The VGBees Podcast

Support Us! Join The Hive!This week, the crew gets completely redrawn on the fly by Nvidia's new AI-powered technology that everyone besides Digital Foundry seems to hate! How do they look? So lifelike, I bet. While getting yassified (and polluting water sources near data centers!), John, Niki, and Lotus discuss:DLSS 5 and its introduction to the worldWhy everyone hates DLSS 5Jensen Huang's hilarious responses to the criticismSaudi Arabia's EGDC acquires 5% of CapcomRemedy's FBC: Firebreak gets its final major update; commitment to stay onlineUbisoft's Red Storm Entertainment studio to cease game developmentCrystal Dynamics lays off 20 despite working on two Tomb Raider gamesRubato is a 2D physics platformer that scoffs at genreShould you play Slay the Spire 2 with a calculator on hand?Pokopia is a lot of gameFuni Raccoon Game asks "what if Super Mario 64 was made by the most online people you've ever encountered?"Your Hive Questions straight from Discord, including our thoughts on Geoff Keighley's dad not getting a mention during the OscarsAs always, thanks for listening, leave us a review, and considering joining The Hive!

Support us by joining The Hive!This week, Niki, Lotus, and John played some great games and took a full week off from games news because there just wasn't anything to talk about! What's that? [holds earpiece] I'm being told there was a lot of news this week. Okay. Well. Here's what they talked about, I guess!Sony testing dynamic pricing everywhere but JapanEA conducting layoffs at Battlefield 6 devsGDC will return to San Francisco despite everythingResident Evil 4 director Shinji Mikami has a new studioSAG-AFTRA issues "do not work" order for Mega Man: Dual OverridePEGI ratings getting overhaul targeting loot boxes and dark patternsJeff Kaplan left Blizzard after CFO gave him a nightmarish ultimatumV-Bucks receive a significant price hikeSlay the Spire 2 is more of the same, yes, but it's also better than the first oneLost and Found Co. is impossibly cute and a lot of funPokémon Pokopia continues to delight and mechanically excelMarathon is the pleasant surprise of the yearYour Hive Questions have us wondering what we'd teach DittoThanks again for listening and please leave us a review and tell your friends about us!

This week, Niki, Lotus, and John reconvene to rejoice over what seems like a masterpiece in the Pokémon oeuvre. But first, lots of big news, including:Nintendo sues the US government over tariffsYoshi gets a bobblehead night with the LA DodgersNetflix CEO thinks $16b will be cut at Warner Bros after Paramount purchaseJapan's labor laws obfuscate games industry turmoilUnity cutting access to asset store to "Greater China Region"The Sims 4 is getting a rev share UGC marketplaceUS government allegedly looking at forcing Tencent to divest from American investmentsSony reverses PC porting policyAsha Sharma tweets about Xbox's next consoleKalshi engages a minor in affiliate workThe joy of community in Pokémon PokopiaMaximum everything in TerrariaResident Evil Requiem features an all-time great voice performanceMarathon is pretty great, actually, despite all of Bungie's troublesFinally, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

On this week's show, the crew deals with several major post-scripts from last week's jam-packed news discussion block. Fortunately, Lotus, Niki, and John are joined by certified GOAT Michael Higham to unpack it all.Michael beat Resident Evil Requiem and John played it on Switch 2The global storage shortage gets very real with Seagate and Western Digital allocating stock of hard drives through 2026Valve is revisiting the timeline of their new hardware suiteSteam Deck OLED stock is out intermittently in major regionsSony and Nintendo both evaluating delays and price hikes for hardwareTiMi's Montreal studio closingTurns out we were right about pretty much everything we discussed regarding Tencent and Highguard last weekMicrosoft Japan under investigation for monopolistic practicesDiscord delaying age verification amid backlashskate developer laying off unknown number of staffNew York Attorney General suing Valve over loot boxesUK Advertising Committee issues enforcement over loot boxesEurogamer hit with layoffsBlueprint pitched a Bloodborne remake before its closurePokemon Winds & Waves revealed for 2027 releaseMichael and Niki played MarathonNiki and John played Vampire CrawlersNiki played Titanium CourtMichael played CicadamataThe crew answers your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely DiscordThanks for listening! Join The Hive by going to vgbees.com/join today!

Support us by joining The Hive!This week's show was packed to the gills with discussion-worthy topics and that was before Phil Spencer announced his retirement, Sarah Bond resigned, and Asha Sharma ascended the Xbox throne. From there, Lotus, Niki, and John discussed:Sony shutting down BluepointTencent allegedly funded HighguardCastlevania franchise and Metal Gear Solid V dev Shutaro Ida passed away at 52Hideki Sato, "Father of Sega Hardware," passed away at 77Open-source engine Godot overwhelmed by AI-generated change requestsCall of Duty: Black Ops 7 ad banned in the UKSubstack and Polymarket partner upSaudi fund takes full control of EvoWe played:OverwatchMoonrotWe also answered your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord!

SUPPORT US BY JOINING THE HIVEFolks, this week was VERY jam-packed with discussion-worthy games news and that was BEFORE we even welcomed Game Informer's Charles Harte to the show. Together, Lotus, Niki, John, and Charles discussed:Mewgenics' blend of deep, enjoyable tactical combat and off-putting breeding mechanicsThe, let's call them rancid, vibes of Mewgenics' central thesisMewgenics' commitment to not understanding a punchlineMewgenics' bewildering cameo listSony's State of Play was very busy, as well, including:A Return to PS2 Era of sortsKena: Scars of KosmoraA new Dead or Alive game in a very different fighting game landscapeIs Control Resonant what we want? Does it matter? Are they even showing us much?Star Wars Galactic Racer sure does look like a Burnout game (complimentary)Marathon is actively lying about what it is, but maybe that's smart????Metal Gear Solid 4 is breaking PS3 containmentGod of War: Sons of Sparta looks kinda bad, but it's out nowAnd wow, the hits don't stop there:Discord's age verification is going to get messyDiscord's Teen Council sounds like a waking nightmare2XKO lays off significant staff because the game failed to hit its audienceUbisoft employees in Europe begin three-day strike while the company explores "voluntary termination" option for 200 positions in FranceHighguard team lays off significant staff just weeks after launchWe played/watched:MewgenicsRelootedTears of the KingdomPelotonIron Lung (the film)We also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS straight from our lovely Discord and update you on big happenings at Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati.

This week, the whole gang is back together to discuss the biggest games news of the week, which sometimes wasn't about games at all! Including:Iron Lung opens #2 at domestic box office, paving the way for perhaps a new wave of independent film distributionAshes of Creation developer closes after clash between Creative Director and BoardBorderlands 4 Nintendo Switch 2 port "on pause" indefinitelyPoker Night at the Inventory is getting a new release after years of license limboCrunchyroll to produce original gamesPlus, there was a Nintendo Partner Direct:Orbitals was best in show (again)Resident Evil Requiem actually looks great on Switch 2Final Fantasy VII Rebirth coming to Switch 2 this summerLotus and Niki bully John about disliking Fallout 4The entire panel is split about whether The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a good titleTurok: Origins looks like Monster Hunter with guns kindaWe played:Ball x PitTears of the KingdomTitanium CourtHermit and PigFinally, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS straight from our lovely Discord.

With Lotus on the International Space Station this week, John and Niki wasted no time discussing these completely relevant topics:MoisturizerHaircarePelotonTchoukballOkay but they did get down to the most important games news of the week, including:The Highguard team quit their shadowdrop plans to take a slot at The Game AwardsCould Geoff not fill the last slot of the evening?What does it mean for next year's pricing for trailer space?Why Highguard's reworked launch strategy might not pay offWhy the Highguard preview event could've worked in their favor with a different strategyDr Disrespect lied about attending the Highguard preview eventVampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 missed expectations as Paradox is down year over year in operating profitJeffrey Epstein was banned from Xbox Live in 2013Peloton lays off 11% of its staff amid AI failuresShould we kill the CEOs in our heads?Is there literally any benefit from creating Nintendo knockoffs in Google Genie and writing about it?We played:HighguardThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomMARVEL Cosmic InvasionWe also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord, including:Which burner on your stove is the best burner?What's your next tattoo?Is an MBA worth it?If you couldn't talk about video games, what would the show be about?

This week, Niki, John, and Lotus confront the biggest gaming stories of the week, including:Ubisoft's major reorg, including game cancelations and new structuresTencent getting into podcasts, which we're sure will go greatMarathon gets a release date and a surprising collector's editionCapcom experiments with generative AI to stop being creativeFable takes a baffling stance on morality in the year 2026Highguard is out so very soonWe played:Animal Crossing: New HorizonsSéance at Blake ManorPocoTR-49Also, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

This week, Lotus, Niki, and John set out to dissect the price sensitivity opus laid out by Peak's devs in an interview with Stephen Totilo. Is eight bucks really five bucks? This and much more, including:AGDQ's haul and interesting futureHytale's long path to Early AccessMeta's VR investment goes toe upSteam Community Awards face major changesSpry Fox spinning out of NetflixInverse & The Verge see games-related layoffsSteam rewrites their generative AI disclosure rulesWe played:Animal Crossing New HorizonsAngeline EraType HelpAlso, your burning HIVE QUESTIONS are answered from our lovely Discord.

This week, Lotus, Niki, and John are back and ready to tackle the first fresh news of 2026, including:The passing of Sega cofounder David RosenDiscord files for an IPONew Life is Strange is leaked to ratings siteJason Schreier causes Take-Two's stock price go down, kindaMinecraft getting new baby animalsLarian's CEO still doesn't seem to understand Gen AIIndependent Games Festival nominees announcedWe played:Vital ShellAlso, your burning HIVE QUESTIONS are answered straight from our lovely Discord.

This week, John, Niki, and Lotus stare down the barrel of a very slow gaming news week, so they tackle some additional stuff, too, including:Twitter's Gen AI CSAM and sexual violence catastropheMicrosoft's CEO begging us to stop calling Gen AI "slop"GOG cofounder buys GOG from CD PROJEKT (which he also cofounded)GPUs are going to get even more expensiveSplitgate sequel is not going very wellWe played:Formless Star, the follow-up to sublime FrankenFinal Fantasy IX, perhaps the best of the entire franchiseWe also answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS straight from our lovely Discord.

Note: a better quality audio upload will be available in a couple days.Hello! Another year has flown by and Niki, Lotus, and John are here to talk about their favorite games and gaming-adjacent things from 2025! Included in the GOTY chat:Donkey Kong BananzaHades IIAvowed*Ball X PitPokemon Legends: Z-ABlippo+KinophobiaMario Kart WorldThe Nintendo Switch 2Also, the news of the week!Star Citizen will eclipse one billion dollars in investment soonClair Obscur's Indie Game Award was rescinded for AI inclusionVince Zampella dead at 55We answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord!*Microsoft and Xbox are still complicit in the genocide in Gaza. Go to nogamesforgenocide.com for more information and to sign the pledge today.

This week, Niki treats John and Lotus to the first ever VGBees Podcast Edition of Scam Text Theatre! After this momentous occasion, the crew turns its sights to the biggest news of the week, including:Larian's CEO decides to drag his company into a gen AI quagmirePeople Make Games boycott Xbox (and transforms John's thinking in the process)League of Legends is getting a massive reworkNaughty Dog is already crunching on Intergalactic: The Heretic ProphetJK Rowling likely to pocket a ton of royalty dollars on the Harry Potter x Fortnite collabPhysical games and hardware had its worst month in basically foreverand more!We played:Pokemon Legends: Z-AQ-UpPOCODeadlockAlso, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our wonderful Discord.

Editor's note: this week's episode failed to upload individual stems of each recording, which means this final product is a bit rougher than usual. This is John and Streamyard's fault. Jordan did a great job with it.This week, Niki, Lotus, and John are all here to discuss the Biggest Night in Gaming™ aka The Game Awards. Included in the overall discussion:Casey Hudson's Star Wars RPGLarian's horrifying trailer for DivinityCapcom flubbing Leon Kennedy and Mega Man, somehowControl Resonant isn't quite what we want but that's okayStar Wars Galactic Racer is the Y2K game our failing economy yearns forThe Street Fighter movie's vibes are off-the-charts badGang of Dragon sure does look like a YakuzaAce Combat 8 is also here to remind us that the economy is in great shape4Loop and Highguard are both incredibly DOA gamesCoven of the Chicken Foot is cute, but what else?Jon Blow's Order of the Sinking Star is a bunch of other stuff in one kind of confusion packageTrailers allegedly cost anywhere between $450,000 and $1,000,000 to show at the event19,000 games were released on Steam in 2025 and 49% of them have fewer than 10 reviewsWe played:Angeline EraMetroid Prime 4: BeyondPokémon Legends: Z-AAs always, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

This week, John and Lotus celebrate the return of Niki to the show by immediately yelling at them for saying no one knows who Ron Gilbert is. Also!Netflix is buying Warner Bros. for $82.7b, including WB's gamesRon Gilbert's Death by Scrolling had big trouble finding publisher moneyHorses banned by Epic Games StoreEA's buyout is going 93.4% to the SaudisMina the Hollower needs to be a huge hit, Yacht Club admits for some reasonNo Players Online is back on Steam after spurious DMCA takedownTim Cain is back...well kind of he wasn't ever really gone it seems like...at ObsidianWe played:Metroid Prime 4: BeyondHorsesPokémon Legends: Z-AAsbury PinesAngeline EraAlso, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

This week, Lotus and John dissect the biggest news stories of the week, including:Horses banned from Steam and the oddities surrounding itSplash Damage enters consultation ahead of layoffsCoatsink to lay off roughly half their studioNintendo to acquire 80% of Bandai Namco Studios SingaporeDDR5s and SSDs face massive price hike amidst shortageDemonschool does something fun with their creditsHere's what we played this week:HYPERBEATMorselsFinally, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

This week, Lotus and John are feeling particularly thankful for the handful of absolutely bananas stories that dropped in their laps! Including:Tencent's ultimate investment in UbisoftYoko Taro's projects keep getting canceledUnity coming to UnrealMegabonk withdraws from The Game AwardsUnknown Worlds vs Krafton gets unbelievably weirdRoblox CEO says the wildest things you can imagine on a podcastAlso, Lotus and John played/watched/listened to:One Battle After Another (film)Lingo 2Berserk B.I.T.S.The Phlegms' new album Gulp (album)Pluribus (television show)We, of course, answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

This week, Lotus and John tackle an absolute boatload of games news and notes, including:Valve's Steam Machine, Frame, and Controller all due in 2026Halo Infinite's final update coming this monthThe mishandling of The Game Awards Future Class is another black mark on whatever legacy Geoff Keighley is trying to leaveSony's fiscal report shows 40% share of software revenue to live service gamesMarathon apparently coming by the end of March 2026Arc Raiders uses AI voices and people are weird about people being weird about itAmbrosia Sky suddenly has a complicated release structure for some reasonThe Indie Game Awards are back on December 18thThe average games industry salary is $142,000 but please do not believe thatThey gave Samus Aran a shitty little sidekick in Metroid Prime 4Also, John & Lotus played:The Meow Wolf Grapevine missing kid ARGDreamfather Loves YouThe Good Old DaysSkies of Arcadia LegendsWe, of course, answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.

This week, Niki returns after a taxing move to talking to Lotus and John about a game they played called Life's Eternal Puzzle. Not out on any consoles I can find but still interesting!Also!Grand Theft Auto VI is delayedRockstar's fired employees were allegedly leaking information (uh huh)Protests erupt outside RockstarTexas sues Roblox (get ready to get acquainted with Ken Paxton, one of the worst dudes in the world)Borderlands 4 sales laggingAvowed 2 might be coming (according to disgraced Obsidian founder)Surprise! Executives believe Steam has a monopoly on PC Games market!Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra has been delayedConcord is fodder for UK House of Commons debateSquare Enix lays off over 100Square Enix wishes to move 70% of QA and debugging to generative AIUnbeatable delayed at the finish lineThis week, the crew played:The Outer Worlds 2KinophobiaSettlemoonPokémon Legends Z-AMarvel SnapAlso, we answer your burning HIVE QUESTIONS from our lovely Discord.