Nerd Your Enthusiasm

A new dawn approaches as we greet 2021 with our special GOTY episode. One final duel to lay 2020 to rest. Matt unsheathes Ghost of Tsushima, the commercial and critical darling that elevated Sucker Punch Studios into the pantheon of elite developers, managing to outsell TLOU2 in the same year and accumulating praise from native Japanese studios. Jin Sakai's journey is just getting started. On the opposing corner, Steve brings forth an unlikely challenger...

Thanks to the creative direction of Favreau and Filoni, The Mandalorian has become a cultural juggernaut within the span of two years, reigniting the passion for Star Wars in a way not seen since the Original Trilogy. Matt, Nick, Peyton, and Steve break down each episode from Season Two and the implications for the future of Star Wars and Disney+. Saying farewell is difficult, but talent without training is nothing...

Like clockwork, a slew of world premieres and award winners comprised The Video Game Awards 2020, hosted by the gaming pope himself, Geoff Keighley. Matt and Steve break down the categories and their respective winners, plus the gaming announcements that followed a curious pattern of nostalgia fulfillment. Perhaps some things are too good to be gone...

We have liftoff! The PlayStation 5 has officially launched in North America with a slate of next-gen titles and features that are on the bleeding edge of what is possible on a home console. How does it stack up with previous console launches? Matt and Steve have their first impressions of the hardware, UI, and launch titles as we usher in the ninth generation of gaming.

Now that a momentous royale has come and gone and the need for a brief respite is welcome, Matt and Steve sit down to have a candid, freeform discussion about...anything. No structure. No holds barred. An experimental detour to test the waters, perhaps? Plus, a tribute to the patron saint of the podcast, the legendary Sean Connery, and a flash round of industry news to whet our appetite before the arrival of a new generation amidst the holiday frenzy.

The moment of truth has arrived. With the tournament bracket curated with random seeds in the first and second-round groupings, the gang reconvenes to issue a final judgment on what film deserves to be known as "the greatest film of all time." And if a consensus can't be reached. we'll allow our good old, little shiny friend dictates each film's fate...nothing fairer in this world than a 50/50...

40 Films. 10 nominations for each contestant. One cinematic royale for the ages. Which film will take the crown? Join us for the first installment of a two-part series as Matt, Nick, Peyton, and Steve pit the likes of Kubrick, Nolan, Tarantino, and Villeneuve against one another for the nominating stage of the sacred tournament bracket, Hollywood style.

Microsoft opens its war chest! In an unprecedented and industry shattering acquisition worth 7.5 billion dollars, Zenimax Media and Bethesda Game Studios are brought into the Xbox ecosystem with a treasure trove of intellectual property ranging from The Elder Scrolls to Doom. While the impact of the bombshell might not be felt for years, the future of Xbox and their all-in strategy with Game Pass has never been more exciting. But as Newton's Third Law states: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction..."

The PS5 Showcase has come and gone with a botched pre-order strategy leaving a sour taste in its wake. $399 & $499 is the price of admission for the promise of a next-generation phase that follows the same blueprint that led to the PS4's massive success: Exclusive games. But will the approach be considered too safe in an industry that is tipping its toes with subscription services and eliminating the upfront cost of retail pricing? Finally, Matt and Steve deliver their first impressions of the COD Cold War Alpha.

After an unexpected leak reveals Microsoft's not so secret weapon in revitalizing the Xbox brand, Sony is left to unveil their launch plans to counter the goodwill generated by the affordable Series S. Meanwhile, a reputable rumor suggests that Nintendo won't repeat the same mistake with the Wii-U and is encouraging third parties to prepare future Switch titles for a 4K revision of the portable monster. Next-gen is here and everybody has come to play...