PlayStation 5 Prices RAISED in United States - Kinda Funny Games Daily 08.20.25

Summary

Kinda Funny Games Daily: PlayStation 5 Prices RAISED in United States

Date: August 20, 2025
Hosts: SnowBikeMike & Roger
Podcast: Kinda Funny Games Daily: Video Games News Podcast

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Episode Overview

This episode covers major shakeups in video game hardware pricing, focuses on Sony's decision to raise PlayStation 5 prices in the US, and discusses industry-wide economic pressures and their impact on gamers. The hosts discuss Microsoft's ambiguous pricing on its upcoming Xbox ROG Ally handheld and explore significant studio news, including layoffs at Cloud Chamber (the BioShock studio) and the appointment of industry veteran Rod Fergusson. Closing topics include news on Hollow Knight: Silksong, Starfield's rumored Switch 2 port, and a grab bag of smaller stories. The overall tone is candid, a bit exasperated at the state of pricing, and supportive of both gamers and game makers trying to navigate a rapidly changing industry.

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Main Themes

• Rising Costs Across The Gaming Industry:
  Sustained economic pressures and tariffs are leading to rising console and hardware prices, contrary to previous cycles where hardware would get cheaper late in the generation.

• Market Uncertainty for New Handhelds:
  Microsoft’s ambiguous approach to ROG Ally pricing and its partnership with Asus illustrate how "macroeconomic" instability is complicating product launches.

• Instability and Turmoil in AAA Studios:
  Major layoffs at Cloud Chamber (BioShock) and Rod Fergusson joining as head signal another troubled AAA development.

• Community Connections and Gamer Experiences:
  Scattered throughout are lighthearted anecdotes, super chats, and shout-outs, enhancing the community-driven feel of the episode.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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[09:18] PlayStation 5 Prices Raised in the US

Source: Jordan Midler, VGC

• PS5 Standard: $549.99 (was $499.99)
• PS5 Digital: $499.99 (was $449.99)
• PS5 Pro: $749.99 (was $699.99)

"The PS5 is the latest price of consumer tech to be impacted by the global economic issues... we're five years into the life cycle and the console has now went UP $50 instead of going down in pricing, which we usually see."
— Roger [11:22]

• Host reflection: In previous generations, five years meant dramatic price drops (e.g., PS4 fell from $400 to $200).
• These increases extend a trend begun internationally in 2022; now, America finally joins.
• Parallel: Nintendo Switch prices also just went up ($40-$50 for various models).

Industry Impact & Concerns:

• "This is the time period where you would expect to get the slim... Now we're higher than we've ever been. It's really, really upsetting to see."
  — Roger [12:51]

• The cost of entry to gaming, especially for families and casuals, is higher than ever.

• Forecast: We may never see a significant price drop for PS5 before PS6 arrives.

Memorable Quote:

"Now we're at the place where things inflate and they stay there... maybe we never need to do the thing where we make a slim cut version and drop it to half. Maybe we just keep them at MSRP forever."
— Roger [14:40]

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[17:38] Xbox ROG Ally Handheld – Details and Pricing Uncertainty

Announcement:

• The Xbox ROG Ally, developed with Asus, arrives October 16, 2025.
• "Handheld Compatibility Program" for improved experience, with "Handheld Optimized" & "Mostly Compatible" tags (akin to Steam Deck's verified program).

Hosts' Hardware Takes:

• Roger and Mike both admit their Steam Deck is gathering dust; a lighter, improved Windows-based handheld excites them.
• Roger: "I want a Windows handheld... This is the future of gaming." [19:53]
• Mike is cautiously optimistic but unsure if it will pull him from couch/PC gaming.

Macroeconomic Uncertainty and Price Speculation

• Despite the launch date ("very soon"), no confirmed price due to tariff volatility.
• Leaked pricing (via retail site Dealer Labs and Best Buy):
  • ROG Ally X: $899 ($899 euro)
  • ROG Ally: $549 ($599 euro)

"I don't think there's any way the prices go lower... the way they talk about macroeconomics of it all... We might have to brace to make it higher."
— Roger [29:16]

Role in the Market:

• "Probably isn't your main console—this is an accessory. $900 for an accessory? That's tough."
  — Mike [30:08]

Concern About the Future:

"There's a world where this doesn't do well... and they say, 'we're not doing a handheld ever again,' that's scary to me. Because that's the future of Microsoft for me: I want that handheld."
— Roger [31:01]

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[38:34] BioShock Studio (Cloud Chamber) Layoffs & Rod Fergusson Hired

Breaking News (Jason Schreier, Bloomberg):

• Take-Two cut about a third of Cloud Chamber, over 80 people of 250 staff.
• Studio brings in Rod Fergusson (ex-Gears of War, Diablo) as new head.

Studio Statement:

"We've made the decision with studio leadership to rework certain aspects that are core to a BioShock game... and are reducing the team to focus on this."
— 2K President, quoted by Rebecca Valentine [40:14]

Industry Reaction:

• This is likely a major reboot, potentially another very long wait for BioShock 4.
• Layoffs highlight brutal realities for game developers, even at well-funded publishers.
• Rod Fergusson is respected for "turnaround" assignments on franchises in trouble.

Memorable Quotes:

"This is definitely a Hail Mary. I'm hoping for the best, because I want BioShock 4. I want this game to be good."
— Roger [42:09]

"You don't gut the team and change leadership this deep if everything's going well... To me, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a full reboot."
— Roger [46:09]

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[48:47] Hollow Knight Silksong Special Presentation Announced

• Official Team Cherry stream in 48 hours for "a special announcement."
• Jason Schreier teases "the story behind why Silksong took seven years to make."
• Roger is personally very hyped; expects either a release date or possible shadow drop.
• Silksong discussed as "the new Half-Life 3" for meme-level anticipation.

"So much pressure for the small team—they're now the meme in every single presentation: Silksong, Silksong, Silksong. That's nuts."
— Roger [50:13]

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[53:02] Starfield Rumored for Switch 2 (& PlayStation 5)

• Industry insider Nate the Hate claims Starfield and Indiana Jones will be on Switch 2 in 2026.
• Continues Xbox's trend toward multiplatform releases.
• Discussion over the technical leap: Switch 2 could potentially run Starfield better than Series S.

"There's a chance that runs better on my Switch 2 than it does on my Series S... that's kind of crazy."
— Roger [53:32]

• 2026 may mark a broader Xbox push to Switch 2, with hopes for better controller hardware.

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[55:11] Wii News Segment - Quick Hit Updates

• Six new heroes coming to Deadlock; game is evolving rapidly.
• Splinter Cell anime teaser (Death Watch) announced by Ubisoft, starring Liev Schreiber.
• Rogue Prince of Persia launches on Game Pass (Switch versions next year).
• Tropico 7 arriving in 2026.

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[59:00] Community & Super Chat Highlights

• Soccer practice advice for kids: "Work on first touches and proper footwork!" — Coach Mike [60:23]
• Discussion around what price would make the ROG Ally DOA; most agree over $1000 is too much, but this is for enthusiasts.
• Quick takes on tech (Elden Ring's rumored state on Switch 2, AI in Sekiro anime).
• Shout-outs to supporters and fans.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Today’s Economy:
  "The smell of recession is in the air... specifically when it comes to gaming... We're just going to have these moments where people are going to hold onto their consoles and maybe not look towards a PS6."
  — Roger [12:52]

• On the ROG Ally’s Market:
  "This is going to be a cool console for the hardcore of the hardcore, like for us... This is not breaking out... This is not going to be a Steam Deck moment."
  — Roger [31:01]

• On BioShock Development:
  "I love my Steam deck, but f*ck man, I want competitors in this space that are reasonably priced. And this is, this is looking more and more for the out-there hobbyist adult gamers."
  — Roger [34:35]

• On Hollow Knight Silksong:
  "Silksong is the new Half Life 3. And that's crazy. That's so much pressure for the small team."
  — Roger [50:13]

• On Layoffs/Economic Pressures:
  "It's never enough. So that really, really sucks."
  — Mike [44:10]

• Community Moment:
  "If the Call of Duty ever comes to my Nintendo Switch, that would be big news. But what if I didn't want some big news? What if I need smaller news? Where would I go?"
  — Mike teeing up Wii News [55:06]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 09:18 — PlayStation 5 price hike analysis
• 17:38 — Xbox ROG Ally handheld details & market context
• 26:06 — Discussion on ambiguous pricing, retail leaks, and tariffs
• 38:34 — Breaking news: Cloud Chamber layoffs & Rod Fergusson hired
• 48:47 — Hollow Knight: Silksong special announcement teased
• 53:02 — Starfield/Switch 2 multiplatform rumors
• 55:11 — Wii News: rapid-fire smaller gaming stories
• 59:00+ — Community super chats, shout-outs, and wrap-up

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Final Takeaway

This episode underscores the tension between corporate realities (tariffs, inflation, shareholder demands) and the gamer community's expectations. While the hosts lament the "new normal" of persistent high prices and large-scale layoffs, they maintain hope and excitement for the games (and hardware) that survive, celebrating the struggle and creativity of developers—big and small—across the globe.

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Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

What's up, everybody? And welcome to Kind of Funny Games daily for Wednesday, August 20, 2025, on one of your show hosts, Snow Bike Mike. And that's Roger, my co host. You didn't get to see it during the cold open, but I'm mad at Roger today because he made me host today's Kind of Funny Games Daily. Now lot of he said, she said. Hey, not a truth and lies.

[A]

You don't want to get bogged down in any of that.

[B]

I don't want to get bogged down by that. I just want you to know that Roger was supposed to sit here. I wanted to sit here.

[A]

A lot of behind the scenes, really quick. When you look at the calendar, the first name on the calendar for a show is the host, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So if you look at the calendar, it says Mike.

[B]

Let me tell you something, Roger. The audience doesn't care about that. That's boring. Okay? So they just want to know what Mike said. Okay, let's look what Mike said about it.

[A]

We do KFGD at 11, right? Not 10, he says. I say, yep. He said, you gotta read today. I don't want to read. I say, no. I said, let's switch off each story. I was trying to kind of meet you in the middle. Maybe you had a little bit of an anxious day. You don't want to read. I get it. I get it. I don't like reading either. You say done, and then you respond with that, fine.

[B]

Well, I wrote done, and I was like, why would anybody respond done? That's a weird response.

[A]

Oh, that's a weird response. Fine. Fine is better. Fine is a nicer one to do.

[B]

Chicken. Roger, welcome in. It is Wednesday. We're halfway through the work week, halfway through the school week. If you're returning to class and the schools, hey, go kick butt. Keep hitting the books. But, Roger, how are we feeling today on this lovely August 20th?

[A]

Oh, man, I'm feeling good. Looking good. Not really playing many games. Not really playing many games. I have a redacted. I'm playing. Not really feeling the redacted. So I'm like. I'm just kind of like. I booted up death stranding to last weekend, maybe for 20 minutes, and I turn it off. And I just didn't play any video games the rest of the weekend. I don't know. I'm just like in a weird funk right now. I need something to get out of that funk. I'm looking for Silent Hill F. Have.

[B]

You ever thought about playing a Pokemon Nuzlocke? Like me.

[A]

I don't. I don't play Pokemon like that.

[B]

Have you ever thought about maybe playing Splinter Cell like me?

[A]

Which one are you playing?

[B]

I'm going to go to blacklist now. I've done conviction. I go to blacklist now.

[A]

Yes. We got his ass.

[B]

We got his ass diving in.

[A]

And then maybe you go back and you try out Chaos Theory.

[B]

I mean, I'm just working on the list, Raj. Yeah, I also noticed that you didn't compliment me in my cool UC Santa Cruz Banana Slug sweatshirt.

[A]

Did that. Did that. Off. Off the record. Off.

[B]

Of course. I like to think of myself as a UC Santa Cruz Banana Slug. I feel like I identify.

[A]

Yeah. I call you Banana Slug before I even knew it.

[B]

That was.

[A]

If I look at you, I'm like, yeah, that's. It's a good way to describe you, Mike. Just so we're clear, you don't identify as a student there because you've never gone there. No.

[B]

Identifies, like, that's my alma mater, you know, there. I could have gone there, you know, you couldn't have.

[A]

So. Why? Why?

[B]

Just because. The vibes.

[A]

What's the vibes there? Just a party school?

[B]

No, no, It's a very chill vibe up there.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Up in the hills of Santa Cruz, overlooking the beach. Kind of surf.

[A]

Have you ever visited the school, like, the dorms?

[B]

I have.

[A]

I have, yeah. Not legally. You just kind of broke in there. I'm a banana slug. I'm a banana slug.

[B]

Roger.

[A]

It's really cool. It's in the. The middle of a forest. So, like, when you walk to a class, like, you walk through the forest.

[B]

It feels like you're living and attending a school at a national forest. Like a national park. Yeah, because it's spread out.

[A]

I think you actually are.

[B]

I think. Yeah, it's in the middle. So I identify as a banana sl.

[A]

Okay. Okay, so you're playing the Pokemon Nuzlocke. What. What are we at, five or six?

[B]

Number five.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I've lost some people. I've, you know, I've gotten the first four hours of Pokemon Emerald down to a science. I will now journey into uncharted territory afterwards.

[A]

Okay, okay, so you think this is the one. You think five is the one?

[B]

Five is the one.

[A]

Because we had a funny moment in the beginning, before you even hear, yeah, Andy was talking about giving you shit about how. How many Nuzlockes you failed. And then he said, oh, he's, you know, Mike's over here. He's not. He's. He's not Doing this. He's not doing this. And he's also know failing the sixth attempt of Nuzlocke. And then. And Tim is so invested in your Nuzlocke, he says he's already at 6. And then. And he was like, no, I'm just fucking around. I don't know. But that's how deep this is.

[B]

Andy couldn't handle the challenge. He can't handle the challenge like I can. I've taken on the challenge. I'm becoming the ultimate Pokemon master and I have to set rules up for myself to make it more difficult.

[A]

Wait, sorry, are you doing the like you only the first Pokemon you encounter, you catch.

[B]

No, I'm not. I'm not. Okay, I'm catching.

[A]

So you're also changing rules to make it more easy.

[B]

I'm teasing. I'm teasing it. Kevin. Roger, Audience, let's jump right into it because this is kind of Funny Games daily. Each and every weekday we run you through the nerdy news you need to know about live on YouTube, Twitch and of course on podcast services around the globe. If you love what we do, consider supporting us with the kind of funny membership available on YouTube, Patreon and now Spotify and Apple to get all of our podcasts ad free and of course watch us record them live and get your daily dose of of Greg Miller with our exclusive show Greg Way for a chance to be part of the show. You can submit your thoughts and opinions as YouTube super chats as we go get involved in the conversation. Up next, some housekeeping news for you. Did you know that supporting us over on patreon.com kind of funny at the premium collector's item tier, get you a limited edition poster made by the Incredible Panda Musk. This month is Barrett themed with a Mob Psycho inspired poster featuring all of us. Grab it before the month ends. It's very cool.

[A]

It is very cool.

[B]

Everyone.

[A]

Everyone should check it out. Everyone should go support us over there. We do this every month. We're going through the entire team and Panama has been making incredible posters for all of us. So yeah, Barrett's is really sick and I'm in it.

[B]

I just want you to know that Kevin was lighting a light at me like it was morse code and I saw it and I reacted to it but I didn't know what to do. So I just looked at it for a moment. But just know I saw you.

[A]

I'm going to be honest, I wanted to see if that was the system that I could use to get your attention. And it really in the Middle of the podcast and you held it together doing that. I'm really proud. Hey, Roger, can you mind your own business? Just so you know, if you were hosting, I would have never done that test.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I would have never done that test.

[B]

Would have broke them. This Friday kind of funny makes the return to Mario Party with the biggest Mario Party stream we've ever done. Come join us all afternoon as we and during IRL Mini games that Mike and Roger have designed for us all vying for a prize that could change the lives. Yes. The lives of all of our contestants. We're bringing back the punishment wheel brought to you by Princess Peach. Tune in Friday after games cast exclusively on Twitch. This Friday, it finally goes down. We got them to sit down and play Mario Party.

[A]

Yes. And of course we have to add a little bit of little flavor, a.

[B]

Little bit of fun.

[A]

Yeah. Mike and I were out after work hours. We were testing some of the games. It's a fun time, y'.

[B]

All.

[A]

We're doing some minutes of win it. Some IRL challenges. Yes. You guys want to tune in and help us and support us because you want to see those punishment wheels as well. Because maybe Princess Peach comes through. A princess Peach with mustache comes through talking about support.

[B]

Of course. Don't forget, we are a small person. A small business of 11 all about live talk shows. Today you already got a Gamescast reaction reaction to Kirby Air Riders that direct. And then after Kind of Funny Games Daily, you're going to get three different games cast covering Capcom previews with Resident Evil, Requiem, Pragmata, and Animusha from the team. So if you want to learn more about these Capcom titles, stay tuned. And then after the games cast, you will get a VR stream with Mike and Nick playing Alien. Rogue Incursion.

[A]

It's VR.

[B]

It's VR. To celebrate, of course. Alien Earth episode three just dropped yesterday. I highly recommend you watch it, Mike. Nick love to talk about Alien.

[A]

Does Nick know he's going to be playing in VR?

[B]

No, he. No, no. We have a rul. Nick and Andy don't play VR, only Mike. Oh, so you do they just watch.

[A]

You're the sacrificial lamb.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, well, watch. Watch Mike play VR.

[B]

Watch me play VR. It's going to be a lot of fun. Of course, if you're a kind of funny member today's Greg Way is somebody doing it. But I'm sure they're on it right now for you. And then thank you to our Patreon producers, Carl Jacobs, Omega Buster and Delaney the Psalm Twining. Thank you for your support on Patreon today. We're brought to you by Factor Shady Rays and Aura Frames. But we'll tell you all about that later. Let's start with what is and forever will be the Roper Report. It's time for some news.

[A]

Seven stories today.

[B]

We have seven stories today.

[A]

I never fill out that little thing. It's just, it's just a one blank and I always forget it. I have to put the number of the stories.

[B]

You hear this excuse chap. You hear this audience?

[A]

I'm sorry.

[B]

I wish the host, he was the one that was supposed to host.

[A]

I wish the host would do that.

[B]

Story number one, PlayStation 5 is going up in price in the US starting tomorrow. This coming from Jordan Midler at VGC. The story reads, according to Sony, quote, similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment. As a result, we've made the difficult decision to increase the the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the US starting on on August 1st, end quote. The new prices August 21st. Thank you so much. The new prices are as follows. PlayStation 5 will be at a retail price of $549.99, up from $499.99. PlayStation 5 Digital Edition is going up from $499.99 from $449.99. PlayStation 5 Pro is now going to be $749.99, up from $699.99. So you're going to see a price increase of $50 across all of the PlayStation 5 library here. The PlayStation 5 is the latest price of consumer tech to be impacted by the global economic issues. Sony previously increased the price of PlayStation 5 in select regions in August 2022, with both the digital and Standard Edition getting hikes in the uk, Europe, Australia, Japan, China, Mexico and Canada, but not the United states. Then in 2025, it again raised the prices in multiple regions. Earlier this month, Nintendo raised the price of its original Nintendo Switch hardware with the standard units increasing in by $40, the OLED model by $50 and the Switch Lite by $30. Roger, you are seeing PlayStation now join with everyone raising the price of their consoles $50 across all PlayStation fives. What are you thinking about that this.

[A]

Is an inevitable moment. I mean, I remember when Xbox raised their pricing. I looked at Greg, I looked everybody here and I said when is, what are we with a week from now? PlayStation is going to do it, right? Like we were waiting for the moment, especially since they did raise the prices throughout a lot of the rest of the world. So we were waiting for the moment in America and they were holding on for dear life to not do this. And clearly this is the moment. With all these tariffs continuing and expanding and not going away, there was a lot of hope that maybe that would go away. Of course not. Of course they're continuing. Of course they're going to continue to grow. It's just, it's a sad situation. And we're going to talk about through the rest of this episode, we have a lot of on uneasiness when it comes to pricing and when we talk about the Xbox. Raj Ally. But it's so interesting going back. This is a, this is not the most scientific of reports, but I like looking. We're five years into the life cycle of the PS5 right now. Right. And the console has now went up $50 instead of going down in pricing, which we usually see. This is 2018 for the PS4. This is a Black Friday bundle. But still the PS4 for a 1 TB Spider man bundle was $200. From the $400 release day price of the PS4. That was about five years into the life cycle of the PS4. You can get a PS4 for 200 bucks and now prices are $550 more expensive than ever to buy a PlayStation 5. That is an insane thought process. This is the time period where you would expect to get the slim. You would expect these consoles to be $300.

[B]

Oh yes.

[A]

But now we are higher than we've ever been. So it's really, really upsetting to see. And it's just always now we're in the place now where, yeah, the smell of the recession is in the air. And I don't. And specifically when it comes to gaming and the rise of consoles and the amount of people buying consoles and playing video games, you're not going to see the PS5 continue to grow at an exponential rate. We're just going to have these moments where people are going to hold onto their consoles and maybe not look towards a PS6. I'm so interested to see what a PS6 looks like in what few years now.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Like we're close to a PS6 now and is that launching at a 700? Right. Like it's just, it's wild times and I don't even know where to look at this and where to start. Mike, where do you think?

[B]

Yeah, the big one that you bring up, of course, the price, just looking at it, PlayStation 5 Pro 750. The base price of a PlayStation 5, $550. And it's interesting when you think about the future, Roger. Right. Because we are in the heart of this console generation. We are looking kind of more at the back half than the start of it. And you talk about announcing hardware and what's next. Well, we have another company here on the next follow up story that is announcing hardware and they're kind of holding back on the price because there is going to be this moment of that sticker shock, that moment of you've announced something that of course I wanted. Something that I know I'll probably have to move on to eventually. And what is this price tag going to be? If this is what the price tag of a PlayStation 5, a Nintendo Switch 1 is right now, it gets scary and yeah, I think it's going to lead to more people in this next generation holding on to the PlayStation 5, the Xbox ones. There may be Nintendo switches right now a little bit longer than they normally would.

[A]

And it's an interesting dilemma here, right. Because I say that I don't, I don't think that the. I mean clearly the PS5 is selling a fuck done, right. It's selling a lot of units. I am interested to see how much it continues to sell now that it is went up in pricing. Right. And I am. So I look at the. Every time I go to the supermarket now I am shocked. I have to go to Costco to get my eggs. It's not like for real because I go to any supermarket around me and eggs are still $7.50 like it is. It is insanity that we have got to the point where oh well, you know, eggs are not, you know, exp. Everything that was surrounding that, that's gone now. We can drop down the prices. No, they just stay there now we're at the place now where things inflate and they stay there. And I am so interested to see specifically when it comes to the PlayStation 5 of. We are, I don't think we are going to see until maybe the PS6, the PS5 ever go down. It is, it is going to be 550. You're going to see the PS5 Pro be 750 right up until the PS6 comes out. And then maybe a few years into the PS6 lifestyle, lifestyle cycle. Then we're finally going to have a drop down. But this is the new normal. This is what the companies are going to look towards and they're going to weigh the math of how many people are actually buying these consoles. Post the price hike and they're like, well, we don't have to drop it. Maybe, maybe we did. Maybe we didn't even need to ever do the thing where we make a slim cut version of these consoles and drop down the prices to about half. Maybe we can just keep them at the MSRP of the launch and just keep that going forever. And that's a really sad and scary time because I know how many of my friends back in the day would get these consoles in the midway of the cycles, right? How many PS2 Slims I would see around and I had the PS2 Fat. I was very lucky, I was very lucky to have like a launch PS2. But when they became way cheaper and way smaller and way more abundant, that's when people jumped onto it. That's when the more casual gamers and the families that couldn't afford it originally would jump on. And now it's just, that's just not happening. We're not seeing that. That's why we're going to see the rise of Fortnite and PS4 is continuing to be supported. Yeah, man, it's scary.

[B]

Console prices going up. We've seen game or games going up as well. You guys, you and Blitzing had a great conversation about Sean Layden and his comments about games prices and those increases. It's just happening all around us. And let's talk about a team who's now announcing the a piece of hardware but not announcing the price to story number two. Xbox Raj Ally line coming in October with handheld compatibility program. This coming from Jordan Midler again at vgc. The handheld which is announced, which was announced during the Xbox Game showcase at Summer Game Fest, is a collaboration between Asus and Microsoft. The Xbox Raj Ally will feature Xbox branding and a bespoke operating system. Adding to the Is it Rog, right? We're saying Rog, not Roger.

[A]

Yeah, we can call it Rog. I think we just call it Rajdah because of me, which I think is cute.

[B]

Adding to the ROG successful gaming handheld you we just established both handouts will be released on October 16th. Detail about pricing and pre orders coming soon, according to Microsoft. Alongside the announcement, Microsoft has revealed the handheld compatibility program, which it calls, quote, a new Xbox initiative designed to make more games ready to play on your supported handheld or on your supported handheld. We have worked with game studios to test, optimize and verify thousands of games for handheld compatibility, allowing you to jump into the game without having to tweak settings or requiring only minor adjustments. End quotes this appears to be Microsoft's version of the Steam Deck verified tag, which developers and publishers have used as a selling point for Steam Deck titles for years. At launch, there will be two tags. Handheld optimized and mostly compatible.

[A]

Huh, Mike? Not. Not like, hey, this is not compatible. So they have Handheld optimized, mostly compatible. I'm just so interested to see if there is one that just is not supported. You would think so, right?

[B]

Maybe they just don't even show you that.

[A]

Yeah, maybe they're just like on Steam.

[B]

There's three.

[A]

Yes, Steam lets you know like, hey, this is not supported. Even though that lies too. But whatever.

[B]

Microsoft's description for each tags are handheld optimized. This indicates games that are ready to go with default controller inputs and an intuitive text input method, accurate iconology, clear text legibility and appropriate resolution for full screen mode so you can spend less time adjusting settings and more time defeating the next big boss. Mostly compatible. This indicates games that may require minor in game setting changes for an optimal experience on handheld. So roger this first part because we're going to split these into two sections right now. We now have more details and a date for the line of Xbox ROG allies coming out on October 6th. No price mentioned yet. We'll get to that. Next, let's talk about the dates and let's talk about these two. The new Xbox initiative for handhelds.

[A]

Well, October 16th is very soon to not have a date. I mean, sorry, I have a price that's. That's kind of wild. But that's. That's where I want. I am very excited for this piece of hardware. Like genuinely, I want to at least hold it and feel it. Because here's the issue, Mike. I'm feeling the Steam Deck. It's getting old. I don't want to play with you anymore. I want to drop you in the trash and I want it to waste. It's e waste. It's happening. I also have a base Steam deck, so I don't have the OLED version of it. So I'm looking at that screen. It's way too heavy. I'm like, I'm not liking you anymore. You're just a little too chunky. Games are not running as well as I want them to. I want that. I want specifically I want a Windows handheld. And what Xbox is doing here, in my opinion, I think is. Is the future of gaming. I want to be able to have not a dual boot situation, but I want to be able to play my Xbox games through Windows and also have that layer of compatibility that takes away a lot of the junk that Windows has that basically creates performance issues when it it comes to handhelds. That is the most interesting part of the ROG ally in my opinion. Them having the two like verification handheld optimized and the mostly compatible stuff. That's cool. I'm interested to see. I would love to talk to a developer of like what does that look like on the back end specifically now when it comes to this. Right. Because I know with Steam I'm pretty sure Steam just does that all themselves. Is that Microsoft now doing that all themselves? That's really cool. It's a nice initiative that they're doing if that is So I wonder how much work they extra work that is on top of you know, having to focus on Steam deck and not having to work focus on Xbox OS and then now all these consoles for all these developers. Like that's a lot of work for developers to kind of focus in on and make sure that these, these games are now working on all of the platforms. But it is nice that they have it and I don't think it's too confusing. I saw some people in the chat saying that, I mean this is what Steam does already, right? Like Steam literally has.

[B]

Steam says yeah, literally ready to rock and roll or there's a little, there's a problem here because you're trying to play Age of Empires on a Steam deck and this is a mouse point and click type game and that's not really what the Steam deck is.

[A]

Yeah, I'm very excited for this, for this just because yeah, I have a lot of games on Xbox. I have Game Pass. I like the ecosystem of Xbox. Like that's the preferred ecosystem that I have honestly. So being able to just connect it all and you know, carry this thing around, I just don't want it to be too heavy. That's my kind of big main thing. I don't want this thing to be too heavy and I don't want it to go away in the future whenever you know, Xbox does their next generation handheld. I don't want them to forget about this thing because I'm sure they will one day. Mike, what do you think about this?

[B]

Yeah, October 16th, right around the corner. Very exciting. We kind of knew, we already knew it was coming out this year. It's just nice to now have a date in front of it. Especially right before the holiday season. Right. You get out in October, then we get into November and December. We can kind of hit that big holiday push, try to make market this, try to get it out in front of people. I'm excited because yeah, the sooner the better. Roger, I'm as the die hard Xbox guy here, I've always dreamt of having an Xbox handheld. I have tried the Steam Deck. I haven't fallen in love with that. I just haven't fallen in love with much gaming on the go or just handheld gaming for a long time. So I'm hoping that maybe this will change my ways. Maybe this will get me excited or this is something that I use once again like a Steam deck where I use it twice and I go, this isn't for me. And I really finally have that realization within me of like I'm just not an on the go gamer. I am at the house, on the couch or in front of the PC.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But on top of that, Jason Ronald and his team have done an incredible job already with the hardware, devices, how they've implemented into mobile and cloud gaming. Right. Like you bring up, hey, how does this look on a developer side? Or is Xbox and Microsoft kind of taking the front of that? Of like, hey, we're going to help you, we're going to get you into this handheld compatibility program and figure it out for you. They've done a really good job on the mobile side. If you've ever booted up xCloud on your mobile device, adding in touch screen controls, being able to adjust where those controls are, and really trying to help the developer get these games over there as fast as possible so you can play them. We've seen that with backwards compatibility, we've seen that with FPS Boost as well. It's a lot of the Xbox team trying to help developers or just doing it themselves and saying, hey, it's this easy, we can flip a switch in your game all of a sudden, is that much better? Yeah, I think it's going to be a nice blend here and it is something that you have to. I think I was kind of sold at the beginning, Roger, of this, of like, well, if it's a mini PC in my hands and it's just running PC game pass, why is there question marks here? When I first heard this, I'm like, everything should run then, right? And of course, no, that's not really how it goes. There are different things that have to be accounted for. Smaller screen, not having a mouse and keyboard in front of you. So it is just full controller support. So how do you do that? How do you make sure that I as the consumer can quickly identify that, jump right in and play immediately without having any issues?

[A]

The Rog Ally or Raj Ally, as some people are calling it. Cool people. It doesn't have touch pads on it, right?

[B]

I have not. No, there's no touch pads on this, actually. I just like the Steam Deck.

[A]

I know.

[B]

Has that weird little touchpad thing. I haven't seen a touch that's on this.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Why you like the touchpad?

[A]

I think it's important to have a touchpad. Like the amount of times that it has saved my ass when I'm like, I need to be able to, like, do something in a menu that is not made for it and I actually just need to use it. Like having to touch the screen. Yeah, that's. That's tough, actually.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

That's very interesting. I'm also somebody who has really enjoyed when we talk about gaming on the go and mobile gaming with xCloud. I've enjoyed having my controller with more of a phone clip because I still enjoy having the controller in my hand. Yeah, I haven't had many Steam Deck uses or the, of course, the Asus Roger before. What's it called? No, the original product that you already. You've had or Greg's had.

[A]

Greg has it.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. What's it called?

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

Okay. We don't know the name.

[A]

Is it a Rog Raj?

[B]

But it's not an ally, right? Or is it an ally?

[A]

I don't know. This is the Rajali over here.

[B]

Either way, I just.

[A]

No touch.

[B]

I kind of like having the controller in my hands. So it'll be interesting to see what Jason, Ronald and the team do when it talks about, like, controller support and all that. Bluetooth, head, headphone devices. What does that look like? I mean, that team's already working hard on that to make sure on October 16th, we're ready to rock and roll. But yeah, everything seems good right now. But Roger, there is a catch to all of this.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Tell me you have a date. You now know that the team is working on two compatible modes so you can quickly and easily identify your games. But what's up with the price, Roger? Oh, story 2B. Microsoft still can't say how much the Rog Xbox Ally X will cost do to macroeconomic conditions despite announcing release date and availability details. This coming from Tom Phillips at ign. Speaking to IGN today at Gamescom, Microsoft and Asus said the companies still need, quote, more time to figure out the macroeconomic impact to pricing, end quote. The statement comes amid a backdrop of frequently shifting market conditions fueled by ever changing US tariffs. The decision to confirm the widely expected October 16 Raj ally Xbox Xbox Ally X release date but simultaneously holding back on the sharing shared price details comes as a major surprise following multiple reports by the reliable retail site DIA Labs.

[A]

DIA Labs D Labs okay DEA Labs.

[B]

Okay Drug Enforcement Agency Labs that appeared to pin down the dollar and euro price points for both the Raj Ally X and the lower priced twin Raj Xbox Ally. These reports correctly stated the handhelds now confirmed Xbox October 16th release date, adding to their legitimacy while also stating that pre orders would open today August 20th once launch details were public. Obviously with final pricing now left up in the air, pre orders have been left to go live another day. Quote this is always a challenge, Jason Ronald, Microsoft's Vice president of Xbox gaming devices and ecosystem told me replying to a question from IGN in a roundtable interview. And you always try to find the right balance between affordability and price point and I think especially in a mobile form factor that also adds a dimension such as battery life in as well. And then as you said the, the macroeconomic climate is challenging. I think we will have to. We need more time to figure the microeconomic. The macroeconomic impact to pricing and that's why we'll be sharing more later in September and October, end quote.

[A]

By the way, September and October we'll figure it out.

[B]

Yeah, it's a moving target but October.

[A]

Is when they're releasing the second week.

[B]

Now Dealer Labs previously stated that the Rog Xbox Ally x would cost €899 while the lower price Rog Xbox ally would cost €599. Today a fresh update from Dealer Labs and Best Buy stated that the handheld handheld's U S prices would be $899 and 550 or $549 respectively. Time will tell if these prices end up shifting before Microsoft announces them itself. So Roger, we got a lot going on here.

[A]

So the pricing and I added the and Best buy part because Wario 64 is also reporting that the back end of Best Buy is saying these numbers. So these numbers are connected and is coming from somewhere. The fact that DL Labs and also Best Buy have these exact numbers in their back end, I don't know if that is just the tentative price that they're working at and then it might go higher. But I don't think there's any fucking way that these prices go lower. I don't think that that Xbox is in the way they talk about the macroeconomics of it all. I don't think they're saying oh we're going to try to make it lower guys, don't worry. I think they're like oh no, we might have to brace to make it higher because of tariffs and everything that's going on right now. So this is probably the lowest you're going to get it. I mean egg on my face. If they actually make this $500, I feel like that would be the perfect number where you want to be at. You want to be at the $500 for the base one but like $900 for like the X version of that. Oof, that's tough. That's a tough number right there.

[B]

It's all, it's a lot to swallow already. Roger. But we have seen the prices with the Steam Deck already, right? We've kind of had this handheld market building already and you can kind of point to like well this is how much that is. This is how much that higher end one is. So you kind of start like reducing the stress of like oh wow, the sticker shock is really throwing me off here. We're kind of getting in the ballpark of like okay, well this is kind of how these prices go. And we really got to look at ourselves and say this probably isn't your main console. This is an accessory to your main console that you're going to enjoy more gaming time with. So you have to look at and go do we really. Do I need this? Is this something I have to be here for day one on? It is wild that we are still trying to figure out prices while now announcing an October 16th release date. But then on the same time we're getting back end pricing of nine hundred and five hundred and fifty dollars.

[A]

Yeah man, it's, it's, it's, it's a messy rollout. I think it's sort of even from the beginning with the summer game fest, them showing the Hollow Knight thing and then being like what's going on here? Like it looks cool but like it's. The messaging is not there. This is, this is to me, I don't. This is going to be a cool console for like the hardcore of the hardcore, like for us like to have. But like this is not breaking out. This is not going to be a Steam Deck moment. This is not going to be a moment where you know, I have people that play a few games every few years and they're like maybe I get a Steam deck. Like I have those people in my friend groups that, that spoke to them. So they got a Steam deck and it was in ecosystem that they cared about. But one Xbox's ecosystem is kind of splintered, right? I'm not going to say it's mega small, but it is smaller. And when you. In the grand scheme of things, when you talk about Steam, of all places, right? And then you look at the price tag of $900, 550 respectively, you know, the asterisk right there, it might actually be these numbers, but that's probably what we're looking at. And also on top of that, this is not technically a fully Xbox thing. Like, it is an Xbox thing, but it's a. It's an. It's an Asus thing that is running Windows, that it does not run your Xbox proper game. So it's a PC ver. You know what I mean? It just starts. You just start splintering the audience. Splintering the audience. Where it's. It's gonna be cool for nerds like us, but I don't see this, especially at this price tag, blowing up the mainstream. And I hope. I hope, honestly, in the grand scheme of things, that this does do well. Just because I want Xbox to get another crack at this. I want them to continue to try to make the actual ultimate Xbox, you know, handheld. But I'm also fearful that in this market conditions and the way that we do things now where something doesn't do as well as we think it's going to do, or it bombs or whatever it is, and we just drop things like hot potatoes. We just drop things like hot potatoes, we move on to the next thing and we freak out. And I. Specifically with where Microsoft is right now, I. There's a world where this doesn't do well, like to a point where they look at each other and they say, we're not doing a handheld ever again. And that's scary to me because I want. Because, like, that's the future of Microsoft for me is I want that handheld. I want them to be able to connect everything and do that. Like that. That pipe dream of, oh, we have Xbox and we have Windows and it's all in one thing, and it's a handheld. Like, that, to me is like the future of Xbox. And if this doesn't do well, to the point where they're like, we can't even do that ever again. Like, I don't know if that's realistic, but that's like. That's my biggest fear.

[B]

I guess that is a fear. And it is also fear today as we look at pricing from all over the board and we see PlayStation announcing their price increases, but a PlayStation 5 Pro is $750. And now an Xbox Handheld, which I know it's not apples to apples, oranges, oranges. But like we are talking about pricing today. We can now look at and be like, well, we can buy this Xbox accessory for possibly $900, right? Go on and get a PlayStation 5 Pro for cheaper. Which is a wild sentiment.

[A]

It's a wild sentiment.

[B]

So we're just. Yeah, this is a tough one, Roger. We're in a changing, shifting world and pricing is getting harder and harder for these companies to figure out because they want the consumers to jump in. They also of course want to raise the bottom line. They want to make money for themselves and their shareholders. They want the consumers hopefully to be happy. Right. They want us to buy it and buy in and go, yes, I need that. I want this. And it's continuing to get harder and harder from both ends, from consumers and companies to find the happy medium in what is just a wild world out here.

[A]

I want to shout out Natty in the chat saying, oh, Natty before was saying, don't be scared, Roger. They said that multiple times. And I appreciate that.

[B]

Don't be scared.

[A]

I can't be scared. But you know, I'm just scared. I want.

[B]

It's a multi trillion dollar company. They're going to try again if they fail.

[A]

Oh yeah, you think so? You think so?

[B]

They'll try again. They'll try to get into your wallet again. That's what they.

[A]

I mean, they'll try to get my wallet. I just, I just want, I love my Steam deck, but fuck man, I want, I want competitors in this space that are reasonably priced. And this is, this is looking more and more for the out there, you know, hobbyist adult gamers that I want to be able to get within that 4 to $500 range and it's just not feasible it seems like.

[B]

Of course. And we'll find out more hopefully in September and October. This seems like they'll sell more and find it but October 16th you can keep an eye out for the Xbox Rog Ally and Ally X keep an eye out for that and hopefully pricing and pre orders very, very soon. But Roger, I have more stories to get through but let's take a quick moment and pause for a word from our sponsors.

[A]

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[C]

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[B]

Welcome back everyone. It's Mike and Roger to kick off your Kind of Funny Games Daily Part 2, second half of the show. We have some breaking news jumping into this one, Roger, and it's going to kind of mesh into the story we are already going to talk about. We were going to talk about BioShock Cloud Chamber, the studio behind it, and them appointing Rod Ferguson into the team. But now we have breaking news coming from Jason Schreier. On top of that, take two guts BioShock Studio after a decade of development. This coming from the STRI guy Jason Schreier at Bloomberg Take two Interactive Software laid off about a third of its staff at Cloud Chamber, the studio behind the next BioShock game, according to people people familiar with the move. Cloud Chamber, which has offices in California and Montreal, cut more than 80 jobs Tuesday as part of a reorganization, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak publicly. The studio had about 250 employees before the cut.

[A]

Yeah, Jason Schreier's entire reporting I'm sure we're going to talk about tomorrow because it has a lot of stuff. There are a lot of good, interesting details right there, specifically about the game's development, why it was having issues, maybe some other studios that were working on it as well. He goes in depth. We'll talk more about that later, but that's kind of the adds on to the next part of the story that we will talk about as well.

[B]

Yeah, and let's keep that story going. Now we're going to switch gears over to Rebecca Valentine at ignition, who reports BioShock Studio Cloud Chamber undergoes layoffs and appoints Rod Ferguson new BioShock head 2K games is laying off an unknown number of individuals at BioShock Studio Cloud Chamber as it undergoes efforts to rework its upcoming new BioShock game. It's also installing former Gears of Warhead and Diablo franchise lead Rod Ferguson as head of BioShock and Cloud Chamber at 2K. Ferguson departed Blizzard earlier this month with no word on why he left or who would replace him. This was gleaned from an email sent by 2K President David Ismailer to staff and subsequently shared with IGN. And it reads in part, quote, work on the next BioShock game has been underway for several years. While we're excited about the fund foundational gameplay elements of the project, we've made the decision with the studio leadership to rework certain aspects that are core to a BioShock game and in doing so are reducing the size of development of the development team to focus on this work and give the game more time in development, end quote. Employees impacted are being informed today. 2K did not share how many are impacted. So back to the top with Jason Schreier. It does look like we have 80 employees being laid off from Cloud Chamber. We have now Rod Ferguson being implemented as the head of Cloud chamber and the BioShock game. Roger Lot going on here. We talked about it last week when I believe Jason Schreier talked about the troubling development of BioShock and really the story having a problem right there and them trying to rework that. We talked what could happen now Rod Ferguson leaves Diablo. He's now implemented into this or inputted into this. How do we feel about what's going on?

[A]

I mean, our hearts go out to everybody that lost their jobs. I mean, that's a, that's a staggering amount of people in an already hard video game landscape when it comes to the economy and everybody that's hiring. So our hearts go out to them because this sucks and this is, this is terrible. But when it comes to Rod Ferguson coming in to kind of save the game, I mean, he's, I guess he's done it a few times now. He's come into two franchises that were hurting and were having issues. And he's the guy in the industry to come, come through and kind of make this all happen and make, and kind of focus a development and hopefully get to a place where a game can be released. So I'm interested to see. It's interesting because I see people in the chat being like, oh, well, were these layoffs because of Rod Ferguson's paycheck? I don't think that's what's happening here. I mean, if I'm. I don't know the back end of this all, but I don't think they're laying them off because they had to afford Rod Ferguson over here. It seems like this is a troubled development that has ballooned in scale and then now they have to cut back on everything and restart development in a, in a, in a roundabout way here. It's, it's this. This seems like a desperate Hail Mary of we need somebody in there that's been in this franchise before. For sure. We can't get. We can't get the other person that was doing it because he's making another. He's making Judas, which is basically a BioShock light that's also for 2K. So we need the other person. Okay, Rod, come in here. Fix this. Let's. Hopefully this makes this happen. Feels kind of desperate. I'm hoping for the best because I want BioShock 4. I want this game to be good. I want this to actually deliver. But it's this. This is definitely a Hail Mary.

[B]

Yeah. There's a lot going on in this story here, Roger, and there's a lot to break down, so I'll try to take it slow and hit some points with you. But, of course, taking away 80 employees out of the 250 that you had is a huge cut, a massive low, and really, of course, unfortunate in the industry as we continue to see layoffs, as you said, our hearts go out to everyone affected. And this sucks, especially with a company like 2K. Roger, we continue to look up at these companies and say, when is enough, enough with the shareholders, the price, trying to gain more, trying to make more money and continue to elevate that stock price. It's like, man, when are human lives accounted for this? It's never enough. Especially with GTA looming. You have NBA 2K. That makes them plenty of money as well. It's like, it's never enough. So that really, really sucks. Now you bring in Rod, which. That has to be a wild conversation.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Hey, Rod. Bioshock's not looking good. We're also probably going to lay off 80 employees here. So we're going to give you. Call it a smaller team. Figure it out. Figure it out. And so they must really trust this guy. Of course, Rod, as you brought up before, is very talented. He's done this before. He has a track record of coming in and helping teams and really getting them to the finish line. It seems like this is what needs to happen now. It will be an interesting one of Jason Schreier bringing up almost a decade of work on this game. And then you read the 2K president with his email that says, hey, we're excited about the foundational gameplay elements of the project. We've made the decision with studio leadership to rework certain aspects of the core to the BioShock game. It's like, okay, well, what is that right? If we got a good foundation what is that that we're looking for? Is it the story elements here? Is something just not clicking to make this great? We talk about BioShock, does it still have the sway in 2025 like it did 10, 15 years ago? It's a different marketplace now and it's. We're seeing a lot of games that are trying to come back in this single play, single player space. Very. Having sometimes troubled times to really find that audience. And so yeah, Rod, now in a smaller group, is this mean we go back to the drawing board and it's going to be another five years on this game?

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Is the now 250 minus 80 people gonna be enough to get us to the finish line within the next two to three years or where does this really lead us to? So, yeah, BioShock right now is one of those where you put that on the shelf and we might not think about this for a while until it's reintroduced to the world.

[A]

Yeah. It's funny to think that we in pretty much every single predictions episode for the last few years, we're like, BioShock, BioShock. Where's BioShock? And now we're like, no, this is gonna, we have to wait another five, six years for this one. Yeah. I don't think to me the marketing speak of them trying to be like, well, we have a good foundation and also we're cutting a bunch of people and also we're bringing in Rod speaks to me like we're reworking a huge amount of this game. Like this is that we're not going to be. The foundation is not as strong as we think it is. I, to me, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a full reboot of the entire game. We're just starting from scratch and maybe we're using some assets, but like we're, we're starting from scratch. We're going to, we're going to restart this entire game. This does not seem to me like you don't, you know, gut the team and then also change leadership this deep into development if everything's going well and bringing in a new voice from an outside studio that hasn't made a BioShock in years. Like this is, this is going to be a full fresh start. I'm. I mean, man, it's scary to think because this is where the industry goes now is that when you see things like this, you just have to look around and be like, fuck, are we actually ever getting this game? And that's, that's the thing where I'm looking at. I don't even think about, like, where the market stands with BioShock. I'm like, we're not. I don't think we're getting this game. Like, that's my biggest, that's my biggest thought here, is I don't think we're getting this game.

[B]

Well, you bring in a big name to take over that studio, so it's hard to be like, oh, we're gonna cut that game after you just hired Rod Ferguson and like, now he's taking over a whole studio in the head of BioShock.

[A]

So, like crazy things have happened though.

[B]

Exactly. It's hard to be like, well, they're gonna cut that game. But you are right, Roger.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Like in recent months, we've seen perfect dark in the initiative, completely cut right out right away of like, well, that wasn't working. That's done. And 2K, I mean, they've been working on it for almost a decade. That's a long time to work and not have things go the right way and then finally say, well, we gotta hit the reset button. So this is gonna be one we'll keep an eye on for a long time. Of course, our hearts go out to everyone affected by those layoffs. That absolutely sucks. And I'm sure we're going to be getting more Jason Schreier reporting throughout the day and into tomorrow. So if you are interested in this BioShock story with Cloud Chamber Entertainment, I'm sure you will get a lot more from us here at Kind of Funny Games Daily as more come out.

[A]

I want another Bioshock man more than anything. I love BioShock.

[B]

Well, Roger, this is a hard one to switch over to because now we have to celebrate and get excited for a small team coming out with a big game because it's finally time. Hollow Knight Silksong gets a special presentation tomorrow. This coming from Team Cherry themselves, the tweet reads. The countdown is on. Join us in 48 hours for a special announcement about Hollow Knight Silksong, premiering here with their YouTube link over to their channel. So you have the big story. Jason Schreier also blue skies and says. Here we go. Silksong will have a special announcement on Thursday at 10:30am Eastern. And coming from me on Thursday, the story behind why Silksong took seven years to make. Stay tuned. Jason Schreier.

[A]

Jason, he's working.

[B]

He's got everything.

[A]

I hope, I hope it's a not a sad, scary story. Like, like when I see that, I'm like, oh, no. Hopefully Something crazy. Like, hopefully it's just like, oh, man. Like, where we had to restart the game. We had issues with that. Hope it's not like, ah, like, there was so much turmoil and I mean, I'm interested to see. That's a good tease right there. Shout out, Jason.

[B]

Very good.

[A]

Very good tease. I. What is your thoughts on this? I. They were talking about it yesterday. Shadow Drop. I think. I think I'm at the place now where this game's coming out tomorrow.

[B]

Yeah, Roger, I'm tough because I'm not the Hollow Knight guy. I did not play the first one.

[A]

I got slapped playing it.

[B]

Yeah, you got slapped playing it because everyone was mad at you. So, like, I'm not like, Snowbike Mike is not going, oh, I'm over the moon for this. I'm more excited, like, wow, this team Cherry was able to get to the finish line after so long. And how the hype level for this game is through the roof with everyone around me. It's exciting to be like, we're here now. How awesome is that? And yeah, when you bring up Jason's blue sky post of like, I got a story about this, it's like, well, that's very exciting because hopefully it's positive.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Hopefully. They're like, hey, man, we. We had a killer game in Hollow Knight. We made so much money that we're able to take care of our employees as small teams.

[A]

Take time.

[B]

Take as much time as we wanted to. We reiterated, we worked on things, we scrapped things, and we never felt the pressure of, like, we got to get there. That's.

[A]

I'm sure they never felt the pressure of this game. I had the moment where I was talking to Lianza and I had to explain to her what half, like, the meme of Half Life 3 was.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And the only way that I could explain it to her that she understood was Silksong, because that's what it's become now. Silksong is the new Half Life three. And that's crazy. That's so much pressure for the small team to have to deal with that. They're now the meme in every single fucking presentation. Silksong, Silk Song. Silk Song. That's nuts. That's a lot of pressure.

[B]

And so you hope it's. You hope it's nothing but sunshine and gumdrops, but it's probably a lot more hard work and dedication and blood, sweat and tears that have gone into this. So it sounds like you will not only get to celebrate what will be the announcement of this game Hopefully. I mean, you would have to assume a release date for this. Maybe it is a shadow drop. Maybe it's released later. I mean, they said by the time the.

[A]

What is your prediction, Raj?

[B]

Ally comes out October 16th.

[A]

You think it's the same day?

[B]

October 16th.

[A]

That's nuts. No, they would never. You think this Xbox gave them a bag and said same day?

[B]

What if.

[A]

I mean, like, what's the point, though? What's the point of them getting that bag of like, hey, come out. It comes out on every single other platform, probably. Unless it's exclusive. That'd be crazy. But it doesn't make sense.

[B]

I mean, the marketing, since they've announced Xbox or Silksong on Game Pass and with the. The Rog Ally has been why we talk about that handheld so much. So, yeah, we'll see tomorrow. Tune in and have some fun with that. Roger, are you excited because you've played the game now?

[A]

Oh, I'm so excited.

[B]

You're pumped up.

[A]

I'm so excited. And like, yeah, I got the. I got the little heart. Heart excitement. I felt it and I felt it Russian. I felt my heart felt my blood rushing when they were talking about a shadow drop. And I was like, I don't want to get too excited, but I also feel like it's happening. And if I. That game comes out now. Talk about the gamer funk. Oh, it's gone. I'm locked in, bro. Oh, my God. So it's on the Switch too? Oh, every day. Every day. Every day I play this game. I'm so excited.

[B]

What time tomorrow? 10:30am Eastern Standard Time for all of you out there. So keep an eye out for it. Of course, go to their YouTube channel to watch and have some fun. Let's go to our final news story of the day. Starfield is coming to Switch to next year. It's claimed this coming from Chris Scullion at VGC. A port of Starfield reportedly be released on Switch 2 next year. That's according to industry insider Nate the Hate, who was who has a track record of breaking stories about unreleased games. Quote Indiana Jones and the Great Circle won't be the only Bethesda game coming to Nintendo Switch in 2026. Skyrim again quote he posted on X. See that planet? You can go there. Aside from landing on a PS5, Starfield is planned for release on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. Starfield has yet to be officially confirmed for PlayStation, but numerous reports, including one earlier this month, suggests Bethesda's Sci Fi RPG is being readied For Sony console.

[A]

I'm very excited. I'm excited for. He says the thing of see that planet, you can go there, right? That's the rumor that they're opening up the world where it's going to be like no man's sky where you can just go from planet to planet without having to wait or you just, you go on the ship and then you go there. Ok, I remember seeing that rumor. So it seems like that's what they're talking about. That's a very, that's a very exciting idea. And that on the Switch to like there's a chance that runs better, that runs better on my Switch 2 than it does on my Series S. And that's. That actually might be true. That's kind of crazy.

[B]

Switch to PlayStation 5. Both exciting stuff. Of course we've seen Xbox open it up and start going more multi plat. Giving games over to other, you know, ecosystems and seeing that really benefit them as well. We've seen a lot of Xbox games go over to PlayStation these past couple of months and be some of the top selling games over there. And yes, Starfield coming from Bethesda, beloved RPG maker, everybody wants that. Now coming over to PlayStation and Switch 2, which hopefully will continue to gain a larger and larger install base. And definitely the Switch 2 which has been like the big selling point is, hey, we have better tech now so third parties can really come and get involved. This is what you want to see. And we know Xbox wants to play ball with everybody. So yeah, the idea that Starfield could possibly be on Switch to sign it. Let's get it over there right away.

[A]

I think that next year is going to be the year of Xbox going over to Switch and I, I thought this was going to be the year with Call of Duty. Seems like it's not going to be. I could see next year being the moment where that next Call of Duty is the one that launches on Switch 2. So that's very exciting. But we need to update those Joy Cons and actually have analog triggers because what are we doing? I will keep on talking.

[B]

You don't like the mouse click?

[A]

I don't like this bullshit baby clicks. I want to, I want to pull down. I want to pull down on it.

[B]

Wow. Okay. Well, Roger, if the Call of Duty was ever to come to my Nintendo Switch, that would be big news. But what if I didn't want some big news? What if I need smaller news? Where would I go?

[A]

You know our last story, the Wii News channel where we cover all the small news Items you need to know about.

[B]

Roger, let me take you to the Wii News Network.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Six new heroes are coming to Deadlock. Along with new various updates.

[A]

You say this.

[B]

This also is a special super chat coming in from average John who says deadlock, update, update. Guys, play it. We stack one lane.

[A]

We've ruined Roger's life. I was looking at this. Andy was showing it. Did you boot it up yet?

[B]

I have not turned this on.

[A]

He showed it to me. Wow. This game looks different. They added. They added some textures. The game looks like a real game. The menus are awesome. It's. It's coming along 1.0 soon maybe.

[B]

Just remember, I think this is my game of the year last year. And it was still just an early access, not even an announced game. Remember, we weren't even allowed to talk about it. Yeah, people were playing it, so they were talking about it. What a time.

[A]

What a fun time. Also what great marketing too, because you knew they knew what they were doing. They knew it. They knew everyone was going to be talking about it.

[B]

Oh, you can't keep secret. We want to talk about it. Roger. Let's get real. Six new heroes coming to Deadlock. This game rocks. If you ever wanted to get into a MOBA, but you were afraid to play League of Legends or Dota, maybe you never jumped into Smite, which is actually a really good game. Maybe you never played Heroes of the Storm, one of my favorites. Maybe you never played Pokemon Unite. Deadlock is a great way to jump in. Of course, this now will have a new audience that is still learning. You won't absolutely get dominated every single game. It is a fun third person over the shoulder shooter mixed with the moba. So it's very, very cool.

[A]

It's fun.

[B]

It's a fun game. I really, really like this game. So really I'm excited to check out the updates. I'll write that down of like, oh, snap. I should get on that.

[A]

Yeah, let's do a stream.

[B]

You know what else I should get on the Splinter Cell anime series? A teaser is coming from Ubisoft on Twitter.

[A]

They put up a poster right here. It's called Splitter Cell Death Watch. We've known this for a while. The voice actor is Liev Schreiber Shriver. Ray Donovan. Ray Donovan is a voice actor for this. It's a Netflix series and it is helmed by the John Wick franchise creator. So this is some good, Some good right here. And uh, you know what? If this is the beginning of a new era for Splinter Cell, what If Michael Ironside is. Is stuck in Germany somewhere, and he actually was supposed to be on stage.

[B]

But he got lost. Netflix.

[A]

He's at the Netflix thing and maybe that. You know what I mean? Like, what. What if. What if? Everybody, I'm very excited for this. It's interesting that they're doing an older Sam Fisher. That's a story that we haven't really gotten from the games. So having this be the continuation of the franchise would be. Would be a cool way to go about it. I hope this is like, kind of the end of that older Splinter Cell franchise. Then we can go into the reboot. Like, this is like kind of like the swan song for the. For the nerd fans like me. But, yeah, shout out. I'm gonna be watching and reacting.

[B]

Anything but a game. Movie, everybody.

[A]

Anything but a game. Remember, they're doing a VR game and they canceled that one.

[B]

Via Wario 64. Rogue Prince of Persia launches on Game Pass today. Switch and switch to next year.

[A]

Exciting stuff. I played a little bit of it. I thought it was. It didn't. It's not dead. It's not dead cells. You know what I mean? Like, it's made by other. The team. One of the teams that worked on Dead Cells, or at least the dlc. And I just played them like, yeah, it looks cool, but I've played these games before, and I just want to play dead souls at this point. So. Yeah. Hopefully you guys like it, though.

[B]

Another one via Wario 64. Tropico 7 launches on Xbox, PlayStation 5, Steam, Epic Game Store, and Game Pass in 2026. Oh, have you ever played a Tropico Roger?

[A]

I got it for free through, like, Epic Games once I booted up. I'm like, no, not for me. Okay. Have you.

[B]

Yeah, I tried Tropico 5. Like, I bring up a lot with RTSS. I'm more of a like, kind of like we're getting a war on and Tropico is not that.

[A]

It's more of a city builder.

[B]

And so it's just not my style Juice. Roger, let's jump into some super chats. And you're wrong.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And this one.

[A]

You want me to go through these?

[B]

Yeah, why don't you give me a couple?

[A]

Benny, be good. Says you got this mic talking about hosting. See? Thank you for supporting. And I knew he could do it. He did a great job, everybody watching the chat. Look how good he did.

[B]

Look about seven times. Don't worry about it.

[A]

He did great. He did great. Who is this? It is not showing the Portland Kevin, Is that the thing? Portland. You see the full thing? It's not showing me the name. I'm going to PAX west in Seattle next week. If any KFBFs want to meet up, send me a message and friend request on Discord at the Portland. Kevin. There it is.

[B]

PAX west is next week. Wow.

[A]

That's fire.

[B]

Damn. Shout out.

[A]

Any KFBFs want to hang out? Icy Wiener. Dad to dad. Coach to coach. What is the best drill to do for soccer practice for six year olds?

[B]

I've been waiting for this question. Oh, this is not for Rogers. This is for me. I've seen you play soccer. Okay?

[A]

You broke my fiance's ankle.

[B]

Coach Mike will never live that. That's when that will stick with me. Yeah. Dad to dad. Coach to coach. IC Wiener, this is a great question. How I could help your child become better at the most beautiful game. The game of football is two things, but I'm going to start with one. It's accepting a pass. You have to have proper footwork when the ball is coming at you to know where you want this ball to be. And so there's probably a better term for this, but it's accepting a pass. If I was you and your kid, I would just be kicking balls at them and having them see the ball coming. Be able to stop and determine where that ball is going to go. Am I using my foot to kick this upfield? Am I using it to dead stop where I'm at to allow the defender to come towards me and make a move? It's the first touch. Thank you, Blessing. I'm working on first touches in my household. Right there. Because I want to be able to know where that next move is going to go as I accept this pass. And also I need your child to have proper footwork because if I kick a pass at them and it bounces off their forehead, their chest, their knee, their shin, you best believe Coach Mike is benching their ass. Okay, so first touch is a big one. Second, just footwork. Just like dribbling a basketball. Where I would give Roger, who's interested in shooting hoops, a basketball and say, dribble back and forth through the neighborhood every single day. I want you to be able to touch that ball every single time on both feet, all the time, moving left, right, backwards, forwards. Okay? That's how you get it done. IC winner. Wiener 2.

[A]

Also stretch your ankle.

[B]

Don't stretch. Never stretch.

[A]

Yang says, what do we think the max price is before being doa?

[B]

I don't think that was on the Hand.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I don't know. I mean 550. 550. I so I think they're right around there. It's just I don't think that that's the lower end of it. Pico looking at 10 pico everybody. What about you?

[B]

I already up there right now, Roger.

[A]

I just don't. I think it's pricing has a huge part to play in this but I also just think the marketing of it is just not right for this specific console. Like if the steam deck was 600 bucks I think I don't think would be DOA.

[B]

No, I think the big one is just like this is a small market, it's an accessory. Right. This isn't going to be someone's like main console. It's most likely their second gaming device. And so yeah, I don't think there's a dead on arrival price tag that's going to deter the die hards from getting it. But definitely like over a thousand is hard to look at. Right. Like once we step into like over the thousand that would be too much for sure.

[A]

Ariel Knight the homie super chat says you did great Mike.

[B]

Shout out.

[A]

Shout out.

[B]

Ariel Knight. Yeah go Got out homie.

[A]

Calvin Perez says Sekiro anime is being made by animation studio that is AI focused. I need to look into that. I don't know what that means. You know what I mean? I think people are just putting AI in front of anything but I'm that's concerning Nightlife Super Chats and says IGN reports Elden Ring not great on Switch two. So maybe we're already hitting a wall with tech and the Switch 2. I don't know if we're hitting a wall with the Switch 2. I think it's just a matter of porting and like being able to get used to the hardware and the ways to do it. I mean Cyberpunk looks incredible and runs really well on the Switch too. So I don't think that there's a world where Elden. I think that that also that what's it called that engine maybe not notoriously great when it comes to running on certain things. So yeah maybe it just needs more time in the oven right there. I think that's it. That's it for our Super Chats.

[B]

Thank you. Thank you know your wrongs. Manny Bagel Boy Sanchez. Thank you for the context of talking about Xbox. Ally is mainly an ASUS product with Xbox supporting it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then Banda wrote in about Sekiro and the AI.

[A]

We'll look into that.

[B]

Thank You, Roger, for a great day at Games Daily.

[A]

Yeah, and you did.

[B]

All of you.

[A]

Thanks for hosting.

[B]

Yeah, I won't hold that against you for the rest of the week.

[A]

When are you going to tell them about the pizza thing?

[B]

Roger helped me get scammed this week. Roger actually was the one who got me to get scammed on Instagram. So everybody remember that. Roger. It's Roger's fault I was scammed on Instagram. That's how we'll end today's Kind of Funny Games Daily. But we're twice from done with twice. Two different people got me.

[A]

He's the same person.

[B]

And I'll tell you what, I never used Zel before, but Zel knows. They were like, don't you do this. And I was like, zel, I gotta do it. And they were like, just so you know, if this isn't real, we ain't giving you your money back, Mike. And they definitely were like, they knew. They knew.

[A]

Shout out to Zell had nothing to do with me.

[B]

This is Kind of Funny Games Daily. Each and every weekday, we run you through the nerdy news you need to know about live on YouTube, Twitch, and on podcast services around the globe. If you love what we do, consider supporting us with that Kind of Funny membership. Don't forget that this is a full day of live content. We are not close to being. We have three games, three games cast coming on after this and possibly a VR stream with Mike and Nick. We'll see how late this all goes, but we're gonna have a fun afternoon of content and then on Friday, we're playing Mario Kart or Mario Party.

[A]

Tell all your Twitch. Twitch exclusive. Everybody please show up. This is gonna be a big deal, a big event. Stream. Tell your mama. Holla.

[B]

Thank you for watching Kind of Funny Games Daily.