The Training Stage

After years of speculation, we finally know about the projects being developed at WB Montreal and Rocksteady Studios. Were they both worth the wait? The latest Nintendo Direct Mini aired without any first-party announcements, and Gamescom ONL proved to demonstrate questionable reasoning for its existence. We dig into these events and other news topics on this packed episode of The Training Stage!

Follows us on Twitter: @TTStage
Music by Rukunetsu and used with permission.

TIMESTAMPS

02:11 - Whoa! John actually played something new!

12:40 - Let's talk about the brilliance of BioShock.

21:21 - Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase | August 2020

34:49 - Bloomberg: Nintendo is planning to release an upgraded Switch model in 2021, alongside a slate of major first-party releases.

45:00 - Gamescom Opening Night Live 2020

1:15:56 - Gotham Knights from WB Montreal revealed, a co-op action-adventure title. Planned for release in 2021.

1:22:10 - Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League from Rocksteady Studios revealed with a teaser trailer.

1:27:37 - Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s very confusing pricing across current- and next-generation hardware.

1:32:29 - Sony opens registration with PSN ID to be randomly selected for PlayStation 5 pre-orders.

1:38:22 - Bloomberg: Microsoft brings back Joseph Staten, to help Halo Infinite.

1:39:53 - Lightning Round (Dragon Ball FighterZ, Retro Studios, Capcom, The Last Campfire, and more).

Nintendo presented their second Indie World stream of the year, highlighting several indie titles coming to Switch. Sucker Punch surprises everyone with a new Ghost of Tsushuima multiplayer mode. Activison is finally talking about this year's Call of Duty, and Bethesda has delayed Deathloop into next year. These stories and more discussed on this episode!

Follow us on Twitter: @TTStage
Music by Rukunetsu and used with permission

TIMESTAMPS

04:18 - Panda Express treats the customer right.

10:17 - Do we really understand all of the Epic Games legal stuff? Nope!

13:46 - Microsoft Flight Simulator absolutely won over the critics.

20:16 - Hades from Supergiant Games

22:09 - Untitled Goose Game receiving a free co-op update.

24:16 - Raji: An Ancient Epic from Nodding Heads Games.

30:19 - Spiritfarer from Thunder Lotus.

32:04 - A Short Hike from Adam Robinson-Yu.

34:43 - Takeshi and Hiroshi from Oink Games Inc.

36:32 - Manifold Garden from William Chyr Studio LLC.

38:35 - Card Shark and INMOST.

43:10 - Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a free multiplayer update for owners of the base game, will launch on PS4 this fall.

49:18 - Activision has officially revealed Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.

53:44 - Arkane Lyon’s Deathloop delayed to Q2 2021.

1:00:15 - Was a Prince of Persia Remake for PS4 and Switch leaked?

1:05:12 - Thurrott: “A Closer Look at Halo Infinite’s Turbulent Journey”

1:21:10 - Lazlow Jones has left Rockstar after nearly 20 years of employment at the studio.

1:24:46 - EA Access and Origin Access are to be renamed as EA Play.

Xbox Series X will launch in November, but with a huge caveat: its marquee launch title, Halo Infinite, has been delayed into 2021. In addition, a digital-only Xbox console, the Series S, has been leaked via new controller packaging. What does this mean for the Xbox ecosystem this holiday season and beyond? We also cover some of the summer's biggest games, set expectations for DC FanDome, and discuss Yoshinori Ono's departure from Capcom.

Follow us on Twitter: @TTStage
Music by Rukunetsu and used with permission.

TIMESTAMPS

02:15 - When will the COVID-19 madness end? When people start wearing masks!!

05:41 - What's up with Tyler and Sonic Drive-In?

10:34 - Xbox Series X launches in November 2020; Halo Infinite delayed to 2021.

19:55 - Xbox Series S hardware leaked via packaging for Microsoft's next-generation Xbox controller.

30:32 - The Verge: Fortnite delisted from Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Epic Games files lawsuits against both companies.

39:35 - Review Rundown (Destroy All Humans!, Paper Mario, Fall Guys, Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part II, and much more).

1:00:57 - Rocksteady confirms that they’re working on a Suicide Squad game, with first details being shared at DC FanDome on August 22nd.

1:04:40 - So, what do we exactly expect from DC FanDome in terms of video game announcements? Injustice 3 incoming?

1:10:09 - Yoshinori Ono, executive producer of Capcom’s Street Fighter franchise, is
leaving Capcom after 30 years.

1:15:25 - Embracer Group (parent company of Deep Silver and THQ Nordic) has acquires including Metro developer 4A Games.

1:17:09 - Ars Technica: Electronic Arts’ shareholders have refused to increase compensation for its executive team.

1:20:00 - Lightning Round (Oceanhorn 2, Shin Megami Tensei III, Control, and more).

After several months, PlayStation's State of Play series returned with a new episode covering upcoming PS4, PS5, and PSVR titles. Without first-party titles backing the show, did Sony have enough interesting content to succeed with this presentation? Nintendo finally slates a first-party release for this fall with Pikmin 3 Deluxe. Japanese fighting game developers shared new information about their upcoming plans, and according to a trusted Capcom insider, Street Fighter VI may be having some development troubles. These news stories and much more covered on this packed episode of The Training Stage!

Follow us on Twitter: @TTStage
Music by Rukunetsu and used with permission

TIMESTAMPS

01:26 - Tyler finished Paper Mario: The Origami King and Ghost of Tsushima. Also, Fall Guys is awesome!

12:15 - General thoughts on the August 6th edition of PlayStation State of Play

14:58 - Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.

21:30 - Hitman trilogy is coming to PlayStation VR in January 2021.

22:44 - Braid Anniversary Edition announced.

25:03 - The Pathless from Giant Squid (Abzu).

32:25 - Spelunky 2 launching September 15th, 2020 for PS4.

34:09 - Genshin Impact, Aeon Must Die, and Anno Mutationem.

39:00 - First gameplay footage of Young Horse's (Octodad) Bugsnax.

41:17 - Star Wars: Vader Immortal, Control Expansion 2 - AWE, Auto Chess, and The Pedestrian.

44:47 - Hood: Outlaws and Legends, a new game from Focus Home Entertainment and Sumo Digital.

45:33 - Temtem arrives on PS5 in 2021.

47:40 - Godfall.

53:38 - Final thoughts regarding the State of Play presentation.

1:05:03 - Pikmin 3 Deluxe announced for Nintendo Switch. Launching October 30th, 2020 with brand new single-player content.

1:13:50 - Japan Fighting Game Publishers Roundtable recap (Soulcalibur VI, Tekken 7, and more)

1:28:44 - Dan, Rose, Oro, and Akira Kazama will be joining the Street Fighter V roster. A fifth fighter is coming next fall.

1:35:00 - What is going on at Capcom in regards to Street Fighter VI? A Capcom insider may have some answers.

1:43:15 - Spider-Man in the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers game will be exclusive to PlayStation consoles.

1:46:28 - Sony confirms that DualShock 4 controllers will not work with native PlayStation 5 titles.

1:49:58 - Lightning Round (Splinter Cell series, People Can Fly, Moon Studios, Battletoads, Persona 5 Scramble, and more)

Tyler shares his predictions and expectations for the PlayStation State of Play broadcast airing on August 6th, 2020. Babylon's Fall, Crash Bandicoot 4, Bugsnax, and much more discussed!

John delves into the current state of Blizzard's popular multiplayer shooter, Overwatch. After four years of support, how does the community feel about the game? What is the current development philosophy of Overwatch, and has the game retained its unique identity over the course of its many updates? And what does the upcoming sequel, Overwatch 2, suggest about the future of the series? John tackles these questions and more on this solo recording!

Follow us on Twitter: @TTStage
Music by Rukunetsu and used with permission.

After their lackluster event in May, Microsoft finally returns with their Xbox Games Showcase featuring Series X's major launch title: Halo Infinite. How did Xbox do? Did they communicate the strengths of their studios? And how did this event compare to Sony's PlayStation 5 event? On this episode, we attempt to answer those questions as we delve into Xbox's most important show in years.

Follow us on Twitter: @TTStage
Music by Rukunetsu and used with permission.

TIMESTAMPS

06:22 - Yuji Naka announces Balan Wonderworld, a new 3D platformer published by Square Enix and Naka's new "Balan Company" umbrella.

14:56 - General thoughts on the Xbox Games Showcase (July 2020)

22:47 - Halo Infinite

34:22 - State of Decay 3

38:45 - Forza Motorsport

41:39 - Everwild

45:00 - Tell Me Why (Xbox Games Publishing x DONTNOD)

48:48 - Xbox Games Studio titles receiving Series X enhancements (Ori, Gears, and more)

51:18 - Obsidian Entertainment (The Outer Worlds, Grounded, and Avowed)

56:52 - As Dusk Falls (Xbox Games Publishing x Interior/Night)

58:41 - Ninja Theory and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

1:00:35 - Psychonauts 2

1:03:33 - Third party segment (Destiny 2, Crossfire X, The Medium, and much more)

1:10:46 - Fable from Playground Games

1:15:25 - Final thoughts about the Xbox Games Showcase

1:40:21 - Lightning Round (Dragon Quest XI, PS4 sales data, Fallout TV, and more)

For the first time in our show's history, we have produced a hybrid episode. On the first segment, Angie joins us once again to discuss the disturbing Ubisoft allegations that have surfaced in recent weeks. Then, for the rest of the episode, buckle in for a deep dive into Xbox Game Studios with Tyler. Which studios will show games during the Xbox Games Showcase on July 23rd? What about third parties? And how about Microsoft acquiring some more studios, possibly even WB Interactive?

Follow us on Twitter: @TTStage
Follow our guest Angie on Twitter: @angdacat
Music by Rukunetsu and used with permission.

TIMESTAMPS

00:08 - Opening message for this episode. What's up with the structure?

05:56 - A candid discussion about the recent Ubisoft allegations.

23:39 - What to expect from third-parties during the Xbox Games Showcase.

28:12 - A deep dive into Xbox Game Studios and their current projects.

54:46 - Future Xbox Game Studios acquistions and WB Interactive rumors.

EA's online showcase was a massive flop, so why do they continue to do their own event? We discuss all of the announcements from EA Play 2020 and attempt to find that elusive answer. On other fronts, Cyberpunk 2077 is getting an anime series, The Pokemon Company has revealed a slate of new Pokemon titles, and Crash Bandicoot is finally receiving a brand new installment. These stories and much, much more discussed on this episode!

Follow us on Twitter: @TTStage
Music by Rukunetsu and used with permission.

TIMESTAMPS

04:43 - What did we think of EA Play Live 2020?

13:41 - Apex Legends is coming to Steam and Nintendo Switch this fall with cross-play.

16:47 - The Sims 4 is coming to Steam.

23:13 - Command & Conquer: Remastered available now on Steam.

24:45 - 7 EA titles are coming to Nintendo Switch within the next year.

27:06 - EA Originals (Lost in Random, It Takes Two, Rocket Arena)

33:04 - Star Wars: Squadrons from EA Motive launches on October 2nd, 2020.

37:11 - Next-generation teasers for EA Sports, the next Dragon Age, Need for Speed, and Battlefield installments, and a new IP from Motive.

40:17 - Stake is coming back for a new console installment.

47:23 - Cyberpunk 2077 news roundup (delayed to November, Edgerunner anime from Studio TRIGGER)

56:48 - “Pokemon Presents” announcements from 6/17 and 6/24 (New Pokemon Snap, Cafe Mix, Pokemon Unite from Tencent)

1:09:28 - Bloomberg: Nintendo plans to retreat from the mobile market.

1:15:28 - CNBC: AT&T is looking into selling its gaming division, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

1:21:43 - Mixer is shutting down; Microsoft to partner with Facebook Gaming.

1:25:39 - Facebook has acquired studio Ready at Dawn (The Order 1886, Lone Echo).

1:28:05 - Persona 4 Golden is available now on Steam.

1:32:35 - Ys IX: Monstrum Nox will be released in the west in 2021 for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

1:34:06 - Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory revealed, a new action-rhythm title coming in 2020.

1:36:16 - Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time revealed, a followup to the original Crash trilogy.

1:39:17 - Min Min from ARMS added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable fighter.

1:45:11 - Lightning Round (13 Sentinels, Horizon: Forbidden West, Animal Crossing, TWEWY, Tales of Arise, and more).

On this unscripted episode of The Training Stage, John and Tyler discuss the latest happenings in their lives, including the games they've been playing. The Last of Us Part II, Perfect Dark, Dead or Alive, Battle for Bikini Bottom, Pokemon, and much more!

Follow us on Twitter: @TTStage
Music by Rukunetsu and used with permission.

TIMESTAMPS

05:11 - Where y'all been since the PS5 games reveal?!

07:15 - RIP Tyler's PlayStation 3. Sony bricked it suspecting CFW.

29:24 - Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country (Switch)

34:42 - Perfect Dark (Xbox 360)

48:16 - Castlevania (NES)

51:50 - The Last of Us Part II (PS4)

1:10:55 - SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated (PS4)

1:19:57 - John's idea for a Pokemon game.

1:39:35 - Life update from John.

1:46:50 - Dead or Alive 5 Plus (Vita)

1:56:52 - John officially gives up on repairing his Vita. RIP.