Kotaku Splitscreen

E3 2019: Jason Schreier talks to Obsidian's Leonard Boyarsky, co-creator of the original Fallout and now co-director of The Outer Worlds, about what it's been like to go back into post-apocalyptic sci-fi after a decade at Blizzard, how his new game explores fascism and corporate governance, and how video game development has changed over the past 30 years.

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E3 2019: Jason Schreier sits down with Marcin Iwiński, founder and co-CEO of Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red, to follow up on their conversation about crunch a few weeks ago. They also talk about Cyberpunk 2077's ambitious scope, controversies over trans issues, racial stereotypes, Keanu Reeves, GOG financial issues, and whether Cyberpunk will come to Switch.

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At E3 2019, Maddy sits down with Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez, esports commentator and event host best known for his work on Overwatch League, Call of Duty, and Halo. Mendez actually used to cover esports for Kotaku years ago; now, he commentates and hosts massive esports tournaments in stadiums around the country. We talk about the traditional sports influences on the esports industry, the wide spectrum of esports personalities out there, and whether Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games will be the next great esport (it will). Lastly, Mendez talks about his new show, LVL UP, which is like Pimp My Ride but for gaming rigs.

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E3 2019: Jason Schreier sits down with Destiny bosses Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy for a deep dive into the future of Destiny 2, which is an MMO now. They talk about RPG elements, story loose ends, technical challenges, cross-play (or lack thereof), whether there will ever be a Destiny 3, Stadia latency, and what 2020 looks like for this franchise.

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E3 2019: Jason Schreier talks to Larian Studios boss Swen Vincke and D&D creative chief Mike Mearls about how the Baldur's Gate 3 deal came together, what it's like to make a video game based on Dungeons & Dragons in 2019, and whether Minsc and Boo will be in the game. They talk about the confusion of D&D spell slots, the "infinite possibilities" in a game like this, and how great role-playing games are made.

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Nintendo just announced a sequel to Breath of the Wild?? Also, a bunch of other E3 press conferences happened, with some good-looking games, some Keanu-shaped surprises, a very good dog, and a lot of loud music.

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy get together to talk through it all, breaking down highlights from Microsoft, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and Nintendo. Jason and Maddy will be back all week with interviews from the E3 show floor, so stay tuned to your feed for more.

PRESS CONFERENCE ROUNDUPS:

Microsoft: https://kotaku.com/everything-microsoft-announced-at-e3-2019-1835358411

Bethesda: https://kotaku.com/everything-bethesda-announced-at-e3-2019-1835362095

Ubisoft: https://kotaku.com/everything-ubisoft-announced-at-e3-2019-1835383676

Square Enix: https://kotaku.com/everything-square-enix-announced-at-e3-2019-1835393070

Nintendo: https://kotaku.com/everything-nintendo-announced-at-e3-2019-1835413325

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Episode 182: Hell yeah, it's time for E3! Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about the games they've been playing (Outer Wilds, Timespinner, Gato Roboto) before jumping into E3 guesses, hopes, predictions, and rumors (32:46) involving EA, Microsoft, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Square Enix, Nintendo, and much more. Will The Avengers and FF7 live up to the hype? With Sony skipping this year's show, can Microsoft blow us all away as it fights for console dominance? And what kind of whispers has Jason heard about Ubisoft's showcase this year? You'll have to listen to the show to find out. The gang closes things out with off-topic talk (1:24:38) including Dragon Ball Z, 24, and Rocketman.

SHOW NOTES:

Music pick of the week: “Hangin’ with My Baby” by Tower of Power from their 2018 (!) album Soul Side of Town

Jon Bois on 24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P52G4Kyq5M

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Episode 181: Baby Ghost... Recon? Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk video games, from Dark Souls 3 to Observation, then dive into news of the week (29:00) including Death Stranding's ridiculous new trailer (and 2019 release date!), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and EA Play. The crew hears from a listener who does game analytics for a major video game company, then they get into off-topic talk on Veep, Educated, Fleabag, 24, 24, and 24 (1:04:54).

Music Pick of the Week: “Grey Seal” by Elton John from his 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

SHOW NOTES

Politico Article: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/25/how-silicon-valley-gamed-the-worlds-toughest-privacy-rules-1466148

Justin McElroy on Anor Londo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5yw0wHQx9A

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Episode 180: We've gotten so many interesting listener e-mails about privacy in gaming, we just had to keep talking about it! First, the Splitscreen gang talks about some of the games they're playing including Phoenix Wright, Rage 2, and Destiny. Then they get into the news of the week (28:18) on Minecraft Earth, the God of War documentary, and a major shakeup in Call of Duty-land.

After the news, Kirk, Maddy, and Jason read some listener emails and talk more about advertisers using our data, targeted marketing, and whether the internet is just broken or what. Then it's time for off-topic talk (1:11:55) on Designated Survivor, Lemony Snicket, and much more.

Music pick of the week: “Ageless Beauty” by Stars from their 2004 album Set Yourself On Fire

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The game of thrones has ended, and so has Game of Thrones. On this final bonus episode, Jason and Kirk wrap up their coverage of HBO's grand fantasy series by recapping the events of "The Iron Throne," then looking back at the show as a whole.

LINKS:

Zeynep Tufekci on the series' shift from sociological to psychological storytelling: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-real-reason-fans-hate-the-last-season-of-game-of-thrones/

Zach Kram on its shifting relationship with consequence: https://www.theringer.com/tv/2019/4/10/18304037/game-of-thrones-season-8-consequences-jon-sam-arya-cersei

Gita Jackson on Game of Thrones' Fullmetal Alchemist problem: https://kotaku.com/game-of-thrones-has-a-fullmetal-alchemist-problem-1834512907

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