Gamers Week Podcast

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In this episode...
--> Publisher Sony has just embraced death and patented its idea for bespoke AI-generated podcasts starring the characters from its games.
--> Unity Software Inc. and video game stocks plunged this past Friday on fears of possible artificial intelligence disruption after Google began to roll out Project Genie.
--> Variety reported Tuesday that Tongal, a studio that has developed content for Netflix, NBC Universal and other major brands, is in the process of developing a feature film based on the 1980s gridiron video game, Tecmo Bowl.
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--> Ubisoft is following up last week's "portfolio reset" of canceled and delayed games with the announcement that it's exploring eliminating 200 roles at its Paris headquarters through a "voluntary mutual termination agreement," along with a pledge to double down on “player-facing Generative AI.”
--> The upcoming Fable reboot has 1,000 "handcrafted" NPCs, and you can apparently marry every single one of them.
--> Valve needed to "verify" footage of the alien orgy in the new Earth Must Die before it was allowed to launch on Steam.
--> Also...

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--> Even with lots to look forward to, 2026 is steeped in uncertainty. We're discussing predictions for the video game industry in the coming year, including GTA VI, AI use, China, and more.
--> A new report from Forbes confirms that upcoming shooter Highguard didn't pay for the final reveal spot at the Game Awards despite other developers having to pony up six to seven-figure sums to have their trailers included.
--> Nintendo allegedly expressed dissatisfaction at Sega during the development of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games...

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--> Valve’s Steam Machine pricing may have just been leaked by a retailer — and it ain’t cheap.
--> Pocketpair has made the surprise announcement of an official Palworld Trading Card Game. As you’d expect, the announcement has sparked further comparisons between Palworld and Pokémon, which has a hugely popular trading card game of its own.
--> GameStop is closing hundreds of stores just days into the new year as CEO Ryan Cohen aims to take home $35 billion in performance-based stock options.
-->  Larian has...

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--> Now that we have all finished welcoming in the new year with fanfare and no small amount of trepidation, it’s the perfect time to take a look ahead at the biggest games currently scheduled to release in 2026, including Resident Evil: Requiem, Pragmata, 007 First Light, and Grand Theft Auto 6.
--> Sony has patented a "ghost" AI assistance system for when you just can’t be bothered to git gud.
--> An obscure Star Wars video game just became extremely valuable for a wild reason: it can be u...

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--> It's the end of another year, and it was another big one for the video game industry with countless major events, controversies, and trends to take in. We're recapping the 10 biggest gaming news stories of 2025.
--> Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has come under fire this week following a Bloomberg report that the studio is "pushing hard" for AI and is using generative AI behind the scenes.
--> Capcom is inviting fans to design their own Mega Man boss for Dual Overdrive.
--> Also: To...

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--> The biggest night in gaming sees hypeman Geoff Keighly dish out shiny awards to the best games of the past 12 months -- including indie sensation Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which walked away with nine awards. Of course, the Game Awards also means hours’ worth of game announcements and trailers to sort through, such as Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, two new Tomb Raider projects, Mega Man: Dual Override, and Larian Studio's bizarre debut trailer for Divinity.
--> In a move that will dramatically reshape the entertainment bu...

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--> It turns out Saudi Arabia will own 93.4% of EA if the buyout goes through, effectively giving the country control of the entire company.
--> GameStop has highlighted its recent payout of more than $30,000 for a rare Pokémon card as evidence that the company’s trade-in program offers fair value — while simultaneously admitting the card had actually been worth at least $3,000 more.
-->  Microsoft has teamed up with rubber footwear brand Crocs to give us some of the most, uh, eyecatching shoes on the market.
--> It...

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--> The nominees for the 2025 Game Awards have been revealed, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is up for 12 awards, making it the most nominated game in the awards’ history. 
--> While the world elsewhere celebrates the best that gaming had to offer in 2025, review curation site Metacritic has released its list of the worst games of 2025. 
-->  Sony has issued a number of DMCA notices against a fan project working to bring Concord back to life.
--> Valve co-founder Gabe Newell has capped off Steam Machine week by ta...

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--> Rockstar’s parent company Take-Two Interactive has now announced that Grand Theft Auto 6 is delayed once again to November 16, 2026.  Meanwhile, the company fired 30-40 employees in a move that the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain claimed was "blatant" and "ruthless" union busting. 
--> Valve Corp. is plunging deeper into the console wars with the unveiling of the Steam Machine, a new cubical device designed for playing PC games in the living room. 
-->  Nintendo aired a special Direct for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and releas...

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--> EA is claiming it will retain creative control despite its sale to Saudi Arabia.
--> The director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office has ordered a rare patent re-examination after Nintendo was granted a US patent on summoning mechanics.
--> Rapper Soulja Boy is back at it with the SouljaGame Flip, another rebranded retro handheld that is definitely not a Retroid Pocket Flip 2.
--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Trivia

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--> A new report has revealed details on Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console, which is allegedly a console / PC hybrid that will play PlayStation games released on PC via Steam.
--> Microsoft executives have been pressuring the Xbox division to achieve profit margins of 30% -- almost twice the industry average.
-->  Amazon's AI-powered layoff of 14,000 employees will see "significant" cuts made to its game division.
--> A high school in Japan is using the P.T. demo to teach an English class, and we couldn’t be mo...

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--> The internet is buzzing over Nintendo's mysterious new Pikmin-focused short film, "Close To You."
--> A new report says that "hyper enthusiast, price-insensitive players" are keeping the games industry afloat.
-->  Sonic the Hedgehog will lend his super speed to the Olympic Games in 2026 and beyond thanks to a new partnership between SEGA and The International Olympic Committee.
--> The voice behind Mortal Kombat's "Toasty!" is retiring.
--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Very Important Poll

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In this episode...
--> Electronic Arts is being acquired for $55 billion by an investor consortium consisting of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners.
--> Microsoft has announced another Xbox Game Pass price hike, with the Ultimate tier increasing 50% to $30/month.
-->  Resident Evil: Requiem’s devs say they can’t tell if the game is actually scary anymore.
--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Not-So-Gaming History 101

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In this episode...
--> Sony held its latest State of Play showcase to detail what’s coming next for the platform, including a first look at gameplay for the much-anticipated Wolverine game. 
--> If you got Ghost of Tsushima's platinum trophy, congratulations – PlayStation's Franchise Rewards program would now like $70 for your commemorative merch.
-->  The adaptation you've been waiting for since 1996 is finally here – Bop It! is now a videogame.
--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Trivia

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In this episode...
--> Nintendo held a huge Direct last Friday, with nearly a whole hour of information on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch games.
--> Randy Pitchford's chronic tweeting syndrome strikes again as the Gearbox CEO goes on the offensive against critics of Borderland 4’s PC performance.
-->  Valve sure seems to be on the verge of announcing a new piece of gaming hardware, but don't get your hopes up for a Steam Deck 2.
--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Gaming History 101

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In this episode...
--> Hollow Knight: Silksong’s reviews are slowly eroding as players find it “too difficult.”
--> Nintendo now has a US patent on summoning characters and making them battle for you.
-->  Grand Theft Auto 6 could potentially be the first "AAAAA game."
--> The new Street Fighter movie, which has been in the works since 2023, now has a cast and a release date.
--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Nostalgia 101

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In this episode...
--> IO Interactive, developers of the much-beloved Hitman series, showed off its latest title, 007 First Light, during a special September State of Play.
--> The Call of Duty video game series is finally getting a Hollywood movie, thanks to a deal between Activision and Paramount.
-->  Hollow Knight: Silksong's $20 price tag is making some indie developers believe the game is so cheap that it will hurt the pricing options of other indie games.
--> One of the most bizarre but charming cultural crossovers has officially come t...

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--> A fresh report has detailed the difficulties faced by some developers keen to launch games for Switch 2 — but who remain unable to do so due to a lack of Nintendo support.
--> PlayStation boss Herman Hulst has said that live service failures are good for the development of their future attempts. 
--> The announcement of Hollow Knight: Silksong’s release date has created a ripple effect in the indie game community with several titles that were slated to release on or near that date now collectively jumpi...

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In this episode...
--> Gamescom Opening Night Live marks the start of the gaming convention in Cologne, and it’s always packed full of announcements, trailers and gameplay reveals. We're discussing all the highlights from the show.
--> Animal rights organisation Peta has urged Nintendo to redesign the popular Cow character in Mario Kart World.
--> David Hayter — who for many years gave Snake his signature gruff voice — has finally "forgiven" series creator Hideo Kojima for not casting him in 2015's Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
--> Also...

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--> EA is calling the Battlefield 6 open beta its biggest ever, and Weekend 1 just wrapped up with a peak of 521,079 players, which is also an all-time peak for the entire Battlefield series.
--> Nintendo has contacted the organizers of RTA, one of Japan's largest speedrunning charity events, to put a stop to the event's "unauthorized use" of Nintendo IP. 
--> Nintendo's wading into the baby and toddler market with a new toy, clothing, and general goods range it's pulling together under the My Mario banner.
--> "S...

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--> Visa and Mastercard are refuting censorship allegations after forcing storefronts to remove adult video games. Valve says otherwise.
--> The BioShock remake has been cancelled as BioShock 4 has reportedly failed to meet review standards.
--> A short-lived Nintendo fan survey asked for your opinions on buying digital games instead of boxed copies, and offered a chance for you to provide feedback on the Switch 2's Game-Key Cards.
--> According to Larian Studios, it turns out that 250,000 Baldur’s Gate 3 players like their Withers with Big Na...

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--> The Roblox CEO has officially horrified every parent alive by announcing his ambition that the platform become a dating hub, despite the fact that roughly 40% of its users are under the age of 13.
--> Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Tencent over its upcoming game Light of Motiram, with Sony saying it is a "slavish clone" of the Horizon series.
-->  It only took 24 hours after the UK's Online Safety Act went into full effect for someone to get past the age requirement on D...

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--> Just weeks after confirming The Outer Worlds 2 will be the first Microsoft game to retail for $80, Microsoft has reversed the decision, revealing the highly-anticipated sequel will now launch for $69.99 in keeping with typical AAA pricing.
--> Despite donning a hat proclaiming "Make FPS Great Again" at Summer Game Fest earlier this year, studio founder Ian Proulx and 1047 Games are putting Splitgate 2 back into the beta box.
--> Hellraiser is finally getting a videogame after 40 years.
--> The dairy industry would like Gen Z to drink...

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--> Valve has introduced new - and worryingly vague - guidelines aimed at the adult-only game development community, and some are worried they could be used to target LGBTQIA+ content as corporations buckle to appease the US government's continuing attack on queer rights.
--> Following the Federal Bureau of Investigation's widely reported seizure of pirate ROM site Nsw2u.com last week, the US government agency has confirmed the move was part of an operation that impacted "multiple" targets.
--> The director of the upcoming Resident Evil...

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--> Among the waves of fallout from Microsoft’s layoff of 9,000 employees last week, Xbox Game Pass has now come under fire for its “unsustainable model that has been increasingly damaging the industry for a decade.”
--> Last week, Stop Killing Games - the consumer-driven initiative demanding games publishers leave their titles in a playable state once support is terminated - surpassed 1m signatures. But now, EU industry body Video Games Europe has weighed in, insisting the initiative's proposals would make games "prohibitively expensive to create".
--> Ninten...

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In this episode...
--> Microsoft began its fiscal year Wednesday by laying off thousands of employees, expanding one of the largest runs of layoffs in the company’s history.
--> Video game spending has taken a nose dive among Gen Z, according to data from American research group Circana.
--> The AI startup Runway, which recently partnered with AMC Networks, is now trying to break into the gaming industry.
--> Nintendo's ability to ban Switch 2 consoles from accessing all online features has come under fire from Brazil's consumer rights wa...

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In this episode...
--> Third-party games have reportedly struggled to sell on Nintendo Switch 2 at launch, with one publisher claiming that its game has sold “below our lowest estimates”.
--> Fan-favorite rhythm game Beat Saber is ending support for PlayStation consoles, and for many players, this feels very much like the final nail in the coffin for PlayStation's VR aspirations.
--> The limited-edition, Xbox-branded Meta Quest 3S headset has arrived.
--> A man has been arrested after police say he stole more than $10,000 worth of Nintendo Switch games from mult...

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--> Microsoft has confirmed a “strategic multi-year partnership” with AMD for the next generation of Xbox.
--> Borderlands 4 preorders are finally live, and the base game is priced at $70, not $80 as previously feared.
--> The Silent Hill remake is officially in development at Bloober Team.
--> A bizarre butt-controlled fighting game has received an unexpected buff on Switch 2.
--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Trivia

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In this episode...
--> Summer Game Fest 2025 included 15 individual events running from June 3-9. Here are the biggest announcements, including Resident Evil Requiem, Scott Pilgrim EX, the ROG Xbox Ally, and more.
--> Reports have surfaced of GameStop stores carelessly stapling receipts right through the packaging of brand new Switch 2s and into the console's screen.
--> Zotac is making good on it's April Fool's joke this year and announced that it is actually releasing its F5 esports perfume.
--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Very Important Poll

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In this episode...
--> The summer gaming reveal season is upon us, with PlayStation swooping in at the last second with a new State of Play livestream and introducing us to titles like Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, Nioh 3, and Marvel Tokou: Fighting Souls
--> Nintendo has reportedly begun shipping Switch 2 branded 'Out of Stock' signs to retailers before the console has even gone on sale
--> Someone donated a Concord commemorative plaque to Goodwill — and now it’s going for over $3,000. 
--> The Witcher 3 devs debated for so long over...

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--> In its third round of layoffs this year alone, EA has canceled its single-player Black Panther game and shut down developer Cliffhanger Games.
--> A24 is doubling down on its foray into video game adaptations with live-action productions of Elden Ring and Death Stranding.
--> Microsoft has announced Retro Classics with Game Pass, a collaboration with Antstream Arcade to bring a collection of over 50 classic Activision games from the 80s and 90s to Game Pass members.
--> GameStop just bought half a billion dollars’ worth of...

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--> Last week, when a Twitter user expressed concern over the upcoming Borderlands 4 potentially being $80 (a price point hasn't been set just yet), Gearbox head Randy Pitchford responded, "If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen."
--> Star Wars’ infamous villain Darth Vader has been turned into an AI in Fortnite, and users have already got it saying racial slurs.
--> Sony has announced an end to its PlayStation Stars loyalty program, less than three years after its launch.
--> Sm...

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--> Nintendo has revised its Account Agreement and Account Privacy Policy to tighten the rules on emulation and piracy, and the company now says it has the right to brick your console if it thinks you’ve broken the agreement.
--> The video game companies negotiating a new contract with SAG-AFTRA have issued a “best, last and final” offer to the actors union, which removes some key sticking points regarding Generative AI.
--> GameStop Canada has been acquired by Stephan Tetrault, an entrepreneur and "longtime leader in the co...

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In this episode...
--> Microsoft has announced that it is raising the prices of its Xbox consoles globally and has also announced that it will charge $80 for games starting later this year.
--> Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed out of 2025 as Rockstar confirms a May 26, 2026 release date, but what does that mean for the games industry this year?
--> Just a few months after reportedly cancelling two unannounced live service games in the wake of the Concord catastrophe, Sony has unveiled a brand-new internal studio called TeamLFG, and yup...

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--> Nintendo’s delayed Switch 2 preorders finally kicked off in the US at 12AM ET on Thursday, April 24th, and everything went to hell almost immediately.
--> The founder of Discord has announced that he will be stepping down as CEO and will be replaced by Humam Sakhnini, who was previously Chief Strategy Officer at Activision Blizzard.
--> Layoff Fest 2K25 continues as EA announced that it is cutting 300-400 jobs “in service of driving future growth.”
--> Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 3 is continuing its li...

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--> Bethesda has finally revealed the worst-kept secret in video games... The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.
--> Pocketpair has presented a comprehensive, multi-argument defense against Nintendo's Palworld lawsuit with a response that references a variety of games, ranging from Octopath Traveler to Far Cry 5.
--> Tragedy strikes as Hollywood has run out of video games to adapt and is now forced to make an OutRun movie fronted by Sydney Sweeney and Michael Bay.
--> 34 years later, Paul Rudd is reprising the SNES role that got him...

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--> Ubisoft has now filed a response to the lawsuit over the shut down of online game The Crew and makes multiple claims as to why the suit should be dismissed, including that the plaintiffs knew what they were getting into because of "the explicit warnings on The Crew's packaging that plaintiffs were obtaining a limited license to access the game."
--> Discord has added a new age verification system for some users that requires them to scan their face or ID to access sensitive material.
-->...

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--> Following an uproar after last week's Direct, Nintendo execs have acknowledged the cost of its upcoming Switch 2 console and games and explained the reason behind the higher price point.
--> A Minecraft Movie is shattering expectations at the box office.
--> Microsoft has created a playable "interactive space inspired" by Quake II using AI, and pretty much everyone hates it.
--> GoldenEye 007 for the N64 has inspired the next colorway of Nike's retro-modded Air Max 1 sneakers.
--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Very Important Poll<...

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In this episode...
--> Nintendo finally unveiled so much of what we've been waiting for about the Nintendo Switch 2. We breakdown all the big reveals in the Switch 2 Direct, including Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and the price controversy.
--> An Australian court has ordered YouTuber Karl Jobst to pay damages to celebrity arcade gamer Billy Mitchell, relating to defamatory comments made by Jobst in a video published in 2021.
--> Its no April Fool's joke -- Palworld developer Pocketpair is absolutely making a visual novel.
--> Also: Top 3...