WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:11.519 Hey, everybody, welcome to Game Mess Mornings presented by Dekou 2 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:12.119 Deals with Me. 3 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:15.039 Jeff Grub, your host from giant bomb dot com. Thank 4 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:15.960 you for tuning in. 5 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:17.839 In this episode, we're going to be talking about that 6 00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:21.519 grand theft, Auto six, delay and more. It's gonna be 7 00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:24.000 a good one because we have Jason Finelli on the show. Jason, 8 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:24.719 how are you doing? 9 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.239 Great day in the morning, good citizens of Giant Bomb. 10 00:00:28.359 --> 00:00:33.000 Jason Finelli speaking here from Philadelphia, Doing okay, doing okay, 11 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:36.960 you know, just doing the gaming thing as a as 12 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.479 a gamer, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm playing some cool stuff. 13 00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:41.359 I reviewed a bunch of stuff recently. We'll talk about 14 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:44.759 that towards the end of the show. I but as 15 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:47.399 a Philadelphian, my heart's a little heavy. That intro I 16 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:51.399 gave this morning was the famous intro of Pierre Robert, 17 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:54.640 a rock DJ here for over forty years, that we 18 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:59.079 tragically lost last Wednesday at seventy years old. I was 19 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:01.000 supposed to report to AH, he didn't. They went to 20 00:01:01.079 --> 00:01:04.200 check on him. Unfortunately, he unfortunately had left us. And 21 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:08.879 if you need a role model for your life, this 22 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:12.359 man was it and the only proof I need to 23 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:15.200 give you go back a week or so in social 24 00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:17.599 media to the likes of not just the radio station 25 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:20.760 he worked on here ninety three to three WMMR, but 26 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:25.879 bon Jovi, the Hooters, the Offspring, all these bands who 27 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:27.560 were touched by this man in some way. 28 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:29.120 Paying tribute. 29 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:33.400 Last Sunday in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, the masses gathered 30 00:01:33.959 --> 00:01:36.040 or petitioning to put a statue of him in there 31 00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:38.599 was his favorite place to be in the city. I 32 00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:41.439 interned for Preston and Steve, the popular morning show here 33 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:43.799 in Philly in two thousand and eight from January to August. 34 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:46.239 I had the opportunity to speak to him twice a 35 00:01:46.280 --> 00:01:48.239 week when I was there, because he would be the 36 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:51.280 one they would push off to. And every time you 37 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:52.680 talk to him, he was like he had known you 38 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:55.280 for your whole life. He was just a genuinely, a 39 00:01:55.400 --> 00:01:59.480 genuinely good man. And my heart is still heavy eight 40 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:02.200 days later, just for those brief interactions. I'm not going 41 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:03.920 to sit here and pretend I had the most extensive 42 00:02:03.959 --> 00:02:08.680 history with him, but that doesn't it. It sucks right 43 00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:10.919 fact that we're not going to hear him on our 44 00:02:11.080 --> 00:02:11.879 radio anymore. 45 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:15.120 But yep, it's the guys like that to make a 46 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:18.080 cities cool, right, they give the it's character and it's like, 47 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:20.960 you know, you feel like you have a like a friend, 48 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:22.840 someone that knows you because they know the same city 49 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:23.080 as you. 50 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:24.120 Yeah, that's that goes. 51 00:02:24.120 --> 00:02:26.800 A local local sports blogger put it along, put it 52 00:02:26.840 --> 00:02:29.000 a great way right after it happened. Whether you were 53 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:32.000 the guy slaving away on a roof, blue collar guy 54 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:34.360 in the hot of summer, or the white collar guy 55 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:36.800 slaving away at a desk job that you hated. Pierre 56 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:39.000 Robert was speaking to you through your radio if you 57 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:41.599 had ninety three to three on, and it's I should 58 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:44.199 be so lucky to make half the impact on the 59 00:02:44.199 --> 00:02:47.000 people in my life that that man made in full. 60 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:48.800 So yeah, that's a. 61 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:51.639 Rest in peace king. All right, you know what, let's uh, 62 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:54.599 let's explain ourselves. Let's get into the show. We're Giant 63 00:02:54.599 --> 00:02:58.400 Bomb video game dupis is Independent Games Media could support us, 64 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:00.319 keep us doing our thing by going a Giant Bomb 65 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:02.840 dot com slash join. Become a premium member, gets you 66 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:05.400 ad free versions of the shows, gets you some extra goodies. 67 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:07.280 We got a lot of stuff coming your way now, 68 00:03:07.400 --> 00:03:10.520 especially after that bombit don but really, what it's gonna 69 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:13.199 get you is the assurance that you have someone out 70 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:15.280 there that likes games the way you do and is 71 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:17.120 ready to talk about games the way you want to hear. 72 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:19.719 And we're going to keep doing that thanks to all 73 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:22.800 of the excellent support that we have already received. Everyone 74 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:25.159 who comes through for us, we notice, and we appreciate it, 75 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:26.879 and it means the world. And if you want to 76 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:29.800 join those ranks, it's giant bomb dot com slash Join. 77 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:32.520 As far as this show goes most weekdays, I Jeff 78 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:34.919 Grub will help peace your gaming life back together. That 79 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:38.319 includes breaking news and maybe even some of our own 80 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:41.360 original reporting. For all these topics, I'll get the input 81 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:43.919 of a bona fide expert who will make me look smart. 82 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:47.199 If you are watching live on Twitch, welcome. You can 83 00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:49.719 always listen to the show later on podcast feeds by 84 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:53.560 searching for Games Mornings, or find the RSS feed on 85 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:55.000 giant bomb dot com. 86 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:57.199 You can also catch the show later with chapters and 87 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:01.280 timestamps on YouTube. He low YouTube. 88 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:02.719 All right, we have a lot to get into, so 89 00:04:02.840 --> 00:04:06.240 let's start the morning mess with Grand Theft Auto six 90 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:09.199 delayed again by six months. This is from Michael mcwerder 91 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:13.680 at Polygon. Rockstar Games has delayed Grand Theft Auto six 92 00:04:13.719 --> 00:04:17.199 for the second time. Previously scheduled for a May twenty 93 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:20.920 twenty six release, the studio's highly anticipated open world crime 94 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:24.480 epic is now scheduled to arrive on November nineteenth of 95 00:04:24.519 --> 00:04:28.879 twenty twenty six, Rockstar Games has announced. Rockstar announced the 96 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:31.279 latest GTA six delay on Thursday, just ahead of it 97 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:35.000 of publisher Take two Interactive's earnings, noting that in additional 98 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:37.279 six months of all, the time will allow us to 99 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:39.560 finish the game with the level of polish you have 100 00:04:39.639 --> 00:04:43.800 come to expect and deserve. Here's the studio statement. GTA 101 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:47.519 six will now release on Thursday, November nineteenth, twenty twenty six. 102 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:49.959 We are sorry for adding additional time to what we 103 00:04:50.040 --> 00:04:52.759 realize has been a long wait, but these extra months 104 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:54.839 will allow us to finish the game with the level 105 00:04:54.839 --> 00:04:56.680 of polish you have come to expect and deserve. 106 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:59.120 We want to thank you again for your patients and support. 107 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:01.920 While the weight a little longer, we are incredibly excited 108 00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:05.439 for players to experience the sprawling state of Leonida and 109 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:09.439 a return to modern day vice city Leonita, Leonida. I 110 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:13.480 don't know, Jason, Yeah, there's there's more to this, and 111 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:15.600 of course there's the other side. We'll get into the 112 00:05:15.720 --> 00:05:17.560 union busting here in a moment. We've kind of been 113 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:21.160 covering that this week. It continues to develop. As far 114 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:24.399 as the delay goes. Very few people, I feel like, 115 00:05:24.439 --> 00:05:26.279 are walking around going like I can't believe they delayed 116 00:05:26.279 --> 00:05:28.319 it a second time once the first delay happened, and 117 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:31.879 then everyne's like, okay, here we go. Also like this 118 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:34.360 one's like barely even a real delay in my head 119 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:38.319 because they're delaying it to the same fiscal year. 120 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:40.959 They are delaying it to the holidays. 121 00:05:41.079 --> 00:05:44.560 It's like, yeah, if there was like one measly reason 122 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:47.199 to push this game back, everything else was like, oh, 123 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:49.279 maybe it just makes sense to put this out in November. 124 00:05:49.319 --> 00:05:52.000 Why don't we just do that. It's kind of obvious 125 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:55.879 that we were going to end up here eventually, but well, yeah, 126 00:05:56.199 --> 00:05:58.360 they want to get this game perfect. They talk about 127 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:03.720 that as well. They have high expectations. I think Strauss Zelnick, 128 00:06:03.959 --> 00:06:07.040 the CEO Take two, the parent company of Rockstar Games, 129 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:11.279 was out there talking about the ninety five metacritics scores 130 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:13.920 that these games have previously received and wanted to make 131 00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:16.800 sure that they hit that, so they do kind of 132 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:19.759 have to make sure that this thing has an immaculate launch, right, 133 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:22.120 so they kind of can't come out of the gate fizzling. 134 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:26.639 Once upon a console gaming players around the world were 135 00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:28.800 aiming for the twenty sixth of May to bring them 136 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:33.120 Rockstar's latest Lore Last did and earning calls deliver news 137 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:38.240 that caused them all to shiver. Both straus Zelnick six months. 138 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:40.360 More, ah bars, let's go. 139 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:45.079 And the people who are not in the know, the players, 140 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:48.439 the people who want the game are pissed, and the 141 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:52.759 people who follow the industry and who kind of have 142 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:54.639 their thumb on the scale or their their thumb on 143 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:58.240 the pulse or finger on the pulse, were like, it 144 00:06:58.279 --> 00:07:02.560 was never coming out in May. Anyway, this was not happening. 145 00:07:03.319 --> 00:07:05.319 I am not surprised by this in the least, and 146 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:08.319 to be completely frank, I don't know that I'm confident 147 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:11.480 in November either. I wouldn't be surprised. If this goes 148 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:16.399 into the beginning of that would still be the seven 149 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:20.199 yeah out a fiscal year, then I'm like, oh shit, 150 00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:22.680 something's wrong. But if it's if it's any time before 151 00:07:22.759 --> 00:07:26.160 March thirty first, it would be fine with me. 152 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:26.360 Now. 153 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:30.920 I believe Grand Theft Auto five's PS four place Xbox 154 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.000 one iteration was November of whatever year that was. The 155 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:39.279 game itself was September of twenty thirteen, so they have 156 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:42.319 launched in this window before they are familiar with it. 157 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:45.879 But Grand Theft Auto four was in March or April, 158 00:07:45.959 --> 00:07:48.199 I think as well. I don't think it'll go that 159 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:50.079 far in if it does get delayed again, i'd put 160 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:53.480 it in January of twenty twenty seven, perhaps maybe February. 161 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:57.800 But I am not surprised by this. I think it 162 00:07:57.839 --> 00:07:59.800 makes a lot more sense in the holiday season. I 163 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:04.360 think get first, Sony would have been miffed, right, Sony 164 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:06.879 thinking well, this is where we're kind of counting on 165 00:08:06.920 --> 00:08:10.480 this to be our late cycle console seller, and you 166 00:08:10.680 --> 00:08:14.000 keep delaying this thing. What the hell is going on here? 167 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:16.120 But then if they after they sat back and thought 168 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:18.399 about it, they're like, oh, this is a holiday push, 169 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:22.759 the potentially the last holiday of the PlayStation five. All 170 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:25.600 rumors considered, they want the new console out in twenty 171 00:08:25.639 --> 00:08:28.439 twenty seven, perhaps twenty twenty eight, so we may have 172 00:08:28.519 --> 00:08:34.080 ourselves another Grand Theft Auto five situation where it comes 173 00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:38.080 out for the current console, and then they publish it 174 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:41.519 again for a dozen years on the consoles that it 175 00:08:41.559 --> 00:08:43.759 comes out on. It'll be the new you can play 176 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:45.759 Grand Theft Auto six on your fridge like it'll be 177 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:48.600 the new done joke. And that's just what they're going 178 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:50.840 to do with Grand Theft Auto. They're going to release 179 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:53.360 a new story, the Grand Theft Auto Online that comes 180 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:56.840 with it is going to keep them fat and that's it. 181 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:58.919 That's what they're going to do, and that's their strategy. 182 00:08:59.159 --> 00:09:00.600 I think that's so yeah, that's all right. 183 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:04.519 I think that's exactly why November is sort of why 184 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:07.759 they feel good about that because that is about the 185 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:11.080 latest they can release it to nail everything that they 186 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:12.720 want to nail that you that you laid out. So 187 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:15.720 a November release holiday, that's you know, that's great. They 188 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:17.639 could release this game at any point, but you know, 189 00:09:17.799 --> 00:09:20.679 releasing it right before the holidays making it the game, uh, 190 00:09:21.320 --> 00:09:22.720 that will that'll get a lot of attention. 191 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:24.879 But what it really does is the thing that you mentioned. 192 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:28.440 They can release it for these consoles this November, that 193 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:32.200 being November twenty twenty six, and then the following year 194 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:35.000 if those new consoles, if either of the new consoles. 195 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:36.399 Are ready to go, they will release it for that. 196 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:38.679 That's exactly what happened with Grand Theft Auto five, and 197 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:41.039 then a year after that it went to PC. They 198 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:43.399 did similar stuff with with red Dead Redemption too, where 199 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:45.200 it's like one year it was on the consoles, the 200 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:46.080 next year was on PC. 201 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:48.120 Although we'll talk about why. 202 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:50.159 You know, that's still weird that it's not necessarily been 203 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:53.399 updated for the newer consoles either way, though, it's uh, 204 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:57.720 I think they want they know this. Rockstar loves this strategy. 205 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:00.519 Take two loves this strategy, so they are going to 206 00:10:00.559 --> 00:10:03.240 try to maneuver everything as best they can to do 207 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:06.480 it to do this again. So yeah, I expect them 208 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:09.279 to really try to make this November release. But if 209 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:11.480 it comes down to it, getting the launch right's going 210 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:14.279 to be more important, and they could always just release 211 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:16.360 it in March or whatever and then just have the 212 00:10:16.440 --> 00:10:18.600 new console version ready to go later that year. That 213 00:10:18.679 --> 00:10:20.759 could also easily happen, and it would even have to 214 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:22.279 be there at launch right. It could be something that 215 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:26.080 it comes a year into the life of a new console, 216 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:30.279 people would still show up for it. Let's talk about 217 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:31.720 the other side of this, because let's kind of just 218 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:36.039 bring everything together. An alleged Rockstar employee claims morale has 219 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:41.000 cratered due to a parent union busting efforts. We're throwing 220 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:44.080 out there that one of the top grand Theft auto 221 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:47.320 forums GTA forums, the mods there try to verify the 222 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:50.120 identity of this person and said, yeah, we believe that 223 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:52.440 this is a person who actually works at Rockstar, but 224 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:57.120 you know, pinch AsSalt allegations of union busting at Rockstar. 225 00:10:57.159 --> 00:11:00.799 A long time Rockstar employee anonymously claims the company fired 226 00:11:00.840 --> 00:11:03.240 over thirty four staff members thirty one in the UK, 227 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:07.240 three in Canada for union related activities. Firings were abrupt. 228 00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:11.159 Employees were summoned by HR under friendly pretenses, then handed 229 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:15.639 termination letters citing gross misconduct over discord posts. No evidence 230 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:20.799 was provided and union representation was denied, which would allegedly violate. 231 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:21.639 UK employment law. 232 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:24.240 As always with posts like this, we're not usually hearing 233 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:26.159 from lawyers. We're hearing from people who like, I'm pretty 234 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:28.000 sure this is the way it works, and that's kind 235 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:31.519 of what's getting repeated here. Some affected employees were on 236 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:36.080 sick leave or paternity leave and the firings made jeopardize 237 00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:38.600 their visas, so they might come back to work, find 238 00:11:38.600 --> 00:11:40.039 out they don't have a job, don't. 239 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:41.080 Have a visa, might have to leave. 240 00:11:42.919 --> 00:11:47.639 All fired employees were union members, many many on organizing committees. 241 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:50.440 The union had just reached over two hundred members or 242 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:53.559 about two hundred members, which crosses a threshold for formal 243 00:11:53.639 --> 00:11:57.360 recognition and collective bargaining. The discord group in question was 244 00:11:57.399 --> 00:12:00.960 private and focused on working conditions, not leaks. And so 245 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:04.120 as we've been covering this week, Rockstar has been like, 246 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:07.960 the grossmas conduct is they were leaking private developer information 247 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:11.000 that is under NDA, and all these thirty or forty 248 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:14.080 people are responsible for this, So we're firing them for that. 249 00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:16.360 And the fact that it's like, oh, actually they were 250 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:19.399 sharing that information. Maybe they were sharing it, but they 251 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:21.919 were doing it in a discord about unionizing, and it 252 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:25.519 was all about workplace matters and not necessarily the game 253 00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:27.840 that they were working on. It's like, okay, this continues 254 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:33.399 to sound like union busting. Apparently due to this, employees 255 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:37.840 were like outside, you know, beginning to protest Rockstar. And 256 00:12:38.279 --> 00:12:42.000 this employee here, this legend employee, says morale at Rockstar 257 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:46.960 is reportedly at rock bottom, with remaining staff fearful and demoralized, 258 00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:50.360 and the union is pursuing legal action and campaigning for 259 00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:54.440 campaigning for reinstatement, and in the meantime, it does feel 260 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:56.000 like this is going to come to some sort of 261 00:12:56.080 --> 00:12:59.960 legal head, a legal battle, although I predict that Rockstar 262 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:04.679 will almost certainly try to settle so that they don't 263 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:07.440 have to explain themselves actually in a courtroom, because that's 264 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:08.480 gonna look real rough. 265 00:13:08.600 --> 00:13:09.360 So we'll see. 266 00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:13.840 Now everyone's just saying, hey, is this why the game's 267 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:17.519 getting delayed? No, I think the reason we found out 268 00:13:17.559 --> 00:13:20.559 about the delay is because of this. Yeah, that's the 269 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:23.960 attempt you google Grand Theft Auto. 270 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:26.000 What's going to come up now? Of course it's going 271 00:13:26.039 --> 00:13:26.639 to be the delay. 272 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:29.480 If you before this you googled Grand Theft Auto yesterday, 273 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:32.679 it would have been the union busting and uh this 274 00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:37.360 it feels like pr management in a really sick way. Hey, 275 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:42.120 I I believe the workers here based on kind of 276 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:44.879 the way that this has been presented, and Rockstar kind 277 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:47.759 of being like, yeah, look, they were all union members, 278 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:50.879 but that's not why we're firing them, and it's like, oh, 279 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:54.240 to me, it seems like it definitely is the fact 280 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:56.960 that you even have to quantify that kind of delies 281 00:13:57.080 --> 00:14:01.000 your lie. But let me just equivocally say, clearly in 282 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:06.120 my trademark manner, this fuck it sucks. This absolutely sucks 283 00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:09.000 for everyone involved. But I hope that they get reinstated 284 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:11.399 as soon as possible, if they even want to be 285 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:14.919 at this point right. But furthermore, the thing I think 286 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:19.120 about in this is how fucking stupid do they think 287 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:23.080 we are? That we don't have the ability to put 288 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:28.200 pieces together or research these things or figure out what 289 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:31.840 it is they're actually doing. Do these like cor Po 290 00:14:31.879 --> 00:14:36.759 Cyberpunk twenty seventy seven inspired idiots really think that we 291 00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:39.440 just don't have the mental capacity to put this stuff together. 292 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:41.679 Like I think it's worse than that. 293 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:44.279 I think it's like they know that we can and 294 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:47.840 they don't care because a line has consistently worked for 295 00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:51.159 everyone in the last forever. But like, especially these days, 296 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:54.000 it's like you're lying. It's like, how dare you call 297 00:14:54.039 --> 00:14:54.600 me a liar? 298 00:14:54.840 --> 00:14:55.039 No? 299 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.960 I mean that I fired these people for posting stuff 300 00:14:57.960 --> 00:15:01.320 in discord that's offensive to Like they could just be 301 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:05.320 the most bad faith actors. And that's so the cynical 302 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:06.840 side of me is like, oh yeah, that's what's happening. 303 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:08.519 This is so much worse because of that. 304 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:10.759 They could just they don't even try to do it 305 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:12.480 well anymore. 306 00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:16.120 They get a righteous that feigned righteous ignation that they 307 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:18.559 always put on. We know, we love our employees, we 308 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:21.279 would never do something like that. They stepped out of 309 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:24.480 their boundaries and we had to act accordingly. Fuck off, 310 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:27.639 we know why you did this. They must have had 311 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:31.320 some sort of case building for whether it's a next 312 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:36.159 contract negotiation or or something that's spoo rocks the story, and. 313 00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:39.240 That they just recently passed the threshold that would have 314 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:43.720 bound a rock star to a collective bargaining agreement or 315 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:46.320 at least forced them to go have those conversations. And 316 00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:48.919 a collective bargaining agreement these days is going to be 317 00:15:48.919 --> 00:15:53.000 pretty aggressive, especially before the big game comes out. Like 318 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:55.519 if they have had those conversations before Grand Theft Auto 319 00:15:55.559 --> 00:15:58.240 six comes out, it's like they can really establish, Hey, 320 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:00.000 we you know this thing is going to be mass 321 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:04.000 and we want to like get our long term residuals 322 00:16:04.279 --> 00:16:08.080 attached to this. It's like that is a conversation these 323 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:10.679 companies don't even want to entertain. Clearly, they would rather 324 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:15.600 potentially allegedly violate the law, then go in there and 325 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:21.240 give these employees a long term recompensate, a compensation for 326 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:22.120 the work that they've done. 327 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:25.759 So also, okay, yeah, go ahead, no, you. 328 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:28.039 Could take My question is so this discord that was 329 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:31.919 had all these offensive things that they were leaking or 330 00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:35.080 what have you. Were these people the only members of 331 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:38.799 that discord? And does that discord still exist? Because if 332 00:16:38.919 --> 00:16:42.039 either of those questions are no, and especially if both 333 00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:44.480 of them are no, then why were just these thirty 334 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:46.799 four fired and not the rest of the people in 335 00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:50.200 that group? They were privy to potential leaks as well. 336 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:54.559 So unless you shut this thing down, then you have 337 00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:56.720 even less of a leg to stand on. I hope 338 00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:01.200 that the union comes through and gets these people what 339 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:03.279 they deserve, whether it be their jobs back if they 340 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:07.279 want them, or some sort of severance package worthy of 341 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:12.839 their standing or whatever that would be, because frankly, this sucks. 342 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:14.119 It's just a shitty. 343 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:18.799 Situation, one more feather in the cap of late stage capitalism, 344 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:23.160 the thing that we love so dear, and it's yeah, 345 00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:24.240 nothing more. 346 00:17:24.279 --> 00:17:25.039 I can really sorry. 347 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:28.279 About it, and it's it's never going to be enough 348 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:31.160 for the for this, for these corporations, this company, they grow, 349 00:17:31.559 --> 00:17:34.559 and then that becomes the new baseline expectation that they 350 00:17:34.599 --> 00:17:37.279 are judged against. So they have to keep growing and 351 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:40.359 and that's a very frightful thing to have to deal with. 352 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:42.759 So the people that like find themselves in charge of 353 00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:45.759 some of these companies being like, look all this compensation 354 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:48.440 I'm getting, I'm rich, but all this constant pressure to grow, 355 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:51.240 I have to become ruthless to continue to protect my position. 356 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:54.640 It turns people into monsters. And well, we know it'll 357 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:56.599 never be enough because we're like the next story here. 358 00:17:56.599 --> 00:17:58.640 Red Dead Redemption two is now the fourth best selling 359 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:01.680 game of all time. You know other games on that list, 360 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:05.839 Grand Theft Auto five. They are responsible for making the 361 00:18:05.880 --> 00:18:09.400 most money in video games, and it's not enough for 362 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:11.079 them to go, okay, well, now, how can we share 363 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:13.640 this with the people who made it possible. It's like, 364 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:15.720 oh my god, there they might want to share this. 365 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:17.519 The people who made this possible might want to share this. 366 00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:21.319 Get in there and wreck their ability to collectively bargain 367 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:25.200 for that state, and it's it's a bad look. So 368 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:27.720 Red Dead Redemption two was released in twenty eighteen. They 369 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:30.359 still have not put out a PS five or Xbox 370 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:34.440 Series S NX native version or a switch to version, 371 00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:36.880 but those seem like they might be coming. But in 372 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:39.799 the meantime, it's selling like crazy still. It's sold something 373 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:42.440 like two million and more copies in the last quarter, 374 00:18:43.279 --> 00:18:46.880 and it surpassed the combined sales of Mario Kart eight 375 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.200 and Mario Kart eight Deluxe on between the WIU and 376 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:53.440 Switch versions, which is at seventy eight point zero two 377 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:58.319 million copies sold. Yeah, so this one, I think is 378 00:18:58.359 --> 00:19:00.960 at it looks like it's going to pass We Sports, 379 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:03.480 which is a number three soon that's at eighty two 380 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:08.079 point nine million copies sold. Okay, Yeah, so I think 381 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:10.240 that bring the total right now for Red Dead Redemption 382 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:11.559 two is seventy nine million. 383 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:15.440 These games, they make games that just continue to sell forever. 384 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:19.359 And if you're someone who did that work and did 385 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:22.480 make that possible, and you're looking at like, like, who's 386 00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:24.599 that money going to, it's like, oh, a couple of 387 00:19:24.599 --> 00:19:28.839 people at the top, the investors, and they had nothing 388 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:31.400 to do, yes, and they had nothing to do with this. 389 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:36.720 Why wouldn't you get residuals? You know, I know that's 390 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:38.160 going to be a frightening word to a lot of 391 00:19:38.200 --> 00:19:41.119 these people that run these companies. It's it's either going 392 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:44.079 to happen eventually or I think these companies eventually come 393 00:19:44.119 --> 00:19:47.319 crumbling down because they will be replaced by employee owned 394 00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:50.160 developers or developers that come up from the bottom. And 395 00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:52.960 obviously Rock Stars under no threat of that in the meantime. 396 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:56.039 But but you know, one slip up and a company 397 00:19:56.079 --> 00:19:58.119 like even a company like that could be facing a 398 00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:00.480 situation where it's like, can we make this work anymore? 399 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:01.319 And we don't know. 400 00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:03.400 There's no guaranteed Grand Theft Auto six is going to 401 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:05.079