Kinda Funny Games Daily – Is Xbox Game Pass Ruining Video Games? (09.08.25)

Brief Overview

In this September 8, 2025 episode of Kinda Funny Games Daily, hosts Blessing Adeoye Jr. and Snowbike Mike deep-dive into the hottest topics in video game news. The show’s main thread: the ongoing debate about the impact of Xbox Game Pass on the industry, spurred by recent comments from former Xbox, PlayStation, and Bethesda execs. Particular focus is given to concerns from developers regarding Game Pass, the complexities of subscription economics, and the trajectory of physical vs. digital game media. Other discussions include impressions from PAX West, new PlayStation 6 rumors, Wolfenstein’s future, and smaller news items. The hosts retain their trademark energetic, friendly, and candid tone throughout.

Marvel Tokon Fighting Game & PAX West Highlights (00:42 – 11:10)

Key Points and Impressions

• Marvel Tokon Fighting Game (00:48 – 03:39)

  • Blessing praises the closed beta, calling it “the return of Dragon Ball Fighters” and noting developer Arc System Works' reputation as “the current fighting game Goats” (01:16).
  • The game features 4v4 matches with a shared health bar per team:

    “You can just stay with one character the whole time and then like just use the other characters as assist moves and stuff like that.” – Blessing (01:45)

  • Characters highlighted: Ms. Marvel, Iron Man (“projectile city”), and Star Lord.
  • Visual style and UI receive particular praise.

• PAX West Recap (03:39 – 11:10)

  • Blessing went low-key for vacation but valued meeting community members and recommends that all who can should attend a game show at least once.
  • “You come across so many different cool vendors, so many cool indie games…” – Blessing (04:16)
  • Indie Highlight: Letter Lost: Booth experience blends live escape room puzzles with game promotion (05:18).
  • Other shout-outs: Magic: The Gathering’s new Spider-Man set and future plans to attend MagicCon Atlanta.

Sports Sidebar (08:01 – 10:09)

• Snowbike Mike summarizes a huge sports weekend, with highlights from NFL’s return and college ball.
• Notable: “It might have been one of the greatest football games of all time to watch.” – Mike, on Ravens vs. Bills (09:08)
• Tribute to Carmelo Anthony entering the Hall of Fame.

PlayStation 6 Modular Disc Drive Leak (11:40 – 18:52)

Discussion & Perspectives

• Summary of Report (11:40 – 15:03)

  • New rumors point toward a modular, optional disc drive on the PlayStation 6.
  • Intended to reduce costs and adapt to uncertain economic conditions (including tariffs).
  • Sony reiterates focus on local hardware over cloud gaming.

• Community Divide on Physical vs. Digital (15:03 – 18:52)

  • Mike, all-digital, appreciates having options and not paying for unused hardware.
  • Blessing acknowledges the joy of physical media but sees it as increasingly niche:

    “There’s something just special about holding, like, a cartridge or holding a disc… But as time goes, we’re becoming more and more of a niche, slash, older audience that does things like that.” – Blessing (16:36)

  • Industry trend: Most younger/new players are digital-only; GameStop has transitioned away from games as its focus.

Main Topic: Is Xbox Game Pass Ruining Video Games? (18:52 – 50:41)

Executive Criticisms & Industry Fears (18:52 – 22:34)

• Summary of Industry Voices (18:52 – 22:34)
  • Pete Hines (Bethesda ex-SVP): Argues subscription models can “create weird inner tensions” and hurt developers if not carefully balanced.

    “...if you don’t figure out how to balance the needs of the service and the people running the service with the people who are providing the content… then you have a real problem.” – Pete Hines (paraphrased at 21:04)

  • Supported by ex-PlayStation exec Shawn Layden and former Xbox Game Studios head Shannon Loftus.

Three Angles: Consumer, Business, Developer (22:34 – 37:39)

• Consumer Perspective (23:02 – 27:21)

  • Both affirm Game Pass is “the best deal in gaming” for consumers, listing recent top-tier day-one releases (e.g., Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong).
  • “...it’s a subscription. You can turn it on, you can turn it off, whenever it appeases you… That’s a major win.” – Mike (24:13)
  • Value for families and kids highlighted: “That is value.” – Blessing, recalling his nephew’s experience (26:55)
  • Blessing predicts eventual price hikes will force new evaluation.

• Microsoft’s Perspective (27:22 – 29:56)

  • Game Pass seen as a strategic win for Xbox’s relevance and consumer goodwill, even if not the runaway disruptor once hoped for.
  • “Nothing but small wins… that gets you in the news… a nice positive news cycle.” – Mike (28:44)

• Developer Perspective & Risks (30:00 – 38:14)

  • The real concerns: loss of retail revenue, pressure to adopt “post-release monetization,” and whether the service is truly sustainable or “healthy and helpful” for developers (31:57).
  • Blessing: “On the Game Pass side though, like, I look at that and I’m like, well, that seems like it makes sense to me as far as… why Game Pass is the strategy.” (28:44)
  • Reiterated: Some indies benefit greatly, but AAA space is more complicated.
  • Super Chat: David N. asks if Game Pass fundamentally changes game design; Mike and Blessing question that premise, suggesting failures (like Redfall, Tango Gameworks shuttering) are more about management than Game Pass itself (33:53).

Notable Audience & Crew Input

• Listeners share mixed experiences, including concern that Game Pass users “think every game is free” (36:22).
• Question over whether “lost” sales from subscription models push publishers to raise prices elsewhere (38:14).
• Barrett Courtney compares Game Pass to MoviePass, noting Game Pass’s deeper pockets (Microsoft) may secure long-term viability (40:19).

Is Game Pass Sustainable? (42:36 – 47:36)

• Blessing: “I am so worried about that… is Game Pass sustainable for us? I. I don’t know. They say yes, I just don’t know how.” (43:38)
• Mike argues Game Pass is stronger post-Activision/Blizzard, with Call of Duty and WoW bolstering the value proposition (44:53).
• Barrett clarifies there’s a difference between “a weak vision” and “an absolute ballooning of how much you own,” cautioning about risk (46:48).
• Blessing: Game Pass is “growing and getting stronger,” but the “ecosystem specifically, like, the studios and the games… I’m just seeing a lot of cancellations.” (47:38)
• Mike: Ultimately, player trust is in developers, not corporations; PlayStation still leads, as demand for Game Pass hasn’t fundamentally shifted the balance yet.

The Silver Lining: Creativity & the “Mid-Tier” Game (49:06 – 50:41)

• Game Pass has allowed many “midrange” or unconventional games (e.g., South of Midnight, Pentiment) to flourish:

  “For me that’s the dream of Game Pass…” – Blessing (50:06)

  • Mike: “We rarely talk about the hundreds of wins… over the 10 years doing this.” (50:12)

Other Major News Segments

Wolfenstein Trilogy Not Over (53:13 – 61:15)

• Story Recap (53:13 – 55:02)
  • Machine Games co-founder Jerk Gustafson says Wolfenstein is intended as a trilogy—story not done yet.
  • Blessing and Mike, lifelong fans, agree hopes are high for a third entry.
• Memorable Moment
  • “Wolfenstein 2 is like one of the best FPS campaigns… We don’t talk about it enough.” – Blessing (56:46)

Cyberpunk 2: Keanu Reeves Would Return (61:15 – 63:50)

• Keanu Reeves, asked by IGN, says he “absolutely” wants to return as Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2 (61:29).
• Blessing and Mike are open to at least a cameo appearance:

  “If Keanu Reeves looks at me, says, mike, yeah, I’d come back as Johnny. It’s like… Billboard. Quick. Cameo. He’s in.” – Mike (63:20)

WE News & Wrap-up (64:04 – 68:20)

• Quick Headlines:
  • Nintendo lawsuit: Modder must pay $2 million for piracy (65:05).
  • PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct is set; Moon Mystery release date.
• Super Chat Recap: Pete Hines’ Game Pass criticism sparks requests for a special Kinda Funny interview.
• “Perfect Dark” Canceled: Mike dismisses it as an IP unlikely to be a mass-market hit, sparking playful banter.
• Correction: Fitz writes in to clarify that most PS5 physical games run without Internet (67:45).

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “It feels to be less and less. You go into a GameStop nowadays and it’s 90% Funko Pops and then a bunch of, you know, kind of sticky old game cases…” – Mike (17:45)
• “If you don’t figure out how to balance the needs of the service… with the people who are providing the content… then you have a real problem.” – Pete Hines, via Blessing (21:04)
• “As a kid, that is value.” – Blessing on Game Pass’s value for families (26:55)
• “You just want Call of Duty all the time.” – Blessing to Mike, after Mike downplays the loss of Perfect Dark (66:48)
• “We rarely talk about the hundreds of wins…” – Mike on the silent successes of Game Pass (50:12)

Timestamps for Key Sections

• Marvel Tokon/ArcSys Preview: 00:48 – 03:39
• Letter Lost/PAX West Impressions: 05:18 – 07:09
• PS6 Modular Disc Drive Rumors: 11:40 – 18:52
• Game Pass Debate (Main Section): 18:52 – 50:41
• Wolfenstein Trilogy Discussion: 53:13 – 61:15
• Cyberpunk 2 & Keanu: 61:15 – 63:50
• Quick News (WE News): 64:04 – 65:48
• Closing Banter: 66:16 – 68:20

Conclusion

This episode is required listening for anyone invested in the present and future of subscription gaming—particularly the complexities of Game Pass for consumers, developers, and the industry at large. Blessing and Mike deftly balance critical insight, community voices, and their signature banter, giving depth to the discussion around digital trends, economic realities, and the hope for creative, mid-tier games to thrive.