A record-breaking Super Bowl, Disney’s $1.5 billion Fortnite deal, and rampant speculation about Xbox’s multiplatform future dominated this week in pop culture, so Kaitlyn and Sam break it all down on this week’s episode.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro (Super Bowl Chat)

00:04:07 – Favorite Super Bowl Commercials

00:10:10 – Deadpool & Wolverine Trailer

00:19:51 – Disney and Epic Games Partner for Massive Fortnite Deal

00:40:10 – Xbox Reportedly Bringing Its Exclusives to Rival Platforms

01:04:09 – Society of the Snow Review

01:14:31 – Outro

Stories/media discussed:

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Deadpool & Wolverine

Despicable Me 4

Walt Disney Company – Disney and Epic Games to Create Expansive and Open Games and Entertainment Universe Connected to Fortnite

The Verge – Microsoft prepares to take Xbox everywhere

Society of the Snow

Anatomy of a Fall

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.

Spawn On Me founder Kahlief Adams joins Sam to discuss The Spawnies, his annual awards show celebrating game developers. This year marks the third annual Spawnies, airing February 29, and Kahlief breaks down the making of the show and its mission to recognize underrepresented artists.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro (Kahlief’s Dream Co-Host for The Spawnies)

00:03:54 – What Are The Spawnies?

00:14:47 – How Kahlief Plans The Spawnies

00:17:47 – What to Expect from The Spawnies This Year

00:23:24 – Kahlief’s Spawnies Collaborators

00:34:38 – Category Names

00:43:51 – Voting Process

00:53:27 – Spawn On Me Goals for 2024

01:03:07 – Outro

Watch The Spawnies live on SpawnOnMe’s Twitch channel and IGN on Thursday, February 29, at 6pm PST. Catch up on The Spawnies with the 2022 and 2023 shows.

Follow Kahlief on Twitter @KahliefAdams, and find links to Spawn On Me here. For Kahlief’s recommended episodes, find A Lesson in Blackness here and his Sarah Bond interview here.

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

IGN executive editor Tom Marks joins Sam and Kaitlyn to discuss his new position leading game reviews at IGN and how the outlet approaches reviews of remasters like The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Early Access games like Palworld, and titles with staggered launches like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro (Tom’s Most Anticipated Indie Games of 2024)

00:07:49 – Becoming Executive Editor of Reviews

00:11:11 – Reviewing The Last of Us Part II Remastered

00:24:44 – Reviewing Palworld

00:36:12 – Early Access Reviews

00:45:26 – Reviewing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

01:06:19 – Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Trailer Impressions

01:15:03 – Outro

Stories discussed:

IGN - The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's Roguelike Mode Is More Than Just a Novelty 

IGN - The Last of Us: Part 2 Remastered PS5 Performance Review 

IGN - Palworld Early Access Review - Steam Version 

IGN - Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Review in Progress 

IGN - Netflix Releases New Avatar: The Last Airbender Trailer 

Find Tom’s work at IGN here, and follow him on Twitter @TomRMarks.

Kinda Funny Xcast host Mike “SnowBikeMike” Howard joins Sam and Kaitlyn to preview Xbox’s year ahead. The trio reviews Xbox’s Developer Direct presentation, discusses the platform’s big 2024 releases (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Avowed), and predicts what we’ll see from Xbox’s summer showcase.

Note: This episode was recorded and published before Microsoft announced its gaming layoffs, so we were unable to address them on the show.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro (Chiefs vs. Bills Game)

00:07:57 – What Xbox Franchise Does Mike Want Back?

00:12:42 – Xbox Developer Direct Review

00:20:20 – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

00:36:16 – Are We Hyped for Avowed?

00:41:30 – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Is Digital-Only and a Shorter, Narrative-Led Experience

01:00:49 – Mike’s Xbox 2024 Predictions

01:08:08 – Outro

Games discussed:

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Ara: History Untold

Avowed

Visions of Mana

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Listen to Mike talk about Xbox every week on the Kinda Funny Xcast, and watch him stream with the Kinda Funny crew on YouTube and Twitch. Follow him on Twitter and Twitch @SnowBikeMike.

Artificial intelligence was the hot tech topic of 2023, and 2024 will be no different. Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher dig into the industry’s evolving relationship with AI, how legislation and workers’ groups will affect AI usage, and how AI does (or does not) relate to the Switch 2’s launch. Then the duo closes out with their impressions of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and HBO’s The Last of Us season two casting news.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro

00:01:11 – Sam vs. Snow (Why The Episode Was Late)

00:16:11 – AI Shark Claims Nintendo Switch 2 Is Launching in September

00:26:47 – AI in the Games Industry

00:40:39 – Examples of AI in Games (The Finals, Foamstars)

00:54:04 – Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s Reviews and Demo

01:11:46 – HBO’s The Last of Us Season Two Casting News

01:25:13 – Outro

Stories discussed:

Digital Trends – AI company claims Nintendo Switch 2 launches this September

GamesIndustry.biz – AI, online platform regulation and loot boxes: Legal trends to watch in 2024

Aftermath – As Video Game Industry Goes All-In On AI, Workers Race To Secure Their Rights

Axios – The Finals' AI voices were made with human actors' input, studio says 

GamesIndustry.biz – Square Enix confirms Foamstars uses AI-generated assets

Variety – SAG-AFTRA Signs Deal With Voiceover Studio for AI Use in Video Games 

GameSpot – Free Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Demo Is Available Now 

The Hollywood Reporter – Kaitlyn Dever Officially Cast in 'The Last of Us' Season 2 as Abby 

Two months ago, Nick Calandra and The Escapist’s former video team launched Second Wind after Nick was fired. Today, Second Wind has over 400,000 YouTube subscribers and over 14,000 Patreon supporters. Nick joins Sam Mosher and Kaitlyn Red Wing to discuss Second Wind’s success, the business of independent content creation, the failings of corporate ownership, and more.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro (Nick’s Most-Anticipated Games of 2024 and Favorites of 2023)

00:09:21 – What is Second Wind?

00:10:10 – How Second Wind Arose from The Escapist

00:17:21 – Transparency as an Independent Media Organization

00:28:06 – Second Wind’s Launch

00:43:50 - Second Wind’s Content Lineup

00:56:57 – Second Wind’s 2024 Goals

01:13:14 – Outro

Games discussed:

Pioneers of Pagonia

Wildfrost 

Lords of the Fallen

Baldur’s Gate 3

Support Second Wind on Patreon here, find the group’s videos on YouTube and Twitch, and follow their updates on Twitter @SecondWindGroup. Follow Nick for his gaming takes and recommendations @nickjcal.

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.

A new year means new games, so Kaitlyn Red Wing, Mel Gazazian, and Sam Mosher share their most anticipated releases and predictions for 2024. Topics include Hades II, Nintendo’s next console, and the big game adaptations coming to TV and film this year. Then the trio closes out the episode with their favorite media from the holiday break.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro

00:01:13 – Gifts we gave and received this holiday

00:14:54 – 2024 preview

00:16:14 – Mel’s most anticipated games

00:27:38 – Kaitlyn’s most anticipated games

00:32:08 – Sam’s most anticipated games

00:36:25 – Predicting Nintendo’s next console

00:55:27 – 2024 video game adaptations

01:02:55 – Media recommendations from break

01:32:26 – Outro

Stories/media discussed:

Hades II

Jusant

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

The Plucky Squire

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Deadline – Jack Black Levels Up For 'Minecraft' At Warner Bros 

The Holdovers

Eyes Wide Shut

The Apartment

Sea of Stars

“The Seven Year Slip” by Ashley Poston

Teen Wolf

Metroid Dread

Super Mario 3D World

The Boy and the Heron

Maestro

Ferrari

The Iron Claw

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

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — Game of the Year season — so PC Gamer global editor-in-chief Evan Lahti joins us to break down how PC Gamer picks the best games of every year. He also pulls back the curtain on other PC Gamer projects, including game adaptation coverage, the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted showcase, and the Top 100 PC games list.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro (Evan’s Holiday Backlog)

00:07:55 – PC Gamer’s Game of the Year Awards

00:14:00 – Creating Genre Awards

00:17:38 – The GOTY Selection Process

00:22:03 – How the Process Has Changed Over 15 Years

00:24:49 – Covering Deep Gaming Communities

00:40:43 – Covering Video Game Adaptations

00:49:08 – PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted

00:51:34 – Building “The Council” Jury Behind the Most Wanted List

01:06:53 – Evan’s Personal Most Wanted List

01:11:40 – PC Gamer’s Top 100 Games List

01:23:21 – Outro

Stories discussed:

PC Gamer – PC Gamer's Game of the Year Awards 2023 

PC Gamer – The 25 Most Wanted games, as revealed in PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted

PC Gamer – The top 100 PC games

Media discussed:

Alan Wake 2

Lethal Company

Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action

Jagged Alliance 3

Hunt: Showdown

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Unforetold: Witchstone

Sulfur

Follow Evan on Twitter @ELahti, and find his work at PC Gamer here.

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.

The Game Awards 2023 was jam-packed with trailers (Light No Fire!), surprises (Blade!), and celebrities (Jordan Peele!), but did it give enough time to the awards themselves? Kaitlyn Red Wing, Mel Gazazian, and Sam Mosher review this year’s show, discuss how it can better celebrate developers, and share their favorite announcements.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro

00:04:57 – The Game Awards 2023 Review

00:17:27 – Awards vs. Announcements Time

00:34:34 – TGA 2023 Winners

00:36:39 – Our Favorite Announcements (Starting with Senua's Saga: Hellblade II)

00:45:24 – Mel’s Highlights (Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, Light No Fire)

00:56:03 – Sam’s Highlights (Jurassic Park: Survival, Blade, SEGA Power Surge)

01:23:58 – Day of the Devs: The Game Awards Edition

01:28:43 – Outro

Stories/media discussed:

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU (Polygon story: Assassin’s Creed Origins actor announces new game at The Game Awards) 

Light No Fire (The Verge story: Light No Fire is the next ambitious game from the studio behind No Man’s Sky) 

Jurassic Park: Survival

Blade

SEGA Power Surge (Washington Post story: Sega is reviving classic games including ‘Crazy Taxi,’ ‘Jet Set Radio’)

OD: A Hideo Kojima Game

Exodus

Harmonium: The Musical 

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

The Casting of Frank Stone

Loose Leaf: A Tea Witch Simulator

Simpler Times (Engadget story: 'Simpler Times' is the coziest game I've played in a long time) 

The Grand Theft Auto VI trailer is finally here, so Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher break it down, discuss its leak, and predict how Rockstar will show the game next. As if that trailer wasn’t enough, Fortnite and Amazon Prime’s Fallout series released huge trailers this week, so the duo also digs into Fortnite’s new experiences (Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival) and whether Amazon’s game adaptation is shaping up to be a hit.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro

00:06:43 – Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer Breakdown

00:19:55 – When Will We See Grand Theft Auto VI Again?

00:26:00 – The GTAVI Trailer Leak

00:39:10 – Fortnite’s Big Bang Event

00:46:35 – Fortnite’s Lego Crossover

00:57:07 – Fallout TV Series Trailer Discussion

01:11:23 – May December and Saltburn Reviews

01:20:00 – Outro

Stories/media discussed:

WIRED – The 'Grand Theft Auto VI' Trailer Is Here. And It’s Already Causing Mayhem

GamesIndustry.biz – GTA 6 trailer leak spoiled the biggest video game moment in a decade | Opinion

The Verge – Fortnite’s Eminem concert teased the future of the game 

IGN – Fortnite OG and the Original Map Will Return in 2024 Due to Their Overwhelming Popularity

Vanity Fair – ‘Fallout’ First Look: This Is How the World Ends—With a Smiling Thumbs-Up 

May December

Saltburn