Was Highguard - the live-service shooter from Wildlight Entertainment - set up to fail? Lukewarm reception to its announcement trailer and eventual release have gamers comparing Highguard to Concord, another short-lived multiplayer title. Acc and Jack consider the time and effort spent on developing the game, only for it to be shut down after less than two months.

Also discussed in this episode of The Acc and Jack Show:

The CEO of McDonald's is getting eviscerated online for his taste test of the new Big Arch burger.

The new season of Scrubs is just okay.

The co-CEO of Build a Rocket Boy - the studio behind the flop MindsEye - is blaming everyone but himself for his game's poor performance.

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What are the best state capitals to live in? Which ones are the worst? How many of New England's made WalletHub's list? These are the important questions that nobody asked, but that Jack answers anyway for Nate and Zach. All told, it should surprise nobody where Boston lands on the list in terms of affordability.

Also discussed in this installment of Hardly Focused:

An Australian news reporter gets drunk and goes on-air at the winter Olympics.

Jack receives the news alert during the show that actor Eric Dane has passed away due to ALS.

The Pawtucket, Rhode Island shooter lived a bizarre, hate-filled life - and he married his cousin!

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Poor Lindsey Vonn. First, she ruptures her ACL; then, she crashes during a downhill ski run at the Olympics and suffers a gruesome leg injury. To top it off, Lindsey's own father gives her the "dad treatment" in an interview with the AP. Jack, Mike, and Nate wonder if Lindsay should have retired years ago.

Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused:

The New England Patriots did not win Super Bowl 60, but at least they made it that far!

Turning Point USA's "All-American Halftime Show" was a complete joke.

NBA 2K15 has some of the worst voice acting in video game history.

Discord is implementing global age verification.

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The Super Bowl is almost here, and the New England Patriots are in it for the first time since 2018! Of course, nothing is without controversy these days, for not everyone is on board with Bad Bunny performing at the half-time show. Jack, Mike, and Becky discuss Turning Point USA's upcoming "alternate" half-time show, headlined by America's favorite hick, Kid Rock!

Elsewhere in this installment of Hardly Focused:

Does the Kennedy Center really need to be closed for two years while it undergoes renovations?

Remembering the great Catherine O'Hara.

Do McNuggets and caviar really go together?

Ubisoft fires a developer for speaking out against their return-to-office mandate.

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Who would have thought a documentary about Melania Trump would under-perform at the box office? Oh, that's right - everybody. Acc and Jack dive into this new Brett Ratner-directed documentary, which is expected to make a mere sliver of its production and marketing budget at the box office.

Also discussed in this episode of The Acc and Jack Show:

People either really love or really hate the band Geese's performance on Saturday Night Live.

Kanye West apologizes for his antisemitic behavior, blaming his actions on bipolar disorder.

In a bout of retro video game torture, Acc is playing the first Bauldur's Gate, while Jack is trudging through the original version of Link's Awakening.

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Blake Jennings from the podcast Keep Me Young joins Jack and Zach for this installment of Hardly Focused! From video games to music to theater, there are laughs and non-sequiturs aplenty. It's safe to say Blake adapts to the Hardly Focused insanity with the greatest of ease!

Discussed during this episode of Hardly Focused:

Jack and Zach learn about Blake's background and beginnings in content creation, from long-form YouTube content to podcasting.

Blake shares his favorite video games, and what he considers to be the "worst."

Chappell Roan is a queen, and Jack shares his story about seeing her perform with Heart's Nancy Wilson.

Breaking news during this episode: Kenan and Kel are releasing a new movie together!

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In the first installment of Hardly Focused for 2026, Jack and Zach are none too pleased about artificial intelligence. For that matter, neither is musician Mark Tremonti, who believes AI-generated "fake art" will one day overtake the real thing. At least Bandcamp is doing it right by outright banning anything even remotely considered artificial.

Discussed elsewhere in this episode:

TimeOut magazine presents a list of the most inauthentic cities in the world, and Boston makes the list! As Tiffany Gomas might say, "That motherf**king city is NOT real!"

Becky joins Jack and Zach to discuss her Christmas haul of DOTS candy, much to Zach's chagrin.

Actor Timothy Busfield (The West Wing, thirtysomething) surrenders to police following accusations of abuse.

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Good news: Kids in New York City public schools are benefitting from a system-wide ban on cell phone! They're socializing, and there is a noticeable improvement in focus. Bad news: Without their phones to assist them, these kids have no idea how to read analog clocks. Nicole and Jack discuss and weep for the nation's future.

Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused:

Nicole recounts her trip to Goodsprings, Nevada for the annual gathering of Fallout fans!

"Mr. Goodman, please report to the office."

Folks in the Massachusetts town of Haverhill are actually upset over the new Dunkin' plant smelling of fresh-baked donuts.

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It's a 1-2-3 punch of bad news in this installment of Hardly Focused. Jack and Mike discuss the mass shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island, the mass shooting in Sydney, Australia, and the shocking murder of Rob Reiner. Of course, these things all have to happen around Christmastime, right?

Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused:

Kristin Cabot - the woman involved in the infamous Coldplay scandal from this past summer - finally speaks about what went down in Foxborough.

Jane's Addiction confirms their third breakup, over a year after Perry Farrell punched Dave Navarro on-stage at a Boston show.

President Ronald Thump announces the "Patriot Games," which sounds almost identical to the Hunger Games.

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The mental unraveling of a canine co-host accents this largely video game-related installment of Hardly Focused! Jack and Nate express bewilderment at both Metroid Prime 4's heavily anticipated launch, and the announcement of yet another Skyrim re-release. Not owning a Switch 2, this might be the first time Jack isn't buying another version of Bethesda's legendary dragon-taming simulator.

Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused:

Jack and Nate share horror stories about working in retail.

How can one possibly screw up a relationship with Hayley Williams?

GameStop's "trade anything" day is a huge success, with people bringing in things like taxidermized animals, cans of "whoop ass," and the Declaration of Independence.

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