Welcome to episode 53 of Shack Together! We're joined by special guest TJ Denzer to discuss his review of Split Fiction, while we all buzz with nostalgic excitement over the (formal) announcement of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Remake. Today's show also features an in-depth look at Metacritic's 2024 publisher rankings, where a certain prolific publisher, famous for a certain Blue Blur, claimed the top spot.

The show features our Publisher Draft segment, breaking down Metacritic's comprehensive ranking system that evaluates publishers based on their average Metascores, quality ratios, and ability to avoid critical failures. From industry giants like Capcom and Sony to smaller publishers like Aksys Games and Gamera Games, our squad competitvely drafts last year's top players in an effort to come out on top.

In Story Time, we cover major industry developments including Monster Hunter Wilds reaching 8 million sales, Neil Druckmann's comments on The Last of Us Part 3, and the revival of the Acclaim publishing brand. We also discuss Pokemon TCG Pocket hitting 100 million downloads and explore several Steam Next Fest demos including Fumes and Curiosity. And that's all for today's show! Thanks as always for listening and enjoy!

 

Timestamps

• 00:01:11 LinkedIn Jump Scare
• 00:08:50 It's Shack Together!
• 00:09:35 TJ's Games: MH Wilds, KCDII, Split Fiction, Atomfall
• 00:26:36 John's Games: Pirate Yakuza
• 00:32:25 Joe's Games: Mother 3 Complete, XDefiant, PC Shopping
• 00:43:20 Asif's Games: MH Wilds, Retro Slam Tennis, Mario Maker 2, F-Zero 99
• 01:01:41 Shack Together's Metacritic Publisher Draft 2024
• 01:29:09 Story Time
• 01:29:19 David Craddock's Long Read: Catacomb 3-D
• 01:30:16 Previews: FUMES, Sims 4 DLC, Warframe Techrot, Curiosity
• 01:33:36 Reviews: Split Fiction, WWE 2K25, Slime Heroes, Knights in Tight Spaces, Carmen Sandiego
• 01:42:51 News: THPS3+4, TLoU 3, Absolum, MH Wilds Sales, Pokemon TCG Downloads
• 01:47:49 Industry News: Discord IPO, Acclaim is Back, Sasanqua Launch, Digg Returns
• 01:53:54 Community Notes

 

Articles mentioned in this episode

• Split Fiction review
• SEGA named top publisher of 2024
• Living the Dream: The Making of Catacomb 3-D
• Fumes Demo - Steam Next Fest
• The Sims 4: Businesses & Hobbies Preview
• WWE 2K25 Review: Island of Relevancy
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Remake announced
• Neil Druckmann: Don't bet on The Last of Us Part 3
• Monster Hunter Wilds reaches 8 million sold
• Pokemon TCG Pocket hits 100 million downloads
• Acclaim publishing brand revived
• Studio Sasanqua opening with Kenji Ozawa