Colette & Matt Have Entered the Chat

After the sad news that Giant Bomb might be shutting down, we got the happier news that Fandom has sold the company to ... itself! Making the venerated site independent at long last. But can it survive in the current creator-driven marketplace?

Plus, the creator of "Katamari Damacy" has a new game on the horizon, the difficulty curve of "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" gets steeper, and why the new game from Blizzard ex-pats, "Wildgate," is Matt's new obsession. Now if only it would release.

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The second trailer for GTA 6 has 90 million views in 3 days. Why? The butts, of course.

We react in real time to the new footage, and share why we probably don't care about it.

Plus: The legacy of Polygon, Giant Bomb, and a few indie games that scratch a very particular itch.

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So, did you secure a Switch 2 pre-order? Neither did we.

Matt shares his quest (both online and IRL) to procure one. And if you thought Nintendo games got more expensive, wait until you hear what Microsoft has planned. The good news is: Colette has a solution.

Plus, Apple messed up big time in its fight with Epic over app store payments, and corporate hammers come down hard on Polygon and Giant Bomb.

Meanwhile, Matt shares the magic of co-op tabletop tactics adventure of "Sunderfolk," and Colette craps her pants over the brilliance of "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33."

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After a week of tariff confusion, exceptions, backpedaling, and wait-and-seeism, Nintendo announced that Switch 2 pre-orders are back on the table with no price increase for the console itself. Peripherals are another story.

So, given the uncertainty, economic climate, and lack of Switch 2 launch games, will you be pre-ordering?

Plus, we tackle the breaking news of Discord's CEO stepping aside in favor of an Activision-Blizzard money man, with an IPO looming in the near future. The Internet is bracing for "enshittification," but given Discord's current business model, how worried should we be? And what could Discord become in the future that would justify kowtowing to public shareholders? We make our armchair predictions.

Also: That new Elder Scrolls Oblivion remaster sure does look purdy.

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Will U.S. tariffs affect the price of phones, computers, and most importantly, the Switch 2? Well, it depends what hour of the day you're asking. 

We discuss the proposals, postponements, and now exceptions that could affect games.

Also: What if Factorio and Stardew Valley had a baby?

Thanks for hanging out with us for 200 episodes!

Check out the playtest of Little Rocket Lab: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2451100/Little_Rocket_Lab/

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Nintendo unveiled the specs, features, and games for the Nintendo Switch 2, and hype was had for all.

And then the pricing was announced, and online sentiment went from excitement to concern, and even anger.

So what is the value proposition of the Switch 2? What would you pay to upgrade your Switch 1 games? And how does this all factor in to a marketplace where thousands of Steam games are still $10-$15, and unhinged tariffs are just starting to hit?

We break down everything announced in the Switch 2 Direct, our feelings about it, and the sentiment from our listening community.

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Nintendo had a Direct right before their OTHER Direct, which will reveal more details about the upcoming Switch 2.

What could possibly be in the latest Switch 1 Direct? Well, a whole damn lot!

New Metroid Prime 4 footage, a return to some funky weird franchises, and a brand new way to share digital games with family and friends.

And if you can't get enough Nintendo news Direct-ly, there's now an app for that.

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Hey, you. Have you heard of the Future Games Show?

Neither have we. But it sure did reveal some bangers this week. From AAA epics and indie darlings, we pluck out the trailers and demos that caught our attention.

Plus, Netflix revealed it's creating a cozy MMO called "Spirit Crossing," which sure does have some Studio Ghibli vibes. We discuss what this means for the streamer, which has typically only licensed mobile games from app stores, rather than create original IP.

And Colette shares her first impressions of the co-op friend-em-up "Split Fiction."

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Niantic, makers of such hits as "Pokémon GO" and...the rest...has sold the location-based creature-enslaving walk-em-up for $3.5 billion.

One catch: The buyer is Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, a portfolio that's increasingly invested in tech and games. The Saudi government doesn't have the best track record on human rights, and its new access to millions of Pokémon Trainers' IRL location data has some players freaked out. We discuss the geopolitical ramifications (cuz we r eXpErTs).

Plus: A classic Bethesda RPG is probably being reborn in Unreal Engine 5, what if Link had a keytar instead of a sword, cats doing cat things, Steam's most-played demo is also its most-hated, and the weird physics reason your ancient Super Nintendo is running slightly faster now.

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Our exploration of outstanding Steam demos and upcoming indies continues. Colette kicks the tires on three more excellent games.

Also, what will the Internet do with "Command & Conquer's" source code? And will Discord become "enshittified" if it files for IPO?

Meanwhile, "Monster Hunter Wilds" is Capcom's fastest selling game ever (8 million copies in 3 days). There's only one problem: It runs like ass and looks like a PS3 game. Matt explains the technical drama, Capcom's unwillingness to acknowledge the issues, and why despite all this, he can't stop playing.

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