The Game Awards 2024 nominations are out, but what will win Game of the Year? Kaitlyn and Sam make their predictions on this final weekly episode of Real Time Strategy. They discuss Elden Ring’s DLC nomination, the difference between Game of the Year and Best Game Direction, if an RPG can take the crown, and more.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:00:32 – Final Episode Farewell

00:06:11 – Game of the Year Nominees

00:08:39 – The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC Controversy

00:19:15 – Should We Be Surprised by Black Myth: Wukong’s Nomination?

00:25:57 – Our GOTY Frontrunners

00:37:43 – Best Game Direction Predictions

00:53:11 – Best Adaptation Predictions

01:02:14 – Announcement Predictions

01:08:27 – Outro

Stories discussed:

Polygon – The Game Awards announces Game of the Year 2024 nominees 

IGN – Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Game Awards Nomination Sparks Renewed Debate Among Fans

Polygon – Black Myth: Wukong is one of the lowest-rated Game of the Year nominees in Game Awards history

Dead Game – Unlocking The Cheat Codes To Geoff Keighley's Game Awards 

Phil Spencer says Xbox is working on prototypes for a handheld console. Kaitlyn and Sam discuss how it can compete in a landscape dominated by phones, Nintendo, and the Steam Deck. Then they break down why Take-Two sold its indie-focused publishing division Private Division and how the Nintendo DS changed gaming in honor of its 20th anniversary.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:07:38 – Phil Spencer Says Xbox Is Planning a Handheld. What Should It Be?

00:31:27 – Why Did Take-Two Interactive Sell Private Division?

00:49:54 – Read of the Week: The Guardian’s 20-Year Anniversary Coverage of the Nintendo DS

01:19:17 – Outro

Stories discussed:

Bloomberg – Microsoft’s Gaming Chief Is Still Looking for Acquisitions, Sees Future Growth

GamesIndustry.biz – Zelnick on Private Division sale: "Those projects were smaller, we're in the business of big hits"

Variety – Why Private Division's Mystery Buyer Probably Isn't a Gaming Giant

The Guardian – Nintendo DS at 20 – the console that paved the way for smartphone gaming

Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Sean Murrin, CEO of gaming creative agency Waypoint, joins Kaitlyn and Sam to discuss the relationship between creative activations and PR. They highlight Waypoint’s work with physical goods, mailers, stunts, events, and more (including the Elden Ring Pot Boy puppet at the 2021 Game Awards), and how that work can drive word-of-mouth and media coverage.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:06:44 – What is Waypoint?

00:27:39 – Influencer Kits

00:41:40 – How Gaming Trends Have Changed Waypoint

00:49:18 – Making Elden Ring’s Pot Boy Puppet for TGAs 2021

00:59:15 – Sean’s Other Favorite Projects

01:02:00 – How to Be a Good Creative Client

01:09:49 – Outro

Find Waypoint’s work here, and watch the agency’s show, Side Quest Sessions, on YouTube.

Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Ubisoft has disbanded Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s development team, so does that make the game a failure? Kaitlyn and Sam discuss the game’s launch and what may have affected its sales, including its PC release strategy, January release date, and the state of the Prince of Persia franchise. Then they dissect the reception to Amazon’s Like A Dragon: Yakuza and discuss the awesome new showrunner for the God of War series.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:04:58 – Ubisoft Disbands Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s Team

00:34:21 – Amazon’s Like A Dragon: Yakuza Gets Mixed Reviews

00:49:15 – Amazon’s God of War Series Gets New Showrunner

00:55:09 – Outro

Stories/media discussed:

IGN – Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Team Disbanded After Critically Lauded Platformer Fails to Meet Expectations - Report

Eurogamer – Ubisoft responds to report Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown development team disbanded

Polygon – Why did Ubisoft send Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown out to die? 

Game – Consoles aren't dying, but they are changing 

Kotaku – Amazon’s Like A Dragon: Yakuza Is Already A Divisive Adaptation Of The Beloved Games

Deadline – 'God Of War': Ronald D. Moore Boards Amazon Series As New Showrunner

Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden recently said AA games are gone, but what does that mean for the industry? Kaitlyn and Sam explain the state of mid-market games on this week’s episode and then dig into two of Amazon’s upcoming gaming shows, God of War and Secret Level.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:09:13 – The State of AA Gaming

00:30:42 – Amazon’s God of War Show Changing Creative Team

00:41:43 – Why We’re Excited for Amazon’s Secret Level

00:56:43 – Outro

Stories/media discussed:

GamesIndustry.biz – Shawn Layden: "AA is gone and that's a threat to the ecosystem going forward"

PlayStation LifeStyle – Space Marine 2 Studio Wants to Focus on ‘Middle Market’ Games Like Helldivers 2

Deadline – ‘God Of War’: Sony And Amazon Starting Over On Series After Departure Of EPs Rafe Judkins, Hawk Ostby & Mark Fergus 

Collider – Tim Miller and Dave Wilson Describe Every Episode of 'Secret Level' [Exclusive] 

Variety – Kevin Hart, Keanu Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger Among Voice Cast for Amazon Video Game Anthology Series ‘Secret Level’ 

Why did Annapurna Interactive’s staff resign? Kaitlyn and Sam dig into that question on this week’s episode. Then the pair breaks down GamesIndustry.biz’s great post-pandemic analysis of the games industry before concluding with a new segment about the hype for Nintendo’s next console.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:07:17 – Annapurna Interactive Staff Resigns

00:23:05 – Read of the Week: GamesIndustry.biz on “How the games industry turned pandemic success into disaster”

00:51:23 – Developer Cites “Future Nintendo Platforms” in Game Announcement. Was That a PR Tactic?

00:59:44 – Outro

Stories/media discussed:

Bloomberg – Annapurna Video-Game Team Resigns, Leaving Partners Scrambling 

Eurogamer – Developers rush to reassure players of forthcoming releases following Annapurna Interactive mass exodus

GamesIndustry.biz – Cheap money and bad bets: How the games industry turned pandemic success into disaster

IGN – My Time at Portia Dev Announces Sequel for PC, Xbox Series X and S, PS5 and ‘Future Nintendo Platforms Yet to Be Announced’

PlayStation dominated headlines this week with the surprise shutdown of Concord, critical acclaim for Astro Bot, and the announcement of the $700 PS5 Pro. Kaitlyn and Sam dissect this rollercoaster week by discussing why Concord failed, why people are loving Astro Bot, and whether the backlash against the PS5 Pro’s price is deserved.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:04:16 – PlayStation Shuts Down Concord. Why Did It Fail?

00:30:49 – Why Is Astro Bot Such a Hit?

00:47:00 – PS5 Pro Announced

00:57:55 – Outro

Stories/media discussed:

PlayStation.Blog – An important update on Concord

IGN – Why Concord Failed

The Guardian – Sony’s big-budget hero shooter Concord failed spectacularly – here’s where it went wrong

Game File – Sony’s new game Concord has an unexpectedly lovely map 

GameSpot – Astro Bot Is The Best-Reviewed Game Of The Year So Far

Bloomberg – PlayStation’s 'Astro Bot' Is a Model for the Video-Game Industry

Ars Technica – Sony announces PS5 Pro, a $700 graphical upgrade available Nov. 7

The Verge – Sony’s PS5 Pro is a pricey test of next-gen consoles

Game Informer closed earlier this month, but its legacy will live on. Former online content director Brian Shea and video editor Alex Van Aken join Sam to discuss what they learned from their time at Game Informer, the state of games media, and what they have planned next, including Alex’s game documentaries at Viewport and Brian’s All Things Nintendo podcast.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:02:43 – Brian and Alex’s Favorite Game Informer Issues

00:08:45 – Brian and Alex’s Journey to Game Informer

00:32:03 – Learnings from Game Informer

00:46:07 – How is Games Media Changing?

00:59:30 – Viewport, Alex’s Game Documentary Project

01:04:51 – All Things Nintendo, Brian’s Nintendo Podcast

01:11:13 – Outro (Where to Find Alex and Brian)

Stories/media discussed:

OK Beast – How Fortnite Battle Royale Reconnected a Family - Why We Play 

All Things Nintendo – Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom New Details, Japan Storytime w/ Wesley Leblanc

All Things Nintendo – Genesis and the '90s Console Wars w/ Blake J. Harris  

Follow Alex @itsVanAken, watch his gaming documentaries at Viewport: Inside Looks At Video Games, and support his channel on Patreon.

Follow Brian @BrianPShea, and listen to and support All Things Nintendo on Patreon.

Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

Borderlands and Deadpool & Wolverine are two of this summer’s biggest movie blockbusters, but they had wildly different outcomes. Kaitlyn and Sam discuss whether Borderlands’ poor performance means anything for gaming’s future in Hollywood and what other adaptations can learn from Deadpool & Wolverine’s hugely successful marketing campaign. Other topics include Krafton acquiring Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and the pair’s favorite summertime games.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:08:04 – Breaking Down Borderlands’ Critical and Commercial Reception

00:25:50 – Why Deadpool & Wolverine’s Marketing Was So Strong

00:42:59 – Krafton Acquires Hi-Fi Rush Developer Tango Gameworks from Xbox

00:49:33 – Read of the Week (Eurogamer’s Summer Gaming Feature)

01:01:38 – Outro

Stories/media discussed:

Variety – Box Office: 'It Ends With Us' Beats Expectations, 'Borderland' Flops 

The Town – 'Deadpool & Wolverine' and Marketing Disney's First R-Rated Marvel Movie 

Variety – 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Crosses $1 Billion at Global Box Office 

Campaign – How these 6 brands are collaborating with ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

Polygon – Microsoft just gave the Xbox controller a huge ass

GamesIndustry.biz – Krafton acquires Tango Gameworks and Hi-Fi Rush IP from Xbox

Eurogamer – Can video games match the warmth of summer? No, but an Odyssey and a Wildlife Adventure are the next best thing

Follow the podcast on Twitter and YouTube @RealTimeStrats, and email us questions at [email protected]. Follow Kaitlyn and Sam on social media @KaitlynRedWing and @SamScotMosher respectively.

GameStop shut down Game Informer last week, laying off its staff and unceremoniously ending the best-known gaming magazine in the U.S. Sam and Kaitlyn discuss what the publication’s closure means for games media, why it happened, and how games PR should react. Then they discuss another gutting layoff story—Bungie cutting its staff by 17%—before ending on a positive note with a discussion about Polygon’s music-focused FM column and their favorite gaming soundtracks.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:04:00 – GameStop Shuts Down Game Informer

00:19:11 – What Does GI’s Closure Mean for PR?

00:26:49 – Bungie Lays Off 220 Employees, or 17% of Staff

00:42:51 – Read of the Week (Polygon FM and our favorite video game soundtracks)

01:00:23 – Outro

Stories/media discussed:

Porter Robinson – Smile! :D

Kotaku – GameStop Shuts Down Game Informer, The Longest-Running Gaming Magazine In The US

The Verge – Bungie is laying off 220 employees and moving others to PlayStation

IGN – Bungie Devs Say Atmosphere Is ‘Soul-Crushing’ Amid Layoffs, Cuts, and Fear of Total Sony Takeover

Game File – Bungie's deep job cuts were in the works prior to Destiny's most recent release, sources say 

Bloomberg – Sony’s Bungie Faces Reckoning After Mass Layoff 

Polygon – Polygon FM 

Polygon – When the soundtrack is better than the game, we all benefit 

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