Lets talk about the newest expansion coming to Destiny 2 in February 2024. The Final Shape was detailed in Bungie's latest deepdive in their last expansion in the Light and Darkness saga giving an overview on new systems to expect, new exotics, new supers, the new world of "The Pale Heart" that is inside the traveler and more.

It's been quite a slow news week, but as everyone knows, that doesn't stop me from talking. This week, we have some news: Nintendo will finally be releasing a new console next year. This news has sparked a debate about whether there will be backwards compatibility for the new console and if Nintendo will carry over existing purchases to the new system.

One of my favorite parts of sitting down with you every week is randomly finding a nugget of news to go on, which leads to what I believe is a great tangent that initiates a compelling thought/discussion. This discovery was made this week with the Xbox Series X rumor suggesting that there will be a discless version of the system to potentially reduce both the size and cost of the system. Will this setup allow Microsoft to introduce a mid-gen refresh with a potentially new system? Or will Phil Spencer's words that the Series X is that mid-gen system and there won't be another one come true? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on any of this in the latest episode of the Easy Achievers Gaming Podcast.

As always, I appreciate any feedback, which can be left in the comments below.

Support us financially and enjoy a number of perks like messaging us questions and early access to our show at: https://www.patreon.com/easyachievers

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Xbox's purchase of Activision Blizzard will be finalized in the coming weeks, if not days, and we will see the beginning of a massive change in Xbox and the industry. We may find ourselves in a decade with a completely different economic landscape that, in hindsight, we could have seen coming but aren't there yet. So let's discuss together what can change for the brand, Game Pass, the industry at large, and much more as I (Elijah) take a deep dive with you, navigating what I think are some inevitable changes coming in the short, mid, and long term for everyone involved in this deal. Although Xbox is the main focus of this discussion, I hope to have more people on in the future to delve deeper into other companies that will see the ramifications of this deal. Shout them out in the comments if you know someone you would like to see on.

Wow, we have quite a week to go over. It has been completely inundated by the FTC hearing regarding the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. There is an abundance of information to delve into, including new revelations about the production costs of two major gaming intellectual properties from Sony, as well as the substantial revenue generated for Sony by the Call of Duty franchise. Notably, an eye-opening email from Pete Hines potentially sheds light on Xbox's relationship with Bethesda. Several individuals have taken the stand under oath to discuss the intricate workings of the industry. Perhaps the most intriguing testimony to anticipate is that of Bobby Kotick, who will provide insights into his perspectives on the possibility of bringing Call of Duty to the Switch and the reasons behind its absence thus far. He will also express his aversion to Game Pass and elaborate on why he would never consider placing a Call of Duty title on a subscription service, among other compelling topics that cannot be fully expounded upon in this limited timeframe. This is a dense episode so go at your own pace as I did and I hope you enjoy it!

Well, this was a great podcast with a great guest, so I am excited to get into this. I had Reuben from Penultimate Conquest on, and it was a great occasion. We had a dense show filled with great stories this week. Of course, we had to talk about the ongoing FTC hearings between Xbox and the FTC in order to get the Activision Blizzard King purchase approved. This forced a lot of documents to come up, as discovery is a major part of these types of trials. There were many emails and testimonies to discuss, so make sure to check out that part of the show. Speaking of Xbox, we saw an Xbox ecosystem price hike and some leaks of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 map images. We also went over the great Nintendo Direct that just happened. And, of course, more on the show. Thank you so much for listening and for all the support you provide, however you do. Make sure to leave any comments on any discussions we had, as discussions with the community are the best part of doing this. See you next week!

TimeStamps

00:04:56- Call of Duty Warzone Caldera will be shut down

00:09:06- PlayStation Head of Mobile leaves

00:12:40- Mario+Rabbids Sequel should have been held back?

00:16:49- Xbox ecosystem price hike

00:25:14- Halo Infinite dev processes leak

00:31:20- What have you been playing/

00:47:03- Modern Warfare 3 image leaks and dates refresher

00:52:30- Start of the Show/ Giant Xbox FTC Hearing Revelations

01:42:40- EA splits them into two organizations

01:45:33- Nintendo Direct

02:08:00- E3 2024 and 2025 may be canceled

02:12:58- Date Updates

02:15:35- What's Queued Up?

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Scream at me on my social @EVM9000 on twitter.

We had an interesting week filled with a variety of random news stories and discussions that kept us all busy. One topic that's still causing a lot of debate is Starfield and its target frame rate of 30 fps. People have been going back and forth on that one. There's also been talk about games taking longer to develop than ever before. We got some insight into the work of different developers, like the former Sony Santa Monica employees revealing that Sony expects a 90 Metacritic score for their games. And did you know that Titanfall 3 was in development for almost a year? We also heard from Cory Barlog, who shared his thoughts on why games are taking so long nowadays.

But that's not all! We still have two showcases left to cover, so check out my breakdowns of each. However, the biggest story of the week has been the downsizing of Embracer Group, which has sparked a lot of discussion.

As always, I want to thank you all for tuning in and supporting the show in your own way. Your support means a lot. See you next week!

TimeStamps

00:02:44- Not So Rapid Fire/ Injustice 3 could still happen

00:04:44- Respawn worked on Titanfall 3 for 10 months

00:08:30- People Can Fly are working on a MS IP

00:15:35- Dead Cells gets an animated series

00:15:54- New Mobile game being made by Turn 10 and Hutch

00:17:32- Dan Houser announces Absurd Ventures

00:19:47- Games are taking much longer (of course)

00:36:03- back to the tweet exchange

00:58:43- Former Art Director says Sony demands a 90

00:59:58- Starfield FPS discussion insight by a dev on Twitter

01:0328- Star Ocean Second Story R leaked?

01:04:03- MK1 Roster Leak (kind of)

01:07:26- Lego 2k Goooal!

01:07:57- Start of the Show/ Embracer Group downsizes

01:20:20- Xbox Showcase Extended

01:22:46- Ubisoft Forward

01:30:02- No new Xbox needed

01:31:11- No Day One Sony First party games coming to PS Plus

01:32:30- Date Updates

01:36:15- What’s Queued up?

Support us financially and enjoy a number of perks like messaging us questions and early access to our show at: https://www.patreon.com/easyachievers

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/EasyAchievers

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Scream at me on my social @EVM9000 on twitter.

We witnessed a fantastic showcase from Xbox at their Xbox Showcase for 2023. While I'll delve into its merits within its own context, it's difficult to assert that Xbox has truly hit the mark when we consider previous showcases and the overall performance this year. It could be the start of significant change or a continuation of mediocrity. But let's set the melodrama aside. Today, I want to discuss the showcase game by game, giving you a comprehensive breakdown of my thoughts. Additionally, there's been some drama surrounding Starfield, with the game being locked at 30fps on consoles. This news shouldn't come as a surprise, particularly if you're a regular listener of this show. Regardless, I appreciate your support for the show, whether it's through Patreon or by liking, commenting, or subscribing. Thank you for stopping by, and I look forward to seeing you next week! (or earlier if there's noteworthy Ubisoft news to discuss)

TimeStamps

00:01:28- Opening thoughts to the showcase

00:07:15- Fable

00:08:27- South of Midnight

00:10:05- Star Wars Outlaws

00:11:35- 33 Immortals

00:12:32- Payday 3

00:13:03- Persona 3 Reload

00:15:03- Avowed

00:18:25- Sea of Thieves

00:19:58- Microsoft Flight Sim 2024

00:21:04- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

00:21:50- Like a Dragon 8

00:23:32- Fallout 76

00:24:03- Path of the Goddess

00:26:07- Forza Motorsport

00:27:20- Elder Scrolls Online

00:27:48- Overwatch 2

00:29:44- Persona 5 Tactics

00:30:11- Starfield

00:31:20- Jusant

00:33:02- Still Wakes the Deep

00:35:05- Dungeons of Hinterberg

00:36:17- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

00:39:04- Cities Skylines 2

00:40:43- Metaphor re Fantizo

00:41:20- Towerbourne

00:43:50- Clockwork Revolution

00:46:59- Xbox Series X 1TB

00:49:02- Closing thoughts on the Xbox Showcase

00:52:10- Starfield Direct/Frame Rate talk

Summer's Game Fest Bountiful look at 2023: SGF 2023 Breakdown. Easy Achievers Ep.160 by Alex and Elijah

I am back with a typical news week. We are in the wake of a disappointing PlayStation showcase that no one saw coming which means we have some news to catch up on like the Mortal Kombat 1 DLC Pack 1 roster leak alongside a slew of Kameo characters. Some unseen news like Stray being rated by the ESRB for Xbox. Ubisoft tripling down on the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Deviation Games has a canceled game. News that Sony may have been holding back on their Showcase. EA Sports finally paying their athletes and a lot more. As always thank you so much for helping support the show however you do whether its by liking, commenting, supporting on Patreon, etc. Thank you and I will see you next week. Go achieve.

TimeStamps

00:01:10- Not So Rapid Fire/Meta Quest 3

00:02:50- FF16 Might not have a day-one patch

00:03:21- UbiSoft will raise AC Devs by 40%

00:04:46- ESRB rates Stray for Xbox

00:05:07- Mortal Kombat 1 konfirmed

00:05:29- Access Controller unveiled

00:05:35- Tears of the Kingdom reaches 10 million copies in 3 days

00:05:45- EA Sports will pay college athletes

00:06:15- Deviation Games canceled a project

00:08:00- Square Enix considers M&A

00:11:06- What have you been playing?

00:13:25- Rumor Roundup/ Persona 3 Remake announcement soon

00:13:55- FF 9 remake will be PS Exclusive

00:14:20- Sony was holding back on their Showcase

00:17:42- BioShock in development hell debunked

00:18:20- MK1 Roster Leak

00:21:25- Kotaku says Star Wars Ubi games coming sooner than thought

00:22:29- GoW sequel may be coming

00:24:55- Silent Hill 2 and Wolverine maybe next year

00:26:20- New Xbox Gamerscore rules

00:32:46- Jason Schrier's article on Redfall’s downfall

00:40:50- Naughty Dog’s Multiplayer Last of Us in trouble

00:46:40- Date Updates

00:48:50- What’s Queued up?