Maximum Hearts

Our main subject this week is the very unexpected and completely unforeseen shuttering of Google Stadia. We promise that there's only the necessary amount of sarcasm for this week.

We discuss the hacking of Rockstar and leaking of information/assets from Grand Theft Auto 6, as well as the messy ethical space of leaking information. There's a big difference between journalists exposing bad business practices and leaking assets for blackmail.

(Apologies for the very late upload, I've been sick ~Derek)

Derek and John got early access to Square Enix's new strategy RPG The DioField Chronicle, and we break down where it succeeds and where it stumbles.

Thanks to Square Enix for providing us with our review codes. The DioField Chronicle was reviewed on both PC and Nintendo Switch.

We're joined by regular friend Josh aka Anoriand to talk about an overwhelming week of game reveals, from huge announcements for the future of Assassin's Creed to a Nintendo Direct and a State of Play. We don't even have time to talk about what we've been playing recently!

We know a big thing happened. It happened the day of the podcast. We're not talking about it. You know what we ARE talking about? Sony's Jim Ryan playing crybully over Microsoft's proposed terms to keep Call of Duty multiplatform after they acquire Activision Blizzard.

Long-time friend of the show Anthony Agnello returns to talk about Gamescom's opening night presentation, how Geoff Keighley's format is wearing thin, and the difficulty for smaller devs to get attention in a world where the biggest publishers suck up all of the oxygen.

Derek and CJ break down our time with and opinions on the newly released Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation - The Endless Seven Day Journey. It's a mouthful of a title for something we're fondly dubbing "the anti-game".

For the sake of transparency, not only were review codes provided by the publisher, but two SDGC members played a part in the game's western release: Matthew Finneman was responsible for marketing the game in the west, and Derek Van Dyke provided voice over work for one trailer.

Stories of harassment and discrimination put Nintendo of America in the spotlight for a story we're getting awful experienced at telling. If we sound tired of talking about it, we are, but imagine how the workers feel.

On this week's show Derek gives us the rundown on the latest incarnation of the Evo fighting tournament, and the crew muses on the mostly bad buzz around Unity.

We're joined this week by streaming giant Gothalion for a show packed with topics and tomfoolery. From toxicity in fan communities, to surprisingly good news out of Rockstar Games, to even more surprising gaming hardware price increases, it definitely wasn't a slow news week. No "What We've Been Playing" segment this week, unfortunately. Apologies to those of you who prefer the filler.