Gamers Week Podcast

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Things have come a long way since the original Resident Evil 4's infamous mobile version more than a decade ago, and now Resident Evil Village runs natively on iOS, bringing AAA console parity to the mobile gaming market. We discuss what this development might mean for the future of not only mobile gaming, but ALL video games. Are we (*gasp!*) finally onboard the mobile game hype train??

We'll also be talking about Elon Musk's doomed quest to turn Twitter/X into a Twitch killer, how canceled loot shooter Hyenas was allegedly Sega's biggest budget game ever, and how Capcom’s greatest ever catch phrase has been decided by its players for the company's 40th anniversary.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Nostalgia 101 segment. In this episode, Professor Ryebread is sharing his top 5 list of '90s games shows for kids.

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Hosts: @retrogamebrews, wrytersview, @donniegretro
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen

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Epic Games has announced its laying off roughly 16% of its workforce, resulting in around 830 employees losing their jobs. Epic president Tim Sweeney states that these departures will not come at the expense of game development and that Epic will still be hiring for “critical roles.” We discuss this mass layoff in light of other recent Epic headlines (such as the company refusing to back down on its lawsuit vs Apple, offering 100% revenue to game devs who promise exclusivity, and the company's metaverse focus) and wonder whether this move was really the only way to go.

We'll also be talking about how SAG-AFTRA members overwhelmingly voted to authorize a video game strike, how Sony has a crucial decision to make after Jim Ryan's retirement as PlayStation CEO, and what other games we think need a 99 version.

Finally, in News Rewind, we look at CES coverage from the July/August 1983 volume of Atari Age magazine.

We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!
- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub
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Hosts: wrytersview, @donniegretro, @retrogamebrews
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen

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In what’s being cited as the biggest leak in the company’s history, Microsoft revealed a massive amount of information about forthcoming Xbox refreshes, next-gen systems, and more after uploading a series of unredacted documents to a court website as part of the ongoing Federal Trade Commission v. Microsoft case.  We discuss the headlines included in the leaks and wonder...is any of it REALLY news??

We'll also be talking about how series creator Ed Boon promises that the widely panned port of Mortal Kombat 1 on the Nintendo Switch will be fixed, how Unity has apologized for its install fee policy and says it "will be making changes" to it, and how the original Call of Duty Warzone is shutting down for good this week.

Finally, in News Rewind, we look at the New York Times article "The Gaming of Violence," published on April 30, 1999.

We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!
- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub
- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw
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Hosts: @donniegretro, @retrogamebrews, wrytersview
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen

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For years, the Unity Engine has operated with a royalty-free licensing structure, which meant developers incurred no extra costs based on how well a game sold. On Tuesday, however, the company announced a new fee structure that will start charging developers on a "per-install" basis.  "We're not nickel-and-diming people," Unity CEO John Riccitiello once memorably said. "When we say it's free, it's free." LOL. We discuss this deeply unpopular move by Unity and take bets on how long it will be before the company walks it back entirely.

We'll also be talking about Microsoft's brand new Xbox credit card, how Square Enix has lost nearly $2 billion in value since the launch of Final Fantasy 16 (and a new report has cast doubt on the company’s ability to recover), and the announcement that
Nintendo is sunsetting Mario Kart Tour next month.

Finally, Blue takes us to Subcon with Mario & Luigi in the first ever Gamers Week Book Club.

We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!
- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub
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Hosts: @retrogamebrews, @wrytersview, @donniegretro
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen

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Send us Fan Mail

With SAG-AFTRA members already on strike against films and TV shows, voting is now underway to authorize a separate strike against the video game industry. The guild’s leaders are saying that a dual strike, if it comes to that, “makes sense” because the issues at stake in both contracts (namely wages and unregulated AI use) “mirror” each other. We discuss the issues at stake in this possible strike, as well as the ways this may affect our hobby in the years to come.

We'll also be talking about how Sony's newly announced PS Plus price increase is not going down well with consumers, how former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden views Apple and Amazon as big threats to the games industry, and how Charles Martinet (the now former voice of Mario) will be transitioning to his new role as “Mario Ambassador” for Nintendo.

Finally, Donnie takes us all the way back to September 1990 in Retro Rewind.

We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!
- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub
- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw
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Hosts: @wrytersview, @donniegretro, @retrogamebrews
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen

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Send us Fan Mail

Starfield officially launches on Wed, Sept. 6, although players with the Constellation edition or Premium edition upgrade can get access five days earlier. But even though it’s not quite out yet, the headlines this week have been buzzing about Bethesda’s newest RPG. So for our main topic, we’re looking at a roundup of Starfield headlines, including the Starfield leaker who was arrested after allegedly stealing copies of the game, Todd Howard's claim that Starfield "doesn't really even get going until you finish the main quest," and how Starfield's player character was initially going to be voiced.

We'll also be discussing Epic Games' new program that will offer devs a 100% revenue split for launching their game exclusively on the company's store, how Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka says pixel art won't be a viable style for Sonic in 10 to 20 years, and how the newly announced Qomp2 is Atari’s thrilling continuation of the Pong saga.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, Professor Ryebread is sharing his top 5 list of influential women in the gaming industry.

Thank you to The Leetist Podcast for their long sponsorship! Listen to their episodes at linktr.ee/LeetistPodcast.

We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!
- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub
- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw
- Visit A Gamer Looks At 40 at linktr.ee/agamerlooksat40

Hosts: @donniegretro, @retrogamebrews, @wrytersview
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Gamescom Opening Night Live has officially kicked off, bringing with it dozens of new trailers and deep dives into upcoming games, including Black Myth Wukong, Little Nightmares III, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and more. We go over the show's biggest announcements and discuss what we're most excited (and not so excited) to see in the year to come.

We'll also be talking about the newly unveiled Atari 2600+, how Sony's handheld gaming device Project Q now has a proper name and a price, and how the developers of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game have promised it will not face the same legal obstacles as their previous title, Friday the 13th.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're looking at the early history of North American video game game shows.

Thank you to The Leetist Podcast for their long sponsorship! Listen to their episodes at linktr.ee/LeetistPodcast.

We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!
- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub
- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw
- Visit A Gamer Looks At 40 at linktr.ee/agamerlooksat40

Join us for the 3rd annual Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tournament to raise money for
Stand Up To Cancer!
- Saturday, 10/26, 5pm EST/ 2pm PST
- twitch.tv/thefinerthingsttv

Hosts: @retrogamebrews, @wrytersview, @donniegretro
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

A video by IGN claiming “Baldur’s Gate 3 is Causing Some Developers to Panic” has stirred up quite a buzz in the gaming world this week. The video (which suggests that game devs are unhappy about being expected to meet the high standard set by titles like Baldur's Gate 3) already has over a million views on YouTube alone.

The idea has struck a cord with gamers who are tired of the microtransaction-leaden glitch fests that make up much of AAA gaming these days. However, as is usually the case, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. We look at both sides of the issue posed by this video and give our take on concrete ways gamers can help to steer the industry in a better direction.

We'll also be discussing Xbox's new "strike" system that's intended to curb online harassment, how Netflix is testing game streaming on smart TVs and desktop browsers, and how John Carmack finally made his return to QuakeCon for the first time in a decade.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're taking a closer look at how Japan avoided the 1983 video game crash.

Thank you to The Leetist Podcast for their long sponsorship! Listen to their episodes at linktr.ee/LeetistPodcast.

We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!
- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub
- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw
- Visit A Gamer Looks At 40 at linktr.ee/agamerlooksat40

Join the Stand Up To Cancer #Up2Us Stream Team!
- standuptocancer.org/Streaming/#Up2Us

Hosts: @wrytersview, @retrogamebrews, @donniegretro
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Rockstar has been teasing a new announcement in the Red Dead universe for awhile now, and this week, the project was finally revealed: a port of 2010's Red Dead Redemption coming to Nintendo Switch and PS4/PS5. Not a remaster. Not a remake. A literal port. And it boasts a $50 price tag, very high for a 13 year old game that's not getting any significant updates. We discuss this apparent cash grab move by Rockstar and wonder whether we can find any justification for the game's price point (spoiler: we can't).

We'll also be talking about the long-rumored but newly-confirmed reboot of Modern Warfare III, how Square Enix is blaming its plummeting share prices on the underperformance of Final Fantasy 16, and how Gizmodo editor-in-chief Daniel Ackerman is suing Apple over the Tetris movie, alleging it rips off his 2016 book The Tetris Effect.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're looking at the 2011 court case Brown vs Entertainment Merchants Association.

Join the Stand Up To Cancer #Up2Us Stream Team!
- standuptocancer.org/Streaming/#Up2Us

We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!
- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub
- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw

Hosts: @donniegretro, @retrogamebrews, @wrytersview
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

According to anonymous sources, development kits for Nintendo’s next console are now with key partner studios, and the console's launch is planned for next year. Although specific details on the console are being kept closely guarded, Nintendo has previously stated that it wants to convert as many of the Switch’s 100m+ user base as possible to its next system, although some third-party publishers are said to have expressed concern that legacy support for Switch games could negatively affect sales of next-gen titles. We discuss this idea, as well as imagine what the next gen of Nintendo might look like.

We'll also be talking about how Microsoft is now selling controller replacement parts for Xbox, how Final Fantasy 6's director admits Square Enix staff want a remake of the title as much as fans do, and how indie games have entered the era of bespoke publishing.

Finally, Donnie takes us all the way back to August 1997 in Retro Rewind.

Join the Stand Up To Cancer #Up2Us Stream Team!
- standuptocancer.org/Streaming/#Up2Us

We love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!
- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub
- Visit the Leetist Podcast at linktr.ee/LeetistPodcast
- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw

Hosts: @retrogamebrews, @wrytersview, @donniegretro
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen

Support the show