Just a note for the show – Labor Day is next week here so we won’t be back live until September the 6th.

With Gamescom come and gone we’re sort of set for the year on upcoming releases. I mean, there’s plenty of releases to come but I don’t see anything too surprising to show up that we didn’t already know about – except for where Nintendo stands. They do their own thing on their own time – and that only relates to first party titles.

The next big gaming thing we’re looking at next will be the Game Awards. That overly long advertisement for games with an award or two thrown in for good measure. But that’s in December.

Right now, we’re getting into the “-ber” months, and my usual situation there is that whatever you might want, if you can wait, might be better bought at a discount come November or December. It fluctuates as far as what you might be interested in and if it’s worth waiting for a discount. For instance, I’m looking forward to Ball X Pit. I don’t know the price yet on that title, but it’s not likely something I’ll sit on. You probably have a few games like that as well.

In the meantime, I’ll continue looking for a game to hold me over for a while. I’ll try again today to see what grabs me and go from there.

Maybe I’ll go back to an old Splinter Cell game considering there’s no risk of getting burned out on that title before a new one is released. Ubisoft, it has been 4,388 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 3,563 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

It’s not unlike us from time to time to sort of stray off topic for a little bit. And by “us”, I mean “me”. And that’s the case early in this episode and throughout as I try and remember the very first comic book I ever read. At some point I’m going to have to go digging. I’m pretty sure I still have the issue and would know it when I see it.

But now I’m doing the same thing here as I did on the show. So let me try to stick to gaming for a moment if only to say that I really haven’t branched out and played very much. Still kind of in limbo for now as to what to sink my teeth into. It’ll come to me eventually. And it’s not something I’m bothered by. Just like the comic book, I’ll know it when I see it…or feel it as it were. God knows my backlog is SCREAMING for attention.

It would have been nice maybe to have that Dragon Age remaster. Given the nostalgia of the previous 3 right now are the only things keeping that franchise in any kind of positive memory considering what Veilguard did to it. I never played it so I don’t know and I hardly played those previous 3 but I kind of would like to revisit them and see if it holds my attention. Our tastes, in all sorts of ways, change over time and I’m curious if now I could actually get into the series. I sort of did with the second one but not near enough to remember anything. And it was all the way back on the 360, I think.

Something will eventually fall into my lap and you’ll hear me gush over it week after week, it just takes some time.

Speaking of time, Ubisoft, it has been 4,381 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 3,563 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

Still haven’t found a game to hold my attention in recent weeks and now, seemingly, months it feels like.

I have a lot of quick games I play. Little things that I can spend however much time I want with them and back out whenever. But nothing on a story driven basis or anything like that to really keep me coming back and advancing.

Avowed was on a really good path at doing that for me but it was just so big. Eventually the size of that game and my need to explore everything I could in every map just broke me down to a gaming exhaustion.

So I’m looking for something to hold me but not something to engulf me, you know? The Battlefield 6 beta looked kind of fun while watching streams but I don’t know how well I work with mouse/keyboard controls just yet. Typing this is better than it used to be but I’m still mistyping keys on the regular here while I do this. Although…Avowed would be a good way to test out how that’s working for me since that was the game I was playing when it started to become an issue.

What I don’t want is another live service game to get into and what’s strange is that WB Games, after failing spectacularly with it a year ago, seems to want to give me just that. I mean, there could be a way to make that work, but it was a pretty big fail for them and it’s just strange how they want to try again so soon. Even with the same intellectual property.

At this point, I might actually take a live service Splinter Cell, if that’s the only way I could get one. Ubisoft, it has been 4,374 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 3,563 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

Another quick note to let you know we will NOT be doing a show next weekend.

This week however was more just chatting and rambling. Which, I get it, is most of what we do anyway. It’s been a minute for me since I have settled on a game to play. Got a good ways through Avowed, made some progress in Doom The Dark Ages, went through the main story of Clair Obscure, and put some time in with Assassin’s Creed Mirage, but for the most part it’s just been me dipping my toe into a game here or a game there. Something that doesn’t require a multiple play commitment. I can be in and out of it and move on if I want.

Outside of a few exceptions of games built, literally, to do just that, I guess I’m trying to find my next multiple play commitment. That is, something that holds me and keeps me coming back to it so I can advance the story and finish the game. I lost that with Avowed, Doom, and Mirage. Getting into them significantly but ultimately getting burned out on them before finishing. Or, in Mirage’s case, just not being gripped by the story.

Of course, my backlog overfloweth. There’s a number of games on my PC and console that I could probably jump into and find what I’m looking for. That’s pretty much my weekend now where gaming is concerned – looking. Browsing. This is something I am extremely good at – wasting time window shopping. However, every now and again, something stands out. Something grabs my eye or attention and sometimes that something can be pretty good.

So the search continues.

Maybe I could go back and play an old Splinter Cell. Sure as hell won’t be playing a NEW Splinter Cell anytime soon. Ubisoft, it has been 4,360 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 3,563 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

We go away for two weeks and then come back with not so great news. MASSIVE layoffs at Microsoft and a really odd back and forth between publishers and devs concerning Subnautica 2 – only really leading to a delayed (and at this point maybe cancelled) game.

And more news (mostly not good) that we didn’t get to.

For the Microsoft stuff, you can’t really get away with spending 70 Billion dollars and come away clean. I’d like to think if a company could it would be MS, but no, they had to cut 9,100 jobs. That’s only so far. I doubt they stop at that number. Also, so we’re clear, I’m not saying it’s justified. It stinks all the way around and will do so again when they continue the cutting spree.

As for Subanutica 2, it seems like that will end up in court. Likely further delaying the games release and, depending on the outcome, making it probably harder to release the game. It’s a story I haven’t really been following the public opinion aspect of, though I do a timeline event rundown in the episode.

Other than that it’s still not great news with layoffs at Cyan Worlds (MYST/Riven) and the complete lack of any significant gaming done over the past two weeks or so from myself. But, of course, I have my reasons and you’ll hear about them in this episode.

What you WILL NOT hear in this episode is any sort of announcement of anything Splinter Cell. Ubisoft, it has been 4,353 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 3,475 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

It’s hard to shake off the pull of something successful. I mean, it can be easy if you’re outright against it or don’t have the means to obtain it or whatever. Basically, there’s exceptions, right?

But I’m speaking in the sense, as almost always I do here, in terms of video games. A successful console may be a pull but the price may be the wall too high to get over. So, there’s that. But when it’s a game itself, you may pause to give it some thought.

Death Stranding 2 is out and the scores for this thing are far higher than I was expecting. Not that I felt it wouldn’t do well, but maybe on par with the first game. Except it has far outshined in scores upon release. And it makes one curious what all the fuss is about. I own the first one but I never played it. I might decide to give it a go here soon.

We’re not doing a show next week and the week after that is a bit up in the air for now, but keep an eye on our socials. Bluesky, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook. We’ll be sure to let you know what’s going on.

So that’s it for this show post. No clever connection to talk about Splinter Cell, but the count up continues. Ubisoft, it has been 4,332 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 2,422 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

So, about that write up last week…

I think I mentioned that Borderlands 4 would be a test for that $80 third party gaming pricing. Turns out, it won’t. Since they are basically pricing it as pretty much any other current gen triple A game. I don’t know what game will eventually be that test, but I’m sure we’ll get there.

I’m going to keep this post short as it’s not all that comfortable to type currently, but hopefully that’ll change in the coming weeks. Currently, I’m just playing what I can with a controller or just a mouse and, so far, that’s working out pretty well.

I’ve mentioned Marvel Snap on the air a lot and currently, if you follow reddit or the discord for it, that game is going through some things at the moment. Player satisfaction is WAY down. Either one of those places or just the Steam/App review pages will tell you the problem. I don’t have much of an opinion on the matter. Not that I’m neutral – I lean heavily towards more power to the players in most cases. Same with devs if you can tell the publishers are getting in their way. Snap is, now, self published. The devs are the publishers and they all carry the responsibility of their decisions for the game. And it seems like they are making the wrong decisions.

I’ve yet to unbox my Switch 2. I’m pleased to see it selling so well, but I just haven’t gotten around to doing all the set up and stuff needed when getting a new console. Plus, that whole system transfer thing seems a little confusing, especially if you have unique situations to account for. Still, it’ll get done this weekend or next.

So that’s it for this show post. No clever connection to talk about Splinter Cell, but the count up continues. Ubisoft, it has been 4,325 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 2,422 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

We’ve circled back around to the price of our hobby again. Not so much the consoles and PC components, those will always run a premium. But the games.

Nintendo is testing those waters with their first party titles. So, it’s their exclusives. If you want to play them you’ll have to pay those prices.

Microsoft is doing the same. Again, exclusives, but both on console and PC. Still, $80 either way you go. If you want to play them you’ll have to pay those prices. Or go gamepass – which could be the incentive and the ultimate goal…more subscribers. Executives LOVE subscribers. Why get one lump of money out of the consumers when you can get monthly lumps of money from them?

GTA6 is likely to be a pricey title. Exclusive to consoles (for a while) and eventually on PC, probably at the same price or more by that time. If you want to play them you’ll have to pay those prices. And they will without question. They may complain, but they’ll pay.

The real test of this experiment will come at the hands of non-GTA6 third party titles. Borderlands 4, so far, seems to be where we’ll see that experiment in action. People won’t skip a GTA6 at a ridiculous price but BL4? That’s where we see if this pricing has legs for those third parties.

My initial guess is no, it won’t have any legs at all. Sales will be low, to begin with and even positive reviews won’t save it – assuming it even gets those. And that’s the thing, no matter how good your game reviews, it’s likely no one is willing to fork over that kind of money to experience it until it drops in price. You’ve got to be a top tier title to ask for that kind of money or an exclusive we can’t experience anywhere else in any other way. Save for, as I said earlier, a subscription service.

The problem, I think, is that regardless of sales, it won’t bring the price down. These $80 game failures won’t stop inflation. But hopefully it gives rise to those indies and smaller studios NOT spending multiple millions to make a game.

Who knows what Ubisoft is spending on the next Splinter Cell. Even the remake announcement is 4 years old at this point with NOTHING to show for it. It has been 4,318 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 2,422 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

“Too much is not enough”

Actually, yeah. Yeah, I kinda think too much is more than enough.

They need to space these things out. The Summer Game Fest video alone is 3.5 hours long. And it is back to back to back titles over and over again. The next day had SEVEN more events of game announcements, and the day after that had, at the very least, 3 more events.

I feel like this is the same complaint I had last year, maybe. I love new game announcements as much as the next person and I’m not saying they shouldn’t be here, but just…space it out over the summer instead of in one single weekend.

And during the launch weekend of a brand new console!

Maybe I’m an old man yelling at clouds here, but a lot of these titles might actually get some space in our heads and conversation if we weren’t drowning in the announcements.

We kinda rush through a lot of them in this episode mainly because there are so many and we didn’t even finish. Next week will be more of the same, and I’ll probably rant about it then as well.

Speaking of rants, the clock is ticking Ubisoft. It has been 4,311 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 2,382 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.

“You cannot f___ the future, sir. The future f____ you.”

So, we’re back to the discussion of $80 games, and to get right to the core of it—this is happening. It was probably always going to happen.

Inflation affects everything—food, materials, consumer goods—prices inevitably rise, and video games are no exception. The same goes for consoles.

Now, I know I gave Randy Pitchford a lot of grief for saying that “real fans” would find a way to afford $80 games, but the reality is, being a fan has nothing to do with it. The cost of the hobby is going up, and that means gamers will need to be more selective about what they buy. What I said on the show, and what I meant, was that as game prices climb, they compete more with the essential expenses of everyday life.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the topic of price increases comes up in the coming weeks, with all the non-E3 news rolling out—Summer Game Fest, press conferences, and other industry events. Chances are, though, that pricing won’t be addressed directly. It’s just not the kind of thing publishers like to spotlight. But make no mistake—it’s a looming shadow over the entire industry.

Speaking of non-E3 Summer Game Fest, will this be the year we get a Splinter Cell announcement? My money is on “No”. Ubisoft, it has been 4,304 days since a new Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, BBC radio drama, or VR exclusive) was released.

Also, there’s been 2,322 job losses in the gaming industry since January 1, 2025.