YoVideogames!

Tokyo Game Show has just wrapped up. We talk about the surprises of the show, some news about exclusivity for 3rd parties, industry speculations, and Kamiya leaving Platinum.

We waited to record until we were able to read the big Microsoft Leak for ourselves. Personally, I feel it is a big nothingburger. And so far as I can tell, the only people hyping this as a big deal are engagement farmers on Twitter.

That being said: there is some value to what this confirms about how Microsoft, and by extension executives think about mergers, acquisitions and the future of gaming et al. So, let's dig into it!

It's my birthday episode! And the planned topic was "what makes a game 'cinematic' and what are the best cinematic games out there." But then a few big pieces of news dropped - and we knew we wanted to talk about that too. So, the first half of this episode is about Unity, Embracer Group and ESA (E3) news, while the back half is about the planned topic.

It sounds eclectic but it actually works pretty well.

It's been a bit of a packed year for games. Maybe that's because the Pandemic caused a crunch that is only now whip lashing onto the market. Who knows but one side effect has been: many games, good games, have come out and been forgotten in the pack.

Bioware is on the chopping block if Dragon Age doesn't do well. It seems like a lot of third parties face oblivion when a single game isn't an over the top success, much less a failure. Are there certain genres that have become doomed for third party devs? A first party can pump out a triple AAA block buster single player game and if it is middling at best, that developer will probably get another shot. But if you're owned by EA? You might be in a soup line the next quarter.

*** I realize I misspoke later in the episode, when talking about THQ Nordic games I'd like to see - I say I'd like to see less games like BattleField and more mid budget single player shooters/3rd person shooters. I know THQ Nordic does not make Battlefield, I just had a jumbled train of thought. Oops lol

Maaaaaaaan there was some cool stuff shown for the opening night of Gamescom 2023, but there was also a whole lot of awkward, huh? This week we are talking about our favorite moments, bold trailers, and awkward interviews from the opening night live show kicking off Gamescom 2023!

This week we are talking about sequels and what we expect from a franchise as it moves forward. I also try to sell Matt on Baldur's Gate 3 but to little effect - THE MAN HATES FUN (kidding).

Everyone is back from EVO 2023 and by all accounts it was a big W for the FGC. I didn't get to go this year, so I had Matt fill me in on some of the best parts. Between new Tekken 8 fighters, MK1 news, and promising looks at Project L - the future looks bright for the FGC!

Yes - you should try to enjoy things. But also sometimes it's fun to talk about the stuff that is overrated in hindsight and maybe even some stuff that has been hated on so much that when you actually look at it... It's fine. Maybe even good! Who knows let's take a look.

Today I'm playing the inspiration for this episode - Amnesia: The Bunker. Matt sold it to me as a perfect shot of survival horror, coming in at 5-6 hours and never overstaying its welcome. But is that the perfect length for survival horror? And what is the perfect length for other games? As always, we have opinions :P