Game Scoop! 845: What Was the Point?

Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Damon Hatfield
Guests: Sam Claiborne, Mark Medina, Justin Davis
Podcast Description: The IGN Game Scoop crew breaks down the week's biggest gaming news, answers listener questions, and dives into retro gaming and trivia—mixing expert insight with friendly debates, deep nostalgia, and plenty of laughs.

Overview

In this episode, the Game Scoop crew reacts to the shocking closure of Bluepoint Games, discusses the pitfalls of long development cycles in games, answers listener questions covering everything from retro game recommendations to "consoles bought for one game," and waxes nostalgic about consoles and game genres. The group rounds out the show with a thoughtful discussion of "exploraction" games (Metroidvania alternatives), and the weekly Video Game 20 Questions challenge.

Key Discussion Points

1. Bluepoint Games Shutdown

[01:48] Damon Hatfield: Shares the news that PlayStation is shuttering Bluepoint Games, developers renowned for masterful remakes (Shadow of the Colossus, Demon's Souls).

• Quote: “They were working, you know, they did the Demon's Souls remake that was a launch title for PS5 in 2020. After that…they were put to work on a multiplayer or live service God of War game…then the project was canceled." — Damon Hatfield [02:41]
• Team reflects on how this is part of a larger corporate trend—buying studios for their core strengths, then pivoting teams to live-service games, which frequently leads to cancellations and layoffs.
  • Mark Medina: "That live service mandate that came out…I cannot believe it ruined a whole generation, but it really did. Naughty Dog has not produced a new game…because they were working on [Factions]. Wolverine is probably…further along had they not worked on the Spider-man multiplayer game…” [03:39]
  • Justin Davis: "It's so stupid. Buy a studio that has this one thing that they do…and then [say], make a live service game. Never mind, we're canceling that, and also we're shutting you down…” [03:23]
• Team suggests Bluepoint could reform independently or be purchased by another company to continue their specialty in remakes/remasters.

2. Long Game Development Cycles & Industry Careers

[11:18] Listener Email - Andy from Montreal: Raises concerns about how lengthy game dev cycles hurt developer portfolios/careers.

• If a 4-5 year project is canceled or left before release, work can't be shown in a portfolio until the project comes out, leaving people reliant on side projects.
  • Andy (read by Damon): "None of what you did in the last half decade can be shown legally in your portfolio." [12:04]
  • Sam Claiborne: "It's doable if you're single and have no responsibilities. But...the task becomes a huge hurdle to overcome [with family]." [12:16]
  • Justin and others: Also bad for morale—losing years of work to cancellations.
• Discussion: Modern franchises (Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, GTA) risk losing a generation of fans due to slow release cycles.
  • Justin Davis: "Taking five, six, or seven years to come out with something, you're not hitting these kids frequently enough..." [14:12]

3. Retro Console Wars – Nostalgia & Shifting Perceptions

[21:57] Sam Claiborne: Recalls being swayed as a kid into believing Genesis was superior due to Sega's edgy marketing.

• Team reminisces on:
  • Classic console “wars”: Sega vs. Nintendo, who had better sports games, the "blast processor" myth, and how SNES’s true library quality wasn't fully appreciated in real-time.
  • Sam Claiborne: "Sonic the Hedgehog...I got a Genesis for Sonic the Hedgehog. I didn't get it for anything else." [20:53]
• Discussion points include the rise and fall of Sega hardware (Genesis/CD/32x/Saturn/Dreamcast) and Nintendo's choices with expensive cart chips vs. hardware add-ons.

4. Listener Emails – Game Announcements & Hardware Purchases

[18:10] Daniel: "Has there ever been a game announcement that made you buy a console just to play it?"

• Mark: Borrowed a friend’s PS3 just to play The Last of Us. [18:43]
• Justin: Fond memories of buying an SNES in 1996 after the PS1 came out, getting a pile of classics cheap. [19:49]
• Sam: Bought Genesis for Sonic, N64 for Ocarina of Time. [20:53]
• Team reflects that with age and income, new system launches feel less special.

5. Exploraction/Search Action Genre – Metroidvania Alternatives

[32:16] Email from Matt Jones: Proposes "exploraction" ("explorative action") as a name for games typically called Metroidvanias, especially when describing non-Metroid/Castlevania IPs adopting those gameplay loops.

• Suggestions: Mega Man, Contra, Sonic, Tomb Raider (2D), and more could adapt the "search action/exploraction" approach.
  • Mega Man: "Each robot master has its own biome...use them to unlock new biomes..." [32:41]
  • Sam & Damon: Love 2D Tomb Raider Metroidvania idea; nostalgia for Yoku’s Island Express-style experiments (pinball plus Metroidvania).
• Justin: Shares there’s a subgenre of Mario Maker 2 levels that are “Metroid-like,” puzzle-box platformers with key-based progression. [35:08]
• Funny aside about how video game genres are often named after the progenitor game (e.g., soulslike, roguelike, "John Wick-like").

6. Modern & Retro Recommendations – Handhelds & Classics

[41:20] Talon (Listener): Asks for essential suggestions for NES, SNES, GameBoy, N64 classics to play on a new handheld emulator.

• NES recommendations: Mega Man 2+, Adventure Island 2+, Super Mario Bros, Balloon Fight, Shadowgate, Gremlins 2, Castlevania 3.
• SNES recommendations: Super Mario RPG, Link to the Past, Star Fox, Castlevania 4.
• Game Boy recommendations: Donkey Kong ’94, Kid Icarus: Myths & Monsters, Link's Awakening, Zelda Oracle of Ages/Seasons, Minish Cap.
• N64 recommendations: Diddy Kong Racing, Banjo-Kazooie, Mario 64, Donkey Kong 64 (modded with character swap).
• Quote: "Diddy Kong Racing is better than Mario Kart 64." — Justin Davis [42:02]
• Team fondly recalls odd “licensed” games (Predator, Home Improvement, Full House fighter) and the weird diversity of classic game catalogs.

7. “Video Game 20 Questions” Challenge

[47:26]

• This week’s mystery game is SSX (PS2).
  • Ash from Yukon explains it’s the game "I've started over from the beginning more than any other" because, as a kid, he had no PS2 memory card and had to restart daily for a month. [56:52]
• Panel works their way to the answer with questions about genre, platform, developer, and a lot of deduction.
  • Memorable moment: "There's a question you ask very often that would solve this whole situation for you." — Damon, hinting at “Is this the first in the series?” [56:14]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "That live service mandate...I cannot believe it ruined a whole generation, but it really did." — Mark Medina [03:39]
• "It's so stupid…they're the best at [remasters] and then…shutting you down even though we just bought you." — Justin Davis [03:23]
• "We're talking a lot about Metroidvanias and old games this episode and that's okay." — Damon Hatfield [39:56]
• "I think Diddy Kong Racing is better than Mario Kart 64." — Justin Davis [42:02]
• "I got a Genesis for Sonic the Hedgehog...biggest thing in the world...people said Super Nintendo was for babies. I was like, yeah, that makes sense to me." — Sam Claiborne [20:53]
• "We used to love putting on the Predator in the office...just to check out 'What did they make a game of this?'" — Sam Claiborne [44:14]
• "There's always appetite for remasters and remakes...Why not just let [Bluepoint] keep doing their thing?" — Damon Hatfield [05:06]
• "I've started over from the beginning [of SSX] more than any other game...couldn't get a memory card for a month!" — Listener Ash [56:52]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:48] — Bluepoint Games shutdown & Sony’s live service missteps
• [11:18] — Listener email: long dev cycles and career impacts
• [14:12] — Generational impact of slow game franchise releases
• [18:10] — Game announcements that made the panel buy (or borrow) a console
• [21:57] — Console wars nostalgia (Genesis vs. SNES, Sega's rise/fall)
• [32:16] — Naming the “Metroidvania” genre and pitch for “exploraction” games
• [35:08] — Mario Maker “Metroid-like” subgenre, more IPs for exploraction
• [41:20] — Retro game recommendations (NES, SNES, Game Boy, N64)
• [47:26] — Video Game 20 Questions (SSX)
• [56:52] — Listener story: being forced to restart SSX daily, no memory card

Tone and Flow

The episode is energetic, candid, and suffused with both industry expertise and playful banter. The hosts toggle seamlessly between critical industry analysis (studio closures, corporate strategy) and gaming nostalgia (cart wars, classic games, fun “what ifs”). Listener engagement is high, with the show addressing multiple thoughtful emails that provoke both storytelling and lively debate. Classic Game Scoop: funny, geeky, and insightful.

For Listeners New & Old

This episode distills much of what makes Game Scoop a staple: up-to-date industry insight, criticism of corporate missteps, retro gaming appreciation, and extensive listener interaction. “What was the point?” turns out to be a poignant theme on both the fate of Bluepoint Games and the shifting priorities of gaming's biggest companies—and why gaming nostalgia, exploration, and joy remain so crucial.