Kinda Funny Games Daily — October 2, 2025

Episode Title: GameStop Stands Up To Xbox Game Pass Price Increase
Hosts: Greg Miller, Blessing Adeoye Jr.
Platform: Kinda Funny Games
Release Date: October 2, 2025

Overview

This episode dives deep into the games industry's hottest topics of the day, including GameStop’s response to Xbox Game Pass price hikes, the cancellation of a Dungeons & Dragons game at Starbreeze, EA’s private buyout and AI cost-cutting ambitions, and the ongoing expansion of Saudi influence in gaming. Greg and Blessing’s signature banter sets the scene, blending expertise, skepticism, nostalgia, and humor as they unpack what these stories mean for players and the industry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. GameStop and the Xbox Game Pass Price Hike

[11:24–19:36]

• Context: Microsoft recently announced a significant price jump for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $19.99 to $29.99/month. GameStop quickly announced they would continue to sell Game Pass at the old price “for now,” making a public statement and graphic.
• Analysis:
  • GameStop (and other retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target) are still selling codes issued at the old $19.99 rate, likely as a function of physical card stock, not pro-consumer activism.
  • Greg and Blessing are skeptical about GameStop’s motives, noting the performative tone of their marketing:
    • “Of course we're doing this out of the goodness of our own hearts and not because $20 is written on the fucking physical thing.” (Blessing, [13:47])
    • “This is their Tiananmen Square, all right?” (Greg, [13:53])
  • They predict the goodwill will vanish as soon as new cards at the higher price hit shelves.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “Can you imagine being on life support this long? ... And they're rolling. They got the IV in their arm and like, yeah, but fuck you, Microsoft. Fuck you, Game Pass. We're not going anywhere.” (Greg, [14:10])
• GameStop Social Media Tactics:
  • Blessing points out GameStop’s shift to a “meme-y, pro-gamer” online persona, which is big on irony but disconnected from company actions (e.g., layoffs at Game Informer).
  • Greg highlights GameStop’s dunking on Microsoft via memes and snarky tweets.
• Nostalgia for GameStop:
  • Both hosts reminisce about hunting for cheap games in their youth, but also agree that GameStop is desperately throwing anything at the wall to survive.

2. Xbox Game Pass Value & Price Debate

[25:37–35:44]

• Use Cases and Value Perception:
  • Community members and hosts discuss whether the new Game Pass price matches its value.
  • Blessing is cautious about the $360/year commitment, doubting Xbox’s ability to consistently deliver must-play titles to justify the cost—“You have to expect a buy-in as far as the consistency of what you're putting out.” ([28:50])
• Transparency and Communication:
  • The hosts wish Xbox would communicate their roadmap more clearly, especially if they expect users to commit to higher prices:
    • “If they could have done that yesterday and had a podcast with Phil or Sarah...and be a human being on it. We're raising the price. Why? Value add and this, that, the other.” (Greg, [31:46])
• Personal Strategies:
  • Greg suggests he’d likely dip in and out of Game Pass for specific releases rather than subscribe year-round at the new price.
• Community Reaction:
  • Many in the audience and the hosts themselves feel the pricing forces players to constantly calculate “value” instead of simply enjoying the service.

3. Industry Layoffs & Starbreeze's D&D Game Cancelation

[39:36–47:33]

• Starbreeze Cancels Project Baxter
  • The Dungeons & Dragons game is canceled; 44 staff members are laid off as the studio re-focuses on Payday, betting on established IP.
  • Blessing is surprised, expecting the D&D IP surge post–Baldur’s Gate 3 to encourage more such projects,
    • “I find it a little surprising ... that you cancel a D and D game in 2025.” (Blessing, [41:41])
  • Payday 3 reportedly disappointed commercially, making the pivot more about low risk and shareholder assurance than creativity.
• Corporate Tone:
  • Greg and Blessing criticize the cold language in Starbreeze’s press release, focusing on "shareholder value" over the livelihoods of laid off workers.

4. EA’s Private Buyout & the Rise of AI for Cost-Cutting

[47:33–55:21]

• Context: EA is going private in a $55B deal involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Parker Partners.
• AI as a Profit Booster:
  • New investors are reportedly bullish on using AI for cost-cutting (and presumably, layoffs).
  • Hosts are wary and sardonic regarding these buzzword-heavy justifications:
    • “How could you make the fucking news about EA, Saudi Arabia, and Jared Kushner worse? Oh, they're going to use AI as a cost-cutting measure.” (Greg, [47:33])
• EA’s Reputation:
  • Blessing jokes about EA contending again for “most evil corporation,” especially with the addition of Saudi and Kushner influence and AI labor cuts.
• Deeper Industry Impact:
  • Greg reads from Christopher Dring’s in-depth newsletter highlighting the cultural, political, and financial stakes of the EA buyout:
    • “This deal is about Saudi Arabia. This is about using the cultural power of games to shift its reputation and perception both locally and internationally.” ([49:04])

5. Saudi Investment in Video Games—Implications & Concerns

[55:21–62:11]

• PIF’s Global Reach:
  • Saudi Arabia’s investment in games now extends across EA, Nintendo, Capcom, Take-Two, and more.
• Motivations & “Sportswashing”:
  • The move is analyzed as a bid to cleanse the Saudi regime’s reputation (“sportswashing,” now “game-washing”) in light of major human rights abuses.
• Cultural Ramifications:
  • Both hosts debate whether Saudi or Kushner influence could pressure EA to suppress LGBTQ+ and diverse content in their games.
    • Greg is (cautiously) optimistic it will be "status quo"; Blessing is more pessimistic about potential interference.
    • “I would worry a lot for, yeah, the Mass effects, the Sims...when you're talking about Jared Kushner and ... PIF.” (Blessing, [52:23])
• Audience & Host Reflection:
  • Listeners wonder about the real-world impact of these ownership changes, especially when prior controversies (e.g., WWE's Saudi deals) failed to provoke lasting change in consumer behavior.

6. Other Major Headlines & Lightning Round (Wii News)

[62:11–63:31]

• Walton Goggins Joins Fallout 76:
  • Goggins will voice “the Ghoul” in Fallout 76’s upcoming expansion, connecting the game to Amazon’s Fallout TV show.
• K-Pop Demon Hunters x Fortnite:
  • Major crossover event brings characters and music into Fortnite, with Blessing commenting on how Fortnite’s event ecosystem captures youth enthusiasm—despite expensive cosmetics.
• Other Quick News:
  • Disco Elysium devs (Zaum) form UK’s first recognized games union.
  • Clover Pit, an indie slot machine roguelike, sells 300,000+ copies in four days.
  • Skeleton Crew and other Star Wars entertainment topics are mentioned in passing.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On GameStop’s “Heroics”
  “This is totally their. This is them. This is their Tiananmen Square, all right?”
  — Greg Miller ([13:53])
• On Corporate Desperation:
  “I think it's the thing where as they're dying, they're taking anything they can get.”
  — Blessing ([16:38])
• On Xbox Game Pass Price Increase:
  “You have to expect a buy-in as far as the consistency of what you're putting out. Right. … I have to have trust that what they deliver is going to be quality and be worth that $360 a year.”
  — Blessing ([28:50])
• On EA’s Potential for a Comeback as “Most Evil Corporation”
  “Man. They might be making, they might be making a return like this might be the equivalent of like a, a wrestler appearing on a show after a decade and being like, yo, we're back to take most evil corporations.”
  — Blessing ([48:38])
• On Saudi Investment in Culture:
  “This deal is about Saudi Arabia. This is about using the cultural power of games to shift its reputation and perception both locally and internationally.”
  — Christopher Dring, read by Greg ([49:04])
• On the Future of Inclusivity at EA:
  “We already have that view. We already are like, oh, man, they're doing evil shit over there…”
  — Blessing ([68:44])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [11:24] – Main GameStop/Game Pass price hike story with full analysis
• [14:10] – Reflection on GameStop’s resilience and meme tactics
• [25:37] – Debate: Is Game Pass still a good value?
• [39:36] – Starbreeze cancels D&D game, layoffs, and trend toward safe IP
• [47:33] – EA buyout: AI for cost-cutting, Saudi and Kushner influence
• [55:21] – What is “sportswashing”? Saudi investment spread and consequences
• [60:05] – Walton Goggins joins Fallout 76 as “the Ghoul”
• [61:15] – K-Pop Demon Hunters x Fortnite crossover
• [63:08] – Wii News: Quick indie, unionization, and industry news
• [66:15] – Listener questions and mental health acknowledgment

Tone and Banter

The hosts blend levity, irony, and exasperation as they navigate both community questions and corporate overreach—from friendly jabs at GameStop and nostalgia over lost mall culture, to sharp criticism of shareholder- and algorithm-driven industry trends. The episode closes with stark honesty about the state of the world and the need for community support, balancing humor with real talk about larger social, political, and economic forces shaping the games landscape.

Bottom Line

This episode unpacks the tension between consumer experience and the games industry’s profit motives, whether it’s GameStop’s opportunism, the opaque value proposition of subscription services, or the real-life international power struggles affecting where and how games are made. Greg and Blessing push for transparency and humanity amid the industry’s most cynical maneuvers—reminding listeners that, even when things look bleak, the gaming community remains a place for connection and defiance.