Gamers Week Podcast

Send us Fan Mail

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has released its initial report on Microsoft's buyout of Activision Blizzard, and the Xbox maker is not happy. The company is calling the criticism of the deal “unsupported” and accusing the CMA of listening too much to Sony's lawyers. Is Microsoft's Activision Blizzard deal really a good thing for the gaming industry? We debate the possible implications of the largest acquisition in gaming history.

We'll also be discussing how Blizzard is now requiring players to link a phone number to access its games (and mobile phones with prepaid plans "may not work"), the jaw-dropping price of Meta's upcoming Quest Pro VR headset, how Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier will shut down barely a year after it was released, and how the Oregon Trail is set to become a musical film.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're looking at the history of motion controls.

Tune in to the Blockbuster Video World Championships 3 at PRGE this weekend!
- twitch.tv/retrogamingexpo

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: @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
Merch: gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.com

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Google Stadia's 2019 announcement promised several features that actually could have been disruptive game-changers for the industry (such as State Share, Stream Connect, Crowd Play, and Crowd Choice). Unfortunately, however, each of those features was absent from launch, and as of late 2021, less than 10% of the total library included one or more of these features. As the death knell tolls for Stadia, we look back on the service and wonder what could have been had Google taken the platform's good ideas more seriously than its bad ones.

We'll also be discussing how Overwatch 2's launch day was marred by DDoS attacks, why Mario's butt in the new Super Mario Bros. Movie poster is so controversial, how PlayStation Stars is giving top members "priority" chat support, and how milk has declared itself the "official performance drink of gamers."

Finally, Donnie takes us all the way back to October 1992 with his 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
- Visit the Leetist Podcast at linktr.ee/LeetistPodcast
- 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
Merch: gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.com

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, Metroid... the best NES games are all classics. They aren't just fantastic video games in their own right, but experiences that helped to establish Nintendo's biggest franchises and make the manufacturer a force to be reckoned with in the industry. We debate the ten best titles of the NES library, and (spoiler alert!) we don't all agree.

We'll also be discussing how the US Department of Homeland Security has awarded a nearly $700,000 grant to investigate "radicalization" through video games, how Sony's head of PlayStation Indies says PS Plus should be used to manage the lifecycle of a game, Logitech's officially announced $350 gaming handheld, and Cyberpunk 2077's one million player revival.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're looking at the history of the survival horror game Sweet Home on the Famicom.

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
Merch: gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.com

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

With the much-hyped Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake changing developers, fans are hoping that the game will survive its problems and live to see its release. However, if it doesn't, it would be far from the biggest title to ultimately get canceled. We're joined by G to the Next Level to look at the ten video game cancelations that gamers found most disappointing.

We'll also be discussing how the big Grand Theft Auto 6 leak may not be so big after all, Sega's explanation of what Sonic Frontiers' "Open Zone" concept actually means, Sony’s first major PS5 redesign that will reportedly have a detachable disc drive, and the La Mulana director who won Konami's contest to revive one of its old IP.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're looking at the history of the Sega Master System.

Find more from G to the Next Level at linktr.ee/Gtothenextlevel

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: @wrytersview, @retrogamebrews, @GtoTheNextLevel
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Merch: gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.com

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

It's been a big week for gaming news! This past Tuesday brought us both a Nintendo Direct and a PlayStation State of Play, so we're covering as much as we can from both showcases.

We'll also be discussing how PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan says Xbox's Call of Duty offer was "inadequate on many levels," how Gargoyles is the next classic Disney game getting a remaster, and Billy Mitchell's claims that his doctor won't see him due to accusations that he cheated at Donkey Kong.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're looking at the history of Jerry Lawson and the Fairchild Channel F.

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, @donniegretro, @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
Merch: gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.com

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Having a backlog of games can be overwhelming. Knowing that you have potentially hundreds of games that you haven't played yet has been a lament of many gamers. In this episode, we're joined by Jim from Drink a Beer and Play a Game to discuss tips and tricks on how to manage your backlog of games like a pro.

We'll also be talking about Xbox's Game Pass Friends and Family Bundle, Nintendo's removal of loot boxes for its mobile title Mario Kart Tour, the rumored new 2D Super Mario game in development, and a seller on eBay who is attempting to sell off a collection of every game console ever made for $1 million. 

We have a special interview with John Roo and Steven Long, discussing their new Gameboy homebrew game, Gelatinous: Humanity Lost (and we're even giving away a kick-starter copy!).

Finally, Donnie takes us all the way back to September 1997 with his 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
- Visit the Leetist Podcast at linktr.ee/LeetistPodcast
- Connect with CafeBTW at linktr.ee/cafebtw

Hosts: @donniegretro, @retrogamebrews, @ABeerAndAGame
Opening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Patron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by @donniegretro
Closing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli Takanen
Merch: gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.com

Power Hour Podcast: https://linktr.ee/DBPG
Gelatinous: Humanity Lost: https://theretroroomgames.com/products/gelatinous
Steven Long: https://popdecades.com/
Dark Alley Marketing: An indie game developer's roadmap to the dark side of marketing: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Alley-Marketing-developers-marketing/dp/1981059091

Edited by this week's podcast daddy

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

When someone thinks of video games,  they might imagine playing their favorite games with their friends or competing against others for the top score in competitive-style leaderboards. Naturally, these services need internet access to function, but not everyone takes time to think about the servers that host these features — at least not until a company announces that they're going to shut them down. We discuss our favorite ones that have gone by the wayside, as well as the current services we'll miss most when they are inevitably shut down.

We'll also be talking about Sony's acquisition of Savage Game Studios and the new PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, how Nintendo is apparently not involved in the new Switch DRM initiative, Konami's confirmation that a new game from one of their world-famous franchises will be announced at Tokyo Game Show, and how the last remaining cartridges found in Alamogordo landfill's Atari Tomb will be sold on eBay.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're looking at the history of Hideo Kojima and the Metal Gear series.

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
Merch: gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.com

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Gamescom 2022 is upon us, and Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live kicked things off with a ton of new announcements for games including Dune: Awakening, Lies of P, Sonic Frontiers, and more. We go over both the highlights and the lowlights of the evening.

We'll also be discussing how Xbox boss Phil Spencer believes there will be fewer console exclusives in the future, how Embracer is set to acquire the Lord of the Rings IP, and the pair of obscure Sega games now being adapted into movies.

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're looking at the history of VHS-based video game consoles.

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

Thank you to J+L Game for sponsoring our giveaway! Visit their store at JNLgame.com/j-l-video-games-new-york-city.

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
Merch: gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.com

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The digital-only age is coming, folks. We may not like it, but it's hard to deny that streaming services are the future of entertainment, including for video games. But when customers no longer need a console to play games, what will that mean for Sony and Nintendo, which don't have the PC presence that Microsoft has?

We also discuss how Nintendo of America contractors are calling out the company for sexual harassment and a "frat house" environment, how the Final Fantasy 16 director says the series is "struggling" to adapt, and Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa's promise that the Nintendo Switch won't be getting a price increase despite higher production costs.

Finally, Donnie takes us on a Retro Rewind in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're looking at what was going on in the gaming world in August 1992.

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

Thank you to J+L Game for sponsoring our giveaway! Visit their store at JNLgame.com/j-l-video-games-new-york-city.

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
Merch: gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.com

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

This week, Nintendo treated Splatoon fans to an in-depth look at the series' upcoming entry, Splatoon 3. We chat about the new stages, mechanics, game modes, and weapons, as well as what else we hope to see in the soon-to-be-released title.

We'll also be discussing Twitch and YouTube Gaming's plummeting viewership figures, how fewer than 1% of Netflix subscribers play Netflix Games, and whether video games are really that expensive (or it only seems that way).

Finally, class is in session with Professor Ryebread in our Gaming History 101 segment. In this episode, we're looking at the history of the Aladdin Deck Enhancer.

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
Merch: gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.com

Support the show