Kinda Funny Games Daily: Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic, Half-Life 3 Speculation, & More
(November 25, 2025)
Episode Overview
On this episode—the final one before the Thanksgiving break—Greg Miller and Snow Bike Mike dissect the latest in video game news. Their discussion zeroes in on Naughty Dog’s enigmatic new game “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet,” rumors (and denials) about Half-Life 3, the new Far Cry TV show, and a ton of lighter fare (including the Fortnite Simpsons crossover and a deep-dive on the evolving Skate reboot). The hosts mix candid analysis with trademark humor and community banter.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Naughty Dog’s “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet” Still Years Away (15:00)
- News: Despite the reveal at last year’s Game Awards, all credible reporting (IGN, Bloomberg, Jeff Grubb) points to “Intergalactic” being at least two years out—2027 at the earliest, possibly skipping the PS5.
- Reaction:
- Mike wasn’t expecting it before 2026:
“It wasn’t on my bingo card for 2026 there, Greg.” (15:20) - Greg doubts it will skip PS5 entirely, predicting a cross-generation PlayStation release strategy like "The Last of Us Part II."
“There’s no way in God’s green earth that PlayStation...would say, ‘This gorgeous game that could run on [PS5], only put on the PlayStation 6.’” (17:16) - Discussion on PlayStation’s identity crisis and why Sony needed an early reveal for “Intergalactic”: to restore fan faith post-live service setbacks and feed anticipation.
- Fans are hungry for news from Sony’s legendary studio due to a drawn-out gap between major releases.
- Mike wasn’t expecting it before 2026:
2. Simpsons x Fortnite Crossover – An Overdue, Craze-Inducing Hit (04:06)
- Mike spent nearly five and a half hours grinding cosmetic unlocks and exploring the detailed Springfield map:
“I thought it was going to be an hour...It became five and a half hours of grinding...maybe spending $30 on insane cosmetics.” (05:52) - They praise the execution, but lament the event’s limited time frame and wish for annual returns, perhaps with a “Treehouse of Horror” theme (suggested by streamer Sancho West).
- Critique of Fortnite’s overwhelming UI/UX:
“It’s just visually overstimulating. It’s too much. I just want to find something.” — Mike (09:10)
3. Half-Life 3 (Not) on the Horizon & Valve’s Next Moves (29:30)
- News: Valve officially denies that any new Half-Life game (or other Valve title) will ship bundled alongside or be pre-installed with the upcoming Steam Machine.
- Greg’s bold (facetious?) prediction:
“Half Life 3 is coming alongside the Steam machine. Again. Not a pack-in.” (32:31) - The pair debate the possibility; Mike is skeptical, pressing on the endless cycle of Half-Life 3 speculation while Greg riffs on Valve’s business model of “art first.”
- “Why hasn’t Rockstar just put out another GTA?” (36:44, Greg, exasperated by the ‘where is Half-Life 3’ debate)
- Mike wonders why the highly-anticipated Half-Life 2 RTX remix hasn’t been pushed first for hype.
4. Far Cry TV Series Announced by FX & Ubisoft (45:59)
- Discussion triggers skepticism:
- Greg jokes about the overwrought PR tweet (“That tweet turns me off to the entire fucking thing. Shut the fuck up.” — 47:23).
- Both wonder if the show can capture the spirit of the games, which are driven by player freedom and outlandish villains, and what the anthology format might mean for the adaptation.
- Mike: “Far Cry...is a little harder to land in my eyes because it is the freedom of me doing insane, stupid things. And I don't know if that really lends itself well to a TV show.” (49:05)
5. Skate Reboot—Season 2, Community, and Survival (50:49)
- Trailer for Season 2 shown; new focus on co-op and ‘sharing the stoke’ with friends:
- “Multiplayer Own the Spot. Having more focus things for me and Greg and a party to do. Step one.” — Mike (55:50)
- Discussion covers:
- How Skate’s early access and monetization alienated a chunk of the fanbase.
- Whether EA is likely to give the dev time to ‘fix’ the game (“Their timer has begun...I think they get a solid two years...” — Mike, 57:29).
- The risk if EA moves to cut the project short, especially with broader industry financial pressures (including Saudi investment concerns).
- Mike’s optimism: “Skate as a brand is too big to pull the plug after 12 months.”
6. Impact of Saudi PIF’s Financial Woes on Gaming & EA (58:09)
- Saudi Arabia’s PIF is reportedly limiting new investments as several major projects stall. With a pending $55B EA purchase, the gaming world is watching for possible tightening of budgets—even as the PIF claims $60B in cash reserves.
7. Quick Hits: Community Q&A and Lighter News
- Xbox Crocs Release: Mike receives and gushes over his first pair of Xbox-branded Crocs.
- Constanza release: An indie action adventure with glowing reviews launched today (Metacritic: 83).
- Other bits: Call of Duty season update, Super Mario Party Jamboree soundtrack, and minor Switch 2 compatibility fixes.
- Several hilarious asides about Crocs, Nintendo Store shopping, and the ongoing hunt for holiday merch.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On PlayStation's long game drought:
“It’s just painful to go nearly an entire generation without a new game from arguably Sony’s best studio. The Last of Us online experiment really hurt.” — Subtext Super Chat, 23:00 -
On why show “Intergalactic” so soon?
“This is marketing—this is telling a story, this is spinning a narrative.” — Greg (19:31) -
On Valve’s shadowy, slow approach:
“You have to sit here and be so in awe of a company…that stands on business. We make so much money that we don’t have to release a video game until we think it is perfection.” — Greg (35:11) -
Mike on Fortnite UI:
“It’s just visually overstimulating. It’s too much. I just want to find something.” (09:10) -
Simpsons x Fortnite regret:
“I do regret waiting until the very end. Wish I could have done one more good day with this.” — Mike (06:34) -
On Far Cry TV adaptation:
“Good luck to you. Go get them...You know what I mean?” — Greg (49:53) -
On Skate’s future:
“I think this team has their back against the walls. Unfortunately, I don't think EA will give them enough time to truly land this.” — Mike (56:42)
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Time | Topic | |--------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:08–07:55 | Fortnite x Simpsons Crossover & Community Fun | | 13:38–22:19 | “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet”—Release Timing, PlayStation | | 29:30–38:11 | Valve’s Steam Machine, Half-Life 3 Speculation | | 45:59–50:00 | Far Cry TV Series Announcement & Skepticism | | 50:49–58:09 | Skate Season 2 Trailer, Multiplayer, EA’s Faith | | 58:09–62:06 | Saudi PIF Investment Woes, Potential Impact on EA, Industry | | 63:29–64:58 | Xbox Crocs Unboxing & Other Quick News | | 67:02–69:07 | Super Chat Q&A, Nintendo Merch, Show Wrap-up |
Conclusion: Energy, Laughter & Critical Analysis
The hosts provide both hilarious commentary—Greg again advocating for perennial gaming dreams, Mike cheerleading for stoke and community fun—and sharp criticism of industry trends, especially regarding transparency, release cycles, and corporate patience. Listener engagement is high, with numerous supportive and challenging super chats.
If you missed this episode: you’ll come away understanding Sony and Naughty Dog’s predicament, why the gaming world is forever asking “where’s Half-Life 3?”, and how Fortnite’s wild crossovers are still capturing gamers’ hearts. Also: never doubt that Xbox Crocs are real, and Greg is still furiously on the hunt for the best Nintendo holiday sweater.
For next time:
The crew will reconvene after Thanksgiving, with more news, banter, and community interaction!
