YoVideogames!

Matt doesn't love Bethesda gameplay in general but Bethesda Fallout games hold a special place in his heart as examples of mediocre at best gameplay. But the Fallout Tv series just recently inspired a massive amount of people to play the games... So the Fallout story must be pretty good... But does that make up for poor gameplay? Are there other examples where this is the case?

This week's episode is all about the newest industry trend: extremely short marketing windows. Have you noticed that the window between announcement/first trailer and release has been getting shorter the last year or two? Turns out - it's an industry trend. We discuss the details and speculate on the pros and cons while also talking about diminishing returns of exclusivity.

I love multiplayer games. So, the last 15 years or so have been pretty great for me personally. But it is getting hard to deny that they have cornered themselves. In many ways, multiplayer as a concept is getting a little tired and the methods used to make them the hyper profitable juggernauts they are today - are drying up. This week's episode we are talking about the possibility of multiplayer shirnking as a part of the gaming landscape. And what might inject a fresh take on multiplayer games in general.

It's all but certain that Nintendo is launching a Switch 2 in 2025. I'd like to hope maybe they do it Holiday 2024, but it's doubtful. An odd thing about Nintendo and the final year of each console generation? They're almost always pretty dry years... And if 2024 is any indication? Switch 2 is coming EARLY 2025 at the latest.

For most of us, the original Xbox was a bit of a blip. It had good games but compared to the other consoles it seemed bulky, inept, unrefined even. During its first few years most gamers would have argued it was a forgettable system - even if they loved Halo. But what if it had never happened? If Microsoft looked at the game industry in the late 90s and decided it wasn't worth jumping into? Would the Gamecube have done better? Would the Dreamcast had a follow up? I'd argue Microsoft, and the Xbox, had a far deeper impact on gaming, and even the world at large, than we think.

Continuing our What If series with another Nintendo Alt History: we're exploring the timeline where GameCube was a success. Do we get the Wii? The Switch? Does Nintendo pursue their "Blue Ocean" strategy at all? Does Xbox have the same level of success? All questions connected to Nintendo's less than stellar GameCube generation.

Is anyone doing alt-history for videogames? Is that a thing? This week we're talking about alternate history. There's no denying that Pokemon is a juggernaut and there is a real good reason Nintendo bought 33.3% of the company. But what if they had bought the company outright? Would Pokemon be what it is today? If not, what would be different? Better? Worse?

Suicide Squad... Foam Stars... Skull and Bones... Many fail. Crushed beneath the expectations and disappointments of gamers. But Helldivers? They do it right. Again. And Again. And Again. For (Managed) Democracy. For Liberty (in accordance with the government of Super Earth). And to protect our way of life. What lessons should other live service games take from this? What lessons will execs inevitably ignore? Let's talk about everything we love about Helldivers 2!

Nintendo continues its crusade against emulation and more lay offs announced. 2024 has had a rough start for the gaming industry, and we might still be at the top of the drop. Licensed games will be cancelled, and more talent shifting will happen over the next year. What does that mean for the first parties? Third? Let's talk about the news (and Star Wars here and there)

Nintendo had a Partner Direct, and while there might not have been anything mind blowing - there was a little something for everyone. Which highlights how Nintendo is playing its own game. Especially when you contrast it to the news coming out of Sony and Microsoft these days.

Was today's (feb 15th) extra special Xbox podcast with Phil Spencer, Matt Booty, and Sara Bond as important as anticipated? No. No world changing news. Was it a nothingburger? Also no. There was valuable information and insight to be had. So let's jump into it together!

Sony had a special State of Play for FF7 Rebirth and dropped a demo. Plus EVO announcements came out. Lots to be excited about!

Well, everyone's cards seem to be on the table now. Did our predictions for Sony stand up? Let's find out.

Xbox put all its cards on the table right away this year. Let's talk about their Developer Direct, and then jump into what we hope/expect to see from Nintendo and Sony.

Chances are you have a favorite voice actor and may not even know their name. Voice acting can sometimes be treated like the step child of acting, but the truth is: good voice acting transcends and evolves the medium, just as good film acting, or stage acting expands their mediums. Here's a few of our personal favorite Voice Actors, some you most certainly know, all of whome you have heard before. Shine on!

As a fun retrospective of the games that stuck with us over time, we decided to do an episode about the last decade. Our personal Top Game from each year going back to 2013. We surprised ourselves with several of these. There are of course expected picks for regular listeners but anyone new may be thrown for a loop. Shine on!

Happy New Year! We're starting off strong by having an extra long and extremely cool conversation with musician and composer Alex Moukala all about game music. He gives us a peak behind the curtain on the process of composing for games, as well as how he analyzes music he loves to inspire his own compositions. Projects Alex calls out during the episode: Game Music Foundation - https://gamemusic.net/gamemusic-foundation/ Chrono Trigger Main Theme Cover by Tournament Arc - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYK8M9DUbdc Second Stone: Legend of the Hidden World (gameplay and in game music) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdLMCtAPwmM If you want to learn more about music in games, composition, or just hear more of Alex's work - he's on YouTube (AlexMoukalaMusic) and Twitter (@alex_moukala)

We don't want to talk about the leaks, so we won't, but one conversation that the recent leaks have started is very interesting. Are game budgets getting too big? What exactly is making them jump so high? Maybe it's time to cut the games in half and get smaller games out more often.

Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays, or what not! Here's a two hour episode all about our particular favorite games that game out this year. If you're traveling home and need something to keep your mind off all the inane and invasive questions you'll get asked at dinner - we're here to help! 2023 was an all time incredible year for gaming. So much so, that Matt actually had a top 25! Expect an extra episode for Patrons only coming later this week!

More layoffs, more studios closing, and E3 declares themselves dead (finally). Let's talk how things might be reborn moving forward!