WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:15.560 You'll be go me bad. Hey everybody, welcome to game 2 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:18.160 As Mornings with Me Jeff Grub, your host from giant 3 00:00:18.199 --> 00:00:21.079 bomb dot com. Thank you for tuning in. In this episode, 4 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:24.120 we're gonna be talking about Randy Pitch for just jumping 5 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:26.039 on a rake and how an old game was the 6 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:28.760 best selling release last month. It's gonna be a good 7 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:30.839 one because we have John Martin on the show. John, 8 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:32.159 how are you doing. 9 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:35.399 Jeff Grub, I'm doing fantastic. How are you doing this morning? 10 00:00:35.799 --> 00:00:37.920 Doing great? I'm glad we could get you on the show. 11 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:41.240 We met at Pax. It was a good conversation. You 12 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:46.359 witnessed me being dealt with by enforcers, as was my 13 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:49.600 you know, as was my due of course. But I'm 14 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:51.920 why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself to everybody? 15 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:54.119 Let up, everyone know, like what you're up to, where 16 00:00:54.159 --> 00:00:55.920 they can find you on the internet and all that stuff. 17 00:00:56.840 --> 00:00:57.119 Sure. 18 00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:00.960 Yeah, So hi everyone, I'm John. I've been making videos 19 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:05.280 in my spare time for over a decade, basically built 20 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.519 a career path to work in video games, work in 21 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:08.680 video game marketing. 22 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:10.400 I've done that for a few years now. 23 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:14.400 I'm by myself, but still have that passion for video games, 24 00:01:14.439 --> 00:01:16.400 and yeah, I'm excited to get it to the news. 25 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:20.359 Yeah. Yeah, we're gonna pop in here real soon. But yeah, 26 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:22.760 how was your past did you enjoy it? Is that? Like, 27 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:24.680 are you out on the East Coast? Was it easy 28 00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:25.799 to get to and everything for you? 29 00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:27.000 Yeah? 30 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:29.400 So I'm in the Boston area, so I've been going 31 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:33.480 to EFFECT every year since twenty twelve. Yeah, it was 32 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:38.359 a good one. Definitely a different vibe this year. You 33 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:40.120 can kind of tell that there were a lot there 34 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:43.599 was a lot of vacant space and there weren't as 35 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:46.000 many big titles in recent years, which is, you know, 36 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:49.719 understandable for the state of everything. But no, I had 37 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:52.159 a really good time. It's always fun to meet up 38 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:54.319 with people you talk to online. It's always great to 39 00:01:54.359 --> 00:01:56.439 meet up with, you know, people you look up to, 40 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:59.719 like you guys and thank Yeah, it's just a awesome 41 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:02.959 opportunity to talk to developers and learn about what's going on. 42 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:05.959 Yeah, did you spend any time in the like the 43 00:02:05.959 --> 00:02:09.520 press room, the media room, because that's like they have 44 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:12.080 like a room there where media and journalists can work. 45 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:13.400 And I used to spend a lot of time in there, 46 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:14.800 and I haven't been in there in years, so it's 47 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:16.879 just like, what's it like in there these days? But 48 00:02:16.919 --> 00:02:18.080 I know, did you go in there at all? 49 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:20.879 I unfortunately didn't. I spent most of my time in 50 00:02:20.919 --> 00:02:22.240 the Packs arcade. 51 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:25.000 Now that's no, that's a way better use of your time. 52 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:28.159 Definitely do that. You know, I'm at a point with 53 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:30.960 Packs where I don't know what I'm expecting from it 54 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:33.159 in terms of video games. I think I got there 55 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:36.479 and I was like, eh, you know, Nintendo's not showing 56 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:39.759 off switch to here. Really, it's there's not much going on. 57 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:41.800 That's fine. Packs is going to be able to do 58 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:44.719 just like all right without that stuff because so many 59 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:46.879 people come there just hang out with friends or do 60 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:50.199 the events or play tabletop games. A huge tabletop section 61 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:52.639 like always bigger than ever. But then I you know, 62 00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:54.800 I did see elden Ring Night Rain. They were like 63 00:02:54.919 --> 00:02:57.280 running demos for that or whatever. Maybe movie was a 64 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:59.159 theater thing. I didn't go in there, but I just 65 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:01.479 saw their little you know, conclid they had over there. 66 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:03.639 I'm like, oh, yeah, I guess big games can just 67 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:06.039 show up at Packs. Now, You're right, in the past, 68 00:03:06.039 --> 00:03:09.000 there's been many more of those and bigger ones and 69 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:11.080 they had booths that were even bigger than this night 70 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:13.479 Rain one, which was kind of small all things considered. 71 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:16.280 But uh, at this point, I'm a little surprised when 72 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:18.639 big games show up at packs because it's just it 73 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:20.719 feels like one of these things where a lot of developers, 74 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:22.919 especially internationally, are just like, oh, I don't know if 75 00:03:22.919 --> 00:03:24.560 we can make use of this, or we're kind of 76 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:27.120 afraid of spending money traveling around the world showing off 77 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:30.599 the games. So yeah, I don't know, packs doesn't necessarily 78 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:33.039 need those games anymore, right, because it's just this community 79 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:33.719 thing at this point. 80 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:36.840 Yeah, I think a big push this year was featuring 81 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:39.879 more local game developers from the Boston area, which is 82 00:03:39.960 --> 00:03:42.319 always that's cool to get like meet up with those people, 83 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:45.000 see where they're based out of. There's there's a fair 84 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:47.599 amount of big studios in the Boston area and there's 85 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:51.280 more and more even coming still, so it would be 86 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:53.719 cool to see more of like you know, a Harmonics 87 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:58.159 or whatever the creator of BioShock is doing. But like, yeah, 88 00:03:58.199 --> 00:04:01.360 I think like with the death of the indie megabooth, 89 00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:06.039 like there is a kind of stunting growth in terms 90 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:08.680 of like discoverability, but there is still plenty of great games, 91 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:11.759 plenty of alliance to stand in. Yeah, and there's some 92 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:14.520 big games like I played Crimson Desert, which is that 93 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:17.800 like a Black Desert MMO kind of game, single player thing, 94 00:04:18.279 --> 00:04:20.279 which was really cool and that was a whole experience 95 00:04:20.360 --> 00:04:21.600 but excellent. 96 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:24.839 Well, let's explain ourselves and what we do here. We're 97 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:26.800 Giant Bomb. You can go to giant bomb dot com 98 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:30.199 slash join and help support this crew over here doing 99 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:32.199 what we do. If you like this show, we'd really 100 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:34.959 appreciate that you can join up there, and all that 101 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:38.160 money does go to support us as an independent company. 102 00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:41.240 Now that's a recent development and we're really excited about it. 103 00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:44.279 We're getting all of the balls rolling on that. If 104 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:46.480 you do that, you get ad free shows, some other 105 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:49.399 goodies that we will be providing to you. But also 106 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:51.720 just get the warm fuzzies in your heart and knowing 107 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:55.160 you're gonna make something like GB at Night at SGF possible, 108 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:57.920 which we're doing our best to make happen right now, 109 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:00.360 as far as this show goes, most week days, I 110 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:02.680 Jeff Grubb will help piece your gaming life back together. 111 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:05.160 That includes breaking news and maybe even some of our 112 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:08.480 own original reporting for all these topics, I'll get the 113 00:05:08.519 --> 00:05:10.600 input of a bona fide expert who will make me 114 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:13.680 look smart. If you are watching live on twitch, welcome. 115 00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:15.600 You can always listen to the show later on podcast 116 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:19.160 feeds by searching for Game mess Mornings or find therss 117 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:21.959 feed on giant bomb dot com. You can also catch 118 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:26.800 the show later and live on YouTube. Hello YouTube. All right, 119 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:28.360 we have a lot to get into, so let's start 120 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:32.199 the show with Brandy Pitchford moves to justify comments that 121 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:34.879 real fans would find a way and that's a quote 122 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:38.120 to buy Borderlands for even if it costs eighty dollars. 123 00:05:38.199 --> 00:05:42.160 This is from Chris Scullion at EGC Gearbox Entertainment CEO. 124 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:45.560 Brandy Pitchford has attempted to explain recent comments that quote 125 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:48.800 true fans would quote find a way to buy Borderlands 126 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:51.800 for if it ends up costing eighty dollars. Earlier this month, 127 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:54.920 Pittford was asked by a follower on Twitter not to 128 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:57.040 make the game eighty dollars, to which he replied that 129 00:05:57.079 --> 00:05:59.800 it was not his call. He then added, but if 130 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:01.600 you're a real fan, you'll find a way to make 131 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:04.480 it happen. My local game had star flight for Sega 132 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:07.160 Genesis for eighty dollars in nineteen ninety one, when I 133 00:06:07.240 --> 00:06:09.120 was just out of high school, working minimum wage at 134 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:11.720 an ice cream parlor and Pismo Beach, and I found 135 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:14.240 a way to make it happen while walking both ways 136 00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:17.480 uphill in the snow with guns pointed at me. Apparently, 137 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:20.600 Pitchford's comments were relatively unnoticed at the time, but have 138 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:23.680 become more widespread this week, with some players criticizing the 139 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:26.519 suggestion that players who can't afford the game aren't quote 140 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:29.879 true fans. In a new post on Twitter, Pittford is 141 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:32.240 linked to a video from a recent Borderlands for Q 142 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:34.600 and A saying if you want the truth, here it is, 143 00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:37.360 and then basically in that video, John he says he 144 00:06:37.399 --> 00:06:40.240 doesn't know what the price is going to be still 145 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:43.600 hasn't been decided, which at this point in time, I 146 00:06:43.639 --> 00:06:45.560 believe a little bit that they are like trying to 147 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:47.040 see what they can get away with, but that to me, 148 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:49.720 that means it could be eighty dollars. All this makes 149 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:52.959 it sound very possible that it could be eighty dollars. 150 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:55.600 I guess let's start before we get into Randy here. 151 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:59.439 Do you think Borderlands for it could be worth not 152 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:04.160 like that, John, if we do, you think Borderlands four 153 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:06.040 can be worth eighty dollars to you? 154 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:10.360 To me, it's kind of a hard sell because Borderlands 155 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:13.040 has always been a franchise that I associate with that 156 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:18.079 multiplayer aspect. Getting an eighty dollars price tag is going 157 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:22.680 to be a little bit more prohibitively expensive. Like during 158 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:25.800 the pandemic, I had no intention of playing Borderlands three, 159 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:27.560 like I'd kind of gotten my fill after the first 160 00:07:27.560 --> 00:07:30.240 and second, but that was a game that was already 161 00:07:30.279 --> 00:07:31.839 on the cheap. It was the middle of like twenty 162 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:34.399 twenty one. My friends needed something to do, and so 163 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:38.000 I just picked up four copies. I can't see that 164 00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:40.720 situation really happening again this time around. 165 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:43.800 Yeah, I don't know. What do you think about it? 166 00:07:44.120 --> 00:07:46.120 Yeah? I mean I think you nailed it where it's like, 167 00:07:46.360 --> 00:07:48.519 this is the kind of game where it's not really 168 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:51.319 just the price of the game, it's also either you know, 169 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:53.560 like you said, gifting it to your friends or talking 170 00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:57.360 your friends into buying it as well. And like we've 171 00:07:57.360 --> 00:07:59.680 already built up all those arguments to try to convince 172 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:01.959 them to to spend sixty dollars on a game and 173 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:05.240 now more recently maybe seventy dollars here or there. This 174 00:08:05.319 --> 00:08:08.000 game comes at eighty dollars. It's like that's not even 175 00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:10.079 a fight worth having. Like I'm just not going to 176 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:12.319 try to convince my friends to spend eighty dollars on 177 00:08:12.360 --> 00:08:15.480 this game, especially like knowing that I'm probably going to 178 00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:17.639 get it free through work or something like that. It 179 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:20.680 just it just makes me feel bad. So, yeah, there's 180 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:25.079 more to it than just quote true fans. And then 181 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:28.360 you know Randy's saying that obviously he should have just 182 00:08:28.360 --> 00:08:30.399 not said anything right, like that was the right move here. 183 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:32.919 He should have just shut the fuck up, Friday. 184 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:35.440 I honestly don't know if it's in his DNA at 185 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:37.879 this point. I feel like he is just a magic 186 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:40.000 act and he's just revealing more and more layers of 187 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:43.159 kind of someone out of touch, kind of someone who 188 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:45.720 just doesn't really know the state of the industry right now. 189 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:50.759 But yeah, it's it's definitely a situation and a time 190 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:53.039 where it is so up in the air, Like Mario 191 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:55.600 cart Eid is so far the only eighty dollars game 192 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:56.440 that we know about. 193 00:08:56.679 --> 00:08:58.159 Yeah, right, that still is the only one. 194 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:03.519 Yeah, Yeah, And I can't think of a world where 195 00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:06.960 Borderlands for is a game I'm going to go back 196 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:10.399 to in the future. Mario Kart eight eighty dollars is 197 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:12.480 a lot. I'm getting it fifty dollars with the switch 198 00:09:12.519 --> 00:09:15.200 to bundle, right, but it is kind of that forever 199 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:19.159 game like Mario Kart eight we you included, like has 200 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:21.679 survived for a decade and people are still having a 201 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:25.480 great time with that. But like in the long term, 202 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:29.320 I can just easily seeing people drop off halfway through 203 00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:31.440 the campaign and never come back to it. Like I 204 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:34.639 don't really see a future and where that's you know, viable. 205 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:38.679 Yeah, I mean it's uh, it really does just feel 206 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:42.320 like these two worlds getting further apart, where you know, 207 00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:44.360 obviously this has come up a bunch of times, but 208 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:48.279 Clare obscurit was fifty dollars, it's the best reviewed game 209 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:50.519 of the year. I just raised my standing desk. I 210 00:09:50.519 --> 00:09:52.600 started lifting that up. That's crazy. Get my hand away 211 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:56.120 from the button. Yeah, Like, there are games out there 212 00:09:56.159 --> 00:09:59.159 that do come out at a price that feels budget now, 213 00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:01.720 and they are so of the best games just period, 214 00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:04.600 no caveats, They're just some of the best games. And 215 00:10:04.679 --> 00:10:07.600 these bigger companies are in this situation where they're like, well, 216 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:11.639 we've separated ourselves by making games bigger and more expensive, 217 00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:15.200 and look like that's the way that we get your attention. 218 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:18.320 So we're going to justify getting your attention by charging 219 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:21.480 you eighty dollars for it. And I just don't think 220 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:24.519 they see them realize how they seem to be driving 221 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:26.960 at a wall here, Like it's going to reach a 222 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:30.679 point where people cannot, like you said, justify it anymore. 223 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:34.279 And you know, the big part of that is Randy 224 00:10:34.279 --> 00:10:39.080 being out of touch, Like his story here is crazy, like, yeah, 225 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:42.519 you've got starflight for Sega Genesis for eighty dollars. In 226 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:45.759 the nineties, we'll work in minimum wage. Well, I mean 227 00:10:45.799 --> 00:10:48.159 minimum wage back then relative to what it is now 228 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:51.399 a little bit different. Also, the cost of living for 229 00:10:51.639 --> 00:10:56.799 everything else was way lower than it is now. But 230 00:10:56.919 --> 00:11:00.240 people's rents were not fifty percent of their income, you know, 231 00:11:00.360 --> 00:11:03.799 things like that, like going too fast food was not 232 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:06.840 a thirty five dollars endeavor for like two to three people. 233 00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:10.919 It was seven bucks or something like that. So the 234 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:14.759 idea of an expensive cartridge to produce having to cost 235 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:17.519 more so they could justify selling it at all was 236 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:21.200 made way more sense. It's just not a fair comparison. 237 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.440 It's completely out of touch. So he needs to just 238 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:26.720 shut the book up and not go out there and 239 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:28.559 say this stuff. And again, we don't know if this 240 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:30.360 game is going to be eighty dollars, and maybe this 241 00:11:30.600 --> 00:11:32.279 is the kind of thing that causes them to be like, man, 242 00:11:32.360 --> 00:11:35.759 let's just back off, let's go seventy whatever, because like 243 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:38.200 seventy still feels like them getting away with something. It 244 00:11:38.200 --> 00:11:42.240 hasn't been that long. So do you think that it's 245 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:44.919 going to be contentious like this going forward as these 246 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:47.480 other developers and publishers try to sneak up to eighty. 247 00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:49.919 You know, I think Microsoft might have done it the 248 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:53.519 quote unquote right way by just being hey, later this year, 249 00:11:53.559 --> 00:11:55.639 some shit's gonna be eighty, and then like they rip 250 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:57.759 off the band aid and then they could just stand back. 251 00:11:57.840 --> 00:11:59.600 Let people get mad now, and when those games come 252 00:11:59.639 --> 00:12:01.759 everyone and most people go, we knew they were going 253 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:04.720 to do this. In this situation, it's like it feels 254 00:12:04.759 --> 00:12:06.639 like kind of the even though it's very similar. I 255 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:09.240 hate this thing could be eighty. It just feels a 256 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:11.120 lot worse because it's like, well, just tell us if 257 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:12.759 it's going to be that price or not, so we 258 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:14.919 can just get the conversation out of the way. Is 259 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:16.720 it going to be like at a lot of rakes 260 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:18.240 for a lot of these companies going forward as they 261 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:20.519 try to raise the prices. Yeah. 262 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:23.559 And I think like the Xbox situation is very interesting 263 00:12:23.679 --> 00:12:27.759 because they kind of tacked that onto everything across the 264 00:12:27.799 --> 00:12:30.159 board having a price increase, so it was in a 265 00:12:30.200 --> 00:12:32.440 way kind of blanketed the muted effect of that. 266 00:12:33.559 --> 00:12:33.799 Yeah. 267 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:36.120 I mean, the sooner we get to switch to when 268 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:38.480 we start seeing what other eighty dollars games are, and 269 00:12:38.519 --> 00:12:42.919 when PlayStation probably inevitably raises the price as well, I 270 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:45.799 think everything's going to be over looked over with like 271 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:50.440 a magnifying glass really analyzing this. People have so many 272 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:53.559 options right now to get eighty dollars worth of content 273 00:12:53.720 --> 00:12:56.399 or even more than that, just by you know, doing 274 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:59.039 a Steam sale or even like Epic Game Store. They 275 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:01.480 give you so much game for free. Yeah, and not 276 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:04.120 even taking into account the free to play live service 277 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:06.720 games that you can like play with your friends. You 278 00:13:06.759 --> 00:13:10.600 can just have a great time for very little uptake. 279 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:12.840 And I mean, and that's not even taking into account 280 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:15.559 like We don't even know how Borderlines e Borderlines four 281 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:17.840 is going to be optimized. It could be an absolute 282 00:13:17.960 --> 00:13:20.559 dumpster fire, kind of like how Monster in or Wilds was. 283 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:24.600 But yeah, yeah, it's going to be a very very 284 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:27.759 tough sell for a lot of these companies if you 285 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:31.759 do not have one of those huge franchises that people 286 00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:32.679 just can't live without. 287 00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:35.000 I know a big part of this is just at 288 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:38.519 these companies, they have insight into how we spend money, 289 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:40.360 and they look over at games. They have a lot 290 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:43.720 of micro transactions. Two K for sure knows how people 291 00:13:43.759 --> 00:13:46.480 spend money on like NBA two K, and they're looking 292 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:49.320 at like, okay, people are spending twenty five dollars for 293 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:52.080 one skin. If they're willing to do that, of course 294 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:53.799 they're going to be willing to spend eighty dollars on 295 00:13:53.879 --> 00:13:56.480 a game. And it's just like, oh, you know, we 296 00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:58.799 don't connect those things at all, Like, first of all, 297 00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:01.200 I don't spend twenty five dollars on a skin. That's 298 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:03.519 a different kind of person than I am, and probably 299 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:06.360 a different kind of person then probably shows up for 300 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:09.559 the bulk of Borderland sales. Maybe not entirely, Maybe there 301 00:14:09.639 --> 00:14:11.720 is quite a bit of overlap there. But even so, 302 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:15.840 the people who are overlapping view those prices as two 303 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.200 completely different things. The anchor for the price of a 304 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:21.879 video game is this them spending their entire lives spending fifty, 305 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:24.759 then sixty, and now seventy dollars on it, and then 306 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:26.759 like getting used to like that one price for a 307 00:14:26.919 --> 00:14:29.559 very long time. It was fifty for forever, sixty forever, 308 00:14:29.559 --> 00:14:33.200 and now seventy four a couple of years. The people 309 00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:35.679 are making that comparison, They're not thinking like, oh, I 310 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:39.120 easily spend two hundred and fifty dollars on micro transactions 311 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:41.559 in Fortnite in a year, and that's one video game, 312 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:44.559 So eighty dollars for another video game, that's nothing. No, 313 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:47.080 no one is making that connection. But I bet internally 314 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:49.200 they see it that way, and it's like, you guys 315 00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:52.559 are telling yourselves a story that doesn't really work. Also 316 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:57.039 saw in chat my editorializing of what Randy said. He 317 00:14:57.559 --> 00:14:59.960 just ended at saying he worked minimum wage at an 318 00:15:00.039 --> 00:15:02.440 ice cream parlor at Pismo Beach and he found a 319 00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:04.399 way to make it happen. He didn't actually say this 320 00:15:04.440 --> 00:15:07.279 stuff about walking uphill both ways in the snow and 321 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:10.399 getting shot at so I just clarify if that confused anybody. 322 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:14.600 All right, let's get onto this next story. April twenty 323 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:17.919 twenty five US video game market highlights from Sircana. This 324 00:15:17.960 --> 00:15:21.840 is from Matt Piscatella over at Circana. April twenty twenty five. 325 00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:25.279 Total market projected US consumer spinning across video game hardware, 326 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:28.399 content and accessories fell three percent when compared to a 327 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:31.600 year ago, to four point one billion dollars overall year 328 00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:34.559 to date spending in the United States, that's what Circana 329 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:38.480 tracks is down eight percent, which is pretty big. That's like, 330 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:42.360 you know, I think last year Matt was predicting somewhere 331 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:45.919 around that mark for the entire entirety of twenty twenty four, 332 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:48.960 it ended up doing much better than that. It feels 333 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:52.120 like some of that like Slack, is being let go 334 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:55.159 this year, and at least through May, or excuse me, 335 00:15:55.159 --> 00:15:58.120 at least through April, we're eight percent behind where we 336 00:15:58.120 --> 00:15:59.799 were in twenty twenty four, and it doesn't look like 337 00:15:59.799 --> 00:16:01.440 they're There's a lot of games that could fix that, 338 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:03.840 although of course switched to could change that story here 339 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:08.600 very quickly. Best selling games of the month include The 340 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:13.080 Elder Scrolls four Oblivion Remastered at number one. Forts Horizon five, 341 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:15.519 which launched on PlayStation five, went up to number two 342 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:18.559 after being forty two the month before MLB The Show 343 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:24.039 at three, Minecraft at four, The movie right, that's the movie? Okay, yeah, 344 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:26.919 and The Assassin's Creed Shadows at five. Indiana Jones in 345 00:16:26.919 --> 00:16:29.200 the Great Circle, which launched on PS five as well, 346 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:31.840 went up to number six, Call of Duty Black Ops 347 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:36.720 six at seven, then WWEBA, NBA, and PGA Tour rounding 348 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:38.679 out the top ten. I don't see if there's anything 349 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:42.240 else interesting on this list worth calling out. No, but 350 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:44.360 you know what's missing on the list is clerup Scare 351 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:48.120 Expedition thirty three, which is because Kepler does not report 352 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:53.519 their their digital sales to to the Circana. And you know, 353 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:56.720 I think I'm pretty sure John, the game sold out right, 354 00:16:56.759 --> 00:16:58.919 the physical version, like people have been trying to get 355 00:16:58.919 --> 00:17:00.919 the physical version of Clarips and it's been sold out 356 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:03.759 like since launch basically, so I bet they didn't print 357 00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:05.559 a ton of copies of that. They weren't sure if 358 00:17:05.559 --> 00:17:07.039 the game was really going to pop off the way 359 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:10.240 it did, and when it did, it was mostly digital, 360 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:13.079 it seems like, especially obviously on PC. So I think 361 00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:14.640 that's the reason this game is not on the list. 362 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:17.160 The fiscal versions would have been tracked, digital versions wouldn't 363 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:19.039 have been And it seems like the vast majority of 364 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:21.079 people bought that game digitally because that's the only way 365 00:17:21.079 --> 00:17:23.279 they could find it. So that's why it's not on 366 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:25.880 the list. Don't everyone freak out. I'm sure that game 367 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:28.279 probably it probably would have been number two on this list. 368 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:30.200 Is that What would that be your best guess? Because 369 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:32.559 even you know, beating Forts rice and five, it seems 370 00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:33.680 like it had that many players. 371 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:38.319 Yeah, I mean it was just a record breaking amount 372 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:41.079 of sales just in those first couple of weeks alone. 373 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:44.480 It's a fantastic game. I honestly think word of mouth, 374 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:46.720 and as we get closer and closer to award season, 375 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:50.880 people keep hearing this name potentially like another switch to edition. 376 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:54.119 I'm assuming that'll happen. I think they made comments that 377 00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:58.000 kind of like heavily suggests that it's coming to but yeah, like, 378 00:17:58.079 --> 00:17:59.680 I mean, more and more people are getting the chance 379 00:17:59.720 --> 00:17:59.960 to play. 380 00:18:00.119 --> 00:18:01.160 It's at game pass. 381 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:04.599 I know two weekends ago, I had a friend who 382 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:07.640 was trying to find it diehard physical collector. I'm not 383 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:12.480 super heavy on physical on Xbox theisation, but it Yeah, 384 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:14.359 I mean, it was just impossible to. 385 00:18:14.359 --> 00:18:15.039 Find that game. 386 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:18.279 So I think in the coming weeks, in the coming months, 387 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:21.440 just the groundswell from that game is going to prop 388 00:18:21.480 --> 00:18:24.440 it up. And regardless of how it does, I think 389 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:27.759 it definitely exceeded the expectations of you know, their first game, 390 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:30.519 Like they did a fantastic job and show. 391 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:33.200 If I'm them, if I'm Kepler the publisher, and if 392 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:37.880 I'm sand Falls at the name of the studio, if 393 00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:40.559 I'm them, like, yeah, do a new run of the 394 00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:43.680 fiscal games for sure, get get to work immediately on 395 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:46.799 a big collector's edition, Like just do what Balderskate three did, 396 00:18:46.839 --> 00:18:49.079 which didn't really have a fiscal version upfront, but like 397 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:51.559 a year later they put all the updates into one 398 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:54.440 package and then they put put it into an awesome 399 00:18:54.440 --> 00:18:57.240 physical collector's edition. I think that would be that would 400 00:18:57.240 --> 00:18:59.359 be pretty cool. I think people would jump all over 401 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:01.160