807: Bird Lore

Giant Bombcast

We got Tam on to chat about his time with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and his time with Lies of P. Later Bailey joins us to chat about her new show on Game Spot with Emma Fyffe (linked below!) as we chat about the Microsoft leaks, Phil Spencer's plans to acquire Nintendo, and more!

Reality Check - https://youtu.be/_D9vmVp7ZS8?si=TNwvAeQvez_Mt4C4
Spider-Man 2 Hands-On Preview - https://youtu.be/CY_r5adXXTA?si=_NVY3CUFKg_8fz3B

The Giant Bombcast is POWERED by NZXT https://nzxt.co/GiantBomb
2023-09-19 148 min Transcript

Available Results

Generated results are saved to the knowledge database for reuse and search.

No generated results are available for this episode yet.

Extract Knowledge

Pick what you want extracted first. Model, scope, and chapter options appear after a template is selected.

Generated results for public episodes are saved to the knowledge database so they can be reused and searched later.

Transcript

Hey everybody, It's Tuesday, September nineteenth, twenty twenty three. Welcome to
the Giant BombCast, Episode eight hundred and seven. Seven. I think good
seven. I haven't written down a seven. Welcome to John BombCast, powered
by I am your host, jan Oh Chowa joining me co captain of the
ship. He salutes only to Major Mitch Jeff Grub I also salute your shorts.
Don't forget that. Don't ever forget that. I won't ever forget it.
Thank you, thank you. Speaking about shorts, he he's, he's.
This season, we're proud to announce that Jeff Backlar is gonna start rocking
nothing but exclusively three inch in seam cotton gray shorts Jeff back pulled off.
I don't know if I could pull off the three inch Yeah. I feel
like maybe have an eclip situation popping up there if I did such a thing
with my wardrobe. Nope. The season of Joggers is upon us, my
friends, and I am jumping into that fee first, because that's how you
put pants on, Just how you put on pants, yep pants. Officionado
Tamore Hussain Today, I need you to wait here for one minute. Don't
say anything, I'll be back. Okay. Uh, we didn't know what.
No one say anything. He just okay, we didn't prepare for this.
I just you know all this dead air. Swear to God, if
I get another clone situation, I'm gonna they're gonna They're gonna put in forty
podcast. What's gonna happen? Okay, all right, he's back, he
pooped? Okay, right, some shorts. You want to see some shorts?
Oh? Hell yeah, let's go all right, okay, showing us
a pair. Okay, he's black. They go, oh, this is
some Kojima bullshit. Yeah, that looks good. Those fucking shorts. Baby,
you suddenly are able to become invisible inside a cardboard box and carry an
obscene amount of boxes on your back. Do those shorts have like a PSP
pocket? Like? God, I wish they're so comfy as well? Are
they? There looks like a terrible amount of screen printing on your shorts.
There, they're making you shorts expert. All of a sudden, Sam and
STI, it's the season of the shorts. Yeah, and I am a
T shirt. Yeah, Like you introduced him and saying it's the season of
the shorts and this motherfucker said it's joga season. Well, it's approaching.
It's the approaching. H. This is what I said. But I just
feel like a lot of print on shorts is h It's actually not. It's
actually not high quality, high quality print. I'm excited that the fact that
I know that when I watched these, it's it's gonna fall apart. No,
it's not. It's not. I can see that based on the way
it feels. It's not going to disintegrate. Okay, I'm happy for I
feel I feel like it would disintegrate eventually, but not immediate always. I
mean, that's all of us, really, right, We're all gonna disintegrate
eventually. Yeah, bought I bought like a a bunch of metal gear apparel
recently, clearly all bootlegs. But you know what, yeah, phenomic.
I love bootleg merch like I love going to a big concert and then seeing
vendors afterwards selling like hey, it's the official merch, and everything's like slightly
askew, or it's like they would never sell a Taylor Swift would never sell
a poop brown t shirt with her face on it. You know what,
I just I just went into my email to type in metal Gear Solide,
or to try and figure out remind myself who I purchase or where I purchased
this from it was from a company, and I instead received a reminder saying
that, or an email saying that I ordered the metal Gear Solid board game,
oh from from the company Come On, which I imagine was via Kickstarter,
and I click the link and it takes me to a four or four
page Okay, okay, I mean, you know, sometimes operations sometimes when
the campaign ends, it takes a little bit of time to reconnect the wires.
Right, we know, I haven't heard a single I had a single
email from them. Since that's probably mean, that's probably a good thing.
Maybe. Speaking about board games, my partner, my poor partner in the
thick of it, in her first official year of teaching, where at the
Barnes and Noble, right and and she was like, Hey, let's go
buy that bird game that everyone's talking about. That there's a bird board game
right now. It's blowing up amongst our our our friends and acquaintances. I
believe it's called Wingspan. And then I look at her and I tell her
it's like, Hey, we're gonna buy this game. And we're never gonna
play it. You canna make me learn how to play this game, and
we will. We don't hang out with anyone but you, me and the
dog. No one's gonna play this with us. And she, she like
excitedly was holding onto it, clutching it in her arms, and then she
quietly put it back. Oh this looks good. And then and then I
saw her, I saw her opening up TikTok of like how to play Wingspan.
Just I'm looking at videos of this, and I'm not being rude,
but this is a board game about birds. It is, it is.
Why Why would that be rude? Birds are fucking cool? Man, He's
right. I just want to emphasize. I just want to emphasize. This
is a board game about birds. All right. There are the room,
and I saw someone playing that, I would walk out of the room and
being like that game is into birds. The only thing birds, The only
thing worse than walking into a room and seeing a bunch of people playing board
games is a board game about birds. I don't know. Somebody's gonna push
back. I'm gonna push back here, I think, all hold on,
there is a card for here for the crow. I'm walked on around on
this com in. I just think we all do a poor job of respecting
birds. Birds really terrified of birds. They're super dope. I got like
a big crane that's in the pond right in my backyard, and I see
them all the time, and I'm just like, I'm never gonna fuck with
you. You would just destroy me. You're a dinosaur, You're you're like
seven feet tall. I do I do respect that you did say, like,
you know, we're not I have shelves. In case it wasn't clear.
I do like board games, although I have shows of board games that
I purchase and then never play, So I respect that. I think I
saw one of those wrapped in plastic too, may a lot of them plastic.
And then she she was saying like, oh, maybe I could teach
my students how to play. I'm like, no, no, no,
no, no, no, you're this is not how this is going to
happen. I'm getting it comes with little birdhouses. Yeah, I'm getting this
bird feed or dice tower a component for wingspan. Okay, if you want
to get further into bird lore, I suggest looking up the song by the
Sweat Shop Boys Swet Birding and you put little eggs on the cards. Especially.
I would just like to say, Sweatshop Boys. I did not think
that I would be hearing a reference to the Sweatshop Boys today. I did
not think that I would be hearing it from Jan on the Bomb. I
love he man. Shoot, dude, the wait, which sweatshop boys are
you talking about? Oh? Heams? Yeah, yeah, okay, okay,
yeah, okay, cool, Yeah, heams and riz mc riz mc
who you may know people. People may know him as riz riz one Ahmed,
Yes, from Star Wars, rarest other things that he originally came up
as a rapper and a good one. Oh, very cool. Yeah,
he's He's incredible. I I wish that I could. I wish that he
would look at me once in my life. You know, we'll arrange it.
We'll dress you up as a bird. We'll all be the same.
The second thing I want to say is I regret to inform me that I
have purchased Wingspan the bo Wingspan cut the check. Dang it. Yeah,
seriously, welcome a Wingspan gets a break twenty nineteen Game of the Year winner.
I guess all right, it's good, good for you. Maybe we'll
play Wingspan oh, okay, TAM's out of battery. It happens, well
because your camera doesn't have a camera doesn't have battery. You've seen it now,
so you know you don't have dum battery for it. No, yeah,
it's got a dummy battery. But like it's it's like, no,
it's fine, it's it's always working. It's just all right. Before remove
onto games, I just have a quick, uh complaint or bance, please,
I'm ready to hear it. So I bought the Sony FX thirty like
around I believe earlier this year, and I thought it would serve me well
because we occasionally travel for this job, right, and and then I shoot
the videos for it. Let me tell you, during packs, using this
camera was incredibly frustrating because Tam and Grubby can Attest would see me just start
cussing out of nowhere, uh and throwing my hands up in the air because
this camera would randomly just shut off and restart. Was temperature issue, I
thought it was it was I thought it was was not. And uh,
all throughout packs would start stop no reason, no discernible reason, right,
I take it though. There was one moment where this is off to the
camera had proved to be useless. Where you can where you where you dropped
the camera? Yes, and as as it was falling, my foot wasn't
in the way. And very quickly in my mind I saw this camera falling,
and I thought I could ever put my phone away and stopped this or
I could not, and or I could not because and I almost did not,
because I thought this camera has been utterly useless for us. So why
am I putting my phone the way in? What's foot is in the way.
It's like the trolley problem right now? If it's broken? Now,
did your foot contribute it? And you're responsible for the problem. Yeah,
I did put my feet in the way, and I basically caught it in
before it hit the ground proper in between my two feet. Yes, exactly.
Wait, so well, thank you for saving the camera, Tan,
But Jim, what like what's the problem? Like? We're looking it up?
I tried looking up on several threads. But the thing I want to
update folks on is for no reason, I've used the same card, official
batteries, high speed SD card and everything, and I bumped it down to
in eighty even even though I'm supposed to be able to shoot in four k
U took it out this weekend because there was a little quirky convention. Yeah,
out in like the heat. Yeah, completely fine. It sounds like
it sounds like I'm gonna say, like some sort of power connection issue,
Like it's a hardware thing. It's gonna be It's not just gonna restart for
no reason and then work. Fine. Did you take a picture of a
ghost? Is the camera haunted? Now? I mean we saw Mike Manadian
You know that man is always haunted us. I will say, I will
say Jan was like trying everything in front of us, like it was bizarre.
It might just be the battery connection, you know not, I don't
know. Have them replaced it. They're good with that. But what I
was was gonna get to is like, Man, sometimes I think I'm just
gonna use a fucking phone. I'm just gonna buy a burner phone, you
know, by a burner. I don't anyone do that. Maybe, like
I saw, I have the latest and greatest Apple phone. Wow, real
cool, easily easily easily the worst camera I have ever used it in my
life. Continue Apple, if there's anything that you can definitely guarantee and bet
on for Apple they'll give you the shittiest camera possible. My previous phone.
My previous phone. The camera was so bad that I went into an Apple
store and I was like, take a picture of this camera and tell me
what you see. And they took a picture, and I was like,
take your phone out and take a picture. And they took a picture and
they looked at both of you and they were like, yeah, your camera
looks fucked. And I was like, why is it like this? And
they were like, I don't really know. Let's run a bunch of tests.
They ran a bunch of tests and they were like, everything seems to
be fine. I think the camera's just bad. And I was like,
okay, cool, what can you do about that? And he looked in
my eyes smiled and said nothing. What you think because you think that might
have been because you're so fucking mean to them. No, I think it's
because Apple is a racist company. Oh well, I mean, come on,
and it trickles down to every everyone down to the genius bar that.
Yeah, I don't think actually the problem, I will say. The man
was eventually like very apologetic and was like, I'm really sorry that we can't
do anything about this. And I was like, fair play. It's not
your fault. I do have a bunch of Apple products that do work,
but the cameras are like shite. I think. I think what has happened
is based on my research. Is their hardware is good, yes, but
then they layer on software, camera software, post processing, this kind of
other stuff that turns it into the dogshittest camera on market. So I bought
a expensive, separate digital camera to take pictures, which is inconvenient as fuck.
I'd love how Apple companies. This company started with bringing convenience to like
the mobile phone environment, and now they're the most infuryingly inconvenient hardware devices to
use, especially with cameras. I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of loving
this. I'm down. Over all, our camera, all our phones are
are good cameras like that. That's about what they do, and that's it.
The inverse is true with those phones, though, are like the camera
hardware is arguably inferior, but the camera processing software so much better, and
the phones are I think, just more fun to use. But that's,
you know, a preference thing. So I don't think I've had fun using
a phone in like five years. But well that's why I'm thinking about getting
like a burner Experia phone, you know, just to like shoot slog on
a phone, because that sounds hilarious. That that's hilarious. That is crazy.
Why would you Why wouldn't you just get a good camera instead of a
burner phone? Because damn the the other issue I ran into. I am
sick. Yes, uh, it's just I fucking I. I waited months
for this camera bag to come into back into stock. Hate it. I
waited so long for this camera. I hate it. See I have the
FX three and I love it. So there's I think it's I think you
got a lemon. I would really get on the horn with mister Sony and
be like, yo, like you have something right about this RMA. My
shit, let's go. I think you should give a swap it for a
new one, and if it still sucks, just be like, Yo,
this camera sucks, man, and then just get refund. I'm getting different.
I I bought a I bought a Lumix. Yeah those are good.
Yeah, it's great, wonderful. I love it. Uh yeah, Paul
Graham, let me tell you that is a point of mild frustration for some
people. Uh oh right, let's talk about video games, all right,
tam you are you are more missed the worldwide than actual pit Bull Darli exactly
because you you you can't stop, can't stop, won't stop stop residencies all
over the place. Because you recently went to Los Angeles to check out the
City of Angles. City of Angles, so many sharp angles every block,
there's a ninety degrees. It's wild. But you checked out for a little
bit nineteen inches of Venom and Marvels Spider Man two. I got all up
in those nineteen inches babies at the subtile. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
that's what it is. Yeah. So I went to LA to check out
the first playable demo that I've ever seen anyone have of Marvel's Avengers. Weird
thing was I forgot that that we used to have events like this where went
to a place and it was like really cool old they had set up.
I don't want to talk about, you know, the stuff outside of the
game, but it's only no way betwe me because of how weird it was
being there. It was like there was a nice space that they had decorated
and made to look like it was you know, doctor Kirk Konnis's lab and
and like cool and little museum. Stop. No, what you say,
bacalar. I think they just got Disney brain, because whence the last time
they did this for a game, for one of their games Insomniac that that
E three like getting shuffled from one thing to the next, things decorated like
that is a smart different thing. Oh my gosh, it was also very
cool. Now it was not because we were being herded like sheep and cattle
and it was very close quarters. Would have been different if you knew Grub
and Manati at the time. Oh yes, we would have. Obviously,
it would have made it more tolerable. I mean I was with my good
friend producer Mark, but like you could have enjoyed the moment that what's his
name? Who's the director of the director of non Charted? But the other
one you've been there when his eyes really hard me and Mike when we were
introducing how you Jeff Grubb, who works in the video game industry, forget
both Lost of Us and Neil Truckman. Yeah, pretty easily. I have
a bad brain. It's just shi brain. I've got a pretty bad brain
as well. But still, but you understand the difference between like walking into
a place with a cool Spider Man statue, and then what the fuck was
E three twenty eighteen. I'll tell you what I remember about that. E
three mostly is like walking around in the decorated New York Spider Man setting.
That's what I remember. I do remember being shuffled around. I'm just like,
man, this is this is what they do, this is these companies
are so weird whatever. And then I got outside and it's like, oh,
look there's a Daily Bugle or whatever the hell it's called and all that
stuff. And that that was coold. Tell me about the Spider Man.
I need to know both Spider Man there like they had They had Miles and
Peter like side by side, and it was really cool and I took a
picture over them and I was like, I probably won't post this anywhere anyway.
And then we played the game. So we played about two ish hours
of the game. They just threw us into the middle of the game,
which was good and not not bad, but like tricky because obviously we I
didn't we didn't have a lot of like context for some things. But they
were like, okay, we'll tell you the necessary bits and pieces, so
you should be good. So they did good. Good on them for providing
that, but yeah, it's it's really weird. So I wrote a preview,
kind of pseudo preview up. It was more of like a kind of
quick crash course in on the swinging and that kind of stuff, and then
I pushed to a video that me and Lucy did, but as part of
the preview, I said, like, this is more of the same,
and there's no way for that to not come out negative. So I had
to like kind of remind everyone in that preview when I say more of the
same, what I'm saying is more of one of the best superhero games ever
made, Like two of the best superhero games ever made. If you talk
about Spider Man, Marvel's so Many Spider Man and Mars Morales, and that
is like something to be excited about as opposed to being like, oh no,
he was doing the same shit. Yeah, exactly, because you will
make it, make the swinging worse, Like that's how you change it.
While we're talking about this, there's some freaks online that I keep seeing and
they're like, wow, same animations, And I would like to like to
ask them, when you wake up in the morning, do you do you
have a new way of walking to work every day today. I'm going to
trust new things out with my step I love the idea of these absolute freaks
being like I cannot believe he swings the exact same way. Yeah, he's
Spider Man, he does. This is how he does his swinging. Okay,
he doesn't invent new ways of swinging every day, so that doesn't make
fun of him. Yeah, yeah, they should keep it. Funnily enough,
he doesn't sing swinging exactly the same way. They're like, there's a
there's there's a little more to it. Like on Peter side, he's now
the part where we played he has the symbiot suit, so his swinging is
different in terms of how he's animated. He's it's a little more like it
feels less kind of finessed, if you know what I mean, which makes
sense because he's got the symbiot suit and he doesn't need to worry about that
ship. He's just like stomping his way through it. But he does have
like when you if you switch over to like the black suit or one of
his other suits, he does have a little more of that Miles kind of
personality and flair from Miles moralest where you know, when you started swinging at
Miles, he was my man was doing poets and backflips and cool thick ship
and he's got a bit more of that now. And they also all have
they both have studs before. I gonna jump around a bit, but like
they have skill trees. There's a Mile skill tree, there's a skill tree,
and then there's a shared skill tree away. If you're unlock an ability
on that skill tree, both spider men get it and on the on those
some of those are traversal abilities. I think I believe one of them is,
like so one of my favorite ones is you can like like pinball yourself
off two buildings almost like yeah, you heard me. You can like you
do the thing where you fire on one side of the street, fire on
the other side of the street, and then run back and use their attention
to kind of launch yourself a bit. And it's like really cool. It's
it's cool. It doesn't give you a lot of height, it gives you
a lot of like distance, and I think it works with the new traversal
element, which is the wingsuit. So spider wings, wing wings, whatever
you want to call them, web wings. I think where they officially calling
so he so he's just gonna be like a flying squirrel kind of situation.
Yes, yes, so you can basically fly like in this game non stop
if you want. How and I know what you're thinking, You're like wild,
I swing, you fly, yeah, just like a spider, right,
yeah, yeah, exactly. So initially I did feel like, why
am I swinging instead of flying it everywhere? And I also spoke to I
think it was a lead programmer as part of an interview and talked about it
there, and yes, you can fly a lot, and there's also things
now in the environment. They try to make it like I'm going to use
Arkham Night to a degree, you know how an Arkham Night when activity started
appearing in the world instead of just being like on a map, they started
doing that a bit more, which is cool. But you can also find
these like wind tunnels everywhere, which in your night exactly like Fortnite video game
Forna. Now, so if you like pull out your web web wings and
you go into these kind of like air pocket canal tunnels, it will just
kind of like glide you around places. However, outside of that, the
wings are quite slow, like they're good for distance, But they are meant
to be used as part of the overall traversal ecosystem, where it's like swing,
use the dive and then to kind of like build up momentum and then
swing last minute to send yourself launching back up into the air and then do
the wings to glide a bit or turn a corner and then your ultimate and
have the music going on techtok and get exactly a thousand viewers. So Tim,
you're not so so you had experience with using that? Did that break
the illusion of Spider Man for you? Like you very quickly learned that it's
way quicker to swing everywhere? Right, Okay, I think that the reason
they introduced it is one it's a nice little touch to the area that you're
playing is much bigger. They added two more burrows to the game skyscrapers,
right, they don't have skyscrapers. Remember in the last game or games where
you'd be swinging and then you exit like the perimeter of the city and suddenly
you're over a park and there's nothing to swing onto it on a tree.
Yeah yeah, so you're just point launching across this kind of a park or
over some water or something. Like that. This is basically the solution to
that. Where the moment you like you spin out, like or you launch
yourself off a building and there's nothing around you, you hit the wing button,
you glide over it, and maybe you spot a point launch area in
the middle, and you can use that to give yourself a little more momentum.
It's actually very very smart in a lot of ways. I also found
it. I also found it like there's times when you're like swinging and you're
chasing someone or something like that, and you can very easily start to get
out of control where you're like, you know how you're You're like, I'm
trying to turn this way, but it's going this way, and like you
have these situations where it's like god, damn it, I'm trying to catch
this and it's it's all like falling apart. It's very easy to just hit
the wing soup button and regain some control, kind of tilt yourself up,
and then go back to swing it again to like kind of like course correct.
So it felt it felt good. It felt really really good. And
it also they work it into like the fast travel system and all that kind
of business where you've probably seen the gift now where it's like you can basically
fast travel at any point and you can swap to one of you can swap
through the other Spider Man, and it will like do the GTA thing,
pull out and move to them and they they often will be mid wingsuit flight
or like mid wings or swing or something like that, which is really cool
and so like it's got like nice little animation touches to help it kind of
create a smoother experience overall. But yeah, that part of it's really cool.
I really enjoy the traversal. I mentioned that as a kind of big
emphasis because I think a lot of people if they're like the way I am
with Spider Man always, I do it for Batman way more. But like
for Spider Man, I know there's a lot of people that even when they
finished with the game, they just leave it installed on there because every now
and again they jump in, swing about for a bit, have a nice
time, and be done with it. I feel like this is a really
fun game. It's going to be a really fun game to just swing about
once you're done. I imagine people are just going to have a really great
time just smoving around. Spider Man took that spot from Tony Hawk for me,
where like I just left stall and like instead of just jamming out a
level or just finding a combo or just swing around New York. It's happy
to hear. Okay, yeah, it's it's cool. And then the other
major things are so narratively, I don't want to talk too much about it.
Okay. Then I have one question. Then, at any point was
there a subway sequence where Peter was knocked out by doc oc and then they
had to pass him back to the end of the train, And then one
NPC just said, it's just a boar. No, no, if they
you just want to see that he as a man, although they see it
every day. It's why very very happy to tell you they don't have that
with Peter. They do have it with Miles. Basically create that scene from
the second movie. It's in an office building and like they lift him up
and they move him over to the end and then then his mosque is all
ripped up and they're like, he's just a boy. Now I don't believe
you. Yeah, I made that of course, man, listen. That's
so here's my question, Tim, if you'll allow me to just surface this
here, I really like these games. I really like Morales because I felt
it was like a streamlined, almost watered down thing where like you weren't bombarded
with Matt Barf and all this other stuff, and I want to know,
like how it compares to that idea. I also want to know how it
compares from the combat perspective, because I found myself being handcuffed a lot by
like there are being too many things you could possibly do with all your arsenal
of moves and whatnot, and kind of just fell into a groove of like
relying on the same maybe three to four things over and over again. I
know that's a tough thing to like maybe speak to in the time you had
it, But what do you think about all that? Yeah, So the
first part of that, in terms of like the scale and scope of it
hard to say, because obviously we had a very limited slice of the game.
I will say, based on the feeling I've got, it's not going
to be. Obviously it's not going to be as contained as Miles was.
That was a They treated it like almost like it was an extra game,
but it was also a bit of an expansion, you know, more focused.
This is trying to tell a much bigger story at the ambition narratively means
that by its very nature, it's going to be a bigger game and a
little more unwieldy from a narrative perspective. Even now, you just look at
everyone involved. You've got Miles, You've got Peter. They both have their
own issues going on. Right now, Miles is having a bit of a
crisis of confidence because he's writing his final essay before it goes after university,
and at the same time, he's in this situation where he's being forced through
his life to really think about where he's going, and he's escaping that by
being a Spider Man, and he's kind of fixated on the idea that Martin
Lee missed the negative from the first game, who was boilers for the first
game of Spider Man, who is responsible for the death of his father is
out there. He's becoming a bit of a obsessive about catching his father's killer,
which obviously you know that it can have like a corrupting impact on him.
And the problem he's having on top of that is like his mentor,
Peter Parker is now he has this new suit which is doing weird things and
making him behave in different ways. But Peter is he's rediscovered Harry Osborne,
his closest friend and basically the closest thing he has to family because spoilers for
the first game, Aunt May is not around much anymore. So like now,
Peter's kind of also having a bit of a crisis of personality and confidence
because he's desperate to save his friend from an illness that he has, and
he has the Symbia suit, which the Symbiate suit is very good at twisting
and amplifying the worst parts of you, so he's doing that. And then
you have Craven the Hunter, who's around as well, and Craven's obviously looking
boy his hunt and he's found now this giant lizard that is knocking about every
now and then, and also a seemingly alien spider figure symbia thing, so
it's there's a lot of ingredients in this mix. And then you add in
people like Rio Moralist and Gyanke and all these other side characters who have their
own kind of things going on and how they intersect, and you've got a
quite an elaborate story that is exciting, but it's definitely not going to be
as focused as Miles is, but I'm also like, we don't even know
who Venom is yet, Like they Eddie Brock isn't about Flash Thompson's not about
Like there is there, but they keep showing off a Venom who isn't Peter
or Miles. So I mean there's some obvious guesses. Yeah, it's there
a reason to think it's not Harry Osbourne because it wasn't that the Tea is
at the end of the first game. I mean it could be, but
like there could be many like also, like the Symbia has been like other
people as well, Like I, if I had to bet, I I
think he would probably end up being Craven. But like because that's something that
that they I don't believe Craven's been the Symbia before, and I think that
is in the same way that Insomnia, who wanted to mess with our expectations
of a dock X story in the previous game, I think this is a
good opportunity for them to mess with, you know, the expectations for a
Craven and Symbiat story by being like, oh, you've never seen Craven the
Hunter as a symbiat, so her he is, and how they Yeah,
Jay Jonah Jamison, I would I wouldn't love that. I would love that.
That would be so good. Yeah, So that's that part of it.
In terms of the combat part of it, there is a lot going
on in it, and I think in this game there's more going on in
it. So it can feel a bit overwhelming at times because the combat hasn't
changed much. It's still the same way that it was previously, like the
Batman style combat counter systems. You've got a little more mobility because you can
web swing and that kind of stuff, but now there's like an extra layer
of special abilities so on top of the standard so every both of them have
two kind of ability pools. The first one is linked to their unique like
spider powers. For Miles, it's his bioelectricity stuff that we had in the
previous game. And then on top of that, he's got the tech,
so he's got a technology element. The technology element is more about manipulating the
environment or like the enemies in the environment and doing AoE stuff. So you'll
use tech to be like I'm going to stun everyone that's going to chain or
I'm going to use this thing to launch everyone into the air and then his
bioelectricity stuff is where you get the most mileage out of his powers, whereas
you know, like doing damage to single people, like propelling yourself across the
kind of arena using his bioelectricity stuff. That the cool power stuff that he
has. In the similar fashion, Pete has the similarly functioning technology side,
but then on top of that he has his symbia and empowers. So a
lot of that stuff is the kind of the replacement for his spider abilities,
and it's what distinguishes him from Miles, which is I think is a really
good move. His symbia abilities are much harder hitting and they're designed to do
like max destruction almost. It reminds me of Prototype from the Trailers I seen.
Yeah, Yeah, it's like the symbia is not about finesse, it's
not about precision. It's about doing damage and it's about being aggressive, and
that's what it does. It like you hit a button and it'll send out
spindles, grab everyone, lift them into the air and slam them to the
ground. It'll do their Marble versus capcom thing, Whereas like you press a
button and he'll like become this moving pool of like horrible symbiate liquid and gather
everyone else up and then pop them into the air, and then you can
like jump up there and do some damage. So those two exist, and
everything's also like on a cool down, and then you have different abilities that
you can like quick slot in and there's different abilities that you're unlock through skill
trees, so it can quickly become overwhelming, but there's enough in there for
you to, I think, look at what you like, establish a style,
and just stick to it. Okay, what I mean by that is
like in the previous games is similarly like it is. There's a lot to
do, but for me, I knew my focus was going to be launching
and then immediately just like air web swing and air combos because that is the
way I wanted to do damage. So you can unlock everything and have that
overwhelming amount of stuff, but then just look at this is what I like,
This is what I need to pin to basically into my memory to get
the place that I want and focus on that, and it's more of more
optional. Then you need to do this stuff. There are a couple of
things that are knew that are definitely need and you have to do them,
which is one they have a new counter system. Everyone loves Securo. They
have the secular account through so they have the thing where certain enemies will these
do these attacks that the only thing you can do is out with them.
I believe I only did it with Peter, so I'm not sure what the
animation would be with Miles. I imagine this bioelectric related. But with Peter
it's like he's not doing a finesse counter. He's just like tanking the damage
and then lashing out with the symbiot, so like pushing back on it.
And there's other attacks which are crushing attacks which are you cannot count them.
You just need to get out of the way. So those are like the
symbol attacks in secure, which is like unblockable. The issue with all this
is on paper, all works fine, great, the readability of it is
not great. There's like overlapping kind of signifiers of what's coming, and it
becomes very very very messy at times because, for example, an attack that
uned count is read, but so is an attack that is a projectile from
an enemy that's far away. So you'll have the projectilebeam coming at you.
It's read and you know it's coming from off screen. You don't really know.
It's very easy to dodge. You just hit a button at the right
time and you move out the way, but it requires one too many It
rides an extra second of processing that is a bit annoying. And it's also
like red is the counter attack, which you can counter. Blue is the
crushing attack which you can't counter, which doesn't make any sense to me.
It's like blue is like a nice color. You know, this is a
nice you can collect this or be cool with this, but they want you
to get out of it. Blue is somehow more of a danger than red.
And it's like confusing in certain ways, Like you get to it.
Eventually, you'll build the flow of it and you'll build the muscle memory.
But right now it just feels like a bit too much going on for a
lot of people. It could be I don't want to speak for everyone.
But like on top of that, there's like other issues with it that the
enemy. There's more enemies at the same time, and they're all coming after
you, and it gets very busy, to the point where I found myself
satisfied by what I was doing, but not able to see and enjoy the
animations of it. Yeah, because like Batman's great because you have certain enemies
come at you. They're all kind of scared of him, so they come
one at one at a time, and his animations are kind of like sharp
and almost slower, where it's like he's going to crack your crack your arm,
throw you on the ground, get on top, and then punch you.
And you can see every phase of that, and every part of it
feels like a crunchy Batman esque moment. Spider Man is all about being limber
and moving around and you want to see him like pirouetting and dodging and doing
all these punch motions. And I don't feel like I got to enjoy that
as much because there's like shit flashing and there's characters all over the screen and
that kind of stuff, which is a shame. But at the same time,
it still felt good, like it still felt like a Spider Man game,
and it felt quite It felt really satisfying to move around and use his
powers and symbia and that kind of stuff. So the combat is good,
readability is not great, and that readability extends to other parts of it.
Something that Lucy pointed out after we finished is like the text doesn't delineate very
well between who is speaking. It just like says Spider Man, and there's
sometimes two Spider Man speaking, and then you have to look really close and
there's a very small face icon, like you get the red and blue one
and it's Peter. You get the red and black one and it's mild.
But it's like, at a glance, is very very difficult to tell.
I obviously can hear fine, and I am able to process that information easily.
But some people who may have additional accessibility needs might have some issues with
that, because you know, they're looking at this tiny little thing from afar.
If you have any sort of visual issues, auditory issues, it could
be a bit annoying for you. I don't know the full extent of the
accessibility features that are available in this game, yet they did say that they're
working on a bunch of implementing and tweaking it, So my hope is like
and then suddenly actings only they're always on top of this stuff pretty well,
So my hope is by the time it comes out, it will be taken
care of. Maybe you can even increase the font size or the icon size
or whatever it may be. But yeah, there's like a general readability issue
that I struggled with, So I imagine that people who have more accessibility needs
might as well. But otherwise, I I honestly like, I'm very it's
weird too, you know, as people who cover games, when we approach
previews, will always take the tact of never make a final judgment on the
game. That's why whenever you read a preview or hear a preview, you'll
see everyone talking about everything like we had a limited slice of the game,
so this is based on what we were shown there obviously not representative, but
we try and like almost tell the line or sit on the fence about whether
it's going to be good or good or bad. I mean, like I'm
not too worried. I feel okay about it, saying like this is probably
going to be a very good game, like it is. It is very
it's like too big to fail. If they build on the original games,
it's hard to imagine how they could screw it up to the point where the
sucks. Now if it even if it is like okay, it's going to
sell a bajillion copies and it will be fine, just just by virtue of
like, yeah, there's enough time in between arounds and now I could use
this could be carbon copy and they would still be fine or hungry for something
to play. Yeah. Yeah, it will be the biggest. It would
be one of the top selling PS five games by the time this generation has
done, if not by the end of next year, it will be like
a smash hit whatever. But it's important also to say, like, it
looks like a quality game. It looks like a very well made game.
It looks like it's a game made by Spider Man fans who are excited to
be making a Spider Man game. Ultimately, I'm excited to play it as
someone who is very much like burned out on the MCU. I still love
Spider Man, I still love Marvel, and I still love comics, but
that like Marvel on a TV and on movies is like absolutely dropping the ball
for me. I don't know what the fuck they're doing. All of this
seems to suck straight booty, but like, but like, this is an
instance where I was like, oh, yeah, I do like this stuff.
I just needed to be done well, and it looks like it's going
to be done well. I I want that feeling too, tam, So
I can't wait for Spider Marvel Spider Man two. While we still have you
here, buddy, I think you'd be happy to learn that I've been very
invested and really into I know what you're gonna say, lies of P.
Hell, yeah, Tam, I don't know what it is. Like.
I of course was interested in elden Ring because the zeitgeist was there. You
were very excited about it. The whole staff was very excited about it.
But I felt like I had to return to it afterwards, like I got
through market, did a couple more things, and then I dipped. But
lies of P. I haven't been able to put it down. I don't
know. Maybe it's just overall it because it's not a giant, massive open
world versus something more akin to a blood Borne where you're just going through different
avenues and streets. Or maybe it's because the Disney poison in my brain is
starting to activate and like, oh cool, Pinocchio. Look it's a geppetto.
But it feels good. I've been enjoying this a lot, and I
as the on staff expert, how do you feel about it? So?
I think I tweeted about this. I am a I'm a weird person.
When it comes to souls like so I generally dislike them, like I feel
like I struggle with finding. The problem I have is when you try and
copy from software, I'm gonna defend, not defending, I'm gonna hold you
to the standard set by from software. Right. You know, if someone
someone comes to the pitchings like I'm the next steph Curry, and then imaginally
you're gonna be like, Okay, let's see how these these threes go.
And if they're not on point, like, it's gonna be like you your
ship, you know, you know, Steff Curry, get out of there.
But that's how I am with a lot of these games, and especially
like I don't consider stuff like Hollow Night part of that kind of conversation because
although I'm not a major fan of Hollo Night, it's a different kind of
game, you know, it's it's it takes some of the ideas and transpose
it into others. I'm thinking about stuff like I know everyone loves Neo very
well made games. Not for me. I always play them, I play
enough to know a lot about them, but they just don't work in the
same way as me. Same with like Wall Long. I really enjoyed well
long, but yeah, it was. It was like fine, it was
like an easier version of that stuff, like you know, Laws of the
Fallen, the Older one, that kind of thing, like I don't really
vibe with that stuff. This is the first one I think i'd unequivalently,
unequivally recommend. Lisp is one that I would like thumbs up. This is
a great, great game. And it's not a great game because they looked
at what was there on paper, what was written down, what are the
bullet points on making a souls like and then did that. It's because they
clearly took a holistic and and like a proper in depth look at and and
built an understanding of what makes their games feel good and and also like have
an atmosphere and how it all comes together. It's not a lot of those
games the other people try and make it have individual cordoned off elements where it's
like we've got a combat system that is interesting, separately from that, we've
got a world separately from that, we've got a story, separately from that,
we've got a vibe. They very really will coalesce into something interesting,
which is what from Software does better than anyone else, especially for something like
Bloodborn or like Dark Souls three for example. This is this is a game
where you go in there and everything feels like a piece of a greater puzzle
a picture, and when you start playing it, you get it. The
combat system is very much inspired by both Blood Born and Secury. It's got
the two main mechanics of that, like the health or recovery system where you
attack back, and then the count system. The count system is probably the
weakest part for me because it just doesn't feel great and every enemy does that
thing where they pause one second way too and it feels unnatural. Yeah,
the window for to get the perry correctly, I'm still trying to figure it
out. When you you're going against like a bigger enemy or a boss,
and you you correctly time the perry, there's like red sparks that fly off
and then eventually their health meter will will turn white, and then you have
to do like a charge strong attack to get them to do the like the
R one vulnerable big big staff. I think that's been That and the dodge
roll have probably been my two biggest issues with the game, despite really enjoying
it, is that I feel like I'm nailing the rhythm of the timing.
But it's that little bit of pause that you mentioned Tam that like throws me
off of it. Yeah, it's a very it feels like it's not designed
to challenge. It's designed to trick, yes, which is the main thing.
It's like once you once you notice it and you kind of a few
times give it a go. Most times in a from software game, there
are enemies that will do like an anime and that looks like it's coming and
then make it, you know, slow down a little bit or do something
else. You kind of eventually caught on on twit and then you're like,
oh, get this, I'm gonna I'm gonna figure this out and then you're
good with this game. You it never feels right. You never feel like
you get there and you understand it. You just kind of like, I've
never learned the parry timing of an enemy and then felt like I grew from
learning it. I felt like I got lucky a bunch of times. And
then the next time I find that enemy, I'm just like, I clearly
didn't learn anything, because it feels off again, and part of it is
like the timing on the enemies animations and it's also kind of the timing on
PA's kind of counter animation. It's security. It's almost instant, like his
sword is up and it's there. It's like almost a one frame style thing.
It isn't like it feels like that or as there's a few a little
more animating to pee when he does it, and it's unclear what the window
is of like active counter frames. So it's Nevertheless, it's not something that
you have to rely on. You can get around counter stuff just by being
smart with you know, your movement and dodging and that kind of stuff you
have to pay attention to obviously, like the the iframes in your dodge because
it's a little trickier than and as not as obvious, but it's still doable.
You can also quickly upgrade your dodge to add like a second one emmelia
afterwards. Yeah, they introduced that pretty early. Yeah, it's it's as
part of it. It's got so many different systems as well, which is
what I love about it, Like you've got and they're all their own unique
ideas like the count. The count the counter system is great, but it
also has account system. Having account systems great, but on top of having
the second rostyle account system, they have a kind of like a weapon breaking
system, which is really cool. It's like, if you counter enough and
you manage to get it right, you put the enemy in this like really
vulnerable state where they're struggling. And then like the weapons. For example,
pool you pick up a weapon, you can dismantle it, and weapons come
in two pieces. It's got like the handle and the actual blade part of
it, and you can mix and match, so you can have, for
example, I have like a fire X with a electricity handle which lets me
like tank damage and also do fire damage. And it's it's weird and wacky.
And then you can like upgrade p himself and like different kind of attributes
to him, like that second dodge or like improve his health that kind of
stuff. And they're talking about the world is really cool. I like this
darker, weirder Gothic take on Pinocchio. You know, Geppetto has made a
bunch of these puppets and there's other lads involved, and now they're suddenly like
rampaging. They've been corrupted and they killed everyone and you are the only Like
there's like a fundament or covenant between puppets and humans where they cannot disobey or
endanger a human. But obviously Pinocchio is the exception to that. Rules are
lucky. You're out there now trying to undo Jape's or whoever's involved kind of
fuck ups to fix whatever's going on. It's very blood born. It's like
people are hiding and you like walk up to their to their windows and talk
to them and that kind of stuff, but they take it some real wacky
places. It starts off being fairly blood borny, but then it starts getting
real weird with it, and it's like, Okay, you guys went for
it. I'm just like really impressed by it. Yeah, I don't think
it's like again, I don't think it's as good as a from software game,
but it's easily my favorite non from software souls game easily. Yeah,
from the ones that I've dipped into. Also, tim that you mentioned earlier,
like Wo Kong didn't quite hit or feel the best, but this one
is close to feeling there. I also like the different puppet arm attachments,
similar to like a Securo the Spider Man grapple one I've wound up using the
most in my playtime, so far, they're they're fun. It's fun.
Yo. Yeah, it's a good time. And there's like looks of it
will neat touches in there that I really like, such small things. Like
my favorite one and I keep talking about it and it's so small that it's
almost insignificant. Is when you're out there collecting Ergo, which is their version
of souls, and you have enough to to level up, it changes the
color of the counter. So if it's like one thousand, three hundred,
it's white. The moment you get to one thousand and four hundred and that's
what you need to level up, it goes blue. So you know,
it's kind for me to go back, and that's something that like from doesn't
do very much. But then there's also downside where it's like you start off
and you can go to the Stargazers, which are their bonfires, and you
can level up there, and then at a certain point it unlocks the Hunter's
Dream or the the Workshop version in this game, and the doll in there,
and from then on for a really long time you can only just level
up at her, which is annoying. It's like, yeah, you let
me do this before, Why are you making me this. I was confused
when they that started happening for folks start the game fresh. I don't remember
this tooltip popping up or this part being tutorialized. Well, but your weapon
does have kind of a type of durability to it where you do have to
sharpen it like in a Monster Hunter. I at least don't remember the tooltip
popping off. It does pop up, It's very brief, and there's also
an item in your inventory that you immediately have access to. It's unlimited use.
You basically select it and you hold X and he's got like a rotating
blade on the end of his arm that he just like puts his weapons and
it looks it looks cool as fuck, and it does improve like a bunch
of stuff in there, like your abilities as well. Yeah, it is.
That part of it is really really interesting. I feel like this game
would normally scare me, but because of the lessons that I've learned from you,
Tim, I feel mildly invincible and I don't even get frustrated at bosses
anymore. Yeah it is. I am really enjoying it, and now it's
surprised it's on game pass, I believe correctly that's right. I think they
put on game Pass yesterday out of so like it is. Yeah, it's
really like there's no reason to not give it a goal, I will say
if you're playing it, And the one thing I'll say is like, there's
certain builds that feel less viable than others, and froms games, you have
builds that feel less viable, but it's just because you're doing something wacky with
it or start wise, Whereas in this game, I feel like if you
spec into skill I think it is, which is the Dexterity build, the
game is much harder than if you went into like the Power build, which
is strength build. I would recommend if you're playing that game, speck into
Strength. You can still use a lot of the coolest moves and like and
a lot of interesting ideas and or like abilities in there. But I from
from the little I played with that build and speaking to other people, there's
a point where you kind of hit a wall and it's because and you'll struggle
because you're you you've got that Dex build. I usually do Dex builds,
so I didn't have I think for people who are very used to having Dexterity
builds, which means they need to be more focused on defense and also being
very very kind of strict about their damage output. It's probably going to be
fine, but if you aren't used to that, you should think about.
And you don't get a respect option until fairly late. I think it's like
chapter seven or something like that. You if I recall correctly, you can
adjust the weapons with like a different crank right like to to take better advantage
of whichever builds you have. So yeah, crank it away. It's still
very viable. I'm just saying like it is an additional slight layer of difficulty,
and there are there are moments where boss there's like spikes and boss difficult
either are kind of weird at times, but and and just having that combination
of a difficulty spike and also a trickier build might be enough to put you
off. I did think it was neat that like they were kind of throwing
weapons at me from the from the very beginning of like, oh cool,
I wasn't expecting to find another weapon for another five hours, but yeah,
I think I found the same acts you found him, and yeah, they're
going There's also there's also like a like a choice system which unfortunately doesn't amount
to too much. But it's just neat that they put it in there so
you can every now and then people ask Pinocchio questions and you can choose to
lie or not, and that has an impact on the ending. I believe
you get you get three, and I think it's equivalent of the The Blood
Bornes three endings with the umbilical cords, except list like obtuse. But it's
not a major difference from what I've told, what I've been told and read
about. So but it's just a neat little thing where it's like someone to
ask you a question and you have the ability to lie or tell the truth,
and you'd just be like, i' gonna lie right now. And so
far, no nose growing as far as I've seen. On the loading screen,
on the loading screen, the loading bars, there's a big old yeah.
They also do this thing where it says lie or die and like prepared
to lie, which is a nice It's a twist on the dark souls prepared
to die, which I appreciate. It's like good good ship, you're having
fun with it. I'm just like very impressed with this team. I believe
they're called Neo whiz. They're a Korean team. I'm not sure of anything
else that they've done. They're familiar. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they've
they've done, like I want to say, I'm not sure. I don't
think they've done anything as high profile as this. Like I googled them earlier,
and they have like games someone who like Brave nine and The Hero Slayer
or something like that, which sounds like very much like forgettable mobile games.
But yeah, there's there's a bunch of stuff that does not ring any bells,
but there is stuff. Yeah, they have stuff. This is the
first thing where I feel like this is their major breakout moment where I don't
know, I don't know where they go next. I hope it isn't just
more copying or like trying to do more of this, because I worry that
it's This is like a lightning strikes once moment where they did something really impressive,
and if they try and repeat it, it could be a problem even
from Tens not to stick too closely to their own games. One to three
are probably the exception. They have three games in the same series, but
each one of those games is unique in their own different way way. It
feels like a separate game connected by a unified esthetic and idea. They need
to make another souls like game, but continue adapting weird fairy tales. I
suggest take when I need Neo Wiz to take Winnie the Pooh, knew it
exactly that, and then Winnie the Pooh like hanging dong, just guzzles down
blood instead of honey, you know who? I like? Okay, I
feel like they should do Sherlock Holmes. Oh that'd be neat. Actually I
would be pretty fucking sick. Really like the street solving. Yeah, I
felt like if they if they expand out the choice making element of it a
bit more and like work that into a Sherlock homestyle system, where is you
know, doing little investigations and if airly linear, but you can make these
decisions that take you down different branching paths that eventually take you back to like,
oh, we've solved the crime. It was this fourheaded demon. I
got it. They should They should do Sherlock Holmes, but do a twist
Sherlock g nome. Yeah, oh just do just do it all like,
dude, do Sherlock Holmes, but the villain is Winnie the Pooh. I
love it. I love it, combine itblic domain lies of Pooh. I
suggested it. I don't know why I didn't have it there. Dam are
you? Are you running up against our time with you? Sadly? I
am, well, I think, but I can. I can hang out
for a little bit longer. If you was going to say we should take
a quick bricky break, we'll finish off games talk about news. In that
case, I'm out of it all right, dam any anything you want to
want to say to the folks at home, any any plugs the Spider Man
preview with Lucy that's also yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. I
would love to have stayed longer, but I have a few other things that
I need to write up, and I'm very limited on time. So that's
why I'm bailing on the podcast. Otherwise I would have stuck around for the
entire thing. I apologize. I have to work apparently, Tea. Yeah,
I'm actually just gonna go see on my ass. Well, We'll see
you with some more game talk and some news, because there's a lot of
it today. After this quake breaky break folks were now joined by our dear
friend Bailey Myers. Bailey Something something was shared with me during the break that
I think is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I
thought, honestly, I already I thought you already knew. I didn't know
this. I I did not purpose we forgot it, so I knew this.
Bailey plays Mario Party. Yeah, that's her self. Why why Bailey,
I think we're friends now or I can I can say that I care
about your well being? Right? Why do you do this? Well,
it's to keep a demon's dead bay, right, otherwise she would be killing
That's the only thing it's by are you just practicing for when you have to
take on people and market party? It's clearly worked. I think I think
we can file this under the same thing of like, I don't know,
like these pimple Popper video watching people like it's very troubling that that's what they're
into. But as long as they're not hurting anyone and not like pushing the
air influence on anyone else, it's like, all right, go go do
your thing. So I kind of put that in the same category a little
bit. It's not it, it's it's more abhorrent. I mean, of
course, but yeah, Bailey, I'm gonna do a poll here where I'm
gonna ask chat if you're a sick oh or not? Is that okay?
Oh, that's gonna work out in her favor. I'm positive that's fine.
But Bailey, Uh, other than it being Tuesday and it maybe not being
your busy week, I forget, Uh, Bailey, we have you on?
Okay, fantastic, We have you on because some something's popping off,
something's happy. Yeah. Yeah, I got a couple of videos out and
I wanted to tell everyone about them. So tell everyone all about them.
I will. Well. First of all, everyone, please watch the newest
honest game trailers for see if stars Jan's favorite game. Yeah, yep,
to see if we needed a few more weeks to beat Starfield. Uh.
And then also I wrote a new show that is on game Spot right now.
Call that premiered called reality Check. It's hosted by our dear friend of
the show, I'm a fife who we all know and love, who the
most persons I am sometimes and not sometimes. I'm making that that much more
difficult by writing a show for her where we talk about why we can't fuck
non people in Starfield and we're about it. Oh oh, okay, I
promise you you'll be able to do all that. Yeah, well I shouldn't.
I shouldn't have to, that's true. Yes, let us walk the
alien animals. That's what we need. It's it's just like a deep dive
into niche gaming topics and this is about like non human romance options. And
we worked really hard on it, and we went to the zoo. Work
really hard at the zoo because I noticed those were like two separate clauses the
way you said it, we did. She worked a little harder than I
did at the zoo. My job was already done. I was just there
to see the elephants actually filming. I remember asking if you could be on
a upf and you're telling me, jan no, because I have to go
to the fucking zoo tomorrow. It's great. The Los Angeles Zoo is fantastic,
most successful Komodo dragon breeding program in the country. Well that's great to
me. Yeah, that's what I learned, all right, That's when I
learned that day. Okay, uh, maybe we'll all buy a zoo together.
Afterwards, Well, we'll put put a fiver in and then we'll figure
it out. An aquarium, not a zoo. To be clear, there's
okay, alright, alright, well I can't do like a kind of zoo
water zoo. I love that water zook out the zoo. Uh speaking about
out the wa Zoo. There's an obscene amount of video games constantly releasing.
You think it's a slow week, but it's not. Actually not too many.
There's too many, some would say, because I don't believe anyone here
is actually played Mortal Kombat one, but we do have. Okay, all
right, we'll talk about put I mean, I like, look, look,
look, you're gonna get the most surface level ass version of Mortal Kombat
one from me. Okay here, yeah, Disney World or Mortal Kombat one.
I mean, come on, you are the talk about the most Apple
and orange is ass comparison in the history of comparisons. But Disney World,
Okay, No, I really like Mortal Kombat one. But uh, you
know, I'm not a very good fighting game player, right I But I
my Kombat one like it's pretty or Mortal Kombat is a serious has been pretty
welcoming to casual audiences for a very long time. This one seems especially good
at that it does. It's very accommodating. Mortal Kombat three is like my
sort of staple where I was the best I ever was at Mortal Kombat,
which you know is only what twenty five years ago. Quarters. Yeah,
So like I do think, I do think there's there's an approachability to this
game that I was sort of surprised in seeing. You know, I'm one
of those people that's like, I am going to do the tutorial, I
am gonna see what the moves are once and never remember them again or use
them in combat. But I did see the kind of like rock paper scissors
thing that that all I guess all finding games do have to some degree,
but I'm into it. I think they're you know again, like these games
are just so polished and they look so goddamn good. The fatality stuff is
not my thing, but everything else is pretty great. I already do have
the kind of like fatal blow fatigue where I'm just like not fucking since I
shouldn't watch head. It's true though, right, like that is a without
an out of thing. When they debuted, yeah, they they when they
started doing the X ray stuff right whenever whatever one that was, maybe it
was nine, nine or ten, right, I was just like, oh
wow, okay, and now I'm going to watch this for you know,
seven eleven seconds and just sort of like be here for that quick? Is
it that was there was a button to like skip that is that? Would
that be fucked up? I don't think so. I would. I would
welcome it, but I mean part of it. I think it's like the
flow in the match or something that they're worried about preserving. And I don't
know, like, you know, maybe both players would have to agree to
skip it, right, so that the other players not caught off guard or
something. I don't know. Yeah, yeah, I think that's the move
there. I've just been playing Towers. I love how I can mix and
match my cameo characters. I think everything is really I wish I could be
Syrax and Sector. I want to play as those motherfuckers. I now feel
shame for shaming Bailey for doing a solo Mario party, because that's one of
the modes here. Right, It's just a solo Mario party. It's still
very Immortal Kombat what you're doing. But and like the board game is more
just like an overworld map, but it is like they are a little bit
trying to board gamify like this a single player experience and it works really well.
From what Dan showed me in the quick look, it looks like a
really good way, Like if you get through the story, you're like,
I just want to keep playing Mortal Kombat. This is a really good way
to facilitate that. M you know what, Yes, it's the most like
the Smash Brothers single player mode from Ultimate. That's the thing it reminds me
of the most. I just think this one looks better and like more fun.
Are you be smirching the name of Kirby though? Is that? Is
that what we're doing with I never I gotta be careful around these parts doing
that that I could lose a limb. How are you liking the story?
Backlar? Have you have? You didn't started? I don't. Mortal Kommer
Lord is like not interesting to me. It's just I don't look like I'm
not shaming anyone who finds joy in that narrative. No, no, shame
away, please please, It's just not for me. I watched the opening
unskippable cinematic where uh, you know, we're talking about like recreating the cosmos
and that stuff seemed fine, and I don't like it's just none of this
Yeah, honestly, chats right. Like I've seen I've watched two seasons of
Joejoe's Bizarre Adventure. Mortal Kombat is like a flyer you find in a bathroom
compared to that lore, so like, it does not matter to me.
My brain is just too big for it. Of course, right. I
do like the way you're like, oh, they remade the universe. It's
nice for you. That's that's really sweetly You've got that going for you.
It's very sweet. I just like in a game where like everyone's head is
constantly being chopped off, I struggle to find any sort of grounded narrative there.
It's fine. I love the fighting element of it. That's really all
that matters. And yeah, I'm surprised that I've found myself going back constantly
to Mortal Kombat one the last couple of days and playing a lot of that
game. Bailey, are you at all intrigued by Mortal Kombat or Street Furnter
six? How do you fair with the fighting game world? Okay? My
thing with fighting games is it's very it's very weird because I've had I have
a lot of ties to the fighting games because I used to work at a
fighting game company, but I've never been good at them, and I've tried
so hard and I can't fucking do it, and it's it is what it
is, you know. I just I don't have I just don't have it
in me to be good at fighting games. But I know a lot of
Immortal Kombat because I did a lot of really in depth research on the history
of it for a video that came out on game Spot like a month or
two ago, I don't remember, but it was great. You should watch
a history Mortal Kombat. Watch it. And also I thought that the most
recent Mortal Kombat movie was really fun. Okay, I need to ask you
because I thought this, and this bugged me. With the newest Mortal Kombat
movie, I swear to God that Cole's wife in that movie, he was
presented that she was his mother, and then I was very bothered when they
kissed because I thought that was his mom. It was not I read that
completely thought that, but I think at the point that that happened in the
movie. I'm pretty sure if I'm remembering correctly. It was my first movie
back in theaters, like post Lockdown, so I was just like taking it
all in. I saw it at the fucking the Chinese Theater. I was
like, it's a historic moment, Like I have to see the new Mortal
Combat. They had. One of the actresses from the movie was there that
night, and like we were if anyone's ever been to the Chinese theater,
it's like you got these like big sets of stairs that go down like a
big auditorium seating, and she was wearing one of those dresses that like really
constrict your legs, that are like full length but like really tight, and
so she was going down all of these stairs and it took a ship you
not a full ten minutes for her to get all the way down the stairs.
And she gets to the friend, she goes, thank you all so
much for being here, and then walked say. I was like, this
is the greatest thing that's ever happened in cinemall. It's good. I was
so amped after that. That movie was great. You could not have disappointed
me. After that. That was I was so primed to have a great
time. Uh speak about having a great time with Mortal Kombat. There's also
a quick look of Mortal Kombat one out on the site. Now, this
game looks gorgeous. But speaking about having a great time, I think Jeff
Grubb has been having a great time because someone will stop playing this game.
Z. I got a crying kid over here. But I'll try to do
my best. It's it's really really good, and I keep playing it a
lot, and I don't need I don't need you monitoring my behavior online,
Jane Cholla, I just play a lot what Major Mitch has told me,
and so we all see it. We all see it. Jeff. It's
fine. It's I started playing. I played it on that upf and I'm
like, I think I get this. It's but it's like it's a lot,
and I don't know if the juice is ever gonna be worth the squeeze
in terms of like, yeah, maybe I'll get a win, but it
feels like it's gonna be luck and then it's like it turns out no.
It's very much a battle royale, which is in most battle royale video games,
it's about just maximizing your positioning as much as possible so that when the
luck does break your way, you can be in position to win. That
was true and PUBG it's true in Fortnite. It's true Tetris ninety nine,
where you just got to keep make sure you're staying ahead of the curve so
that when when you know someone else makes a mistake, you're ready to get
in there. And this Ki reminds me a lot of Tetris ninety nine,
where you've got to be on top of every little thing. So you need
to be racing well. That means avoiding the cars in front of you,
not hitting the sides. Both those things will slow you down a lot.
But then you also want to be and this is like one of my little
tricks, is you want to be mindful of the cars behind you because there
these little arrows pop up and you want to be having them bump into you
because that gives you a little bit of a speed boost. And then you
want to be getting all of these power ups that fill up your meter so
that you can use your meter at the appropriate time. And you need to
use the meter at the appropriate time so that gives you a superboost, puts
you on a track up above of the normal track where all the other cars
are, and you can reach a thousand kilometers per hour or whatever it is,
and that's a that's a huge advantage. Yes, it's very fast.
It's a huge advant if you use at the right time, and then you've
got to be keeping an eye on your health slash normal boost, which is
like you use your boost, it takes away some of your health, so
it's a risk rewarter mechanic. You want to be doing that about once per
tracks. You need to learn the right place to do that, and then
it's all of these things simultaneously have to be at the top of your mind,
and that just takes practice. So that's why I was playing so much.
It's like I feel myself getting better. And then once I started getting
to a point where I could manage all of these different things, and I
was using the super boost at the right time, in the normal Boost at
the right time, and I wasn't being too aggressive. That's what like.
Now I'm like regularly finishing in the top ten almost every race. I still
have a ton of wins. I think I have four wins and then I
have one win of a circuit, which is like five races, and I
didn't even I didn't want a single race in that, but I was in
the top ten every time, so I was able to or close to the
top ten. So I came out of a number one in that and it's
super satisfying to win. Boy, it feels good. It really is a
very very good feeling, which is what you want from Better Royal, where
it's like you put it on this effort and when you get pull off a
win, it feels like you accomplish something. This is definitely one of those
games. Yeah. Nice. What what do you think is the next game
that should get nine people mentioned? Like Star Fucks ninety nine. I'd like
the idea like a dog a dog fight one that that's pretty cool, but
I don't know if that's it's difficult. What do you think? What's that
Kirby air Ride? Oh? I would love that. Kirby's Air Ride ninety
one would be incredible. Nintendo, Doug, Doug, you're listening, write
the check our good friend, Doug. Absolutely, I would I would dig
that. There's there's a lot of stuff they could go for, but it's
one to Switch ninety nine. Yes, there it is. That's it one
one two ninety nine switch. Yes, let's make it happen. The crime.
What the fuck are you doing? Man? I'm putting these ideas out
into the universe because someone needs to capitalism. All right, someone needs to
capitalism Twisted Metal ninety nine lance what a great idea? Is it a greater?
I mean, look, is F zero ninety nine on paper a good
idea? One hundred car race? But I don't know, like why not
have combat vehicular combat? Yeah? I think about F zero is like there's
not a ton of tracks, so it's like and apparently like people have gone
in and saw there's other modes where it because like this one is it's still
just F zero. It is about finishing first. Yeah, some people in
the back are gonna blow up and like not make the cut, but for
the most part, like eighty people are going to cross the finish line.
I'm like, I'm like, there's still space in this battle royale genre for
like no just the last car standing. It sounds like they might have modes
like that in F zero ninety nine that they're gonna release later, but I
still think like a car combat one that could work. I would I would
be down to try that Mega Man ninety nine the well, like that mini
game from Pokemon Stadium where you're a liqua tongue trying to eat as much sushi
as possible but not the w Sabby, I think that ninety nine, Yes,
definitely where we were all thinking. He's yeah, uh, do you
want to get to the news. You want to talk about this last thing?
Here? I play a little bit heavy duty challenge. You move big
trucks over things. It's okay, it feels like a cheaply made game,
but it touch the thing where the tires go over the mud and then the
mud falls apart, really realistically, And you know that's what I need.
Jan Jan, you know you you love like long haul mud games and desolate
space games. It's like, yes, it is the two different sides of
grub. It is the two wolves inside of him costly howling. They're howling,
They're always howling. That's absolutely right, Like, look at that mud,
good fucked up. Yes, I need it. And then then let's
go to space where I'll never have to see mud again. I don't know,
I don't know what it is. You need absolute mud and the absolute
absence of mud. I'm a spokesperson for absolute mud. It's my favorite vodka.
That's for sure. All right. You know what, Yeah, let's
let's hit the news do them news button. There we go, and I'm
glad. I had it this week, watch out next week whoever's on the
bomb cast. Yeah, Microsoft accidentally uploaded all of their secrets. They will
Yeah, I Phil was just he uploaded the wrong files to the FTCs like
server or whatever, and now I get it. Yes, exactly, that's
the common ye. Anyway, it's there's a lot going on here. We'll
dive into most of it, although some of it's still being like sorted through,
so there'll be more in Game Nest Mornings later this week probably. But
Microsoft is planning to release a redesigned Xbox Series X console in November twenty twenty
four. Right now, it has the code named Brooklyn. It will have
sy Brooklyn. It will have more internal storage, faster Wi Fi, reduced
power consumption, a more immersive controller which we'll talk about in a second,
and a beautiful design. And that beautiful design is a cylindrical shape. According
to the reports. It won't have a disk tray, so they're not going
to do a disk drive on this thing, but it will have two terabytes
of storage instead. But and like the specs aren't really going to be upgraded,
they'll be slightly improved. What that really means probably is they're using a
new chip set that is basically more power efficient. That's where the power,
like the reduced power consumption comes from. But it basically basically it's gonna run
games almost exactly the same. I would assume this is in line with Microsoft.
Microsoft is said about, hey, they don't want to do a pro
version in the middle of the console generation, but they might do something like
this, which is just an Xbox Series X revamped in a bunch of other
ways, and then and it's gonna be five hundred dollars. Still, what's
up, guys? What the fuck are they doing? This isn't a box,
This is a fucking cylinder and slinder serious x Yeah, that's good,
good call out everyone. Everyone's upset about their like data potentially being leaked and
this stuff feeling bad for big Philly. But we should we should be causing
riots right now. A box you're saying, must be square shaped, all
right? Or rectangular cube angles to this shit, baby? Okay? Not
a single one round? Yeah? What is it like? There's a lot
of there's a lot of jewelry boxes and stuff that aren't like perfect squares.
I don't know, I feel like you're being kind of prescriptivists. Yeah,
yes, can be a circle. Yes, you're wrong, Jan, I'm
sorry, can be a circle. A box can be spherical, It could
be cylindrical. Rather, you could do a round box too. All boxes
are circles, but not all circles are boxes. You know, yeah,
you know, all this time we didn't know Phil had it in them,
and now I was gonna show us. All Right, I apologize for darrelling
the news. Alright, Actually, let me do it this general quick.
Just give me a second. I'll be right back. It's a good idea.
I I'm looking at the rest of this stuff here, and I gotta
say, from a tech perspective, back, lark, I don't press.
I don't need no, I don't think anybody I think. I think it's
that's the right time to buy it if you don't already have one, but
I don't. This is not like a half step upgrade console in the way
of like a pro or anything like that. I'm sure girl will come back
and reiterate how that's the case. But this is not a thing where you're
like, well, my refrigerator xbox is no longer relevant. I must upgrade
to the cylinder. It's what about it's gonna be a thing that the controller
is intriguing. Though. What about these hot Starfield raps that I'm putting gonna
buy for this Xbox? I can't put them on the cylinder? No,
I mean I love the I love the Starfield raps. They're so fucking cool.
Like, what's why? Why release something cool like that and then immediately
make it so I can't use it? Okay, the controller looks sick.
I think it's different. Controller looks like it it's been dipped. Oh.
I think Starfield's color packaging is very, very good. I like the brand.
I like what they did with the packaging of that stuff. It's a
shame that I just find myself so disinterested in that video game. The problem
is, like all of the colors that they've used for the Starfield promotional stuff
are so much brighter and more interesting than anything you can put on your character
in Starfield. Like the first day I played it, I searched for hours
just to find my character a slutty little crop top so I could relate to
her better. Nothing, fucking nothing, that's space. What you know space?
You can't wear a crop top? Definitely sluts in space? Oh yeah,
I mean, I'm making my way through Cowboy Bebop. I'm aware.
Yeah, let me dress her up like Fay Valentine and then we can talk.
You're not getting an honest game trailer for that game until then. Hear
that hold hostage warnings warning I want to wear a crop yeahs all wear crop
tops and rock in there we go, all right, all right, this
controller it's uh, it's also going to be updated. It's got a codenamed
Sabill. Do with that what you will. Uh. It's got new features
including improved precision haptic feedback using voice coil actuators which double as speakers, basically
just haptics that happen to be speakers. That that makes sense because like the
haptics on in the in the duel sense really work because they always pair it
up with a sound. So it's like you can like complete it in your
brain, like, oh, I know what they're trying to go for,
I'm going over gravel or something like that, so making that the same thing,
that's fair. It also have an accelerometer which will have a lift to
wake features, so lift up the control or your Xbox will turn on.
That sounds annoying, actually don't. I'm not gonna use that. And then
yeah, because like I'm gonna be cleaning the table and I'll pick it up
into my xbox. Is gonna turn on, That's gonna turn on the TV
and I'm in the middle of the night. I hope it's hope. It's
like the eight Bit though, where you like really have to violently shake it,
shake you show it. Who's boss? Yeah? Yeah, you want
to make it all dizzy and whatnot. That's how's your father? Yeah?
More things for me to assume there's a ghost in my house exactly. That
modular thumbsticks a rechargeable battery, which but you can people have been asking for
for a while, stop the press is what. Chargeable batteries and my controllers
I hate them actually because they always go bad after a year and then you
got to control it last for two hours. And if they always go bad
after a year, what do you mean? What like my jewels since last
like an hour and a half. It's because it's a rechargeable battery. Well,
maybe the capacity is the problem. I'm with you. I think those
are like not impressive battery lengths, but like I don't know, don't do
that better? I don't. I don't know. I don't have to tell
you now. But these rechargable batteries, they do mention can be swapped out.
So that's something because because if you can put in a new one on
the fly, then we're then we're all good. I suppose I don't have
to get Hopefully it's just like a double aced kind of a chargeable battery.
We'll see, yeah, I know. And then if they're gonna have quieter
buttons and thumbsticks, I don't. I like my loud dumb sticks and buttons,
but I get it, I do. Are they loud? Are they
louder? Everyone click? I have a dual sense. Son, No,
you're using two I can't wait. What's happening here? That's very loud.
That's actually very loud. It is. I guess it's good for a keyboard,
not for a controller. It's satisfying, but I don't know. I
don't have it. It's feel like a jeweler. I don't have Handy because
it's the only console that I don't like personally own. That's okay. You
have a competent, you have a PC. It's okay, Bailey. I
don't have a feel like such a fake You don't you have a PC,
you don't need one. That's exactly all the games are on there. I
mean, we've established I'm a fake gamer anyway, so's we're all fake gamers
together. Good for us, absolutely, high five. Differently, I'm just
gonna go play more fzero ninety nine and avoid all these new games. That's
what I'm doing. Hey, I like loading batteries. That's it. Look
at that. Oh that's a good sound. I like that. That's good
stuff. Sorry, no, it's okay. More news here. Microsoft is
looking to launch its next gen console in twenty twenty eight. Microsoft has been
targeting at twenty twenty eight launch window for its next Xbox console, as mentioned
in a May twenty twenty two meeting attended by top company executives, including CEO
Satya Nadela and Head of Gaming Phil Spencer. May have it may have flexible
hardware specifications and be more developer friendly than previous consoles. Microsoft believes that mid
cycle hardware refreshes are not helpful for creators or players, and that current console
cycle is still young. Microsoft's next gen vision this is like some of the
details here, which is actually some of the stuff sounds pretty wild. Microsoft's
next gen console Xbox series X, X, X and S would represent not
just a new device, but a new ecosystem generation. Executives outlined this plan
in that made twenty twenty two meeting. Console generations usually just involved a new
offering of one or two models of a new, more powerful piece of gaming
hardware. The leaked presentation on Microsoft's so called Gen ten offering including consoles,
phones, web browsers, a handheld system PCs, and a cloud console with
a shared operating system available across devices. According to the presentation, Microsoft has
already selected ARM sixty four architecture for the core devices CPU. The company expected
delivery development kits to game creators by twenty twenty seven ahead of a twenty twenty
eight launch. That would be a big change going from X eighty six to
ARM sixty four for their processor. And basically the simplest way to explain this
is the switch uses ARM. Now they use it's going to be a something
different version of ARM. Like all your phones use ARM. All the all
these mobile devices basically use that. But they're becoming so much more powerful these
days that it makes some sense because this gives you the most flexibility, which
sounds like they want to go for now. They did also like they're like,
hey, we want to do a handheld Xbox, but they're like,
we would probably do this with a partner and not make it ourselves because the
resources it would take to get that spun up. I wonder if that changes
now after they see what happened with the Steam Deck. I suppose that was
probably happening when they originally had that meeting, though, so I don't know.
All right, more news here. Yes, the cloud gaming aspect is
going to return. So Microsoft plans to release a next gen Xbox console late
twenty twenty eight that we were just talking about, and it will use cloud
processing to improve performance enabled new game experiences. The company has been working on
cloud gaming for over a decade and has already implemented it in some Xbox games.
But now it's you know, obviously they tried this once before with the
Xbox One, where it was going to be better with the cloud. That's
something they are going to return to with the next system. They've been silently
working on this for a while. I mean, obviously that's one of the
things Kojima is working on with there with his game for Xbox exactly. So
they are probably looking for a big coming out party for this tech where they
like, hey, here's a game that really is better because it's using the
cloud and it's not just a Microsoft flight simulator, which is something that I
think a lot of people are like, yeah, I get it, but
I'm never gonna play that game. They're looking for a way to like,
hey, make make games seem better because they are running on the Azure Cloud
server or something like that. I think this is all a smoke screen.
I think they're just trying to get Final Fantasy seven onto the Xbox. This
is the game that's the cloud gaming of the future. Absolutely, yes,
So that's what Phil Spencer's always been. Cut the check, fail, cut
the check. Uh okay, well, speaking of cutting the check, Phil
Spencer and Microsoft, we're trying to acquire Nintendo in the year twenty twenty twenty.
What sorry, what Findintendo? Well, listen, they took they had
conversation. Okay, you know in twenty twenty, Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer
wanted to acquire Nintendo. He believed that Nintendo was a key asset for Microsoft
and gaming and that a merger would be a good move for the companies.
However, Nintendo was not interested in being acquired. Yeah, yeah, and
horrific for planet Earth, like great for Microsoft, and you know, world
ending for the rest of humanities, Like, wouldn't it be nice if we
own that? Yeah, man, probably would probably be really nice for you.
It'd be nice if we all individually owned a lot of things. That
doesn't mean we just get to go buy Nintendo Io. I'll hear this.
I don't even want to hear this as a freaking thought experiment. This sucks.
So he is antitrust loss, yes, and he's aware that like Nintendo
was like not really super hot on the idea that was like him. He
had to kind of explain that to other people at Microsoft. He suggested that
he believe Nintendo's future exist off of their own hardware, which is wild in
a world where they game sell like fifty million copies on just Switch, but
claimed it was taking a long time for the company to see that without that
catalyst, I don't see an angle to a near term mutually agreeable merger of
Nintendo and Microsoft, he explained to other execs inside of Microsoft. And I
don't think a hostile action would be a good move. Yeah, hostile takeover
Nintendo would be something everyone would love. So we're playing the game. Uh
huh. But our board of directors has seen the full right up on Nintendo
and Valve, and they are fully supportive on either if opportunity arises, as
am I Valves out there, like what what? What the fuck? I
mean? Valve's a privately owned company. They're not even like you couldn't even
go out and buy the shares, but you couldn't assume that eventually gave Newell
is gonna want to be like, what's wait, I'm not gonna be around
forever some what I'm gonna have to like do something here, but I don't
know he's going to leave it. Through Swords is my favorite first person shooter
of all time. But mentioning Valve in the same breath as Nintendo is insane.
Phil, What are you talking about? I love weeks. You get
to see all the most embarrassing emails and power points that never made it past
to the initial marketing rounds, where you're just like, I don't know,
Phil, maybe take that one back to the drawing board. By both of
these, I see what like what like. In the context of this conversation,
I'm like doing the short version here. The context of the conversation is
like, what would be the biggest pie in the sky? Possible moves we
can make that would completely redefine everything, and that are also in the realm
of possibility. Nintendo, we all know not in the realm of possibility.
Valve is not like some impossible thing, though, So I get like he's
like, at some point getting Nintendo would be a career moment, is how
he describes it. Oh yeah, I'm sure, and I honestly believe a
good move for both companies. It's just taking a long time for Nintendo to
see that their future exists off their own hardware. And then he reiterates a
long time. Someone should let me be in a CEO because of all of
my wild ideas. I think, I think I would do a major disservice
to humanity, but it'd be really fun. Yeah, I mean, but
if Microsoft just buys Apple, let's let's keep dreaming. You know, it's
just all this like wildly irresponsible consolidation that is horrifying. It's like their job
to like like have all these ideas, but it is weird just to see
it written out right, just to have someone's like, oh, they really
did have that conversation. That's crazy, and like it would be it would
be probably anti competitive for Microsoft, the company that owns Windows, to be
the company that also owns Valve, the biggest PC gaming store, that would
be a tough one, I think for them to get past regulators. I
mean, Nintendo is a whole other thing. Honestly, I don't even know
what that would look like, how do you even pull that off? That'd
be impossible. But yeah, I don't like it's weird these companies. It's
we have these laws against price fixing, right, Like if all these companies
got together and decided, hey, we're going to work together to fix prices,
that would be super illegal. But if you're just a company and you
buy everyone and then you decide to fix those prices, that's like totally for
Yeah, but there's yeah, but they're the market still operates that way.
There are still like, you know, that sort of pricing like matching and
and and that sort of strategy that's sort of like don't step on their toes
and we won't step on yours, right, Like that sort of thing.
It's like gentlemen's agreements behind closed doors that sort of stuff. Where did this
leak out of? Like? How did we where? So? Microsoft apparently
uploaded unredacted files to the FTC server as part of the activision case. So
it was like someone that Microsoft sped, Yes there was a giant rake,
and they're just like, man, that's looking juicy, gonna step on that
juicy rake. Well, baby, man, I love your ambition, but
I have a switch on my desk and not an Xbox for a reason,
Kitto can't coma. Oh there's a buggy, I see it. Yeah,
that's very opinions about this too. Let her chime in. Yes, someone,
someone please photoshop Phil Spencer as Craven the Hunter. Okay, I already
happened for Xbox weirdos. All right, let's see here there's more U Phil
Spencer and Mike Stoff. We're getting a tindo and then the next story.
Dishonored three and more showed up in a leaked game list from Zinni Max zinny
Max's management forecast. This is pre COVID, so a lot of these things
have been delayed. But if you look at it, you'll see stuff like
Dishonored three, a new Doom game, and remasters of the Elder Scrolls,
Oblivion and follow three. We now know that that remaster of Oblivion is happening,
so that this list is still red mostly probably very relevant. But at
one time they're like, we're gonna put out Starfield in like heim, we
see if I can make this big enough for me to actually read it.
Starfield was going to come out in fiscal year twenty one, and then the
Elder Scrolls six was gonna come out in go year twenty four, and well,
we know that's definitely not going to happen now, but that's the kind
of thing that they were looking at doing. And these other games on here,
most of them have come out or we do know about. And then
there's the handful of like Fallout three remaster, which is probably one of the
ways that they're going to try to keep Fallout relevant. It says Ghost Wire
Tokyo sequel. Yeah, I mean I thought that was Immortal Slam. That's
what it's reminded me of. All the stuff did much better than Immortals of
Avum. That Ghost had a much better style too. I think, well,
no, it's just all the hand jazz, you know. Yeah,
there's a ton of like weird sign language looking stuff almost in a way,
which is pretty interesting this man, I mean start again, it's American and
all we were like string stuff too. Did you notice that, like remember
those games where like peoples play with a string and with lies of p and
sync is getting back together? Oh, cut the check fail? What's happening.
I'm just trying. I'm just trying to have cut the check go over
as my new catchphrase. It's handful, you know, maybe this go ghost
wire, like hopefully they do, like do it again and like just like
better right, Like I'd be okay with that. They're something before that happened
before. Yeah, if the sequel does a big improvement, that's normal for
gaming at this point because like getting a team together and making a new game
hard is almost always going to have result in about a seven point five out
of ten. It takes so much work to like get something like across the
finish line, the idea that you're going to be good at everything as well.
It's like no, but the second game, maybe you can bring that
stuff together two Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I mean an Assassin's Creed too.
I think it's the one I always think of where it's like Assassin's Creed
is and then Assassin's Creed two is very very good too, the best first
person shooter of all time. This is just a joke I'm gonna keep saying,
and everyone in chat is gonna assume I'm not joking, and it's gonna
be really fun for me chat. Uh So, yeah, this this leak
was was huge. There's still more stuff coming up, but this was the
stuff I was able to gather up before the show this morning. I don't
know what, like, there's gonna be any fallout from any of this in
terms of people, you know, the Microsoft partners with getting mad at Microsoft
for making this big booboo or whatever something like that. Or Nintendo's relationship with
nintend or with the Microsoft is going to be like more frosty or whatever.
It's like you were going to try to buy us, You're gonna talk about
hostile takeovers. I don't know. I think most people are gonna be just
assume it's business. Is normal to me. The big thing here is the
next Xbox being an arm based thing. Very strange. I kind of want
to see what that's actually gonna end up. Looking like i'd wear it on
arms, you would you're gonna look like a very cool dude, like like
Jack so cool. Yeah, all right, so let's see here. Starfield
is a salesman, get hit. Starfield is the fifth fastest selling game in
Europe this year based on its launch week performance. It is also the biggest
Xbox launch this generation in Europe, ahead of Forts the Horizon five. The
data does not take into account early access or game pass sales, but if
you line up week one sales for all these games this year in Europe,
Hogwarts, Legacy, Diablo four, The Legends, All the Tears in the
Kingdom, and Star Wars Jetta Survivor all performed better than Starfield, but Starfield
is ahead of Residumeable four, Final Fantasy sixteen F one twenty three, Dead
Island two, NBA two K twenty three, and most of the other games
on this list are not on game Pass. So even despite being on game
Pass, a lot of people showed up to purchase this game, And even
if you take out early access stuff, which is everyone buying that game for
one hundred dollars. Kind of like, you know, I think the becko
you were saying, like you heard like people outside in public at like a
soccer game right, kind of talking shit about the game. I think that
Starfield is one of those one for a kind of space. It was supposed
to go out there. You are not that far away. I mean.
At the same time, like they did make good points, I thought like
I didn't engage. I didn't really know them. Mud. This is like
like Baldish gayo, Baldish gates. What I'm playing. I'm supposed to get
my slut on. I want to be a space slot in this game's limiting
me. Uh will definitely let you be a slut. So like there,
you're definitely I'm more excited for I like to I want to be a little
puppet boy. Okay, sorry, go ahead, that's awesome. All right,
let's see your. Unity's changes to its reviled install fee plan leak ahead
of announcement. Unity has backtracked on its controversial install fee policy following a backlash
from every single game developer on the planet. The new policy will limit fees
to four percent of a game's revenue over one million dollars. Installations will no
longer be retroactive, and Unity rely on users to self report installation data.
Unity CEO Johenre Caatello acknowledged that the company could have done a lot of things
better. Hey does Unity three? Does Unity actually make a Unity game?
No, clearly they make it like a Disunity product now at this point,
but they don't make anything that's called It's not like Unreal, like where there's
the Unreal game or anything like that. Okay, because I was gonna say,
we should just like fire up the Unity game and just constantly refresh it.
There you go, Yes, work yourself. The phrase they used in
the apology tweet was like, we're sorry for the confusion and angstallate like listening
to my chemical romance because all these indie devs are getting fucked over. Like
yeah, man, absolutely, those are the two emotions I can think of
when I saw the response to this, bonettit ass decision great, it's who
does this? So why would you do this? I mean, the only
explanation here continues to be that this is a company that desperately needs money.
They have a ton of debt, and they they don't have a lot of
path forward for growth, and they tried a bunch of stuff nothing's really worked,
and now they're they might as well commit supuku. Yes, And that's
definitely what they've done because no one wants to work with him anymore. They
might as well like go out there and get a sword and do them to
what needs to be done, because because this is what is, because like
no one like if you're making a game today, I just don't see anyone
being like, well, I'm gonna go with you, like that's gonna be
a good thing. Five years from now when I'm releasing this game, that'll
be something I can trust will be there and we'll have my back. Like
no way, this is They're done. I think they're cooked. They didn't
to themselves. I can't remember a more. I can't remember more a recent
example of someone more like instantaneously just reversing all goodwill just completely. I think
maybe Drew Barrymore is my best. That whole arc was amazing. I'm like
she managed to recover from it. I don't think Unity can no. I
think I think they have not managed to figure a way to one eight.
This absolute stupid shit they've pulled because they are still trying to mostly get away
with it here, like they still want to be like charge people for charge
developers for having people install your game, and they're like, yeah, we're
gonna have all these limits on it, but those limits could go off over
time. No one, no one's gonna trust them on this. So uh
yeah, they're they're in a tough situation in terms of ever turning this around,
and they're not even trying that hard to turn it around. Really.
They still think this is the only way that they're going to be able to
survive, and good luck with that. Unity, let's see. Nintendo started
talking to Activision about the switch to last year. Nintendo briefed Activision Blizzard on
plans for its next gen console in December twenty twenty two. Activision expected the
console's performance to be comparable to the PS four and Xbox One. That's before
all the DLSS magic, so that's going to be the raw power in terms
of performance. However, Activision CEO Boby Kotta claimed July twenty twenty three that
Activision was unaware of the specifications for specifications for the Nintendo's next console. Uh,
he probably is, just like, I don't know what processors in there,
but I think he probably does know it's generally around a PS four or
Xbox one, which is I think what everyone's kind of expecting in terms of
a handheld from Nintendo coming from h the same company that made the Switch that
had relatively outdated mobile hardware when it launched. That's probably going to be the
same case or the switch to. Uh, we do hear about this thing,
probably pretty soon, so we're not We're gonna have to wait like so
much more long longer before we find out what this thing is capable of.
But for now, I don't know. Do you guys have any like high
hopes for switch to in terms of being able to play games much better than
it can? Like, is anyone here hoping, Hey, that thing I
wanted to be able to play four K games on my TV? No?
No, I don't expect it to, do you. I guess that's the
one big question mark, Like do you think it'll make that four K jump?
Because didn't they still be put in four K? Right? But it's
not going to render or anything in four Yeah? Yeah, yeah, I
guess it's it's fo Yeah. I'm not gonna take my Hundai Sonata racing and
be like, why won't it go so fast? That's not what it's for.
It's for my little Celda games. Yeah, that's left. Wow.
Switch card cartridge slot cats. Yeah, that's it's got really good like latency.
Yes, I'm trying to think of one single gaming word one even what
it's got blast processing? That really nice? Tannin's I don't know. Uh,
yeah, it's they'll probably output in four K. They're not going to
render anything in four K. Maybe a couple of games with like DLSS would
be like, yeah, we can put out in forty four K and thirty
frames per second. That's gonna be right few and far between, and most
people are not even going to notice or care about that difference. Nintendo games
will probably continue to be ten eighty on TV and seven twenty on handheld.
Maybe they increase the resolution on the screen for the hand held. I that's
kind of a headache because they got all these seven twenty P games for the
switch. You might as well just keep it because a ten ADP screen for
that's like seven or eight inches is not that much better than a seven twenty
P screen at seven or eight inches. Back, go ahead, I guess
out of the gate. You know, even I even remember when the when
we were at that you know, New York Switch launch event many many years
ago, and the first thing realizing like, oh the bezel on this thing
is pretty substantial, I think out of the gate, Like, I'm I'm
optimistic that that stuff won't be as glaring of an issue. But I guess
there's really not that many things from the portable experience that need to be that
much better, right, Like they it's pretty much gonna be the same thing,
right, I mean what they don't need to change much at all.
I guess, you know, you improve the Joycon controllers or whatever, maybe
introduced entirely new controllers so that you could just leave the Joycon name behind,
because that's sort of been somewhat tainted. Yeah outside of that, yeah,
yeah, that's literally Like I feel like I hear so many complaints about the
way the Switch runs, and that's just not something I've personally experienced. I
feel like sometimes like I'm living in an alternate reality. Like if I complain
about Balder's gate bugs and then I get yelled at like they have no bugs,
I'm like, they listed it's very buggy. What are you talking about?
But with Switch, I've never really encountered any problems. I think just
because I'm like, if I'm going to play like a huge fucking mega game
that's available on another console. I'll play it on that other console, and
then the switches for it's my Tetris ninety nine system. It's where I played
my Tetris ninety nine. I think the one time I've had a hard crash
was playing uh Wolfenstein on the switch. Oh, play it on something else
exactly. Yeah, I mean, I definitely think like to see something like
the Zelda game running at sixty would be amazing. I mean, I think
there's a lot of stuff that could get better. But yes, it's completely
serviceable and it is not in any way like a deal breaker by anything.
Activision Blizzard hasn't had a ton of Switch games. They've had a few.
I haven't had a ton, though, and uh body Cotic on the stand
during the Activision Microsoft merger deal with the FTC. He said, Hey,
I regret not supporting the switch. More in fact, I regret not having
call of duty on the switch in some form because we missed out on a
lot of money. We missed, we miss judge what the switch would be,
and then we got behind. Yes, exactly all nuts. I should
I could have made more money. So so Nintendo going there and giving this
presentation pretty early on it probably trying to win over Activision. That probably will
be more effective. But I still wonder how third party games like Call of
Duty is going to come to Switch, because that's what Microsoft is they're going
to do. Is anyone going to care because not a lot of people cared.
I mean it ran bad Apex Legends, but the Apex Legends didn't doesn't
make a ton of money on the Switch for examples. So be curious to
see what support looks like from a company like Activision. Uh, they're gonna
put Wow, They're gonna pull Wow on the Switch. That's it. Yes,
no other console, just the Switch. I would like that. That'd
be very fun to see. Uh all right. Hades two Early accesses launching
next year. I'm very excited of the sequel in twenty game is scheduled to
release in early access in Q two twenty twenty four. It will be a
both on Steam and Epic Games. This time. Technical test will precede the
early access launch though, so we will be able to get our hands on
a little bit before that. The full game will be released after the early
access period, which will include more content and updates, as they are wont
to do with these early access games. So excited me too. I like,
someone mentioned this new story the other day and I was like gripping my
chair because I was like, wait, us it out now. Because they
originally said it would be out in early access this year. Obviously we knew
that wasn't really going to happen as we got kind of later and later into
the calendar. But Q two twenty twenty four, I'm gonna be there.
Hades two is one of my most anticipated games by far, so this will
be great. Finally, there was the State of Play in the Nintendo Direct.
Just to highlights here from the State of Play, Final Fantasy seven Rebirth
got a February twenty ninth release date. There's that Spider Man footage Tam talked
all about by actually playing it though, so good. There Resident Evil four
Separate Ways DLC is due out in like two days from when we're recording this
September twenty Feet Roadblocks is coming to PS four and PS five on October tenth.
Hell Divers twos it's gonna be PS four and then it'll run on PS
five. Hell Divers two is launching on February eighth, and Foam Stars is
getting an open beta on September twenty nine. We talked over that thing.
We gave our opinions on already, so if you want to see us react
to that, that's available on the site for the Nintendo Direct paper. Mario
the Thousand Year Door HD is coming in twenty twenty four. That was exciting.
A reimagining of Mario versus Donkey Kong the Game Boy Advanced Game is coming
February sixteenth, fzero ninety nine. Shadow dropped. Princess Peach Showtime is coming
March twenty second, or birthday, with Peach in a detective outfit a bunch
more. It looked great. There's a tumb Raider one two and three remaster.
Another Code Recollection is a bremaster of those two games, Trace Memory and
another Code r and then Unicorn Overlord is a new tactics RPG from Vanilla Ware
that looked very, very promising as well. Ah, that doesn't for the
news, jan I'm handing the show back over to you. Here we stand
World's apart, Heart's broken in two two two, sleepless sleepless nights, losing
ground. I'm reaching for you, you you. It's the lyrics of Separate
Ways, you know, beautiful movie bribe, separate man, I touched me
and the journey that I've been on with journey, huh breaks my heart all
the time. Sure, I just I didn't recognize it as journey because you
were performing at like slam poetry. Man. I hate being part of the
ten percent of Filipinos. I can't fucking thing anyway. It's completely unfair.
It's really pulled the bed straw there, budd. You know I got everything
else except a nursing degree. It's fine I talked about. I'm just thinking
of my own inadequacies that I've built into my own self now. So it's
okay. I'm gonna take quick, pricky break in I'll read some emails from
the fine folks at home. Right after this. I can't stop thinking about
the Muppets. We weren't even talking about the Muppets during break. We were
talking about a separate group of puppets, but like Pumper related adjacent Muppet adjacent
man perfet the frog? What's he? OPTU? Is he? Okay?
Is he a right? I think you can just message Lucy on slack.
Yeah, yeah, I did go to the Muppet theater thing at Disney That
was very good. I'll say, yeah, oh you saw Muppet Vision.
I did. That's the best thing. When they got rid of that in
Disneyland, I pitched a fit. That's the only thing I've been upset about
ever. Oh that's interesting. I think, like, I don't know.
I was sitting in front row, and I think, like, the one
part of that story that is tragically stupid is just like the three D cartoon
that they create in the like the cartoon character. I hate that little fucking
thing. I think it's really stupid. You're supposed to like him. I
think he's supposed to be unlikable. Yeah, and like three D sucks,
and this is a representation of three D manifested right. Mike helped me out.
I guess the thing's name is Waldo or whatever the fuck. And the
effect is so strong in the first row that like, I found myself cross
eyed a lot, and I was just sort of like, this feels bad.
I'm here for the air conditioning and entertainment. Right, you close your
eyes, you take a da bubbles. Oh. I closed my eyes through
about half of it. But nevertheless, I enjoyed it. I'm just there
to hear Sam Eagles say a salute. To all nations, but mostly America.
Line in Disney. Oh Sam, it's good. Yeah, you scandalous,
you scammed level, it's great. Dan is just Gonzo, right,
yes, yes, from another planet. Doesn't realize it. Gonzo's an alien.
Yeah, yeah, I don't think I knew that. I don't think
I knew. I don't think I knew that. What are our muppets?
I feel like I'm Statler and Waldorf, both of them. Yes, if
you're both of them? Okay, tons off of each other in an individual
Wait, I got it. I feel like who else am I supposed to
identify with? If not those two freaks. You could be the Buzzer No,
no, no, she could be Statler, he could be Waldorf.
You could be Oscar the ground. Now it sounds like a Jewish joke,
but that's fine. I think a little bit. Wow you because I heckle.
No, but Oscar the Grouches is not a muppet. He's the Sesame
Street again, muppet adjacent. Yeah, talks in corporation. Yeah, yeah,
I want to keep it outside of Sesame Street if we could. But
yes, Oscar makes sense. Yeah, I'll be I'll be the sweetish chef.
That's that works for me that I don't want to be got to be
the Kermit Sorry boy, sorry, got very use Those are muppets. They
were all made by Jim Henson, all the same characters. All right,
Then I could be motherfucking Raphael. Then I guess because that too is a
Jim Henson creation. Like that's a bit different, you know, it's different.
Bye, I don't want to. I don't want to come to the
realization like I like doing this fantasy casting stuff. Oh, Mike just messed
up through camera. Yeah, unbelievable when it comes to properties, because I'm
like, oh, that's fun. What do people think? Am? But
someone once said when I brought this question up a long time ago, that
I'm the what's his fucking name? I'm the scooter of the crew, And
that just the meanest thing anyone say over here. Oh God is because I
do have hold the clever and I make sure it's going. You got the
classes even kind of like, yeah, there is we're almost the same shade
of brown. I know there is a Is there a band number that you
remind me of? No, I'll I'd rather take Rolf. I'd take Yeah,
let's go with that. I take secret piano player. I love it.
I've anyway bobcasting giant bomb dot com. It's the place to send your
emails to any most fart of the show, there's an email show. I'm
not Scooter h BombCast bomb dot com. God damn it's true. Uh hey,
Muppet Babies the original one still a banger of a show. Archive dot
org if you want to watch that ship. That is the first place that
I learned about Star Wars. So, oh yeah, the Buppet Baby episode.
Yeah, what was that? Bailing? Great? I'm sorry, that's
just really good. That's like the first time that I heard the one song
that's the Charmed theme song was as the Charmed theme song. Oh god,
you know the one? Yes I do farm Hereman and Arnie love that one.
Yes, yeah, okay. I also learned about RoboCop at first because
of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Sure Robomunk, I think is what they named
him. It was not as graphic as the actual movie anyways, but not
quite. First email comes from Terrell from is PA Philadelphia. Who knows?
I mean, yeah, you know that in Pittsburgh and I don't know nothing
but California and New York. You don't know what the You don't know one
of me? Don't You don't even tried fight? Wait for real, you
don't know. I don't know where shit is? No, no, I'm
asking about the two letter abbreviations. Oh I in Pennsylvania is never top of
mind for me, No offense. I don't worry about what's CT Connecticut?
Yeah? Okay, what's m O Misssouri? That's what I was. Yeah,
I think. Yeah, the two coastal elite millennials don't know shit anything.
If you would ask either of us what a septic septic tank is,
I don't I can't answer you. I'm so busy living within striking distance of
the beach, you know, right, Yeah, well wait, actual ocean
beach. Shit. Shit, my beach is literally called ocean beach. That's
amazing, all right. First email comes from Terrell. Hey everyone, I
know console wars have always been a thing, but it seems within the last
five to eight years it's reached a fever pitch of toxicity and negativity. Because
of this space I'm making. Because of this I am making a conscious choice
to drastically pull back from engaging with the gaming community and industry. I'm tired
of hearing about Nintendo having kiddie games, PlayStation games being movies, or Xbox
somehow being in trouble because Starfield was not was only one of the biggest releases
of the year. I'll play my games in peace and that's okay. Uh
smiley face emoticon. Have you ever pulled back from me hobby or interest because
of the community or personalities within said hobby. Thanks for everything. So we're
all from pa send from my iPhone. I think it's I think I probably
have a little bit, But it turns out the real solution is just get
off because this is all happening on YouTube and Twitter, these places where people
get rewarded for this kind of behavior. Yeah, like like they like,
YouTube is monetized. It has turned into a business. It's a cottage industry
to be someone who stirs up the console wars and you can make a good
living doing that. A lot of money you can be made by being that
person. So of course we're getting more of it than ever because it's it's
you're you're being incentivized to do that. So there's never been a better time
to be a huge piece of shit. Exactly. Yes, it's really rewarded.
For it now it is, so I just stay off in those parts
of YouTube. I I blocked the people on Twitter who behave that way,
and that's the real solution for me. I get like, if like it
bums you out in general, and you're like, is kind of tainting the
whole exercise. I don't blame you. I get it, sure, I
mean it makes perfect sense. Like I you know, I've I've not felt
this because I just don't. I've like, I've put on blinders to it
for so many years that I that I don't like feel it the weight of
it as I did maybe ten years ago. So you can there are tools
in place for you to not experience this. Have I ever left a hobby
because of the toxicity of it with it? I don't think so. Man,
that's a really sad thing. I don't. I don't think I've ever
had that certain Yeah, I feel like there's just certain online spaces I don't
engage with. Like I'm not going to even talk about gaming, because as
we know, it is completely super easy to be a woman in gaming,
but I I will say that, like, I don't like I love K
pop. Jan knows this, We all know this. But I'm never ever
going to talk about it online because that is a that is a fandom that
scares the shit out of me that I can'll rip you limb from limb,
They'll rip you limb from them. They're like hungry wolves that love good music.
I just love good music, but I'm not that hungry of a wolf.
You know. It's so like, you can't run with that pack,
no way, Yeah I can, so I say, I just stay separate.
I don't engage with anything beyond the song itself, and I feel so
much happier about that. I think there's just some stuff that like, that's
what it is, like the space is toxic. Don't go into the space,
enjoy the thing on its own merits, and pretend no one else likes
it except for you. Yeah, now that you mentioned that, with music
like there's there are subsets of fans that take things way too seriously, and
I think people need to stop taking things so fucking seriously. Yeah, that's
that's why I watched sports by myself usually because oh, I feel like I
take it the exact level that I want to take it, which it can
be pretty serious, but I don't want to infect anyone else with my level
of enthusiasm, and I don't want someone else who's like who gets super upset
to be bumming out my vibe. So I kind of like, I'm gonna
watch my team by myself in my basement, and that's where I'm happiest with
it. Act. Yeah, it's just I mean, I don't know.
I think I think there's just such a level of seriousness with like the entertainment
we engage with that is unwarranted and outsized. Like I do remember like when
I first started working at Fandom, I was like hosting a trivia thing and
I was so nervous and one of my bosses was like, Bailey, we
are not saving lives here. And I was like, oh my god,
you're so right, like and immediately just stopped taking any of it particularly seriously
other than in the I wanted my work to be good sent it's like yeah,
And I think more people who engage with this stuff kind of need to
remember that like it it's not it's it's for fun, and if it's no
longer fun, you're kind of not doing it right. Yeah. Yeah,
I've seen this float around, but like there's there's a mentality that's been prevalent
over the last decade or so of what about me? You know what?
Sometimes yo, you don't matter better, but almost statistically almost never. Yeah.
When Grub was saying the next Xbox is going to come out in twenty
twenty eight, I was like, we're not fucking getting that far. My
tax dude yesterday was I was like, hey, so your next season and
he was like if I live that though, huh. I'm like, yo,
yo, yo, chill out, dude. I know you're an accountant,
but still tomorrow, what are you gonna do? You know? And
I was like, hey, like that. That autograph is really cool.
It's Barsela. Do you want it us? Great? I think I think
we're having questions. I do want a tax guy who's clinically depressed, though
that is that makes them better at taxes. I think trying to converse with
this guy to send me my I D while he was at the cheesecake factory
trying not to be rude. While Ben Starr is chugging a drink, He's
like, okay, you want me to over night? Can we have a
cartoon with this person? I think that I want this person. The most
twenty two minute episode of something. He has the most conflicting imagery on his
walls because he has a red hat that says America is Great. So I'm
already like, okay, I don't know what you're going for it. But
then but then next to it, it's like black Lives Matter, and then
i'd be like he has a photo with him and Obama. I'm like,
I can't read you. The America is Great hat is like an anti Maga
hat because it's like, no, America is great. Okay, all right,
that's what I think. At least that's based on the other show,
like a C plus student at best generous, you're measuring it. What's the
metric? Because it's like we earth population down there. We know that we're
not going to a university, so we're just not going to try in high
school and we're just gonna go straight to community. We're coasting. We are
definite, baby, Yeah, absolutely, yeah. We peeked in high school.
Oh god, I mean that's my fear every single day of my life.
But anyway, peeked in middle school. It's you had that one role
in the play that we weren't even that good. We were just now we
were just the only guy who auditioned Bailey. Stop, It's not my fault.
I was the only dude in the Drava club. Okay, oh no,
I'm sorry from Tennessee, Tennessee. Right, Mortal Kombat Colon the movie
Colon the Game has to be near the top of worst gaming subtitles. All
right, cool, thank you? It is through such a thing. Yeah,
what the fuck is this? I think he might be thinking's Street Fighter
the movie the game. I think he may be. I could be wrong,
but but like, I've never heard of this. I think, oh,
yeah, that happens. It's just like, what if you make that
game and then gave it a bad title, then I could complain about it.
I mean, yeah, sure, street of the Movie the Game is
an incredible title though. I always adored that like that, Yeah, that's
like some spaceball shit right there. There's exactly any time anyone has fun naming
something like I'm never going to watch High School Musical the musical the series,
but I'm going to respect the hell out of it from Hey, Hey,
Hey, Season one pretty good. Listen. I will listen to Olivia Rodrigo
and never engaged with her fans online, but I'm not going to watch the
show. Listen, I love hs TMTHMTS. You just you back off?
Okay, okay, okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
I had to really practice that my head before. How do I say this
not so aggressively? Should go st hr. I'm still upset that they never
did high school musical too, because I just needed I just needed bet on
it to reach a whole different populace. Got any time. I'm never on
a golf course. What am I saying? Improve it? We know that,
Hey, we should go golfing. Rich and Seattle writes in with a
request, Mike, if you're listening, feel free to pop in at any
time. Rich and Seattle writes in, jan please sing this in Mitchell style,
our dog marking to the side of his pretty little shroup of four wheel
drive CAF my name and to his leather shoets. All right, that's all
I'm gonna sing for you. I can't get in on the shoutouts because of
work, but ask and you shall receive. Hi. That's not a words
I took a They continue to write in I can't get in the shadows because
of work. I appreciate if this gets on the show, Mike Mike,
do you want to finish the stanza here? Yeah? Where were you?
Because I took Louisa Louis Slugger both headline Hall and off fortas next before before
he'll put his car in the garage, right, what the fuck? Okay,
thank you, my cart? Shoot, wish carry is here. She's
she's with us on this podcast. We're so lucky, like she's in the
room with me. It's amazing. My favorite running not my favorite runner up
of American Idol an up. It was Clay Aching until he got kind of
creepy. Oh he started that. The guy's then bow bisce oh bis oh
he's back. And I think you somebody corrected you before on this and I
think it's true. I think Carrie Underwood won American Idol. I swear she
was the same season as Ruben stuttered and Ruben stuttered one that was Clay Aching
and stuttered right Underwood in that same season. No, she wasn't. Yeah,
you should learned more about music like me. That is the most artful
thing anyone has ever said. Oh god, okay, okay, all right,
all right. Uh Florianopolis, Oh wait that's where they're from. Eduardo
from Florianapolis Brazil writes in Dear bomb Flowers, after four hundred and eighty five
hours spread across four months, I'm proud to say my Tears of the Kingdom
map screen says I've reached the one hundred percent completion mark, wow, which
involves finding all of the locations and core ox seeds, amongst other things.
I've also gone on to take care of things that didn't count towards the game's
completion percentage, such as getting all stable rewards, two hundred and twenty eight
recipes, twenty nine paraglider skins, and six monster medals for defeating all two
hundred and forty nine monsters, as well as completing every quest and adventure in
fully upgrading all stage vows, available, pieces of armor and energy cells,
and finding all the bubble frogs. Sorry God, Michael Boulay Frog. I
needed a place to brag about it, and you have the perfect cast of
lovable goobers for this, including Uber Goober himself, Dan Reichert. Anyway,
you can be the Uber Groober two. Anyway. Have you ever been obsessed
with a game to this degree? If not, do you think there's ever
going to be a title that aligns with your taste in games so much that
you won't put it down until you have done every last thing there is to
do in it. Or are you in a position where games just come and
go you'll never desperately fall in love with one anymore. Kisses on the cheek,
Eduardo, really melancholy. Note, Actually I can't feel anything anymore.
I've burned twice as hot, but for half as long like I would like.
Actually had like games where I played that for a month and I put
like two hundred and fifty hours in a month in a game. But that's
that. That doesn't happen very often because I got a lot going on.
I got a lot of games sometime I'm trying to play. But yeah,
I'm here for a good not a long time, because I get like hyper
fixated on a game, like I just am all about that game and nothing
but that game for like like a week, and then I'll, for some
reason, will be pulled out of it. Either something happens in the game
that I can't get past or I just don't like or I just have to
play a new game for work, and then I'm like, okay, for
work reasons, I must move my fixation to this now. But like Inscription
for me, like I was obsessed with it, could not stop playing.
It was not getting enough sleep because I was playing Inscription late into the night
and then I like just read some stuff about the back end that I thought
was kind of stupid, and then immediately the spell was broken and I was
into Slay the Spire and it you know, it's but that's my last one
where I was like just trying to find every single card and beat every single
achievement, and that that's the most recent one for me. Was definitely an
Inscription for sure. That's my answer. And also I'm sad I haven't played
Inscription in so long and I have literally no desire to anymore. Oh did
you beat it? Though? Right? Yeah, I was in the Casey's
model, Like I was gonna say, I feel like I'm always on the
lookout for something like that, Like that's the thing, like I'm always,
uh, there's a part of me that's always cautiously optimistic, like I'm gonna
find the one that does it to me, and I don't. It just
never happens. I think it's a combination of like I nothing can really contain
my interest for that long I think a lot of the I do. I
think remedy stuff does. It probably gets the closest for me like a control
where I'm like, I need to do as much as I can of this
thing, but I don't. Yeah, I don't think I've ever really had
that thing. I think it's also a byproduct of just like my personal life
and how it just can't lend itself to something like that at this point in
my life. Yeah, complete the game is just never never done it for
me, getting every little thing. I don't feel much for that. So
for me, my obsessions are, Hey, there's a leaderboard here and me
and my friends are going to be competing in it, and I will put
a thousand hours into that and that that's where I get my excitement from from
from that sort of experience. Did you ever beat Neon White? No?
I got stuck. I got stuck on a boss fight and I couldn't get
past it. And I was thinking about Neon White literally yesterday. I was
like, why didn't I beat that game? And I tried to pick it
up and do it. I was like, Oh, because I can't get
with a sing fight and it's not fun for me. It's not fun for
me anymore, so I stopped. But Neon White was so good man,
that's great. Yep, what a great game. That first handful of levels
huh, I mean all the levels are good. I just yeah, yep.
I got until first major character in game was killed. No spoilers once.
I who But I was getting to a point where clearly a second one
was about to be and I couldn't get past. It's very sad, very
sad for me. I remember when my computer exploded because of the Neon whit
it open ye try that again? Hardcore too cool and hardcore and it was
all the contestants. Uh backlar this this email is kind of for you,
hey, folks. Question for our keyboard wizard, Jeff Bacolar eight. But
do is releasing a mechanical keyboard styled after classic nysesthetics someone who loves their products
but doesn't know a lot about mechanical keyboards? Is this a good bang for
your buck? Amazon link? I love the look of it, but I
don't know if this is a good starter mechanical keyboard for someone who does not
know a lot about switches or does not want to get a lot into detail
with it. Alternatively, it would be a good mechanical keyboard for under one
hundred dollars. Thanks heart emoji. Brendan in Rhode Island, sick it's got
kale. I don't know. I've never knew how to pronounced this kale box
switches in two whites. Yeah, those switches are Those switches are fine.
I think like, uh, look, for ninety nine dollars, there's any
mechanical keyboard a price that that is like a wild value just on its face.
Uh yeah, I think like the aesthetic of this thing is pretty neat.
Uh is it hot swap? Yes, it's hot swap. Okay,
mean you could swap out the switches and add your own, right, but
you obviously wouldn't change the key caps because that is the whole aesthetic of the
of the design and everything. Look, I think for nine nine dollars you're
not going to find anything else, and obviously, knowing what we know about
the quality of this company, like it's it's it's gonna likely be pretty good
or above average at the very least. I'm assuming it's not aluminum. The
keyboard's probably plastic, So for me, I don't buy keyboards that are not
metal of some kind. I just can't do it anymore unless I'm like building
something for someone else. I usually recommend an aluminum keyboard. The heavier the
better, let's be honest. So if you're looking there's something sub one hundred
dollars, you're probably not going to find anything there. I think there's a
couple sixty five percent keyboards that you might be able to get in like the
one twenty to one thirty range, which might do you well. The one
they have here is called a TKL, meaning it's a ten keyless, so
it's got the regular sixty five percent, then the fro, then the cluster
of arrows, and then those like navigational keys above the cluster arrows. So
that's what you're looking at for in terms of like the functionality. For me,
I like a little larger keyboard. But I also do like that sixty
five percent compact. Yeah, I mean I would. How much of a
freak you are with it? Yeah, if you want to, I do.
There are two vendors I think are really good if you're just starting out.
One of them is Novel Keys and one of them is Canon Keys.
So go check out those two vendors and they'll probably get you stored in the
right direction for entry level mechanical keyboards. This thing looks cool. I like,
I like the vibe of it, for sure, I you know,
for me, like for me, I you know, the design is a
thing, but it also is like, oh is it gonna sound good?
And when it's a plastic keyboard, it doesn't always like sound the way you
want it to sound. A lot of that is also dictated by switches.
But hey, we ain't a keyboard podcast, right, you know, we
can't get too down. It's all right. We'll follow it up with like
a five minute coffee thing with me and then grub you can get into whatever
you want to get into. Bailey, You'll have ten trucks, trucks,
trucks working on my Type five as they speak. Okay, fantastic, it's
cool. I like the I like the key caps. I remember there was
like a Nintendo sixty four keycaps that we did. We showed everyone right a
while back. I don't even think that one's out yet. Yeah, so
this is this is very cute and I would certainly put this on display.
Let's just say that that's sorry. I just see Mike chiming off on the
chat. No, Mike, all right, this one is for Actually Grub
could help out with this one. Hey duds, my wife, my lave,
and I are traveling from Oklahoma to Columbus for a music festival this weekend.
Hopefully you see this in time. Does Grub have any recommendations for good
fast food to get in the area. I know sheets, gas station food
is one of his go toos, but what else should we be on the
lookout for. Also, if any other duters have some suggestions along the route
Oklahoma to Saint Louis to Indianapolis to Columbus, throw them out there. Thanks
fellas, Keep on keeping on stand from Tulsa. PS. If any other
GB freaks are going to Lost Lands, maybe we should organize a meetup.
I So, yeah, Sheets, definitely try sheets. There are a few
open in Columbus now, is my understanding, There was not when I used
to live in Columbus that was not an option. So definitely try that out.
That's actually surprisingly good food. Skyline there's definitely a couple of Skyline chilies
in Columbus. It's Cincinnati thing, but there are a couple in Columbus,
and that's gonna be like a local flavor. You should definitely try. I
recommend the coney dogs, but if you want to try the chili on the
spaghetti. It's not my thing, but a lot of people really do like
it. Beyond that, there's not a lot of like local only if there's
if I think they might have a Swinson's drive in. Now that's the really
good burger place that we have up here in Cleveland. I think there might
be one down to Columbus. Now, get thee get their burger. It's
very very good if you get a chance to try that. But that's was
that the really good burger that high Mike uh was was talking about. I
wonder, I don't know, Probably not, but I'm gonna truth to believe.
Yes it was. Let's just hope it was. What do you call
it a cheesy burger? Okay, it was not that burger? Okay,
don't meet to mispurpersent Mike here. All right. That about does it for
the emails this week, once again, you can send your emails to BombCast
to John bomb dot com. We got a lot of stuff pop and off
for the rest of the week. Jeff Jeff's returns tomorrow. Correct. That
is correct. We are continuing the Cowboy beeB Up Guide in my favorite two
episodes of the entire series. Yesterday is what we talked about. WHOA,
I don't know it was. It was mostly a popular opinion, but we
get into it and uh my god do I love Cowboy Beebo. Great show.
Uh Gamus Mornings popping off for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Voicemail Dump
Truck this week, potentially the end of Dan Play, Sonico six popping off
tomorrow, and Blight Club potentially who knows, We don't know. Uh.
I believe the idea is to play party Animals together on upf Bailey, what
are you doing on Friday? Party Animals? If you guys separately by myself?
Bailey just has like four three other controllers set up and just nudging them
occasionally. Bailey, what else is going on for you? You plugged it
when we brought you on at the top of the news, but plug it
again. I will plug it again. Yeah, I mean. Check out
the new Honest Game trailer for see if Stars dance favorite game? Uh and
check out the very first episode of the show I had wrote for a Giant
Bomb along with m A. Fife, who is the host of that show.
Reality Check, which the first episode is called Why I'm Sad. There
are no aliens to romance in Starfield. It is all about non human romances
in games, and we did a lot of weird research about it, like
so much research. Please watch It's fun. I can't wait. Go watch
them on twitch. Just watch me on twitch. I'm so fun on Twitch.
How do your research having sex with? Yeah? There there was a
literal study called the Monstrous Desires Study that we did a huge dive into.
There's so much stuff. Not to spoil it, bales, have you ever
read Animorphs? Of course? Come on? Okay, all right, right,
okay, we'll make one episode happen then, okay, all right,
we're yeah, okay, I'll put it together. Grub You read that first
one, right, all right? That more of a goose bumps kid.
But okay, well we'll do like one one episode of Jannam Morrison. That's
him. Yeah, let's go anyway, we've gone to the shoutouts. Shouts
out begin with Jan's tact tax Dude, if he lives that long, I
obviously hope he's okay. Em and Bailey's new show, Reality Check, Scopa
shouts out to that one episode of Charmed where a bunch of wc W wrestlers
showed up as demons and they wrestled the Charmed ladies. Hey, Jed,
don't buy that board game for your partner's surprisor teacher's got a hard yo playing
Mari Mario Party solo is a time honor tradition, and Bailey is a hero
for championing people like us. Bailey, you are the voice of the voiceless
and for killing it lately. Great additions to the GB crew. Plus one
major Mitch for always jumping in podcasts like some sort of kool Aid. Mitch
Unity presents John Rictello, the almost dumbest of failing upwards. Motherfucker's shouts out
to the rugged cowboys on Yellow I'm not gonna read the rest of this wing
Span the competitive medium weight car driven engine building board game from Stone Mayor Games,
designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and featuring over one hundred and seventy birds, illustrated
by bet Sobel, Natalia Rojas, and Anna Maria Martinez. YEA Disney World
was cool as hell, but Florida is a trash state and building the happiest
place on Earth. In a swamp with fifty percent humidity almost killed me.
It's humidity. What are you talking about? Yeah, brought to you by
seven inches the realize of pe foam stars Hype, rise up, my Fomo
sapiens. Hey knows. Fuck you know you don't have to take this abuse
knows? Emoji? What happened? What happened? Bella? Why are you
crying again? I know? Vampire? Right, Vampire will fight to me.
I trusted to protect Bella, but you did not. I will sure
you die, Edward. I will sure you die from now on. She's
mine. It's beautiful Jesus, all right, we should do a film in
forties with the Twilight series. Oh my god, the first Twilight movie is
a classic. We absolutely have to watch that movie. Okay, okay,
I think our team Who's who was your team? Team Taylor Lounger team that
giant fucking fan that they put right in front of Bella's face in science class
and then and then Edward looks like he's gonna throw up. That's the best
part of the movie other than the baseball team. That's my team, grub.
Can you put up a pole in the giant bomb chat of Team Edward
versus Team Jacob yea giant fan uh number seventeen on the shout outs, jan
Is Professor x back Lari's Cyclops, Tamas, Gambit, Lucia's Rogue, Baileys
Psiloc grub Is, nineteen nineties, Beast Naughties, nineteen sixties Beasts, and
Dana's Arcade Audition, an unknown Wolverine Halloween stream. Let's see it go?
Wait, wait, wait, Cyclops. First of all, aren't you're the
Cyclops? Weird? That's what I thought was odd, you know, And
he's like, he's like a cop. Right we should switch? Uh.
Nut Butter shouts out to my new close personal French Chupaca dressing up like a
hot dog and driving hot dog car into a building and then tracked up for
ten oclock you did drives like hot dog car, sweaty alien intercourse? Intercourse
discourse? How about a board game group named Wings? Jan Fun Dan is
indeed the gonzo of the GB crew, A masterful showman and artiste. Where
are there's so many songs about rainbows and what's on the other side? Jeff
Backlard doing for doing work on podcast archive. Thank you, Jeff do a
film and forties of from Justin to Kelly the Season one American Idol movie.
Okay, we can't do that before we erase your voice starring Hillary. I'm
sorry, I'm gonna put my fucking foot down. I just learned that Justin.
Yes, he's he's a little sweet Doctor Pepper. I didn't know that.
What. I don't know what this means? So, yeah, do
you know the Doctor Peper commercials with the really tiny guy that comes out and
sings, No, that's Justin Garini it is. They were telling me in.
I was like, that can't be right. I'm gonna I'm just gonna
put the trail trailer the video here so you can watch it in your own
time. You know, they say that historically the runner ups on American Idol
tend to have better careers, and I can see that being true. Now,
yes, for a little sweet Doctor Pepper. Absolutely yeah. I mean,
what has Ruben Stutter done except being apologizing for the year two thousand and
four anywhere? Apologize for that has been the show. I have been Jan,
he has been Jeff. He has also been Jeff. She's been Bailey.
Tam was here and he's going to continue to be Tam. And you
at home, go go go step outside for a second, just take take
a deep whiff of the air, and then I don't know, rate the
podcast. That's a thing to do. Do that right, podcast podcast specifically?
Yes? Yeah, yes, back, Like next time you're on a
road trip and like you're sitting shotguns on and you're just like, oh,
what are we gonna do? Talk this whole time? No, just surprise
your friend and put on put on God's favorite podcast, you know, the
BombCast to a CD and put it in your friend's car and remove all the
other download it first, because you know, just just give us the sweet
downloads, you know, just give hell. Yeah. Okay, Now I
actually want to do a film in forties series of of the DCLM originals.
Okay, I think that would be so fun. Baily, which one do
you want? Absolutely has to be smart House first? Oh we've done smart
House on this website. Fuck that? Al right? Fine, fine,
fine, sister from Planet Weird. No, you know what, let's let's
do let's have to Smart House again. Just DC Channel original movies that you're
talking about. Let's okay, let's do Brink first, because that's actually the
we also did Brink of course. Wow, fuck have we done the thirteen?
Fear? Have we? Okay? Luck of the Irish? We have
not step And again I can't stop. I can't stop shouting this one out.
Stepsister form a planet weird? See's a bubble? We need to do
zenon because see you a girl that's twenty first century. Yes, yes,
this is the Lizzie McGuire movie. The old sci fi is my passion,
so I'm excited about all that theatrical release. Dude, Oh, I'll lemon
aide mouth. What are you okay? Nikki's age is showing. Oh yeah,
Nikki, you're like a generation younger than us. That's just after I
stopped watching Disney Channel and stopped existing to me, yes, yes, that's
that's when Hailey Kiyoko took over as a token Asian from Brenda Song on Disney.
That has been the Giant bobcast. Everybody, We'll see you for another
episode next week. Till then, go go hug someone, even if it's
major major Mitch, the real answers, we should do high school musical.
I mean yeah, I met Monique Coleman once, whoa

Chapters

No chapters available.