Chris wants to close the loop on game economies, while Eric compares Pikmin to Marx's Labor Theory of Value. Phil thinks Hawked is the next evolution of extraction shooter but doesn't understand why Indiana Jones needs to be involved. The American Time Use Survey is in, and... surprise, the crew plays Magic but can't decide to dust or auction cards.

Chris beguiles us with tales of Disc Golf, while Eric describes, in detail, the "fully modeled genitalia" of Baldur's Gate 3. Phil is too busy brushing up his Redditor voice which will surely get him canceled. The crew laments the declining utility of cosmetic economies but doubles down on the mechanics of emergent gameplay.

Eric brings us to the streets of Vegas for EVO while Phil finds solace in another hypercasual hit. Chris has a new metric for web3, and the crew laments inflation: it got ranked systems. The crew debates taking a bullet for millionaire execs who desperately need the help.

Chris takes another swing at mid-2010 gaming with an update on his Brawl Stars experience. Eric takes us to Vietnam for League of Legends game patching while Phil laments the very slow, not-so-fast F2P Revolution.  Battlebit made waves as a low-poly indie shooter at $15 -- should they have gone free-to-play?

[1] Battlebit utilizes Low-Poly to beat Battlefield at their own game

The crew celebrates July 4th with a travel mishap, poor driving, and a lack of Sam Adams. Eric chooses Guile to explain Street Fighters' live service attempt, while Phil demands a blood oath from the crew. Chris is glued to ads and won't let go.

Chris discovers a small indie title called Fortnite, Eric throws salt on Diablo's big numbers, while Phil peddles his Game Thesis. The group tries to understand Reddit monetization while Phil tallies another win for the supply-siders. 

Talked about links:

• Diablo Esquire Exposé
• Reddit drama unfolded

The economics of platform success, taxation, and lots of autochess. Definition and implications of the metaverse.

The mailbag has arrived with all the weirdness you'd expect;

• Can we get a little bit about each of your backgrounds? We know that Chris' parents believe that Pokemon is the devil's creation, but what else is there? 
• What are some actual new models where play to earn can work?
• How many swords do you own? Follow up:....why?
• What examples of innovative or unique approaches to game economies have you seen in recent years?