Video Game Fury

It's that time of year where summer kicks off and game companies are ready to show off the latest and greatest in gaming. And while E3 may be a distant memory (for now), Summer Game Fest and all of its individual publisher showcases are ready to take part of the festivities. But in particular, we look at the Xbox Showcase and see what they could possibly do to gain consumer trust back in the wake of their latest pitfalls with Redfall and the Activision-Blizzard deal. Could they bounce back in a big way with a bunch of their first party studios ready to showcase their games? We go in-depth with each studio and what they could offer...

The Xbox brand has been hit hard the last couple of weeks between the CMA blocking the Activision Blizzard King acquisition and now with the underwhelming reviews given to the release of Redfall. It has created a situation where many media outlets and content creators are calling for Phil Spencer and team to be removed from running the brand. Are we really at that point for Microsoft to execute on a drastic measure like that? Or is this just a case to repivot and push the direction of Xbox differently? We discuss in great detail...

2023 has seen its share of big game releases so far, but it has also seen its fair share of bugs, glitches, and performance issues. Hogwarts Legacy, Wild Hearts, Wo-Long, Star Wars Jedi Survivor, and The Last of Us Part 1 have all fallen under these buckets of late. It is not a new issue if you've tracked the industry long enough (see Cyberpunk 2077 and Fallout 76 for prior examples), but it also speaks to an issue that we as consumers need to come to terms with when it comes to FOMO and wanting to be part of the real-time conversations. Let's discuss and hash it out!

The last handheld system that Sony had was the Vita, which died a quiet death a few years ago as Sony went full speed on their console support. Which is why it was curious to learn of rumors of Project Q-Lite, which supposedly is either Sony's new cloud gaming handheld or is a dedicated handheld for PS5 Remote Play. The latter seems odd considering many devices support Remote Play today, so why have a dedicated handheld for it? We chat that plus my thoughts on the Diablo 4 beta!

Since 1995, E3 has been a gaming staple to showcase the latest games coming out for consumers to enjoy and to also give publishers and developers a platform to strike deals for the upcoming releases. Over the last 5 years though, it has suffered an identity crisis trying to figure out its presence in a world where digital events can happen and other shows like PAX and Gamescom are managing the global hybrid world of digital and physical much better. That all came to a head this week when the ESA and ReedPop decided to cancel E3 2023 in light of fading interest in the event from publishers. Why did this happen? And what does that mean for the future - if any - of E3? Let's discuss...

Nintendo Switch is on a warpath in sales as it was announced as end of September 30th that they have sold around 114 million devices.  An impressive feat that should be honored even as we call for Nintendo to upgrade its specs or start thinking about its new hardware in the midst of the launch of the Steam Deck and concerns expressed about performance and frame rates.  It does beg the question if they truly need to think about these things if the system continues to sell.  Let's discuss...

I have never played Skyrim before until these last few weeks.  It was a game that came out during a time where gaming was less of a priority in my life.  Building a big sprawling world where you can be immersed it and see your character grow is not an easy game to make.  Bethesda has been kings at making these games for a long while and with Starfield presumably about to makes its debut sometime in 2023, I thought it would be a great idea to share my thoughts on this 11-year-old game as someone new to the franchise.

G4TV is gone....again.  Try as it might to stand out in a 2022 gaming media landscape, it eventually found itself competing with tons of gaming channels across the YouTube and Twitch platforms that consumers have been more drawn to during G4TV's original absence.  What was done wrong and who is to blame?  We deep dive into the fall of a cherished gaming network.

We're only a month removed from The Last of Us Part 1's remake release on the PS5 and already the rumor train is milling over a potential remaster/remake of 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn along with a multiplayer mode involving co-op.  Is this the direction Sony should be taking with their franchises?  Are they forgetting their legacy that brought them to the big dance?  Or is the focus on the here and now as they continue to build this transmedia world of taking their major franchises into the worlds of TV and movies?  Let's break it down...

The launch of Cyberpunk 2077 back in December 2020 will go down as the one of the most critically panned launches in gaming history.  Even with many calling it a good game on its own, it still ruined CD Projekt Red's reputation as they pulled the wool over the eyes of console customers and even Sony itself - forcing them to delist the game from the Playstation Store for a period of time. Fast forward almost 2 years later and the game has seen many patches - including a next-gen patch to bring it up to snuff with how it should be played and just recently an Edgerunners patch that coincided with the release of the Cyberpunk Edgerunners anime on Netflix.  There is a new expansion next year coming out called Phantom Liberty.  All of this has caused a resurgence of interest in the world that is Cyberpunk where Steam sales and concurrent players have ballooned. Is this yet another comeback story amidst other games that saw a disastrous launch only to see these companies build themselves back up to saving grace with their fanbases?  Possibly, but maybe not quite yet.  Let's discuss!  

Yesterday was a very bad day for Rockstar Games and Take Two.  And one can only imagine what the week(s) will look like ahead for them. The GTA6 leaks are the talk of the town right now and could go down as one of the worst game leaks in the history of the industry.  What are the implications of these leaks?  How does Rockstar and Take Two respond?  And what should we as a gaming community be doing to support them (if at all if you go by some folks' responses on social media)?  We discuss...

Streaming services across TV, movies, and video games are all the rage nowadays.  You can't help but be enamored considering the cheap cost of admission and the abundance of content that goes with them.  With that said, one has to wonder if it has a cost to them we're not seeing.  Companies behind these services have to justify the needs to have them with this abundance of content and that could come at a price of quality as well as people not having enough time to watch and/or play all of them. Today, we explore this more in-depth and see if being in these services are the right thing to be in...

The Last of Us Part 1 Remake was announced last month and is releasing on September 2nd on PS5 and PC platforms.  Timeless as the game is, there has been controversy about whether or not it is a "cash grab" given it is remaking a barely 10-year-old game that already had a remaster on PS4 8 years ago and putting it out on PS5 and PC at $70.  It gives us pause to reflect on if remaking and/or remastering classic games and franchises are all here for the right reasons.  I spend some time sharing those viewpoints and ask the audience to think through if the $70 is worth it...

Video game Christmas has arrived again!  While strange to not call it E3 this year, the excitement is still palpable with Summer Game Fest, Devolver, Xbox/Bethesda, and Capcom all having showcases of new and upcoming games.  That said, you can't help but feel some hesitation on what and when is to come with game delays all around due to the pandemic and game development problems.  Here is hoping we temper expectations, but we know how the gaming world can be when things don't arrive to their expectation.  Let's discuss!

Vampire Survivors is a great game for its value ($3!) and you should buy it. I explain why but I also want you to know why the indie game space is still thriving.

I’m playing Horizon Forbidden West currently and it’s been great. But being 10 hours in and the game being a beast of a 60+ hour game, I feel like I will get to the point where it gets too much and my backlog will continue to grow. Am I alone in this thinking? Let’s discuss.

343 had a lot to live up to with Halo Infinite after subpar offering of their campaigns in Halo 4 and 5.  So much so they convinced Microsoft to delay the game a year after when it was supposed to come out for the launch of the Xbox Series X and S platforms.  Did it deliver the punch it needed?  I lay it all out in my review...

Playstation’s Spartacus has been revealed and it’s…..ok? With new tiers and questions on the value of the higher ones, one has to wonder if this truly is a competitor to Xbox Game Pass. Let’s discuss.

Elden Ring came out last week and like a lot of From Software’s games, it created a conversation around difficulty in games and if a studio should be incorporating more options to make it less difficult. Is it something they should do or does it interfere with the studio’s vision? We discuss!

February 2022 has a ton of great gaming releases going on. But leading into this month, I question if people really had the patience to wait for them.