Video games: they're cool! There are a lot of new games out, so let's talk about them. Games discussed this week: Wanderstop, Expelled, Split Fiction, Rise of the Golden Idol DLC, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage

One More Thing:

Kirk: Reacher (Prime Video)

Maddy: Paradise (Hulu)

Jason: The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen)

LINKS:

Analysis of duplicated host introductions using spectral analysis: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EQmbU451Ob5rmqKUDAdwAjuSysx7oEvW/view?usp=sharing

“The Guilt of the Video Game Millionares” by Simon Parkin for The New Yorker, 2014 https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-guilt-of-the-video-game-millionaires

Featuring an excerpt from the Wanderstop theme by C418

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Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their Palicoes and pull out their dual blades for a monster hunt extraordinaire. This week, the gang is talking about Capcom's latest Monster Hunter. They talk about the appeal of the core gameplay loop, the thrill of the combat, and the approachability compared to previous entries.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells)

Maddy: The Contestant (2023)

Jason: Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars

LINKS:

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What's with the video game industry? Over the last three years, tens of thousands of jobs have been cut, dozens of studios were shut down and countless projects got canceled. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy break down why and how this is all happening, from flattened console growth to the rise of Fortnite and other Black Hole games like it.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Pitt (Max)

Maddy: Moonlight Internet Hosting Tool

Jason: This is the Tom Green Documentary (Amazon Prime)

LINKS:

Matthew Ball’s presentation on the state of the video game industry: https://www.matthewball.co/all/stateofvideogaming2025

Chris Hayes on Know Your Enemy talking about attention and his new book The Siren’s Call: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/know-your-enemy-pay-attention/

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The gang takes a deep dive into Obsidian's latest roleplaying game, Avowed. They talk about the crunchy combat, the ramifications of story decisions, and why the exploration works so well. Plus: SNL turns 50!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Ladies and Gentlemen…. 50 Years of SNL Music (Peacock)

Maddy: Priscilla (2023)

Jason: Lisa Jewell

LINKS:

Featuring “Avowed” by Venus Theory and Justin E. Bell

Hbomberguy’s “Fallout New Vegas is Genuis, Here’s Why”: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzF7aHxk4Y4

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Civilization VII is out this week, and it's time to break down Sid Meier's iconic series. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about their favorite games in the franchise, what "4X" actually means, and why Civ games are so appealing to so many people.

One More Thing:

Kirk: “The Ghosts in the Machine” an excerpt from Mood Machine by Liz Pelly

Maddy: ‘Dragon Age: The Veilguard Just Went From A Good RPG To One Of BioWare’s Most Important Games’ by Ken Shepard [Spoilers]

Jason: Avowed

LINKS:

“Casual Viewing: Why Netflix Looks Like That” by Will Tavlin for N+1: https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/essays/casual-viewing/

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The console wars are over. The winner? PC gaming! This week, the Triple Click gang gets into Maddy's recent quest to build a new PC and some of their favorite PC building experiences. Then they talk about the recent explosion of PC gaming, what's caused it, and what it might mean for the future of games.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver)

Maddy: Citizen Sleeper 2

Jason: The craziest trade in NBA history

LINKS:

Featuring “Sleeper” by Amos Roddy from Citizen Sleeper

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Wondering what makes some video game titles good and some bad? Just bring in Triple Click Consulting — we've got you covered. This week, the gang goes through a whole bunch of names and discusses what makes them work and what doesn't, from Balatro to EA Sports FC.

One More Thing:

Kirk: “All Work and No Play” - Sam Adler-Bell for Dissent, 2021

Maddy: Silo season 2

Jason: You Like It Darker (Stephen King)

LINKS:

The Know Your Enemy Podcast: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/category/podcast/know-your-enemy/

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A good name should be at least two of:

• Memorable (vs. Forgettable)
• Punchy (vs. Floppy)
• Understandable (vs. Confusing)
• Enticing (vs. Off-Putting)
• Surprising (vs. Predictable) (??)

Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2 last week, and there's oh so much to discuss. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk give their initial impressions of Nintendo's next console, talk about how it will fit into a post-Steam Deck world, and debate whether Mario Kart is any good. Then they talk about PlayStation's failing live-service initiative. Plus: a bonus Burning Question!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Trap (dir. M. Night Shaymalan)

Maddy: Building Outside the Lines (HGTV)

Jason: The Puzzle Maker: Cebba’s Odyssey (Steam)

LINKS:

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How have video game budgets skyrocketed to the hundreds of millions? What are some good video games for elderly people? And is it possible there's a game as good as Balatro out there, but nobody has found it yet? This week, the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag and takes some of your questions on all sorts of topics.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Black Doves (Netflix)

Maddy: Steam Families

Jason: The Roottrees Are Dead

LINKS:

Excerpts from “Crowning Celebration” by Paul Misko from The Case of the Golden Idol, 2022 and “New Wells of Conformity” by Paul Alexander from Case of the Golden Idol, 2024 

Kirk’s new prediction: Death Stranding 2 will feature one (1) of the following people: Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalomét, Christopher Nolan, Daniel Craig

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Jason, Kirk, and Maddy revisit last year's predictions to see what game they'll be playing this year, then go through some new predictions for 2025, from the Nintendo Switch 2 to... new Half-Life?

One More Thing:

Kirk: Interviewing your friends & family / StoryCorps

Maddy: Scorcese double feature (Taxi Driver + King of Comedy)

Jason: Encanto (2021)

LINKS:

StoryCorps: https://storycorps.org/

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2025 PREDICTIONS

KIRK

1. At least one game will be released and then un-released within the year
2. Hollow Knight: Silksong will actually come out
3. Valve will announce a new non-VR Half-Life game
4. The new Nintendo console will have the word "Switch" in the name
5. Conan O'Brien or Geoff Keighley will appear in Death Stranding 2 (either/both)
6. Valve will announce a new Steam controller that's on par with Steam Deck
7. You will be able to "pet the dog" in The Game Awards' GOTY, i.e. the game will have a "pet animal" interact prompt
8. At least two TGA GOTY nominees will be for a studio's first game
9. In the new Fable, you will be able to plant an acorn and have it grow into a tree
10. Square Enix will announce Final Fantasy VII.... Return

Bonus: Nintendo will announce they're bringing games to Steam

Game: SOMA

MADDY

1. A Deadpool video game will get announced
2. The Guillemot family will get pushed out of controlling Ubisoft
3. Metroid Prime 2 + 3 will get remasters released on a Switch in 2025
4. A full-length film will be screened in Fortnite
5. A game made on Roblox will become a huge hit/phenomenon on the scale of Pokemon Go or Among Us
6. Microsoft/Xbox will remove the requirement for new Xbox games to be able to also run on Xbox Series S
7. Half-Life 3 will be announced
8. Silksong will get a release date announcement that will be “it’s out right now” (which means I am also implicitly predicting Silksong comes out in 2025)
9. There will be two more prominent live service game failures in 2025 in the style of Concord and Suicide Squad
10. Waluigi will figure into a new Mario game

Bonus: Half-Life 4 will be announced

Game: Super Metroid

JASON

1. Ubisoft will be sold 
2. An Xbox studios game will be nominated for GOTY at The Game Awards (it's never happened before!)
3. A non-VR Half-Life game will be announced
4. A single player playstation game will be announced for PC within 3 months of its PS5 release
5. Ace Attorney 7 will be announced 
6. Bobby Kotick will get involved with the Trump administration in some way
7. EA CEO Andrew Wilson will step down
8. Switch 2 will have an availability crisis
9. Metroid Prime 4 will launch on Switch and Switch 2 - day one of Switch 2
10. There will be fewer industry layoffs than last year

Bonus: Amazon will pull out of the video game industry

Game: Chrono Trigger