289 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:13.200 Stands sick. Yeah, it's shitty all over. 290 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:16.120 And you know, EA just has like a bunch of 291 00:14:16.120 --> 00:14:18.759 miscllaneous ip that they've been sitting on as well, like 292 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:22.559 I don't think, uh, are are we going to ever 293 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:25.360 get another SSX? Are we ever going to get another? 294 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:27.519 Yeah? 295 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:30.679 You know? And then I I worry about games that 296 00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:33.919 I actually did, like like the Star Wars Jedi series, 297 00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:37.159 Like what's going to happen to that? What's gonna happen 298 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.279 to Calkestus scrub right? 299 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:43.120 Yeah, I mean you know they're that respond team is supposedly, 300 00:14:43.240 --> 00:14:45.399 you know, according to what I've heard, they got to 301 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:48.000 work on that next game in the Jedi Fallen Order 302 00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:50.639 series right away, the third one. They're gonna make a trilogy. 303 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:52.799 Whether there will be any more after that that that 304 00:14:52.919 --> 00:14:53.879 is a big question mark. 305 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:56.960 But this does change things. 306 00:14:57.919 --> 00:14:59.879 Do they like look at the numbers like, yeah, I mean, look, 307 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:02.720 this game sold well, but does it can does it 308 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:05.279 stand a chance of making a billion dollars? And the 309 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:09.879 answers no, probably, and so like does it get reassessed 310 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:11.519 or do they just cut the team. 311 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:14.440 In half and say, well, yeah, figure it out with half. 312 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:17.559 The people and then and then this financially makes sense 313 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:19.159 for us and we end up with a much worse 314 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:21.639 game because of that all that is, it seems very 315 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:22.480 likely at this point. 316 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:26.360 Yeah, these are all definite possibilities I can see happening. 317 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:30.879 Good luck ever finding or getting another Dead Space guys. 318 00:15:31.399 --> 00:15:33.759 Yes, so yeah, just like to for people like one 319 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:36.799 about like other Star Wars projects. So it said Kotor here, 320 00:15:36.840 --> 00:15:39.159 Cotor nothing to do with the A. That is, there's 321 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:40.840 nothing to do with Sony either, remember that showed up 322 00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:43.720 at that PlayStation state of place. Sony will completely wash 323 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:46.840 their hands a bit effectively. That game was canceled. It 324 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:50.039 is been picked up by a different studio over at Saber. 325 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:52.240 They're working on it. But that's nothing to do with 326 00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:56.000 the A. That uh, what is the other Star Wars game. 327 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:58.840 There's Star Wars Zero Company that is EA, that's Respawn 328 00:15:58.919 --> 00:16:01.639 working with the next external team that's coming very soon though, 329 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:04.120 so that that won't be affected. And then there is 330 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:06.320 a Star Wars Galactic Gracer nothing to do with the A. 331 00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:09.960 That is a completely separate thing. A lot of these 332 00:16:09.960 --> 00:16:11.440 Star Wars games now have nothing to do with the 333 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:15.600 A after they lost that license for the most part. Okay, 334 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:19.240 let's see here. Let's talk about Beast of Reincarnation reviews. 335 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:21.360 It was at like a you know, let me double 336 00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:24.440 check here. I have it over on Open Critic. Beast 337 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:28.000 of Reincarnation at seventy six on Open Critic. I don't 338 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:29.840 know people are saying reviews are mixed. I think they're 339 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:32.799 kind of all in this seven range, the seven to 340 00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:36.519 seven point five sort of range. Six out of ten 341 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:39.679 from Travis Northrop at ign Beast of Reincarnation is an 342 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:43.159 action RPG that has some great ideas blossoming here and there, 343 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:45.679 and they could be hard to spot among the weeds. 344 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:50.440 Three stars from Matt Wales at Eurogamer. Game Freak borrows 345 00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:54.240 liberally from the genre's biggest hits, and while it's messy 346 00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:58.120 and muddled, it's salvaged by exhilarating combat and traversal and 347 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:02.159 a surprising amount of soul. Three point five stars from 348 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:08.279 Shall Young Micdale at Giant Bomb. Beast of Reincarnation feels 349 00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:11.039 like the result of game freaks designing. Have our designers 350 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:13.599 having something to say, or at least wishing they did, 351 00:17:13.880 --> 00:17:16.039 but constantly struggling to find the right words. 352 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:16.839 That's me. 353 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:20.400 It eventually becomes a very fun action RPG to play, 354 00:17:20.440 --> 00:17:23.799 but stumbles many, many times on the path of getting there. 355 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:26.240 I'll see, Yeah, that talking to Sean as he was 356 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:28.720 playing that is the since I got it's like started 357 00:17:28.839 --> 00:17:31.480 kind of cool y, and he definitely was way more 358 00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:33.039 into it by the end, but not enough to like 359 00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:36.000 sort of change his overall opinion. He sort of averaged 360 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:39.960 out higher than I thought he would. Yeah, how are 361 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:40.680 you reading all this? 362 00:17:43.079 --> 00:17:45.160 I know that some folks will get bent out of 363 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:47.400 shape with the game getting like a three to three 364 00:17:47.400 --> 00:17:49.200 and a half or like a seven out of ten, 365 00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:54.400 But I think this is incredibly encouraging for game freaks first, 366 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:57.920 foray into like this style of game. This just seems 367 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:03.400 like a incredibly vicious type of game versus their other 368 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:07.799 previous releases, you know, the mainline Pokemon games and then 369 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:11.440 like the albeit very smaller titles like Pocket Card Jockey. 370 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:16.000 Good for game freak, this seems like I feel like 371 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:18.559 a lot of folks will flock to this game, as 372 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:22.319 Sean said, perhaps when it reaches a sale. I don't 373 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:24.480 know if this is on game Pass or whatever tier 374 00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:28.079 of PlayStation Plus, but I feel like some folks will 375 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:31.440 eventually trickle over and check it out. The next news 376 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:34.079 story I feel like is also encouraging for folks to 377 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:37.359 eventually check it out versus checking it out at launch, 378 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:41.920 but I trust Sewan's opinion. This is close to a 379 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:46.400 Sean game where it's a character action Jimmy Jam. It 380 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:49.480 does feel like it is trying to serve several masters 381 00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:53.839 grub and it is definitely inspired by a multitude of games, 382 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:56.880 and it doesn't quite nail one of those all the way. 383 00:18:57.039 --> 00:19:01.039 But given the influences that the game is like building upon, 384 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:05.640 I'm still interested in eventually circling back to Beast of Reincarnation. 385 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:07.799 Yeah, I think you know, these are the kinds of 386 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:10.720 reviews that I was expecting for something like Double seven 387 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:13.400 First Light, right where it's like, ah, yeah, and man 388 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:16.359 eventually kind of sorts itself out, but it's kind of 389 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:18.240 rock you through there and say, Okay, I know they 390 00:19:18.279 --> 00:19:20.960 pulled it off somehow by really I don't know. I 391 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:22.279 don't know how they did it, but like that was 392 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:24.319 really impressive to sort of take this new idea that 393 00:19:24.359 --> 00:19:26.200 they hadn't really done before, or at least not at 394 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:28.640 that scale, and deliver on it in a big way 395 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.279 the first time around. Obviously you could say hit Man similar, 396 00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:33.680 but it's they do a lot more than what they 397 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:35.680 do in Hitman in First Light. 398 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:37.359 This is what happened. 399 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:39.799 This is what happens with with when it's studio tries 400 00:19:39.880 --> 00:19:43.680 their hand at a big style of game. Their first 401 00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:46.440