WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:01.800 You'll be bit. 2 00:00:11.320 --> 00:00:13.919 Mike, I don't say the one. It's it's just like 3 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:14.400 three to two. 4 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:18.519 I get it. I also was distracted because there's another 5 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:20.559 breaking story that I'm adding to the thing real quick. 6 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:22.839 It's okay, Hi, Should I just go? 7 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:23.320 Yep? 8 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:28.519 Hi? Everybody? What's to say? Okay, Hey, everybody, welcome to 9 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:31.519 the Gay Mess Mornings with Me Mike Minaughty, your host 10 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:34.560 from GiantBomb dot com. Thank you for tuning in. In 11 00:00:34.600 --> 00:00:38.039 this episode, we're gonna be talking about Xbox layoffs happening 12 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:43.320 right now, the death of pss R in the Outriders 13 00:00:43.320 --> 00:00:46.399 sequel that will never happen. It's gonna be a good 14 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:50.880 one because we have Jana Choa on the show. There's 15 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:53.200 old stuff here about a sponsor that we don't currently have. 16 00:00:53.240 --> 00:00:58.719 I've been you know, Jeff's Jeff's format here is strange 17 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:00.840 and magical I've discovered. But for a show, how are 18 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:01.240 you doing? 19 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:04.840 I'm doing great, Mike Manati. I I love the energy 20 00:01:04.920 --> 00:01:09.840 that game Mike Mornings brings to my Wednesday mornings. That's right, 21 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:14.359 it's great. Uh. Turns out, Mike, when you move, not 22 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:17.799 only does your computer not want to work sometimes and 23 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:21.879 recognize all the same outputs that are that were exactly 24 00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:24.040 where they were. But your body doesn't want to wake 25 00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:25.760 up at the normal time it normally does. 26 00:01:28.200 --> 00:01:30.560 I bet, I bet. I mean, look, you already have 27 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:32.840 my sympathy being on the West Coast and having to 28 00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:35.319 get up in the actual shoot morning for things I 29 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:38.680 name stuff morning shows and then do them at two PM. 30 00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:43.799 That's how much I actually greatly dislike mornings. 31 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:46.840 So it's the morning somewhere, Mike, right. 32 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:51.200 It's always the morning somewhere, hopefully where you are and 33 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:54.799 not where I am, because yeah, I am the opposite 34 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:58.319 of a morning person. But you know, you're getting settled 35 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:01.719 in though the move, you know, there's all the move 36 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:05.439 usually keeps happening for months and months and months, but 37 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:07.840 hopefully a lot of the big stuff is taken care of. 38 00:02:07.879 --> 00:02:12.039 Now. Yeah, finally cleared enough space in the kitchen to 39 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:15.759 actually walk around, and now my partner's graciously going to 40 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:19.599 start putting more stuff away, a little bit more shelf 41 00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:22.560 space than we originally had at the old place, which 42 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:23.560 is a pleasant surprise. 43 00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:28.240 I could see your nightmare before Christmas. Zero popcorn bucket 44 00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:29.879 behind you over there. 45 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:30.199 That's good. 46 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:35.039 I actually bought my first popcorn buckets this. Oh, they're 47 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:38.080 actually at Universal. It's twofless from howitoring your Dragon. And 48 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:42.039 I got them for my nephews both have birthdays coming up, 49 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:44.479 and I was like, okay, this is fun. But when 50 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:46.199 I bought it, they were like, you know, you get 51 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:49.039 like a free fill of popcorn on yeah boy. 52 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:52.759 So no, okay. So that's the great thing that Universal 53 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:55.800 does that I don't remember if Disney actually does. Because 54 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:58.759 at Universal, if you buy the popcorn bucket, you just 55 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:00.919 show up with a receipt and they'll see whether or 56 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:02.439 not you ticked it off yet, and they'll give you 57 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:03.639 the free popcorn refill. 58 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:06.199 I got the popcorn. I put it in that bad boy. 59 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:07.919 I put it around my neck and carried that little 60 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:10.560 two fliss around like like my child. And I'll tell 61 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:12.439 you what. I get the appeal. I get the appeal. 62 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:13.199 It was kind of fun. 63 00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:16.439 Yep, yep, don't worry, folks. Soon enough, I'll get the 64 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:21.280 whole crew on the boo boos, the boo boos, love 65 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:26.280 boo boos, boo boos. I just love hearing you guys 66 00:03:26.280 --> 00:03:26.639 say it. 67 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:31.240 Okay, before we get into things, let's explain ourselves. This 68 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:33.280 is giant bomb a small team of video game two 69 00:03:33.319 --> 00:03:35.879 pics who relying your support so we can make cool stuff. 70 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:38.479 If you want to help, go to giant bomb dot 71 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:41.080 com slash join. This gets you add free shows and 72 00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:44.039 some other extras. That's giant bomb dot com slash Join 73 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:46.639 a ship mentioned. We still have some merch, some new 74 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:48.639 ish merch on the store. We'll get some new stuff soon. 75 00:03:48.680 --> 00:03:52.639 But I'm wearing my spoon Heaven shirt today. Very excited 76 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:54.680 about that. I think, look, get out of here, microphone, 77 00:03:55.199 --> 00:04:00.400 look at my shirt, get back her microphone. So yeah, 78 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:05.599 that's short at giant bomb dot com. But on this 79 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:08.639 show today most okay, Oh here's this part where I 80 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:11.520 say this most weekdays, Jeff Grub will help peace your 81 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:14.960 gaming life back together. That includes breaking news, maybe even 82 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:18.399 some of our own original reporting for all these topics. 83 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:20.519 Will get input from a bona fide expert who will 84 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:24.560 make me look smart. If you're watching live on Twitch welcome, 85 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:27.199 You can always listen to the show later on podcast 86 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:30.920 feeds by searching for Games Mornings, or find the RSS 87 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:33.920 feed on giant bomb dot com. You can also catch 88 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:41.560 the show later on YouTube. Hello YouTube. Okay, we got 89 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:43.240 a lot to get into us, so let's start the 90 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:48.720 morning mess with Microsoft begins deep job cuts across the 91 00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:53.160 Xbox division. This is from Jason Schreyer at Bloomberg. Microsoft 92 00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:57.120 announced Wednesday morning it's eliminating nine thousand workers company wide 93 00:04:57.160 --> 00:04:59.959 and a second wave of layoffs this year. The cuts 94 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:03.079 will have an impact across teams, geographies and tenure, and 95 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:08.319 our main efforts of streamlining processes and reducing layers of management. 96 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:13.079 A company spokesperson said. The termination follows an earlier round 97 00:05:13.079 --> 00:05:15.319 of layoffs in May that hit six thousand people and 98 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:20.959 fell hardest on product and engineering positions. These cuts have 99 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:24.480 started today jan We're kind of learning mostly about the 100 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:29.800 European offices impacted. For example, the Stockholm based King division, 101 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:32.240 which makes candy crushes, cutting ten percent. 102 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:32.360 Of its staff. 103 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:36.439 Oh my god, about two thousand jobs. Other European offices 104 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:38.879 such as Xenemax also began forming employees that job coups 105 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:43.160 are happening as we're going live. Jason Schreier reported that 106 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:47.000 Zenemax's new MMO project and these are the people who 107 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:50.639 made oer scrolls online. Their new project, code named Blackbird, 108 00:05:50.680 --> 00:05:54.600 which was in development since twenty eighteen, has been canceled 109 00:05:54.680 --> 00:06:00.839 as part of these layoffs and again US kind of 110 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:03.879 layoffs here expected to be announced later in the day. 111 00:06:04.040 --> 00:06:06.959 The Microsoft's gaming division had about twenty thousand plays as 112 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:10.879 of January twenty twenty four. Here's a clip from Phil 113 00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:14.240 Spencer to position gaming for enduring success and allow us 114 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:17.680 to focus on strategic growth areas. It will end or 115 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:20.360 decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow 116 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:25.560 Microsoft's lead and removing layers of management to increase agility 117 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:30.439 and effectiveness. This is the fourth mass layoff at Xbox 118 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:33.040 in the last eighteen months. Rumors are also saying that 119 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:37.000 ever Wild is canceled at Rare. 120 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:39.000 So this is. 121 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:41.879 Happening right now. We're going to probably be learning more 122 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:45.199 about this, especially how it impacts US studios as the 123 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:49.600 day goes on. I mean, you know, a certain point, 124 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:54.800 what do we say, jan this sucks again. Microsoft is 125 00:06:56.399 --> 00:07:03.040 insanely rich, filthy rich, disgustingly rich. What does it need 126 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:05.680 to Why does it need to cause so much misery? 127 00:07:06.199 --> 00:07:10.439 What is the justification possibly throughout these words like agility 128 00:07:10.839 --> 00:07:12.759 and effectiveness? Fuck off? 129 00:07:12.920 --> 00:07:16.079 This is terrible. Yeah, the aspects of this where they 130 00:07:16.199 --> 00:07:20.959 keep saying they're handling management, I think they should look 131 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:25.480 further up the ladder, Mic because there's several several layers 132 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:29.360 of mismanagement further at the top, closer to phill that 133 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:36.079 needs to be addressed. Nine thousand workers laid off is insane. 134 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:39.399 And I know whenever these stories come out, Mike and 135 00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:42.720 we report on them, people will see like ten percent 136 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:46.199 of a company laid off, and that ten percent may 137 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:47.959 not feel like a lot, but when you like put 138 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:50.759 it on paper and you are now suddenly losing two 139 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:56.439 hundred of your coworkers, that is mighty significant. Especially like 140 00:07:56.600 --> 00:08:01.000 I I know that I'm under the assumption that at 141 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:07.839 King Candy Crush may not take the most work to maintain, 142 00:08:08.439 --> 00:08:12.439 but it is like still one of the top mobile 143 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:17.759 games out there or so like people are still actively 144 00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:22.079 playing it. That getting Candy Crush under the Microsoft umbrella 145 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:26.639 was definitely part of like the the acquisition motivations from 146 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:31.360 like a couple of years ago. So like, this just sucks, Mike. This, 147 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:33.720 this really like takes the wind out of my sales 148 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:40.159 for any interest in Microsoft related things. Hearing about ZeniMax 149 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:46.039 getting gutted also stinks. Elder Scrolls. The MMO just feels 150 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:48.600 like one of those MMOs that was like constantly trucking 151 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:53.200 along and doing well. And I was always I'm always 152 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:56.320 jazzed to see an MMO scene like doing pretty okay 153 00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:02.720 despite me not being totally clued into it. Man, killing 154 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:05.399 a game that they've been working on for seven years 155 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:06.159 is insane. 156 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:11.559 Yeah, you know, Yeah, Elder Scrolls Online has done well, 157 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:13.759 It's never quite reached that world of warcraft they're going 158 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:16.120 to file on fantacy fourteen level. I think of just 159 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:19.879 being an absolute money truck. But it's done well. They've 160 00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:23.039 continued to support, they continue to promote it, But I 161 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:27.519 don't think that game has a you know, forever expiration date. 162 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:30.159 At some point, you're gonna need a new game for 163 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:33.799 ZENMX Online Studios to move on to. So canceling Blackbird 164 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:36.480 here that worries me because what what is the plan 165 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:40.080 for that studio now? Is it just ESO now forever? 166 00:09:40.200 --> 00:09:43.080 Are you gonna try to green light a new project 167 00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:45.240 or you know what I really worry about, are you 168 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:48.440 gonna wind that whole thing down eventually once the money 169 00:09:48.840 --> 00:09:54.639 from ESO dries up. That's a difficult thing about it. Ever, 170 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:56.759 while it was probably a bit of an easy target 171 00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:59.799 on this one, Jim, that was the kind of fan 172 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:04.039 see multiplayer game that Rare announced a long time ago, 173 00:10:04.120 --> 00:10:05.759 and then it was kind of clear that there wasn't 174 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:07.759 much of a game there and that it's maybe been 175 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:12.320 rebooted a few times. So that's disappointing that we couldn't 176 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:14.919 figure something out there and that you know, we're not 177 00:10:14.919 --> 00:10:16.759 we're not getting you know, see, if these is great, 178 00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:20.759 sure it does well, it's also been out for a while. 179 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:23.080 They've done you know, the Pirates of the Caribbean thing, 180 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:25.039 They've done the Monkey Allen thing. Unless they start doing 181 00:10:25.080 --> 00:10:27.360 a Muppet treasure Islan thing, they're gonna start running out 182 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:30.679 of I ready ip to bring into that thing. 183 00:10:30.840 --> 00:10:34.080 So what if they do a treasure planet Mike, Oh, don't, 184 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:35.360 don't tease me, don't tease me. 185 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:38.240 Can but you know, like you know, we got to 186 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:41.559 have projects that Rare, So again, hopefully this is okay 187 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:44.440 to cancel ever while move on to something else and 188 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:48.519 not just well, here comes layoffs for Rare of all things, 189 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:52.080 which is, you know, such a legacy studio that's done 190 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:55.159 so many things and could and should be put on 191 00:10:55.279 --> 00:11:01.919 projects like Viven Pinata, like Banjo Kazooi and things like that. 192 00:11:02.519 --> 00:11:04.879 Just the fact, this is the fourth round of these 193 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:07.399 mass layoffs in the last eighteen months. It isn't the 194 00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:10.120 last one. I don't know. No, I still don't know 195 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:12.039 how this is going to impact, say Blizter we can 196 00:11:12.120 --> 00:11:16.080 find out the layoffs a Blizzard later today, and so 197 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:19.120 many other studios, so many games that are coming out 198 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:21.200 that are that still seem kind of a while away. 199 00:11:21.480 --> 00:11:24.240 I mean, Fable and Perfect Dark had been talked about 200 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:27.200 forever and we didn't We didn't see those this summer 201 00:11:27.240 --> 00:11:30.919 at Xbox's showcase. Right now, these games are taking forever. 202 00:11:31.080 --> 00:11:34.519 Yeah, not even like a hint of or anything of 203 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:37.759 what's going on. Like they chose to put Silk Song 204 00:11:38.039 --> 00:11:43.879 in one of the hype trailers reels. This is a reels, yeah, 205 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:48.879 instead of like a game that is actually theirs. Uh yeah, 206 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:51.759 I don't know. Like this it worries me a lot 207 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:57.159 for the future of anything related to Microsoft. Really, Like, 208 00:11:57.879 --> 00:11:59.879 I'm not the biggest Call of Duty player at all, 209 00:12:00.279 --> 00:12:02.840 but if that cash cow starts to dry up, are 210 00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:06.639 they just going to send that out to get got 211 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:09.679 further down the line? I Mean. The other aspect of 212 00:12:09.720 --> 00:12:14.159 this that sucks is that it's not just developers that 213 00:12:14.279 --> 00:12:18.559 are getting looped up in these layoffs. It's also people 214 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:25.080 from several different departments also that you know, it may 215 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:28.960 not be the easiest to find a new job. We've 216 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:33.639 seen people that have been laid off from UH I 217 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:37.879 don't know cycles ago that are still struggling to look 218 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:44.080 for a new job. And it's it sucks, Mike, it's 219 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:45.720 and it's really rough. 220 00:12:45.799 --> 00:12:49.480 It's really depressing. And again, like this news is gonna 221 00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:53.919 be following throughout the day here, so we don't know 222 00:12:53.960 --> 00:12:56.799 what other games we're gonna find out are canceled, if 223 00:12:56.960 --> 00:12:59.919 entire studios. I mean, there are rumors going into this 224 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:07.120 that the Forts Motorsport developer turned ten might be in 225 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:10.639 big trouble and they're based in Redmond, Washington, but that 226 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:12.840 ends up being true. We're gonna hear about that game again. 227 00:13:12.840 --> 00:13:14.840 The last Forts and Motorsport came out of twenty twenty three. 228 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:18.279 It feels like it didn't quite light the world on fire, 229 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:20.919 but you know a lot of Xbox games have been 230 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:25.039 having trouble letting the world on fire, right, I mean, yeah, 231 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:26.720 you know South of Midnight I think it kind of 232 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:31.600 came and it probably did okay, but nothing Crazy held 233 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:32.799 Bay two and then I don't think any of these 234 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:35.080 games were some giant flops or anything. But yeah, none 235 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:38.600 of them are, you know, reaching that super stratosphere that 236 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:40.320 maybe you're hoping for. But at a certain point, what 237 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:43.919 do all these games have in common. It's it's the 238 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:48.120 Xbox leadership. It's the Xbox plan, a plan that not 239 00:13:48.200 --> 00:13:51.519 too long ago was nothing but game pass, game pass, 240 00:13:51.559 --> 00:13:53.720 game pass, game pass. And now suddenly they're not talking 241 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:56.720 about game pass so much anymore. There is no plan. 242 00:13:56.960 --> 00:13:59.440 They're retreating from hardware. There are. They want to be 243 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:02.879 a publisher Solster's games everywhere. That's great, but they still 244 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:04.960 talk about hard where. They still say they're making a 245 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:07.840 new console and it's gonna be the biggest generational leap 246 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:12.039 it ever is. You know, Mike Ibara was talking to 247 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:14.159 say Form president of Blizzard, and I think that he's 248 00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:16.679 maybe a bit of I don't say clown, but he 249 00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:19.679 ruts me the wrong way a little bit. Sometimes. Maybe 250 00:14:19.720 --> 00:14:22.519 it's some truth in. Xbox has to get a better 251 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:27.000 strategy here than just trying to do everything publish all 252 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:31.200 these games everywhere and everywhere, still have a console, slapping 253 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:36.080 the Xbox name on a rog ally in an Oculus quest. Meanwhile, 254 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:38.240 it's like the games are floundering. 255 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:44.320 So yeah, we're the second we hear that. I don't know, 256 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:49.159 like a fable or a Perfect Dark gets canceled. I 257 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:51.799 I don't know what that says about Microsoft. I know 258 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:53.639 what that says about Microsoft. I don't know what that 259 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:57.360 says about Uh, like the state of like these gigantic, 260 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:04.440 big publishers, if they're have so much, it's less so 261 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:06.960 that they are having trouble, but like it is just 262 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:10.440 a fire and a mess happening internally. 263 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:15.120 Yeah, and I don't know how that house is going 264 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:16.799 to get in order again. 265 00:15:16.919 --> 00:15:18.799 You know, it's such whiplash because it just was. 266 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:21.320 It doesn't seem like that long ago when they were 267 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:26.120 buying all of these studios and they just couldn't stop biatus. 268 00:15:26.200 --> 00:15:28.039 Thank god that we at least know there's a new 269 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.759 game coming from Double Fine that was finally announced, because 270 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:33.519 I'd been terrified for them right now, and that would 271 00:15:33.559 --> 00:15:37.200 be such a travesty if anything happened at that studio. 272 00:15:37.879 --> 00:15:40.600 So again, Wow, well we'll see more. News is going 273 00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:41.799 to be happening throughout the day. 274 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:45.240 Mike, what is the point of trying to become like 275 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:49.960 this gigantic behemoth in the games industry, if you were 276 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:52.519 just going to continue to lay people off and cancel 277 00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:53.840 project after project. 278 00:15:55.720 --> 00:15:59.639 It's all about trends, right when you know, these services 279 00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:03.159 became a trend, right, Hbo Max and Disney Plus, So 280 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:06.200 here comes game paths. That's a trend. And trends can 281 00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:09.600 be anything. For people in suits because they're very stupid 282 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:12.960 and they have problems thinking for themselves. So when they 283 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:17.200 look around they see the other people wearing suits with 284 00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:19.399 their nice haircuts doing things they like to just do 285 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:23.120 what they're doing. And right now the trend is laying 286 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:26.039 people off, like, oh, this is a fun trend. Ooh. 287 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:29.679 Look if I lay these people off and take away 288 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:33.320 their livelihood and their money, my numbers go up. Ooh 289 00:16:33.399 --> 00:16:38.360 investors happy, Ooh, I like this quick fix. Never mind 290 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:43.720 the consequences of suddenly losing a giant portion of your workforce, 291 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:48.440 never mind the human suffering. Human suffering doesn't impact the line, 292 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:53.080 So it's all a bunch of bullshits. The market is 293 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:58.879 terrible for gaming. It's never about quality. U Nobody is 294 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:03.960 increasing investor value by increasing quality, at least they don't 295 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:09.279 think so. So that's why so many of these giant 296 00:17:09.319 --> 00:17:13.640 publishers are beginning to fail us and we're getting our 297 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:19.720 better games elsewhere. Anyways, go ahead, sorry, Jed. 298 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:23.319 Before we move on to the next story, Mike, how 299 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:27.400 much of this do you think is not only motivated 300 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:31.759 and pushed forward by corporate greed and actual mismanagement that's 301 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:36.960 never going to be addressed, but by these suits and 302 00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:41.720 exacts thinking oh well, we'll just replace everyone with AI. 303 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:46.680 I'm sure there's some AI bullshit thinking going on there too, 304 00:17:46.920 --> 00:17:52.400 write and yeah, yeah, we'll see how that goes, because 305 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:56.920 you know, they have to realize and I sometimes with 306 00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:59.160 this AI stuff like it's like I'm gonna look at it, 307 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:01.160 and parties like, oh, that's just a little bit. And 308 00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:03.200 I mean, I'm still glad that everybody freaks out and 309 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:06.279 tells them to stop that and to get ben and 310 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:08.480 to review bomb them, because it is a little bit 311 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:10.359 of we can't allow any of that, because as soon 312 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:12.440 as you give them an inch, they're gonna give us 313 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:17.559 a mile of this AI slop. So you know, that's 314 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:19.279 that's there. I think with you know, AI is such 315 00:18:19.319 --> 00:18:21.640 a part of this train that was you know, Blockchain, 316 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:25.079 then Metaverse and now AI again just another trend that 317 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:28.880 everybody talks about at these ridiculous conferences where they go 318 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:32.400 to and they all just you know, pass along whatever 319 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:35.720 buzzword that they read about. It's annoying and it's stupid, 320 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:39.680 all right. Next up here, Mark Mark Kearney's uh spar 321 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:42.440 Surney excuse me says Placation vi pro will get its 322 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:46.920 major replacement for the current PSSR upscaler next year from 323 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:51.160 Jordan Miller VGC PS five System architect Mark Serny has 324 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:53.799 discussed a major update coming to places vi pro in 325 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:58.240 twenty twenty six, which will replace it's PSSR upscal ar tech. 326 00:18:58.839 --> 00:19:00.680 Ear this year, it was announced that only an AMDA 327 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:03.839 partner on the project am Withthys Initiative, which is focused 328 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:07.759 on delivering a version of FSR four, AMD's equivalent of 329 00:19:07.880 --> 00:19:11.079 Nvidia's DLSS tech to the play station vi pro. The 330 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:14.640 technology will be similar to Sony's own PSSR tech, which 331 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:17.920 is a machine learning based upscaler but promises improved results. 332 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:21.680 And interviewed with Tom's Guide, Serny disgust the upcoming tech, 333 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:24.880 which he called a drop in replacement for the current 334 00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:30.480 PSSR RIP pisser. I guess it's a little weird because 335 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:33.599 we heard so much about that proprietary tech blah blah blah, 336 00:19:33.640 --> 00:19:36.839 and they're already just kind of gonna replace that and 337 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:42.079 drop in FSR, which I mean, I guess, I guess 338 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:45.720 that makes sense. Why devote all this money and technology 339 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:49.079 into making your own system here when you have AMD, 340 00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:55.559 you have in Vidia already investing a ton into these things. 341 00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:57.200 I don't know, is this weird to you at all? 342 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:01.079 Jam, I'm with you, Mike. I devote all the time 343 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:05.400 in resources to make and implement your own system that 344 00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:09.160 may not work as well as like the leaders out there. 345 00:20:09.240 --> 00:20:12.880 It's like, we're not trying to make our own video 346 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:17.200 hosting platform to rival YouTube or Twitch right now, because 347 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:21.960 that would be silly to do. Just use the tools 348 00:20:21.960 --> 00:20:26.400 that are available and work with those existing relationships. I 349 00:20:26.440 --> 00:20:30.039 also think it's insane that no one at PlayStation brought 350 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:32.559 up the idea that PSSR looks like pisser. 351 00:20:35.079 --> 00:20:37.440 Maybe that's what this is really about, so people keep 352 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:41.759 calling it pisser. It's a big problem. Yeah, this makes 353 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:43.119 a lot of sense that I bet it's even going 354 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:46.519 to look better. I mean, it's a little silly to 355 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:51.680 continue developing PSSR, which would take a ton of resources 356 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:55.440 to keep that tech going. When you can just partner 357 00:20:55.480 --> 00:20:59.440 with an AMD or an in video and yeah FSRSS, 358 00:20:59.640 --> 00:21:02.240 there's a gonna be the two kinds of these tech 359 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:06.920 we always see going forward continuing here. According to Serny, 360 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:09.519 he expected the investment and technology to take years to 361 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:12.160 come to fruition, but due to the collaboration between the 362 00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:15.240 two companies, they have managed to develop a substantially improved 363 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:19.079 upscaling algorithm in just a few years. It expected to 364 00:21:19.160 --> 00:21:22.920 release publicly in twenty twenty six. Yeah, I mean, here's 365 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:24.400 what it looks like. You know, I don't have a 366 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:26.759 PlayStation five Pro, and I feel kind of weird about 367 00:21:26.759 --> 00:21:28.480 it because it's the first time I didn't get one 368 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:31.880 of these min gen upgrades. Even you know, the stuff 369 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:35.359 does look kind of nice. My problem is, you know, 370 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:37.599 I invested in a new PC instead, I'm not gonna 371 00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:40.559 also get one of these. And every year I don't 372 00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:43.519 get a PlayStation five Pro, I'm a year closer to 373 00:21:43.559 --> 00:21:46.240 a PlayStation six anyway, So why jump on now. It's 374 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:48.519 not like there's gonna be a sale or the price 375 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:50.119 is gonna go down, of course not. 376 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:53.720 Yeah, Mike I'm in the same boat where my PS 377 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:57.440 five is doing completely fine. Sure, during some moments of 378 00:21:57.480 --> 00:22:00.240 destraining two, it's starting to sound like a jet en, 379 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:05.640 But I think that is because of my own that's 380 00:22:05.720 --> 00:22:08.960 just due to me being a dusty boy and not 381 00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:12.599 cleaning out my PS five. But yeah, I just have. 382 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:15.160 Called you the pig pen of Giant Bomb, that's for sure. 383 00:22:15.400 --> 00:22:18.160 That's right. I have a cloud around me at all times. 384 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:22.359 But yeah, I have no interest in getting a PS 385 00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:26.640 five pro exactly for the reasons you highlighted. And the 386 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:29.839 further we keep going, Mike, I don't know if I 387 00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:30.960 want a PS six. 388 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:36.839 We'll see. PlayStation at least does have some exclusives sometimes, 389 00:22:36.839 --> 00:22:40.160 although those are coming you know, later and later, and 390 00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:42.559 they always get PC ports and the PS the PC 391 00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:47.279 ports are happening sooner and sooner. I sure don't know 392 00:22:47.319 --> 00:22:49.680 if I'm going to need the next Xbox with you know, 393 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:52.400 absolutely knowing all their games are coming to PC and 394 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:55.359 with you know, the things that they have been doing 395 00:22:56.720 --> 00:22:59.799 all right. Next up her three former Ubisoft execs receive 396 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:03.880 suspended prison sentences at harassment trial. This is from Chris 397 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:08.240 Scolian at VGC three former Ubisoft execs standing trial for 398 00:23:08.359 --> 00:23:11.319 sexual assault and harassment at the company have been found 399 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:16.519 guilty and sentence. The trial of former CEO Sergey Haskalt, 400 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:20.519 former vice president of Editory Korea of Services, Thomas Francois, 401 00:23:20.839 --> 00:23:25.359