Game Scoop! 802: Next-Gen Xbox - Too Soon?

Summary

Game Scoop! Episode 802: Next-Gen Xbox - Too Soon?

In Episode 802 of Game Scoop!, hosted by veteran games industry professional Damon Hatfield alongside co-hosts Nick Limone, Sam Claiborne, and Justin Davis, the IGN & Geek Media team delves deep into the latest buzz surrounding Xbox's ambitious hardware roadmap. Titled "Next-Gen Xbox - Too Soon?", the episode dissects leaked information about Xbox's future consoles and handheld devices, offering insightful analysis and lively debates on the implications for the gaming landscape.

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Leaked Xbox Hardware Plans for 2027

The episode kicks off with a significant revelation sourced from Windows Central, detailing leaked plans about Xbox's hardware evolution. The hosts discuss the announcement of a full next-gen Xbox set to launch in 2027, marking a substantial seven-year gap following the release of the Xbox Series X. Additionally, Xbox is preparing to introduce Xbox-branded gaming handhelds within the same year.

Nick Limone elaborates, stating:

“[09:02] The next-gen Xbox is expected to be more PC-like than any Xbox before it, supporting third-party storefronts such as Steam and the Epic Games Store.”

This strategic move aims to integrate the versatility of PC gaming with the dedicated gaming hardware experience, potentially broadening Xbox's appeal to a wider audience.

Integration of Third-Party Storefronts

A pivotal point of discussion revolves around Xbox's decision to support third-party storefronts. This integration signifies a departure from traditional console-exclusive ecosystems, allowing gamers to access a vast library of games beyond Xbox's proprietary offerings.

Sam Claiborne remarks:

“[14:36] This could be the real selling point because now you've got this powerful new Xbox that plays Xbox games, it can play your Steam games, it can handle emulations...”

The hosts ponder the potential benefits, such as increased game accessibility and flexibility, while also considering the challenges, including maintaining a cohesive gaming experience across diverse platforms.

Comparing Xbox's Strategy with PlayStation and Nintendo

The conversation naturally shifts to how Xbox's forward-thinking approach stacks up against competitors like Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo. The team debates whether Xbox's integration of PC-like features positions it better in the console wars, especially considering Microsoft's acquisitions of major game studios.

Mark Medina offers his perspective:

“[10:25] Whoever is having a bad generation is the one motivated to speed things along. Like Nintendo cutting the Wii U short for the Switch...”

He suggests that Xbox's proactive measures may give it an edge in adapting to the ever-evolving gaming market, potentially outpacing PlayStation, which may struggle to match Xbox's expansive ecosystem.

Speculations on Next-Gen Xbox Features and Pricing

The hosts engage in spirited speculation about the features and pricing of the upcoming next-gen Xbox. They debate whether the new console will include a disk drive and ponder the likely price point, considering the shift towards digital distribution and cloud gaming.

Justin Davis humorously contributes:

“[20:44] Yeah. We can even slap a chicken on it—add-ons like chicken could be an optional purchase.”

While the banter lightens the technical discussion, it underscores the uncertainty surrounding the exact specifications and cost of the new hardware.

Impact of Microsoft’s Studio Acquisitions

A significant portion of the episode examines how Microsoft's ownership of studios like Bethesda and Activision Blizzard could influence the gaming ecosystem. The hosts contend that these acquisitions may empower Xbox to offer a robust lineup of exclusive titles, thereby enhancing its competitive stance against Sony and Nintendo.

Justin Davis emphasizes:

“[12:59] They own Activision Blizzard. They own Bethesda. This is completely different than what we had going into the last generation.”

This consolidation of high-profile studios under Microsoft's umbrella is seen as a strategic move to bolster Xbox's game portfolio, potentially attracting a broader gamer base.

Controller Preferences and Hardware Loyalty

The discussion also touches upon controller ergonomics and personal preferences. Mark Medina passionately defends the Xbox controller:

“[13:36] Overwhelmingly, the Xbox is my favorite controller. The asymmetrical sticks and concave design feel so much better.”

His loyalty to Xbox hardware highlights the importance of controller design in shaping brand allegiance and user experience within the gaming community.

Debate on Xbox Handhelds vs. Existing Devices

Addressing the introduction of Xbox-branded handhelds, the hosts compare them to existing devices like the Steam Deck. They debate the necessity and potential success of Xbox entering the handheld market, given the saturated landscape with numerous third-party options.

Nick Limone questions:

“[23:13] Why is Xbox going to make their own handheld two years later when devices like the Steam Deck already exist and perform well?”

This skepticism underscores the challenges Xbox may face in differentiating its handheld offerings in a competitive market.

Listener Engagement and Community Insights

The episode also features listener interactions, including an email from a fan named Joe about the Balatro subreddit controversy over AI Art. The discussion sheds light on ongoing debates within gaming communities regarding the role of AI in creative content.

Nick Limone summarizes:

“[33:17] Some people didn't want AI Art on the Balatro subreddit. The developer opposed it and booted a moderator who supported AI Art.”

This segment exemplifies the broader conversations about AI's influence on gaming and digital art, reflecting community sentiments and governance challenges.

Upcoming Episodes and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, the hosts tease future content, including a deep dive into Assassin's Creed Shadows and discussions about a potential Nintendo Switch 2. They express excitement about the evolving gaming hardware landscape and anticipation for how these developments will shape the industry.

Sam Claiborne concludes:

“[68:52] The next episode is going to be a doozy. Exciting times ahead.”

The hosts maintain their signature blend of expert analysis and casual banter, ensuring that listeners are both informed and entertained.

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Notable Quotes:

• Nick Limone at [09:02]: “The next-gen Xbox is expected to be more PC-like than any Xbox before it, supporting third-party storefronts such as Steam and the Epic Games Store.”
• Sam Claiborne at [14:36]: “This could be the real selling point because now you've got this powerful new Xbox that plays Xbox games, it can play your Steam games, it can handle emulations...”
• Mark Medina at [10:25]: “Whoever is having a bad generation is the one motivated to speed things along. Like Nintendo cutting the Wii U short for the Switch...”
• Justin Davis at [20:44]: “We can even slap a chicken on it—add-ons like chicken could be an optional purchase.”

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Conclusion:

Episode 802 of Game Scoop! provides an in-depth exploration of Xbox's upcoming hardware strategies, analyzing their potential impact on the gaming industry. With thoughtful discussions on third-party integrations, market competition, hardware design, and community dynamics, the IGN & Geek Media team offers listeners a comprehensive understanding of what to expect from Xbox in the coming years. Whether you're a long-time Xbox enthusiast or a newcomer to the gaming scene, this episode delivers valuable insights and entertaining commentary on the future of gaming consoles.

Transcript

[Damon Hatfield]

Gamescoop is presented by Sega and Atlus Metaphor Refantazio Metaphor Refantazio was IGN's 2024 Game of the Year and it totaled over 50 awards across numerous categories. It won Best RPG, Best Narrative and Best Art Direction at the Game Awards 2024. Find out why gamers love it for yourself. Refantasio is available for Xbox, PlayStation and Steam. Currently 25% off for a limited time. Metaphor Refantasio won Best RPG, Best Narrative and Best Art Direction at the Game Awards 2024. This is Atlus first fantasy JRPG within the AAA space from the creators of Person and if you haven't played it yet, this is a great time to pick up Metaphor Refantasio because it is currently on sale for 25% off. Metaphor features a calendar based time management system. You have to choose how to spend your days and nights wisely. That time can be spent doing quests, diving into dungeons and increasing your royal virtues. You're constantly on the move and it really feels like a globetrotting adventure. Your home base is a Gauntlet runner, a stylish steampunk inspired ship with mechanical legs you use to venture from place to place. It's such a smart idea for bringing your traveling band together. It also works as a hub to improve certain bonds, virtues or combat stats and the time it takes to get from one location to the next. A free demo is available that lasts around five hours and gives a good sense of what this adventure is all about. Save data carries over to the full game. Metaphor Refantazio is available for Xbox, PlayStation and Steam. Currently 25% off for a limited time. What's up everybody? Welcome to IGN gamescoop.

[Nick Limone]

I'm your host Damon Hatfield. Joining me this week here in studio is Nick Limone.

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm back baby.

[Nick Limone]

Also joined by Sam Claiborne.

[Justin Davis]

Hey everybody.

[Nick Limone]

And Justin Davis. Scoop, we got a great show for you this week. There was a big report this week that leaked all of Xbox's hardware plans for the next few years which includes a full new next gen Xbox in 2027 and multiple handhelds. So there's lots to dig into there and I've got some good emails from Scoop Nation for some good thought starters. But first Sam and I are playing Assassin's Creed Shadows. The embargo for that is is up next week so we can't talk about it until next week's episode. Next week's episode will be a deep dive into Assassin's Creed Shadows and Mark Medina is playing it as well so he's he'll Be joining us next week to dig into deep dive of a.

[Justin Davis]

Tall building into a haystack.

[Nick Limone]

Exactly. Please be excited for that. So since Sam and I can't share what we've been playing. Nick, you've been playing split fiction. We were talking about this last week.

[Sam Claiborne]

But yeah, I've been playing a lot of split fiction and man, it's just nice to play a good co op game that is designed around co op from beginning to end. I love that you can't play the game with a computer. You have to play with somebody else. And just every little like every single little side story is just so silly and fun and I, I'm just having a blast with the game.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, it's super weird. We talked about this last week. It's super fun. Are you deep into it?

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm like six hours in right now. I'm. I went Sci Fi fantasy and now I'm back in the Sci Fi zone.

[Nick Limone]

Have you encountered in the Sci Fi zone like a game show where you have to carry a bomb? Yes, that's the point where my son couldn't he. That was when it became too much.

[Sam Claiborne]

Because you can skip that.

[Nick Limone]

What do you mean?

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh wait, no, you can't skip that. Yeah, that's right.

[Nick Limone]

So for others it's like a game show where you have to, you have to pass a bomb back and forth and if either of you holds the bomb for too long, it explodes. And then they introduce more and more obstacles that make it more and more difficult for you to pass the bomb. And that was the point where my 5 year old son, it was a little too much for him.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, there is like, there is a moment where I was like, okay, yeah, this is pretty fun. I've kind of seen this before. I've done this before. I wasn't like too enthralled from the opening of the game, but there's a part on the lead up to the first boss of the first Sci Fi location that you know, kind of rounds out that sci Fi area where one person is on a motorcycle and the other person is doing something very interesting. When that moment happens, I was losing my mind because I thought that was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a game that is forcing the other player to do that makes 100% sense. It's zany and it's just such a frantic dynamic between, you know, evading a bunch of stuff that's trying to hit you on the motorcycle while your buddy's doing something else. And that's When I was like, oh, he's back. Mr. Fess is back with. With the goods.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. I had never played any of the previous games. This was the first one I played. But since that started to get too hard, we went to It Takes Two, which is on Game Pass.

[Mark Medina]

Cool.

[Nick Limone]

And we were having fun with that too, obviously. Very, very similar game, very similar setup. The first boss is super fun. That's the vacuum cleaner.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

That was really fun and clever. But then it was the second segment after that where I think the difficulty ramps up more quickly and we were already sort of having trouble again. It's when one of you the. When it has to throw nails to activate these platforms and the other person has to do the platform. So you're in real time. One person has to jump to some tricky platforming while the other person is throwing a limited amount of nails to activate the platforms. And once again we were just like, okay, this is a little too much for a 5 year old.

[Mark Medina]

I mean Damon, you should go back to the Lego games with the five year old.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, we can do that one too. Yeah. I was also thinking maybe Portal 2, but he hasn't done any like first person gaming yet. So I don't.

[Mark Medina]

There is no way like Portal 2 is really hard.

[Nick Limone]

Well, you know, you can always just start a game. You know, the early levels. I don't know, you can play a.

[Sam Claiborne]

Couple levels on it, I think. Be all right.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

And that'd be a great way to acclimate them to the first person controls maybe a little bit. But that said, as much as I am liking Split Fiction so far, I don't think it has lived up to It Takes Two just yet. Granted, I am rough pretty early in the game I think. So we shall see that that's a. It Takes Two was my game of the year, my personal game of the year, the year that came out. Which is a thing I never thought would have happened. So it does have some, it has some high standards to live up to. But again, I'm having a blast with it and I just love being able to play a game with my buddy like this.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. Super fun game. Justin, anything you've been playing recently?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, I did start Split fiction with my 10 year old. I mentioned on the show last week that there was, you know, a little bit of tension in the house because both children are interested in co oping through the game. But my, my 8 year old decided that it seemed a little bit. She's like, I just want to watch. Seemed like a little bit too Advanced for her. So yeah, we've been putting a little bit of time. I mean, you know, it's been school nights so we don't get as much screen time. So, you know, we're chipping away at it, you know, sort of one little section a night and having a good time together as a family. So my 10 year old has played Hogwarts Legacy and both Zeldas and like she's getting to be pretty seasoned at this point. And so like the difficulty has been spot on for her. Kind of hard enough where like, oh, like, okay, we failed, we have to try again. But like, you know, it's been perfect actually. Like not too easy or too hard. It's been great.

[Nick Limone]

Cool. Sam, did you play more split fiction or you just all Assassin's Creed?

[Justin Davis]

No, I've had, I've, I've had demands to play more though, which is awesome. That's good. But yeah, I was, you know, I was. Yes, I'm playing Assassin's Creed, which is drawing my full attention. But before that I was playing Avowed and like it was hard for me to be like, oh, I don't want to. I, you know, I love, I want to see more split fiction. But like I was fully hooked on about. That game is amazing.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's the Andy meme. I'm done playing with you and you just drop it on the floor.

[Justin Davis]

The second open world area and about is so cool. And you know, I. 100% of the first area or as far as I know, I don't know if I actually found everything. I got to look at my stats. But yeah, like that game ended up a lot, a lot cooler than any of us, I think expected. And it's a great, a great placeholder for your kind of Bethesda Skyrim needs right now. I couldn't give it a higher recommendation. It's great.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, I've really come around and avowed to having good characters too.

[Justin Davis]

Some funny conversations with your, with your team.

[Nick Limone]

Yep. It gets funnier as you go along. It's funny you mentioned the Andy meme from Toy Story because that's actually the thumbnail I'm using this week for this episode. But as it relates to Xbox, because a lot of the commentary I saw from people were that even if the next gen Xbox comes in 2027, seven years after the series X, a lot of people just, they just still feel like this generation never really got started, you know, and now it's already winding down. But anyway, it's lost. Here's the details from the Report this week that came from Windows Central. It's a full next gen Xbox set for 2027 and then an Xbox branded gaming handheld due out later this year. Windows Central says this, the one that's coming this year would be a partner PC gaming handheld. It's codenamed Keenan. And it's like, what do they call it? OEMs? Original Equipment Manufacturers. So like it'd be made like Asus or Lenovo or Razer, but it would be Xbox. I'm a little bit fuzzy on the why of it all, but then looking forward, it would have a full next gen Xbox in 2027 along with an Xbox produced handheld and new controllers.

[Justin Davis]

I just want to point out that it's canon. That's the most important fact to get right here.

[Nick Limone]

Project K E E N A N is Kenan.

[Justin Davis]

We got that wrong.

[Nick Limone]

Oh, well, okay, that's good to know.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, there's just been stories today that are like, everybody's like, it's canon, it's okay. I don't know why. I don't know why. It's just like that's what's going around.

[Nick Limone]

What's the.

[Mark Medina]

Well, I.

[Justin Davis]

Go ahead.

[Nick Limone]

What's the best console codename ever that also starts with a katana.

[Sam Claiborne]

Katana for the Dreamcast.

[Justin Davis]

I thought you were going to say the colfin.

[Mark Medina]

I mean like console generations have gotten so weird these days, right? I mean, Damon, you said it like it's seven years if it comes out in 2027, but that still feels fast. But whoever is in last place, and as much as I love my Xbox series X, they are, you know, undoubtedly have lost this console generation. Like it's gotten away from them. And you know, whoever is having a bad gen, they're the one that's motivated to kind of speed things along. Like, you know, they got to move faster. And that was the same with, you know, Nintendo cutting the Wii U short for the Switch. Like, you know, there's a long history of that and so I'm not surprised to see Xbox want to be the first mover. I mean, I don't think maybe we're going to start hearing about the PS6 as well. And Xbox isn't going to be the first mover, but like it, like it makes sense I guess, is what I'm saying.

[Nick Limone]

But there's the conundrum, you know, if, if people don't want to buy an Xbox now and they didn't want to buy an Xbox last generation, like, what's going to change by 2027?

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. And if everything's an Xbox, why would I want to buy this?

[Nick Limone]

Is that part of it too? And I'm not an Xbox hater. I like my Series X. I'm playing Assassin's Creed on my Series X. But the fact remains they're not. They're having a really hard time selling consoles.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, my favorite Xbox is my PC because I play all my console exclusives on my high end hardware and I have a blast with it.

[Justin Davis]

Their answer to that could be that they have just the craziest exclusives ever. Right? But they don't want them to be exclusives forever anymore, so they give them a window. And the window is what we just saw with Indiana Jones again, it was on PC though, so it's just this window for other stuff. Now, PCs are still a lot more expensive than consoles. We saw. The new round of graphics cards are 2k and down.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, crazy.

[Justin Davis]

So like $2,000, that's crazy. There are $600 ones, but you need everything else that's still more expensive than an Xbox and probably more expensive than what the next Xbox will be. Who knows, though, with the world economy as being so crazily shaken up. So all that, all that being said, it's possible that you might be able to play Call of Duty one week early or sky, you know, Elder Scrolls next, one month early. That's reason enough to just start a new console generation fresh and be like, this is our compact with y'all. This last generation, we focused on our game pass this next generation, we're going to focus on this. That, that could be the way they go, but they don't have to.

[Mark Medina]

I mean, yeah, I think that the traditional model for consoles is they're sold at a loss, right? And then they make it up through software and services and they subsidize the price of the console. But like, the next Xbox could just be like, maybe they don't intend to sell tens and hundreds of millions of them. Like, maybe they're gonna make it and establish like, you know, a new power level, like a new sort of hardware level. And then it's gonna be cloud, you know, cloud gaming on your game. Pass. Xbox on PC. Like, everything is an Xbox, including the new Xbox. Like, you know, this is the best way to play Xbox or whatever they want to call it. And so they'll sell however many they sell to the enthusiasts and the hardcore and the people that want to be in that ecosystem, like me. And then for everybody else, like, you know, play on cloud on your iPad, you know, buy the games on Steam, buy them on your PS5, play them on your web browser.

[Justin Davis]

Like that would make sense than it was this generation. Like they own Activision Blizzard. Like that's incredible. They own Bethesda. Like this is completely different than what we had going into the last generation. So whether or not that had an effect on the past, you know, five year cycle, it doesn't matter. It will have an effect in the future because in two years a lot more of those companies will be having games hit market as Microsoft products and that's going to change things up. There is no equivalent of that going on with Sony and Nintendo. It's just, it's just not the same.

[Mark Medina]

I will say like from a hardware perspective, I would be really sad. Like overwhelmingly the Xbox is my favorite controller. I think it's probably my favorite controller ever, ever made. It's like, and I really like, this may sound stupid, maybe it doesn't, maybe everybody gets it. But like I legitimately don't want to play my PS5 just because I don't like symmetrical sticks. Like I like, I like the asymmetrical sticks and the concave sticks. Like it feels so much better. So you know, like if for no other reason than that, like I'm motivated for Xbox hardware to stay around and stay healthy.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm rubbing my hands together for an Xbox Elite Series 3 controller. The prospect of it. Papa wants it.

[Mark Medina]

Mm.

[Nick Limone]

Well, this is a really important detail from this report. So Windows Central expects the next gen Xbox will be more like a PC than any Xbox before it and, and will support third party storefronts such as Steam, Epic Games Store and good old games. To me that could be the real selling point.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yes.

[Nick Limone]

Because now all of a sudden you've got this powerful new Xbox that plays Xbox games. It can play your Steam games, it can play. Not even to get into what it can do with emulation, you know.

[Mark Medina]

So. Okay, so let's game this out though. Like, so every, every console is on its own operating system, but for it to play Steam games that means it has to be either Windows or Linux based because that doesn' it's no Steam without that.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, I don't think it might be.

[Mark Medina]

It might be.

[Justin Davis]

Microsoft is not going to put something out with a Linux platform on it. Yeah, they just will not do that. They might as well put Windows on it.

[Sam Claiborne]

I mean this just, this sounds exactly like what Valve was trying to do with the Steam machines.

[Mark Medina]

So if this, if this is a Windows machine, it's literally a PC and I'm not even Saying that to be flippant or make a joke, but that's just what it is. It's an Xbox.

[Justin Davis]

But we're, we're in an era in which, like, we're so lucky that, you know, Steam kind of pioneered, like, hey, if Steam shows up on this device, it works really well and it just starts up in Steam. Like, that's what the Windows version would need to be. It would need to be that. Exactly.

[Mark Medina]

You know, and I, and I, and I do think there's value. Even though it's just literally a PC by another name, there's value in like standardizing the power level. Like, because then developers can sort of pace to that, right? Like, here's, you know, here's the standard that we need to sort of hit this, you know, hit 4K, 30 FPS or 60, whatever they want to target on the new console.

[Justin Davis]

Let me bring another aspect of this future console war into. Into the ring here. Not a lot of people will agree with me on this, I suspect, but I think it's true. We went into the last generation with a lot of expectations for the PS5, and it was really, it was sold out forever and it was hyped like crazy. I don't think the PS5 has paid off nearly as well as the Xbox or the Switch. I mean, you have. I got a war game Returnal, you got Astro. Like, you get some good games on it. But like, every time there's a Sony conference, it's like, okay, these are a bunch of, you know, B B plus games, but we don't have those hitters that are like, why did I buy a PS5? Like, if you think back, like, Final Fantasy is my best reason for. And like, believe me, I really like a lot of the games on the PS5, but I wanted to immediately select it. But if I'm thinking about who is better positioned to make me buy a console in two years, I don't think PlayStation has a chance. I think they're going to fall. It's one of those generations where it's like, what games are they making? What games do I have to be excited about?

[Mark Medina]

Well, except like the last want to play.

[Justin Davis]

Just say they don't want to make another game.

[Mark Medina]

They've. If you want to play PlayStation games, you have to play them on a PlayStation. Whereas Xbox is giving you options, you know, except.

[Nick Limone]

Except if you're an xxbox, can launch Steam. Every PlayStation game that comes to Steam, you can now play on your Xbox.

[Mark Medina]

A year later, I'm playing Horizon on my next Xbox by downloading it from Steam and God of War.

[Nick Limone]

Right. And then if the PlayStation 6 is just a more powerful PlayStation console, all of a sudden, the next Xbox can do a lot more.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, it does feel from like, a value proposition standpoint, like, we know a lot that, like, you know, younger gamers, and I don't even want to describe them as kids anymore, but know people younger than us, like, they want to play games on the devices they already have. So the game. The console market has been middled, right, where, like, people want to play casual games on their phone and then hardcore games on their PC on devices that exist for, like, you know, like, the game console doesn't have a lot of reason for existing anymore. And so Microsoft feels slightly better positioned for kind of that future. Not slightly, significantly better positioned, I would say. But PlayStation always has the option of just like, okay, fine, we're gonna put everything on Steam.

[Justin Davis]

I mean, we saw a little part of this when the 360 was dominating the PS3. They went all in on downloadable games and they had the Summer of Arcade, and everybody got really hyped about Xbox Live and the service Xbox Live offered. Like, that was a generation where service and innovation trumped exclusives. And then the Xbox got a bunch of exclusives, and it just. It just rocked the PS3 at the time. Like, and, like, we've been through, you know, over a decade where people don't remember that the Xbox 360, why. Why it was more popular and why it was cooler and why it sold more. You know, it's like, it's possible that that happens again. I don't think that the PS5 seemed like this guarantee. Like, you know, like, there's just no question everybody's just gonna get a PS5. But, like, looking back, like, I don't know if that was the best decision for everybody. And I might have turned people off to it. I don't know. I always get everything. Yeah, I'm a different type of consumer.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I just. I think Sam said it so elegantly. I don't really. There's nothing that stands out to me about the PS5 other than Final Fantasy 7. And they just got really lucky that I like that game.

[Nick Limone]

I mean, you know, I loved God of War, Ragnarok, and Horizon, Forbidden west, but you could play both of those games on PS4.

[Sam Claiborne]

PS4, yeah.

[Nick Limone]

Okay, so.

[Justin Davis]

And then on PC.

[Sam Claiborne]

And then on PC, hopefully Ghosts of Yote.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, yeah, I'm very excited for that. Okay, so next next gen Xbox 2027, two questions for all of you. Does it have a disk drive and can it be less than $700?

[Justin Davis]

I'm going to say the disk drive is there, but it's a really big disc.

[Sam Claiborne]

A laser disc.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, that. Back to laser.

[Mark Medina]

That's great.

[Justin Davis]

No, I, I, that's really hard to predict. It's super. I mean like the reason they might make the system is only for people that need a disk system to buy things in an old way and like span this generational change in how games are distributed. That might be, that might be its sole purpose.

[Mark Medina]

Yes, I think that there's at least a version of it that has the disk drive. No, I don't think it's, there's a version of it that's less than, than $700. I think that's the floor and honestly we'd maybe be lucky if it's $700 because A, I don't think they can afford to subsidize it like they do other consoles and B, if it's just a PC like, or a PC by another name, I don't know, it just puts it in a different price bracket. Right. It's a different calendar.

[Justin Davis]

Would you rather have that console or 500 eggs?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, I do like eggs a lot.

[Sam Claiborne]

I miss eggs.

[Justin Davis]

Remember here in California there are like a $20. That's what you're going to pay for 500 eggs.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. No disk drive and yes, $700 at least. Although I do envision a world where we see a three tiered Xbox system and essentially it's just low end PC, mid range PC, high range high end PC or Xbox in this case for you know, the power consumer. What is the Series X of this new iteration of console PC hybrid?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, maybe. Except the Xbox Series S is like such a bummer. It's like I've been a big proponent of Xbox on this show and just in my own gaming habits it's my lead console this gen. But like the Series S, it just like, like it's just this asterisk of like well we still got to support that other older console. Like it's, it's a bummer this many years on.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, I think they're going to try to offset prices by some kind of, you know, AI doohickey or off board computing or something and just try to make this plastic box get in houses. So I don't think it'll be more than 500.

[Nick Limone]

Oh my gosh.

[Sam Claiborne]

Some sort of FSR or DLSS like solution.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah.

[Justin Davis]

But I do think it'll ship with a chicken, but if you.

[Mark Medina]

If.

[Justin Davis]

If you get it with the chicken, that'll be a little bit more expensive, the getting with the egg. But it's hard to tell which is more worth it.

[Nick Limone]

Okay.

[Sam Claiborne]

It will come with a copy of.

[Justin Davis]

Billy Hatcher, because chickens lay eggs, and you can make chickens with those eggs.

[Mark Medina]

Right?

[Justin Davis]

So then if you get the egg, you can't really tell what's a better deal.

[Mark Medina]

It pays for itself within the first two years. It pays for itself just in eggs alone.

[Nick Limone]

Excuse me. Okay. And then there's these. The handhelds. They're going to make their own handhelds.

[Justin Davis]

Damon, I need to pause this conversation for a second. I just want everybody that's not in the United States to understand that there is a bird flu epidemic and birds here and eggs are really expensive. That is not how it is in other countries. So if you're listening to us from other places, you might have regularly priced eggs. But that is what all our elections are about now here.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. Eggs. Okay. These handhelds, they're gonna make their own handheld, but not until 2027 this year. They'll have third party Xbox handhelds. Why? What? Why?

[Sam Claiborne]

It's.

[Nick Limone]

What's happening here.

[Sam Claiborne]

I have an ally, Rog X, and I can download them. I have the Windows store. I can use my Xbox app and download and play Xbox games natively. I don't understand.

[Nick Limone]

I have a Steam Deck.

[Sam Claiborne]

You could.

[Nick Limone]

Great. I don't. Who.

[Damon Hatfield]

Who's.

[Nick Limone]

Who's this for?

[Mark Medina]

What do you. Hold on. Why are you being so. Why are you being so mean all of a sudden?

[Nick Limone]

Because I don't understand.

[Mark Medina]

Do you like your Steam deck?

[Damon Hatfield]

I love it.

[Mark Medina]

Well, there you go.

[Nick Limone]

That's. Why.

[Mark Medina]

What do you mean? It's like the Xbox Steam deck.

[Nick Limone]

Okay.

[Sam Claiborne]

I guess.

[Mark Medina]

What do you mean, okay?

[Nick Limone]

What?

[Mark Medina]

I'm so flabbergasted by like. Like the Steam deck can just play.

[Nick Limone]

Every Xbox game that's on Steam. So what?

[Mark Medina]

But it can't play ones that aren't on Steam.

[Nick Limone]

I mean. Okay, okay, but then why is this third party manufacturer making it for Xbox? And then why is Xbox gonna make their own in two years?

[Mark Medina]

I don't. Look, there's an Nvidia shield that's like a popular streaming. So these. These handheld comes in two flavors, right? They come in ones that are. Have very, very powerful internals that are focused on, you know, like the Steam deck, focused on running games in an impressive way on the device. And then ones that aren't quite as powerful with their specs. And then are focused on kind of streaming and like, you know, I don't know, I've said it before. My opinion of this is colored by the fact that I have such fast Internet in my house. That Xbox cloud is really impressive in my home. Whereas, you know, if that's not you, then you're, you know, then your opinion might feel differently. But like, I like these little gaming handhelds, to me are like the coolest thing that's happened over the last three or four years. I love them. It's hard to not end up buying them all. So, you know, like, I don't have like the idea of like an Xbox flavored one doesn't strike me as strange or weird at all.

[Sam Claiborne]

I guess in a world where there are so many third parties that are making handheld PCs like the Ally you have the Lenovo go and things of that nature, it does make sense. Like, you know, the Windows PC manufacturer will have a line of handheld PCs and maybe it's just them also throwing their, their hat into the handheld hardware basket, even though it's already kind of a little bit crowded. But when you are the people who make Windows, I guess you should probably sell your own Windows handhelds.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, but they're gonna, they're not doing it first. They're letting other people do it first. Maybe that's to test the waters. I don't know. Sam, you're being awfully quiet.

[Justin Davis]

Well, I'm wondering what it's like to be in the position of the company putting out the, the system with the Xbox logo on it two years before the Xbox comes out.

[Nick Limone]

Yes, yes. Like how long, what will that, the lifespan of that particular console be if.

[Justin Davis]

It'S just all marketing. Right. So it's like somebody wants to put out a handheld and it gets an Xbox logo and maybe it looks more like an Xbox. Like that's all, it's all sexy plastic. So that's the reason I, it's the idea of having a handheld without Steam on it is weird to me right now. So hopefully you can toggle between.

[Nick Limone]

I would assume. I would assume so.

[Sam Claiborne]

I mean, a game pass machine though. I do. From a, from a Steam deck perspective, I understand the game pass machine because unless you, you know, install windows on your Steam deck or do some, some sort of trickery, the only way you can really do game pass on the Steam deck is by doing cloud gaming. That's how I play a lot of my turn based RPGs because I don't have amazing Internet at home. But I could see having a dedicated game Pass machine where, hey, I'm paying for this subscription and I can just download a billion of these indie games that come out as part of Game Pass and now I have a machine to enjoy them while I'm in bed.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. You can buy this $800 Xbox handheld and then download little Gator game and play it.

[Justin Davis]

Hell yeah.

[Mark Medina]

I don't understand what you don't know. What's not to like about that?

[Justin Davis]

There's like a. Besides the Steam box and the Steam controller stuff we were talking about, there's a long history of companies licensing out their ability to make consoles. There was a Panasonic gamecube that played DVDs and there's TVs that built in the Genesis. And like this is just a thing. It's a thing that happens. It's like, you know, for one fall, you know, sales season, there's a Xbox handheld that's, you know, partnered with somebody and it's, it's just, it, it'll. Now that everybody's making them, it's a good idea I think, to, to slap an Xbox on it. But yeah. I mean, what, what, what will their custom one have to play? Counterpoint to myself that's different than this though. Two years more advanced.

[Sam Claiborne]

Like, I don't know, I feel like it'll.

[Justin Davis]

I just want one with a green clear case. That's all I want.

[Sam Claiborne]

That would be pretty slick.

[Justin Davis]

Establish that.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, I feel like it'll just be, you know, not. Yeah. Some fanfare. But it won't be like this is the next best place to play Xbox. I think it'll just be. And by the way, you can also enjoy an Xbox themed handheld that can play Steam games and Xbox games. All right, well, we're moving on to the next Xbox now. Goodbye.

[Mark Medina]

If there's a handheld console that can play. If it can play Steam games, Steam games and Xbox games, is that not objectively better than the Steam Deck?

[Nick Limone]

Yes.

[Mark Medina]

Which. Which everyone loves.

[Nick Limone]

Yes. But then so what's. Why let the third parties do it first and have your own official one two years later?

[Sam Claiborne]

Maybe. Maybe they were. Bet we were beta testing it the entire time.

[Justin Davis]

Whatever money is in that licensing deal.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah.

[Justin Davis]

Is the reason why.

[Sam Claiborne]

I mean Xbox does boot up the. On every other like Windows based handheld. Right. Like that's. As soon as you log into Windows for the first time on that handheld, the Xbox notification screen pops up as one of the first things that is auto boot. So there must be some, some fun stuff happening behind the scenes for Microsoft.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

Gamescoop is presented by Sega and Atlus Metaphor Refantazio Metaphor Refantazio was IGN 2024 Game of the Year and it totaled over 50 awards across numerous categories. It won Best RPG, Best Narrative and Best Art Direction at the Game Awards 2024. This is Atlus first fantasy JRPG within the AAA space from the creators 3, 4 and 5. Refantasio features a calendar based time management system. You have to choose how to spend your days and nights wisely. That time can be spent doing quests, diving into dungeons and increasing your royal virtues. Along the way you'll gain followers and can explore their deep backstories and ambitions. Engage enemies with a unique fast and squad battle system combining real time action and turn based combat. There are over 40 archetypes to use which are dormant powers that are awakened when one faces their fears. Hours of captivating exploration and discovery await. A free demo is available that lasts around five hours and gives a good sense of what this adventure is all about. Save data carries over to the full game. Metaphor Refantasio is available for Xbox, PlayStation and Steam. Currently 25% off for a limited time. Ready to eat healthier in 2025 factor has chef made meals that make eating well easy. They're dietitian approved and heat up in 2 minutes so you can feel right and feel great no matter what life throws at you. True story as I record this, I just had a Factor meal for lunch. A shredded chicken taco bowl with roasted corn salsa and cilantro lime sour cream. My wife and I have been having Factor meals delivered every week for almost a year now. We think they're delicious and they save.

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[Nick Limone]

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[Nick Limone]

Did you see the the news this week? There was controversy on the Balatro subreddit over AI Art. Yeah, yeah, I just. I read something insane this week. So what happened? It's a silly thing. Some people didn't want AI Art on the blotro subreddit one of the moderators said, no, it's fine. But then the developer of Balatro Local Thunk came in there and said, no, it's not fine. I don't want AI art in here. And they booted that moderator. And in our article, we're like this moderator. They were one of the co moderators of the Blacher subreddit and also the moderator of the not safe for work Blacho subreddit. And I was like, what?

[Mark Medina]

Excuse me, does balatro have Rule 34 art? Like a bunch of sexy jokers.

[Nick Limone]

I did not go investigating. I was just like, what that.

[Sam Claiborne]

What that joker do.

[Mark Medina]

Though, if I. If I was not on my work computer right now, I would be googling rule 34.

[Justin Davis]

And like, which. Which board really needs the AI moderation? The safe work one.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, exactly. Okay.

[Sam Claiborne]

Do you think Local Funk is going to go into the. The not safer Be like, hey, just as a heads up, just so I'm equal measure all around. No, AI not safe for work Balatro, please.

[Justin Davis]

I was. I'm a little confused at the outcome here. So the creator of the game, who, you know, came in there, said what? They said, I don't want AI So then they banned the person that said, we are keeping A.I.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, because. Okay, yeah.

[Justin Davis]

So. So they didn't. I thought you were saying that they kicked out the creator of the game for coming in and being Mutiny.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. Okay. A little side quest before we get into listener mail for another project. I was trying to determine what was the first game that had product placement in it. Oh, and I think Sam could probably get this very quickly.

[Justin Davis]

Chase the Chuck wagon.

[Nick Limone]

Well, when Was that?

[Justin Davis]

Like 82 or something like that?

[Nick Limone]

Well, I kind of think it's Tapper.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, there's mellow yellow T. I was gonna say.

[Sam Claiborne]

I was gonna say Tapper. Oh, my gosh. I knew an old. A pre 80s thing. Great.

[Nick Limone]

Well, it's not pre 80s, so Tapper is 83.

[Sam Claiborne]

Okay.

[Nick Limone]

Okay. If you know of an example before that, I'd love to know. I did think Sam Cubert.

[Justin Davis]

Cubert had a mellow yellow version.

[Nick Limone]

But when, though? That's what. That's What?

[Justin Davis]

That was 84 that year.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

Well, one thing that occurred to me was E. T, which is 82 and ostensibly has Reese's Pieces. Right. So I went to the.

[Justin Davis]

I dug Star Wars.

[Nick Limone]

I have the instruction manual for ET on the 2600.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, I see what you're saying.

[Nick Limone]

And it opens up with a note from ET Himself saying, what kind of crazy planet is this? Anyway, we Came here to conduct a simple study of primitive planets. And look what happened. These things came and scared away my friends. So what do I do now? The only one I can trust is that nice little alien, Elliot. He gives me those tasty energy pills.

[Damon Hatfield]

What did he call them?

[Nick Limone]

Reese's Pieces.

[Sam Claiborne]

Wow.

[Nick Limone]

So I thought, well, okay, there it is. But for the rest of the instruction manual, it calls them Candy pieces.

[Mark Medina]

Candy pieces.

[Sam Claiborne]

Does he spell out Reese's Pieces weird.

[Nick Limone]

Or is it spelled out weird and there's no trademark?

[Sam Claiborne]

See, that's how they get around it. Then they didn't actually license it.

[Nick Limone]

That's what I. I don't think. Reese's paid Atari to put them in the game. So it's not product placement. Which leads me to believe, I think Tapper in 83, which has Budweiser branding all over it, would be the first game with product placement in it.

[Mark Medina]

Gigantic Budweiser logo.

[Nick Limone]

It's just a big advertisement for Budweiser. Right?

[Mark Medina]

Do we like. I'm a little bit. There's multiple layers of this onion dime peel. One of which is that the ET Lore coming from the instruction booklet of the Atari game is kind of blowing my mind a little bit. And then it makes me realize that if E.T. came out today, it would be a cinematic universe with a spin off television show. And like, you know, they'd be planning a whole multimedia frenzy over it.

[Nick Limone]

Yep.

[Mark Medina]

Nothing can just exist anymore, Dan.

[Nick Limone]

I know, I know, I know. Anyway, so there's.

[Justin Davis]

There's several pinball machines before Tapper with product placement in them. Yeah. And the coolest one. No, sorry, that. Well, there's two angles to this. The prettiest, the prettiest one is a. Is a Canada Dry pinball machine.

[Nick Limone]

Wow.

[Justin Davis]

Which is psychedelic and unbelievable. Like, is the most gorgeous pinball machine. But the coolest one is the Winston cigarettes Sit down machine.

[Nick Limone]

Cool. That sit down pinball machine.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's kind of sick.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, there's. Look at Canada Dry.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's awesome.

[Justin Davis]

Amazing. Yeah. Think oranges for their orange soda. And then like it has this gorgeous side art with this lady with flowing hair, you know, drinking a soda pop. So cool. Look at that soda in the middle of it too. That game's amazing.

[Nick Limone]

Cool. Well, if anyone out there in Scoop Nation can find an example of product placement in a video game before 1983's Tapper, please let me know. Okay, let's check in with the listeners.

[Mark Medina]

Hey, listeners.

[Nick Limone]

Listeners, remember.

[Justin Davis]

Howdy.

[Nick Limone]

You can always reach us at the email address gamescoopgn.com just like Charlie Gadson in San Diego, California. Him Charlie says, I've often heard gamers will say their favorite game in a series tends to be the first game they tried in the series. Not to be confused with what we believe is the best game in the series.

[Damon Hatfield]

For example, most recently there's a new.

[Nick Limone]

Generation of gamers who say Breath of the Wild is their favorite Zelda game, even after they go back and try some of the others. Similar things happen with games like Mario Kart as well. There are lots of Double Dash people out there. What about the Omega Cops? Is your favorite game in a long running series, the first game you tried from that series? Or have newer entries made you take off the rose tinted shades? I'd love to hear your musings on this. So I think, well, I might be in a little bit different. I'm an elder gamer so I was there, I was there Gandalf. I was there at the beginning for all the major franchises. I played the first, I played all the first entries in all the major franchises. So.

[Mark Medina]

But that's the, but that's the premise of the question. Like if the first is not your favorite.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Then therefore you disagree with Metroid.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. Metroid is not my favorite. Mega Man 1, not my favorite. Double Dragon 1, not my favorite. Castlevania 1, not my favorite.

[Justin Davis]

All the improvements. That's exactly the improvements did happen. Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. So I, I, I don't know if it applies to me as well. I think Nick is a good, I.

[Sam Claiborne]

Mean like for me Final Fantasy. Well, Final Fantasy 3 or 6 was my first one that I played but 7's my favorite. Super Mario 1 and 3 were technically the first I played but Super Mario World is my favorite. So I don't think this applies. Yeah, I, I do, I do think for franchises, for very specific franchises it tends to be a little different or I think the more obscure of franchises potentially like my favorite Persona is Persona 4 Golden and that's the first one I played and I, I do think strongly it is because that was the first one I played. When I know full and well 5 and 3 remake are just a better version of the game that's been established with four Golden. So I, I think it just depends and I do think that there is something to the niche of the game.

[Nick Limone]

Sam Justin yeah, I, the, the, where.

[Justin Davis]

This comes up the most is when we do like top lists at IGN and we always include the next generation and their favorite games are absolutely different. They're always the newer games. Nobody spends a lot of time going back. And if they do. They might not like those old games as much. So there's kind of like that trajectory of younger people haven't had time to play older games. They didn't exist when they were out. So it's like, you see that. And that's where that joke comes from that has had so many iterations, which is, like, everybody's favorite Zelda is the one that they played in high school, right? Yeah, My.

[Mark Medina]

My.

[Justin Davis]

That was true, like, for Zelda. Like, I. I thought Ocarina of Time was my favorite Zelda until Breath of the Wild, you know, that they totally, totally overtook it. But that's because I. I think I agree with you, Damon, where I just always see a. A potential for things to get improved upon, even though I love old games and I love playing old games and trotting them out like. Like there's still. I have a love for new games as well, Actually.

[Nick Limone]

Real quick, Justin, Actually, one area that this probably does apply to me is that I love Roger Moore as James Bond because he was James Bond when I was born and Grub. So, like, that's. Maybe that's, like, a good example of that happening for me, but go ahead, Justin.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, I don't. I don't think this holds true for me. Like, my first final fantasy was 7 and 9's my favorite, and I played all the Marios, and Super Mario 64 is my favorite, so on and so forth. So at least. At least, insofar as I can think about it, that's not true. But it's absolutely true that, like, you know, the other version of that joke, Sam, is that, you know, like, music goes downhill after you're out of college. Right. It's like, it's just such a universal truth. And then you get to be the age that I am, and they're playing all your favorite songs at the grocery store and elevators now.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, my favorite genre of music is what they play at Trader Joe's.

[Mark Medina]

A lot of you get a lot of. You get a lot of. You'll get a lot of Green Day at the grocery store and at the oldie on the oldies station.

[Justin Davis]

God, really?

[Mark Medina]

Yep.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. I think I'd liken it to. It is not a universal truth that your first game in a franchise is your favorite, but they're. The universal truth is everyone has one of those where that is true. Right. Like, you have a franchise that you're just like, yeah, I probably like that only because I played it first, but that's kind of all the brain effort you devote to that. Sort of thought without it being anything that you spend too much time thinking about. Out.

[Nick Limone]

Yep.

[Justin Davis]

Have you guys ever gone back to a game in an older, you know, iteration and liked that more?

[Sam Claiborne]

Because that's an interesting Castlevania, the original Castlevania. Cuz I played. I played Super Castlevania and Symphony of the Night as like my first one.

[Justin Davis]

Oh.

[Sam Claiborne]

And then I went back and played Castlevania and I adored that game. The as soon as I. I jumped in, I just wanted to beat it in one sitting.

[Justin Davis]

Mm. Yeah. I mean I. It's hard for me. Like I. I played Metroid prime before I played Super Metroid. So I went back and played Super Metroid. I was like this game's incredible.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, same here.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, you know, I don't think so. But that's mostly because if I missed older games, I missed the 8 bit generation in my opinion. And again, maybe it's just my age, but like I feel like the 16 bit games are easier to go back to and enjoy in a modern context where like 8 bit is just a little bit rough around the edges, in my opinion. So like Metroid 1 is an example of like I didn't play that till after Super Metroid and I like it less. Same with Castlevania. Same with Mega Man. Same with most of those NES franchises.

[Damon Hatfield]

Sure.

[Nick Limone]

Okay. This is Neil, also from San Diego.

[Mark Medina]

What?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yep.

[Nick Limone]

Two San Diegans this this week. I was playing flight simulator 2024 the other day. I noticed that it has AI read your username to you. I know many other games Java done this in the past, but I was thinking and I left that in because I think that's a funny autocorrect. One of my biggest pet peeves in games like RPGs is that even though you can name your main character, all the NPCs in the game still call you Hero or Champion or Envoy in the case of ald. Right. And no one in that game can seem to agree if it's Envoy or Envoy. Every other person you meet says it differently. Back to Neil says but with AI voices getting better all the time, do you think we'll get to a point where video games will be able to audibly say the custom name you give a character in conversation? I'm sure there might be legal hurdles and of course some boundaries for immature choices, but I think it would be amazing to finally hear my name in a Mass Effect or Final Fantasy game as the main character. Thanks for always being the podcast I listen to on my road trips and drives to school. And work. You guys are the best. So, yeah, I think we're probably very close to that being possible. It is a little bit tricky, though, because you've got a human voice actor recording dialogue for the game, but then they have to use AI to fudge them.

[Sam Claiborne]

So now you're manipulating that voice actors.

[Nick Limone]

Exactly. So it would have to be. Obviously, the voice actor would have to consent to that. You have to be in their contract. And you know, very realistically, that could happen millions of times if this game is a big hit. Right. So it's not an insignificant number of times that AI would be used to modify your voice. So that's just to say I think they should be compensated a little bit more for that.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, I agree.

[Justin Davis]

Well, the way that that will actually play out is that they will not use humans at all, and then they. They will just use AI to do everything, and then they will not be paying a lot of that money.

[Sam Claiborne]

Only if it's in the. Only if it's in the TikTok.

[Justin Davis]

I'm not advocating for that. Yeah, totally. I'm not advocating, but that's 100% what's going to happen.

[Sam Claiborne]

POV. You just walked out of Vault 117.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, that's.

[Nick Limone]

I. This is an old man yelling clouds things. But. Yeah, why does every. Every real. Every TikTok has to start with POV? It's like what I.

[Damon Hatfield]

You don't have.

[Mark Medina]

And then it. And then it's not. It's not. It's not a pov.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, people are. I do think, though, I, I. Fallout 4 did a pretty good job of approaching this subject where you could actually type in a name. And for the most part, they programmed a ton of names into the game where the. The. The NPC would read out most names. Every version of my name worked. Nick or Nicholas, and I think they even included fun stuff like Ass face and stuff like that. So that is. They did include some stuff like that. I know that there were limits to it, but they do kind of have that in, at least in Fallout 4.

[Nick Limone]

What.

[Mark Medina]

What about. What about my dude?

[Nick Limone]

I mean, sure.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, maybe. Who knows? I think it would have to be one word, though. So it'd be my dude, I think.

[Mark Medina]

I mean, they like another game that did that was Forza Horizon.

[Nick Limone]

I'm just gonna say 4 and 5. 5 do that.

[Mark Medina]

I think your. Your little GPS companion was programmed to read out many, many names. I don't know how many hundreds, which is always neat. It's always a thriller.

[Sam Claiborne]

There is one game that it's the inverse of it has been true. And it's always fascinating me to this day In Final Fantasy 10, it's the first, you know, mostly voiced Final Fantasy game where there's a lot of VO and stuff like that. You can name your main character Tidus. A lot of people call him Titus, whatever. The Kingdom Hearts calls him Titus, so we're going with Titus. But in the game with all the voice lines, everyone refers to everyone by name, but they never call the main character out by his name, even if you leave it as Titus. So it's just always fascinating that the main character never gets called by his full. His full name.

[Nick Limone]

And that's exactly the entirety of the game. That's exactly what Neil was saying. Bug bugs him.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. You. There's. There's a couple ways to do it that like so A, they always refer to you as like, yeah, hero. Or like, you know, the envoy. Like they have another word for you, like, you know, outsider, whatever it is. Right. Another way is I think I've. I've often thought that video game protagonists over indexed for unisex names. Like there's V in Cyberpunk or Alex or whatever. Where like, then I guess that's not when you're picking your name, but it lets you pick your gender without having to record every voice line twice. Because then it's like, you know that the name can work for, for either kind of gender expression, you know. And then the most awkward way is when sometimes the script of the game doesn't match the VO because they just leave the character's name out. You know, it'll be like, you know, Link, you've been a really great friend to me. And what the character says is like, you've been a really great friend to me. And like, that feels the worst.

[Nick Limone]

Speaking of the script not matching the name, this is totally. This is a total tangent. I watch everything with subtitles, which I think I started doing with Game of Thrones, and it just makes it easier to follow along. I think we've talked about this before. Tina was a big fan of doing this. But what I'm fascinated by is when there are discrepancies between the subtitles and because they're not being generated.

[Mark Medina]

Netflix does that.

[Nick Limone]

So it's like, how. And it's just little things. It's like maybe they say, you know, we have to go right now. And maybe the subtitles will say, we're leaving now. It's just subtle differences. Like how does it happen? Did they get. Are they feeding like an A version of the script into like their prompting service, but then. And it gets changed.

[Sam Claiborne]

That is a surprisingly in depth. There's a surprisingly in depth answer to that because it depends. Some shows do auto generated stuff, some do rely on AI, but also there's closed caption, which is a dedicated role who is someone who is going through. And then you have localization versus closed captioning. And so there's. There's a lot of fascinating phenomena that can happen, but there's no real one set of answers.

[Nick Limone]

I notice it all the time.

[Sam Claiborne]

Netflix is pretty prominent.

[Nick Limone]

Subtle differences in what the character says and what is appearing in the subtitles.

[Sam Claiborne]

I've also noticed curse words tend to not make the subtitles often.

[Mark Medina]

I've always assumed that the Netflix subtitles were the shooting script.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. And then I get that.

[Mark Medina]

And then. And then the voice, you know, the actual actors are making slight tweaks, but I don't know that that's the case.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, that would make sense to me. Okay, this is Glenn Kirby in Barnsley. Mary Old England. Glenn says, I'd really like to play a game with a fantasy setting, dungeons, equipment and puzzles and getting Stronger that isn't an rpg. I don't like to spend my time reading and in menus. So any suggestions? Also, before you say Zelda, I already thought of that one.

[Sam Claiborne]

Half Minute Hero.

[Nick Limone]

Okay, so fantasy setting, dungeons, equipment, puzzles and getting stronger, but not an rpg. I think I do have a really good suggestion.

[Justin Davis]

Okay.

[Nick Limone]

Tunic.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh yeah, that's not bad.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. I mean, you're looking for Zelda clones, you know.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, I guess so.

[Justin Davis]

They're out there.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is Half Minute Hero like off base here?

[Nick Limone]

I. I just don't remember much about it.

[Sam Claiborne]

You basically relive the same 60 seconds over and over and over, but you figure out how to make it and extend that 60 seconds through trickery. I guess it feels like it has an RPG wrapper, but I feel like it's not really. You can't avoid it. You just sort of happen. So there's nothing really to plan. You just naturally evolve and level up, but you don't. It's not stat based really.

[Justin Davis]

I mean, I presume dungeon crawlers are like this, right?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, yeah. I'm thrown off a little bit by the getting stronger because it's like getting stronger seems to imply, you know, necessitate the inclusion of stats and points.

[Nick Limone]

But Zelda, you're getting more hearts, right?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Vampire Survivor, Empire Survivors is good.

[Mark Medina]

It like the, the FPS, the Doom Clone, Heretic and Hexen.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, that's good. And then what's the other one that this game reminds me of? 3D Dot Game Heroes.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, three. Yep. From the same people, I believe, who make Half Minute Hero. Also, I, there was a really fun rogue like first person shooter. You reminded me of just when you said Hexen Witchfire. It is a first person shooter. That is a roguelike you load into a map every time you die, you come back, you know, reset, but you keep some stuff and you just shoot zombies and demons and stuff like that. Really fun, fast paced game. I, I, I stole a lot of my time semi recently.

[Nick Limone]

This is a recent game.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, it came out last year. I think it's still an early access on Steam Team.

[Justin Davis]

Here's a deep cut. How about Castle Crashers?

[Sam Claiborne]

That's pretty good.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah.

[Justin Davis]

You do get stronger.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. I think you don't go into dungeons because it's level based. Right.

[Justin Davis]

But you crash castles.

[Nick Limone]

You do crash castles. That's right. That's true.

[Sam Claiborne]

What is a castle if not a dungeon?

[Nick Limone]

You know, the upstairs of a dungeon.

[Justin Davis]

Upstairs of a dungeon.

[Nick Limone]

Okay, so we're gonna have sorts on the eye here. Nick, have you watched Paradise?

[Sam Claiborne]

I have not.

[Nick Limone]

Okay. I wanted to talk about the finale of paradise, but Sam, maybe we should wait till next week when Mark is here.

[Justin Davis]

Whatever you want to do.

[Sam Claiborne]

Okay.

[Justin Davis]

I will have forgotten it by then.

[Nick Limone]

You'll forgot about it? Well, I'll remind you, we'll talk about that next week. But is anyone caught up with White Lotus?

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, yeah.

[Justin Davis]

Oh yeah.

[Nick Limone]

It's mean. It's good, right?

[Justin Davis]

I actually look forward to Sunday evenings to watch that show now.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. Sorry, Justin, are you not watching?

[Mark Medina]

No, we're behind. So it's like we were behind on Silo and caught up on that, but then that put us behind on Severance and now we're catching up on that. And it's very stressful watching television now in 2025.

[Nick Limone]

There's a lot. I haven't even started Severance.

[Mark Medina]

Oh, okay. Okay. That makes me feel better.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. We're current on White Lotus and I'm really enjoying the season. First of all, Parker Posey, I just, she's just so great. She's like, I hope. I want her to like win an Emmy for this. She's so amazing in this show.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, especially, especially in like, I don't hear like, like Benzo's weird delivery each week. It's so good. Also the, what's his name from Fallout?

[Sam Claiborne]

Walton Goggins.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, Goggins. So Goggins is fine. He's been playing the role he always plays, but his girlfriend is the funniest character ever been in a White Lotus. And she's so, so unpredictable and funny and great. I love her.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. And she's from Sex Education, another Netflix show that she's on, and she's good in that.

[Justin Davis]

Nice. Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. I mean, it's like she's playing a role. There's like, all these. They're in Thailand. It's set in Thailand. And there's all these, like, older men that have lots of money and they have younger girlfriends, and, like, that's their role. Walton Goggins in this woman, too. But it's not. It seems like it's positive. It's not like. It's not like a toxic scenario that seems like they're in a good relationship.

[Justin Davis]

It's really interesting. Like, that's the best part about it, is like, well, you think this is going to be, like, one way or another, but it just defies that. The stereotypes. Yeah, it's great.

[Nick Limone]

And each season is set in a different White Lotus resort around the world with different guests. But from season one to season two, there was one character or a couple of characters that carried over. And now what I think is really, really awesome is that they're sort of. They're continuing it. It's not the main story of the show, but they are continuing that story along in season three. And I think it's great.

[Justin Davis]

It's so cool. It's very John Wick.

[Nick Limone]

It's very clever and awesome.

[Justin Davis]

There's a hotel everywhere.

[Nick Limone]

There's a great sense of dread hanging over this show.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, dude.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, yeah.

[Nick Limone]

And maybe.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, it's the monkeys. The monkeys are hanging over. Dreadful.

[Nick Limone]

Okay, that brings us to video game 20 questions. Our suggestion this week comes from Vito in Boca Raton, Florida. Let the questioning begin.

[Justin Davis]

Place to send questions from the.

[Mark Medina]

The. By the way, the. The. What were those Warhammer rat games? Those would be fantasy games that aren't Vermintide. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Justin Davis]

Vermintide.

[Mark Medina]

Okay. Did this game come out in the 70s, 80s or 90s?

[Nick Limone]

No.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, what about Dishonored is another game that's kind of pretty good, right?

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, it's pretty good. There's dungeons. You do get stronger.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. Fantasy setting, not very talky.

[Justin Davis]

I like the idea that this. That writer is like, I just don't want so much dialogue. I'm like, this is. That is a good thing. I would love to play a giant RPG where they just saved all this time and development by just being like, listen, people just don't talk a lot in this game. It'd be great.

[Nick Limone]

Or put you in a scenario where you're. You're no one else. You don't. You don't speak the language, right?

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, yeah.

[Nick Limone]

And then you just can't understand anything anyone's saying.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's. That seems appealing. Yeah.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. And. And you don't bother learning. Like, you're like. Like an American traveling.

[Nick Limone]

That's.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's kind of what you do in tunic, right?

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. 100 that.

[Nick Limone]

Okay. One question has been asked. It is not from the 70s, 80s, or 90s.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this game from this decade?

[Nick Limone]

No.

[Mark Medina]

No.

[Justin Davis]

Was this a. A platform exclusive?

[Nick Limone]

Yes.

[Sam Claiborne]

So it's from the odds or the 2010s?

[Mark Medina]

Was it exclusive to a PlayStation platform?

[Nick Limone]

No.

[Mark Medina]

The same question. Nintendo?

[Sam Claiborne]

No, that's Xbox or PC, I guess.

[Mark Medina]

Go for it. Do it. Do it.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this exclusive to Xbox?

[Nick Limone]

Yes.

[Sam Claiborne]

Okay.

[Justin Davis]

Is this game violent?

[Nick Limone]

Yes.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this game rated M?

[Nick Limone]

Yes. Well, I had to check.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. Because there's the.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, the air of uncertainty is a little bit telling.

[Mark Medina]

It is.

[Justin Davis]

Would you.

[Mark Medina]

It's probably this game.

[Justin Davis]

This game's multiplayer is pretty important.

[Nick Limone]

Hold, please. Okay, I. I stand corrected. This game is not rated M, so.

[Sam Claiborne]

That means it's T.

[Nick Limone]

And then you want to ask your multiplayer question, Sam?

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, yeah.

[Nick Limone]

Yes. Multiplayer is a big part of it.

[Justin Davis]

Okay.

[Sam Claiborne]

Violent multiplayer Xbox.

[Justin Davis]

Is this part of a numbered series of games? Just like, you know, is it part of a series? And does that series of games that are numbered?

[Nick Limone]

Yes.

[Justin Davis]

1, 2, 3, 4.

[Nick Limone]

Yes. That's 10.

[Justin Davis]

Okay.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this game on the Xbox? 360?

[Nick Limone]

Yes.

[Mark Medina]

Okay, hold on. I want to take stock of where we're at. I. I'm thrown off by it not being rated M. Because. Because even. Even Halo's rated M. They're not rated T, so obviously not Gears of War. Not Halo. Multiplayer is important. Xbox exclusive franchise.

[Sam Claiborne]

360 era. So 2006 to what, 20?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, definitely my era.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, same. But T is what's confusing.

[Mark Medina]

Yep, same.

[Justin Davis]

Not Bioshock?

[Sam Claiborne]

No.

[Nick Limone]

Oh, God damn.

[Justin Davis]

Multiplayer is important.

[Nick Limone]

Okay.

[Justin Davis]

It's mature.

[Nick Limone]

It is mature. But I'll be. I'll explain everything. It is rated M. I apologize. I can explain.

[Mark Medina]

Maybe. Maybe it. Maybe it is Halo then.

[Justin Davis]

Or Gears.

[Mark Medina]

Is this game played in the first person perspective?

[Sam Claiborne]

Does this game Star feature the Covenant?

[Nick Limone]

Yes.

[Sam Claiborne]

Great.

[Mark Medina]

I'm glad you didn't ask if it stars Master Chief, because then we would have gotten ourselves into a pickle potentially.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. It could be odst, right?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah. Or Reach Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Okay.

[Justin Davis]

Would you say is this a spin off of a main series of Halo games?

[Mark Medina]

We didn't ask that yet.

[Justin Davis]

What? We shouldn't ask that.

[Mark Medina]

He's asking it now. Sorry, I thought you said. Did we ask that? My bad.

[Nick Limone]

Is it a spin off of a main series?

[Sam Claiborne]

No, that's a mainline. I mean, I would consider Halo Reach, though, a mainline Halo entry.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, we. I'm.

[Justin Davis]

No, that's a spin off.

[Mark Medina]

Ah.

[Justin Davis]

I think 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Or 1, 2, 3, 4. Infinite are the.

[Mark Medina]

That's an interesting thought experiment. I don't want to. I want to wrap the show so I eat dinner. But. But, like, now, like, is Halo Reach a spin off? Is, like, kind of tripping me up a little bit.

[Sam Claiborne]

We can get around this. How many questions are we at Master Chiefs?

[Justin Davis]

Only?

[Nick Limone]

14.

[Sam Claiborne]

We're at 14. Does this game feature Master Chief?

[Nick Limone]

Yes. All right.

[Mark Medina]

And it did come out on the 360, so it's not Halo 1. It's Halo or 2. So it's got to be. It's got to be 3, right?

[Sam Claiborne]

3 or reach. Or. I'm sorry.

[Justin Davis]

3.

[Mark Medina]

Reach.

[Sam Claiborne]

3.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, it's got to be 3, right, am I missing something? That's the only one on the 360 that stars Master Chief. Wait, no, four came out on the 360.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, you're right.

[Mark Medina]

Was it. But. But four wasn't made by Bungee, was it?

[Sam Claiborne]

No, that was by three. Four, Three. So, okay, was.

[Mark Medina]

Was this game made by Bungie?

[Nick Limone]

Yes.

[Mark Medina]

Talo.

[Sam Claiborne]

3.

[Mark Medina]

Is it Halo 3?

[Nick Limone]

Walk me through your logic again.

[Mark Medina]

Did I do something wrong? Did I do a bad.

[Sam Claiborne]

Wait. Oh, wait, first person.

[Mark Medina]

Because it's on the. My logic is that it's on the3.6, so that eliminates Halo 1 and 2, and then it stars Master Chief, which.

[Justin Davis]

Eliminates if it stars Master Chief. You asked if it features well, but.

[Mark Medina]

But Master Chief isn't in odst or. Or. Or instead, he.

[Justin Davis]

Master Chief is in Reach as an Easter egg.

[Sam Claiborne]

He is actually in Reach. He's right.

[Justin Davis]

It's a. It's a famous.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, come on in.

[Mark Medina]

It as an Easter egg.

[Justin Davis]

What do you mean?

[Mark Medina]

Is he.

[Justin Davis]

You have to do. You have to get all the detail or whatever in the game, and then there's a secret ending about Master Chief. It's an important part of it.

[Sam Claiborne]

You. You see. You see Master Chief in his little cryo tube when you're aboard a Pelican.

[Justin Davis]

I believe that's exactly right.

[Mark Medina]

I don't.

[Nick Limone]

Okay, okay. Shoot. Your shot.

[Sam Claiborne]

Wait, do. Hold on. Do we want to finesse this a little more then? Now I'm scared.

[Mark Medina]

Yes, yes, yes, we. Absolutely. I don't want to lose on a technical.

[Sam Claiborne]

What question are we at?

[Nick Limone]

You've asked 16. You have three questions and a guess.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this the third game in the Halo series?

[Nick Limone]

No.

[Sam Claiborne]

What? Okay, what?

[Justin Davis]

So that Halo Wars.

[Mark Medina]

Except. Except we asked if it was made.

[Sam Claiborne]

By Bungie, and it's a first person.

[Mark Medina]

Shooter, so it's either. It's either ODST or Reach, and I'm annoyed because we asked if it features Master Chief and we were told yes.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, maybe it's. I mean, now that I think about it, there is a world where Master Chief is also shown in odst, as.

[Justin Davis]

Does this game have space shooter levels in it?

[Mark Medina]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, I forgot about those.

[Sam Claiborne]

Space combat. Yeah, thanks.

[Nick Limone]

I don't think so, because that's Reach.

[Mark Medina]

Then we just gotta narrow it down between those two, and I'm not in this game.

[Sam Claiborne]

Do you play as an ODST soldier?

[Nick Limone]

I can't. I can't answer that. I'm not a big Halo guy.

[Sam Claiborne]

But the whole premise of ODST is that you play as the odst.

[Mark Medina]

Well, I mean.

[Justin Davis]

I mean, the Reach question I asked was. Was pretty specific and. And should be.

[Mark Medina]

Which was the one you asked?

[Justin Davis]

Does it have space? Does it have space combat in it?

[Mark Medina]

But Damon doesn't know.

[Sam Claiborne]

Do you play?

[Justin Davis]

He said no to that one.

[Sam Claiborne]

Do you play? Okay, wait, how many questions are.

[Nick Limone]

Sorry, one question. And I guess.

[Sam Claiborne]

Okay, this. This will nail it in this game. Do you play from.

[Mark Medina]

What. What about. What if we ask a question? I mean, you try, darling, do this, Nick. But what if we asked is. Is there a level of the game on the planet Reach?

[Justin Davis]

Well, hold on, hold on, hold on. Did we. Did we establish that this is a360 game?

[Sam Claiborne]

Yes.

[Justin Davis]

Or do we establish that it's an Xbox game?

[Mark Medina]

We established.

[Sam Claiborne]

We established that it's a 360 exclusive.

[Mark Medina]

It's definitely Halo Reach or Halo ODST, because it's made by Bungie and it's a Halo game and it's on the 360 and it's not Halo 3.

[Justin Davis]

And reach was. Was still Bungee. Huh? Huh?

[Mark Medina]

Yes. That was their final one was Reach.

[Justin Davis]

The game that had four player co op.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, they all. I mean, I don't know about every single one, but most of them have.

[Justin Davis]

No, three only has two player co op.

[Mark Medina]

Well, Reach has four, and then. And because ODST had firefight, and then firefight was a staple from then on.

[Sam Claiborne]

And, oh, and Firefight was introduced in odst. So should we say, you know, like, is this the game that introduced firefighters?

[Justin Davis]

Well, odst. What? We're just. We're just muddying the waters of what Damon knows and what he doesn't know, because another version of that would be like, ODST is set on Earth, right? Yeah, But Reach is set on a planet that was destroyed.

[Sam Claiborne]

Correct.

[Justin Davis]

You can ask that question. But Damon doesn't know these things, man.

[Mark Medina]

I, I just, I just want to say before we wrap up, I love Halo Reach so much. I think it's actually secretly not so secretly the best Halo game. What a game.

[Sam Claiborne]

Incredible.

[Justin Davis]

More angry that we asked if this was a spin off, and then we're counting these other games, I think that.

[Sam Claiborne]

I would count him as a mainline, imo.

[Mark Medina]

I mean, ODST is more borderline. Reach, to me, is clearly a mainline game.

[Sam Claiborne]

Do you play as, I mean, in Halo Reach, you play as different members of a Spartan squad.

[Justin Davis]

Well, you play as Spartans. That's the key to it.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, but we already asked if you play as ODST soldiers.

[Sam Claiborne]

I mean, is this game set like. I mean, very clearly Halo Reach is set on Reach. He should know that, right?

[Mark Medina]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Is this game set on. Is this game set on the planet Reach?

[Nick Limone]

No. Okay, time to guess.

[Mark Medina]

Is this, is it halo odst?

[Nick Limone]

No.

[Sam Claiborne]

What?

[Nick Limone]

Nick asked if it was on the 360, and Justin ruled out the original Xbox.

[Justin Davis]

That's what I.

[Mark Medina]

What do you mean, that's what I.

[Nick Limone]

Halo Combat Evolved was originally released on Xbox, but was also on 360 because it.

[Mark Medina]

What?

[Justin Davis]

Yep.

[Mark Medina]

What did I do wrong?

[Nick Limone]

You ruled out the original Xbox?

[Sam Claiborne]

I thought we established it was a 360.

[Nick Limone]

I thought we asked a platform exclusive.

[Justin Davis]

Wait a second.

[Mark Medina]

What happened?

[Nick Limone]

The game is Halo Combat Evolved, the first Halo.

[Mark Medina]

Okay, but we asked if it was a 360 game.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, you said you. The question was, was it on the 360? And it was. It was. All right.

[Sam Claiborne]

I see your tricks, Question Man.

[Nick Limone]

No tricks. I try to be very question man.

[Justin Davis]

I, I, I suspected that was what was going on.

[Nick Limone]

I, I just, I do feel like I gave. Gave you pretty long rope when I was like, walk me through your logic.

[Justin Davis]

So would you count Reach and ODST as mainline Halo games?

[Nick Limone]

I don't know. I can't answer that. And then, like, the question about, do you play as an ODST soldier? Is Master Chief an ODST shoulder?

[Sam Claiborne]

He's a Spartan. He's a Spart.

[Justin Davis]

ODST are shock troopers from orbit. Right. But then he's a marine.

[Mark Medina]

Orbital drops.

[Justin Davis]

Shock.

[Nick Limone]

Got it.

[Mark Medina]

Yeah, I don't. So I'm not, I mean I am mad, but like, but I feel like we are more just like a victim of circumstance. The specific line of questioning led us astray in a way that's like not very typical, I think.

[Sam Claiborne]

So I'm just mad at myself. You know, I don't, I don't think.

[Mark Medina]

About, I don't think about Halo 1 and 2 as being on the 360. And then I, and, and I think it was like. Is an Xbox exclusive? Yes. Is it on the 360? Yes.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's probably where we got.

[Mark Medina]

That was. That was where we got messed up.

[Nick Limone]

First they made it available on Xbox Live Arcade to download and then in 2011 there was a Halo like anniversary edition 10 year anniversary that was released.

[Sam Claiborne]

You are right.

[Nick Limone]

But nicely attempt and thank you for the suggestion, veto. Viewers, listeners, if you have your own Suggestions for video game 20 questions, email them to me at the email address game [e-mail] and that is all the scoops we have for you this week. Please be excited for a big Assassin's Creed Shadows episode next week and then a Nintendo Switch 2 episode the week after that. So exciting times ahead. Thank you, Nick. Thank you, Sam. Sam, mad or not him, looks mad, but usually he likes it when things go wrong.

[Justin Davis]

I'm so mad.

[Nick Limone]

Okay. Sam was mad.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, I'm not, I'm not really.

[Mark Medina]

I'm not really.

[Nick Limone]

Well, thank you, Sam. Thank you, Justin.

[Justin Davis]

I usually like. So when things go wrong, that was. It was beautiful chaos. It was just like the episode of White Lotus that I expect this week.

[Nick Limone]

The next episode is going to be a doozy. Thank you to Joe and everyone else working behind the scenes to make this episode possible. My name is Damon. This is IG and Game Scoop. And we're out.

[G]

Hello, I am Kristen Russo. And I am Jenny Owen Youngs. We are the hosts of Buffering the.

[Nick Limone]

Vampire Slayer once more with with spoilers.

[Mark Medina]

A rewatch podcast covering all 144 episodes.

[G]

Of you guessed it, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We are here to humbly invite you to join us for our fifth Buffy prom, which, if you can believe it, we are hosting at the actual Sunnydale High School. That's right. On April 4th and 5th, we will be descending upon the campus of Torrance High School, which was the filming location for Buffy's Sunnydale High, to dance the night away to 90s music in the iconic courtyard, to sip on punch right next to the Sunnydale High fountain and to nerd out together in our prom best inside of the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

[Nick Limone]

All information and tickets can be [e-mail] prom come join us.

[Sam Claiborne]

Welcome to the ultimate social deduction game, Blood on the Clock Tower.

[F]

The Evil Team must stalk the streets at night, hunting down members of the good team one by one. Meanwhile, the good team must outmaneuver the Evil team using their unique abilities.

[Justin Davis]

I'd like to kick things off by.

[Mark Medina]

Telling you all that I'm possibly the demon.

[F]

Our players can mislead and manipulate others with absolute freedom.

[Damon Hatfield]

I didn't like hearing my name in.

[Mark Medina]

The same sentence as demon.

[Damon Hatfield]

That was very upsetting for me.

[Sam Claiborne]

Emily and I will be your storytellers, guiding you through every Labyrinthian twin twist and turn.

[Nick Limone]

How are there so many evil players in this game?

[Sam Claiborne]

What's happening with guests from no Rolls, Bard, the Pandemonium Institute, and Oxventure? You won't be able to stop listening. Go to realmspod.com clocktower to find out more.