Pixels & Ink

With 2024 almost here, the Pixels and Ink crew take some time to look back and remember some of the most impactful moments that shaped gaming going forward. From the incredible set of releases that are gobbling up everyone's time to the heartbreaking series of layoffs, this year won't be soon forgotten.

Brendan, Jordan and Chris also take some time to remember some of their personal favourite games and look back on some of the personally impactful memories. With events now back on and no shortage of newsworthy moments, this is your perfect podcast to wrap up the year in gaming that was 2023.

With over 100 million people tuning in, the Game Awards once again proved to be one of the biggest nights in gaming. But with so many eyes on the event, has the focus on what an awards show should be about been lost? This is the question that the Pixels and Ink podcast tackles this week as the panel of Brendan, Jordan, and Chris dives into what the show means to gaming, what was done right, and what could be improved for next year's show.

As if that were not enough, the cast also dives into the winners, discusses some of the big announcements from this year's show, and dissects what the categories mean and if there are games that are unfairly paired in ways that do not help their change.

The Pixels and Ink gang gathered around the virtual campfire this week to discuss the highlights and snubs of this year's Game Awards. They agreed that this year's line-up was solid, with many titles well worth playing. Touching on what made last year's winner Elden Ring such a dark horse entry, they delve into all the titles on this year's shortlist, including Resident Evil 4 Remake, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Balder's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

While it's hard to say who will walk away with this year's big prize, the crew dives into the arguments for each option and why they're worth your time. From everyone thinking that Resident Evil 4 Remake was an odd inclusion to the fact that Balder's Gate 3 has a strong case to walk away with some major accolades, this is shaping up to be an exciting night in gaming. As if that were not enough, Jordan and Brendan delve into the sad state of the Silent Hill franchise and the hopes that Silent Hill 2 Remake can revive the legendary horror franchise.

CGMagazine is back this week with The Pixels & Ink Podcast Episode 432, and we are switching things up! This episode is all about conventions!

After returning from Lucca, Italy, for Lucca Comics & Games, Dayna and Brendan reflect on the event, and it inspires a conversation about conventions as a whole. Brendan, Dayna, Chris and Jordan then discuss their first conventions, like Niagara Falls Comic Con, Anime North and more. The team has also been to some less-than-conventional conventions, but we will let you listen to find out which ones!

The cast rounds out the podcast with some of their dream conventions, like PAX West, Tokyo Game Show, gamescom and discusses some of their favourite convention moments like interactions with the Sons of Anarchy cast, karaoke at Anime North, Star Wars interviews and killer demonstrations at Lucca Comics & Games.

With Halloween just around the corner, the Pixels and Ink crew dive into all things autumn game releases, with a nice dash of horror thrown in for good measure. From the latest reviews of games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder to an in-depth look at Alan Wake 2 and what made it so exciting, this is one podcast you won't want to miss. To bring the magic of autumn, Jordan, Brendan and Chris are joined by Justin Wood to ensure we know everything we need about the darkness lurking in Bright Falls. It's going to be a full show for everyone, so sit back, grab a nice cup of coffee and let's dig in.

This week CGM presents The Pixels & Ink Podcast with Brendan, Chris, Dayna and Jordan. The cast gives a quick—or not—rundown of where everyone has been. Jordan has been power-binging shows for review, like Loki Season 2. Chris took on the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 preview in LA with Sony. Brendan hung out with Intel in Malaysia. Dayna and Brendan headed to Iceland again for EVE Fanfest and had a great time learning about EVE Vanguard. Dayna saw something top-secret while Brendan covered some cool Nintendo previews like WarioWare: Move It! And finally, Dayna and Brendan got to check out Ubisoft Montreal for the Assassin's Creed Mirage launch!

Now that they're all back in person, it's time to catch up on what everyone's been playing. To no one's surprise, Jordan had some thoughts on the Nintendo Direct from a few weeks back, and Dayna won't shut up about Fae Farm. But mostly TV has taken over Jordan's life with Loki, Fionna & Cake and Castlevania. Chris just finished up Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless and is currently working on his Marvel's Spider-Man 2 review, so no comment!

On this week’s Pixels & Ink Podcast, the team chats about Starfield and all the ups and downs of reviewing the title ahead of its August 31 embargo. Justin and Dayna have spent two weeks hands-on with Starfield, and though they believe the beginning was rocky, it pulls through to make it one of our top games of 2023 so far.

From there, the cat talks about the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and wonders how the festival will work while actors and writers are rightfully still on strike. Dayna and Justin attended Fan Expo Canada, where actors could still attend but were unable to discuss their work, and Chris headed to London, Ontario, to check out TennoCon and learn more about Warframe and Soulframe.

They finish off with a quick rundown of upcoming events, including Dayna’s Forza Motorsport preview that she just came back from New York for, which you can expect on September 11th, our newest issue, The Summer of Gaming 2023, Eve Online Fan Fest and some top-secret previews to come!

After a short break, the CGMagazine crew is back to dive into all things gaming, comics, tech and media. With some massive titles like Starfield, Baldur's Gate 3, Armored Core IV, and more either out or coming out soon, the crew takes time to dive into the exciting games and the ones that are less exciting for this Summer/Fall season.

With the release of Final Fantasy XVI, the Pixels and Ink crew decided to spend some time discussing one of the most exciting games of the year. Joined by Hayes Madsen, Brendan, Chris and Jordan, the crew delve into what makes this latest entry in the long-running, legendary series so exciting. Avoiding major spoilers, the crew discusses everything from what is new and exciting about the game to dispelling misconceptions about the series and what FF XVI brings to the table.

As if that wasn't enough, the latest Nintendo Direct took place this week, so the crew took some time to break down the biggest announcements and look at what made the selection of releases so exciting or disappointing, as the case may be. With over 20 games announced during the Direct, there was a lot to digest, and the whole crew had plenty to say about the biggest titles making their way to Nintendo Switch.

As a special Saturday edition to the Pixels & Ink Podcast, Brendan, Dayna, and new staff and cast member Justin chatted about Summer Game Fest, Xbox Games Showcase and Ubisoft Forward since they were at the events live in LA.

Since it was Justin's first live and in-person event, the cast talked about our expectations ahead of arriving in LA. Summer Game Fest keeps impressing and seems to expand every year. The team discusses some of their ideas to keep this running smoothly.

In terms of games, Brendan and Justin rave about their experience with Alan Wake 2, while Dayna still can't stop talking about Fae Farm. Disney Illusion Island definitely left a great impression, and of course, Mortal Kombat was a hands-down favourite.

Foamstars seems to be this year's surprise winner, and after the Xbox Game Showcase and Starfield Direct, Dayna, Brendan and Justin are hopeful for what Starfield can bring to the table.