Kinda Funny Games Daily: The Inaugural KFGD Award Show!

Date: December 20, 2025
Hosts: Greg Miller, Blessing Adeoye Jr.

Overview

This special year-end episode of Kinda Funny Games Daily marks the very first KFGD Award Show, celebrating excellence in video game journalism and the stories that shaped 2025’s industry narrative. Greg Miller and Blessing Adeoye Jr. reflect on the biggest news stories, hand out awards to media outlets and reporters, and discuss hot topics such as Naughty Dog’s crunch culture and the canceled Perfect Dark game. The episode balances humor, candor, and genuine appreciation for the people who keep the world of gaming informed.

Episode Theme & Purpose

Celebrate the unsung heroes of video game news: journalists, outlets, and standout stories.
Recognize the essential reporting that powers Kinda Funny Games Daily.
Reflect on 2025’s industry highlights and controversies.
Engage with the community through super chats and shoutouts.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Show Open: End-of-Year Vibes and Style

(03:16 – 06:41)

Greg and Blessing open with holiday cheer, discussing festive attire and the hectic end-of-year energy at Kinda Funny.
Reflections on the team’s programming schedule, including ongoing competitions and holiday party plans.
- Notable Quote:
  “[My dad] was a man’s man. He’s doing…when Ben asks me to rub his back and my hands are like catching like velcro on his clothes…I got to do something. I have no excuse other than I don’t want to put on hand cream while I type my little paper.” — Greg Miller (04:03)
Lighthearted banter about moisturization and merch.

2. Housekeeping & Community Shoutouts

(07:46 – 09:45)

Thanks to the audience for their engagement, votes, and support throughout the year.
Super Chats and naming a Pokémon “Sal Romano” as an inside joke.
Notable Quote:
“You can just link it and then set a reminder and do it every 30 days because they don’t want you to remember that you could be giving away free money.” — Greg Miller (08:43)

3. (News) Naughty Dog’s Mandatory Crunch Returns

(11:45 – 24:23)

Discussion on Bloomberg’s report detailing Naughty Dog’s return to mandated overtime (“crunch”) for its upcoming title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
- Minimum 8 hours/week overtime, 5 days/week in-office, ends before holidays but stirs controversy.
Hosts debate whether Naughty Dog and PlayStation care about the critical coverage (“This is the cost of doing business…”, Greg, 15:14).
Talk about repeated patterns: attempts to avoid crunch fell apart, and skepticism about meaningful corporate change.
Industry-wide issues are examined: burnout, mismanagement, and the need for unionization.
- Notable Quotes:
  - “Crunch is bad. Period, end of statement. … Do they care about this? I have to think no, you have to know that this is the cost of doing business.” — Greg Miller (15:14)
  - “You would hope that…there’s communication as far as… 'We fucked up and we need to do this, and this is why.' I know, sadly, that kind of ownership, that kind of responsibility, that kind of clarity is never in these corporate worlds…” — Greg Miller (17:23)
  - “For me…the words I read here as far as… seven weeks… can’t be here past 60 hours… I guess I worry less about that, more so about where we at a year from now…” — Blessing (22:13)

4. The Inaugural KFGD AWARDS – Part 1

Site of the Year
(24:23 – 28:54)

Awards announced for excellence in journalism, starting with “Site of the Year.”
Nominees: Aftermath, Game Informer, Giant Bomb, This Week in Video Games, VGC.
Discussion of each site's milestones and impact (e.g., Giant Bomb’s transition to independence, Aftermath’s rise, Game Informer’s print comeback).
WINNER: Giant Bomb
- Video acceptance featuring Dan Ryckert.
Notable Quote:
“Congratulations, Giant Bomb, on winning the inaugural Site of the Year… Of course, we still have 'Story of the Year' and 'Reporter of the Year.'” — Greg Miller (28:54)

5. (News) The Canceled Perfect Dark Project

(29:02 – 37:18)

IGN’s report on Perfect Dark’s cancellation and insights from Joanna Dark’s actress Alex Wilton Regan.
- Multiple chapters of performance capture done; employees blindsided by Microsoft’s decision.
- Crystal Dynamics attempted to save the project; Take-Two discussions failed over IP rights.
Reflection on industry instability and empathy for affected creators.
- Notable Quotes:
  - “I did not see it coming. I was absolutely blindsided…” — Alex Wilton Regan (via IGN, 31:20)
  - “I’m still sad about this… I actually believed what this game was going to be.” — Blessing (33:03)
  - “Imagine—you’re cast as Joanna Dark…you get the giant debut at Xbox. I would be so confident, like, this is happening…” — Greg Miller (35:06)

6. KFGD AWARDS – Part 2

Story of the Year
(39:06 – 43:22)

Clarification of category confusion among voters (“Story” meaning a reported article, not ongoing news).
WINNER: "Why Silksong Took 7 Years to Make" by Jason Schreier, Bloomberg
- Schreier accepts via video, explains simply: “I sent an email to Team Cherry and said, ‘Hey, do you want to talk about the making of Silksong?’ And they responded saying, ‘Sure.’” (40:44)
Reflection on the value of straightforward journalism and the rarity of positive “good news” stories about prolonged development.
- Notable Quote:
  “Great journalism asks and answers the obvious question.” — Greg Miller (42:07)

7. (News) Larian Studios’ AI Controversy

(51:59 – 56:26)

Backlash over Larian’s announced use of generative AI in development; plans for a public Q&A/AMA.
Hosts discuss the line between productivity, creative ownership, and audience trust.
- Notable Quotes:
  - “For Larian, like, this golden child off of Baldur’s Gate 3 with this amazing community…to come out and say this, just like, dude, read the room.” — Greg Miller (54:32)
  - “I think all people want is to hear that, like, you’re not using AI anymore…” — Blessing (53:53)
How minor comments snowball due to the internet’s algorithmic amplification.

8. KFGD AWARDS – Part 3

Reporter of the Year
(57:27 – 59:36)

Final award celebrates the individual reporters Kinda Funny relies on for critical news.
Nominees: Jason Schreier (Bloomberg), Jeff Grubb (Giant Bomb), Jordan Midler (VGC), Rebecca Valentine (IGN), Wesley Yin-Poole (IGN).
WINNER: Rebecca Valentine (IGN)
- Heartfelt acceptance speech highlighting the emotional impact of audience support amid industry uncertainty.
- Notable Quote:
  “Knowing that people read my stuff and it resonated with them in some way is really, seriously, deeply meaningful to me.” — Rebecca Valentine (58:21)

9. The Indie Game Awards Recap

(61:42 – 63:03)

Indie achievements celebrated; diverse categories like Women-Led Indie Game and Africa/Australia/New Zealand Indie Awards.
Appreciation for the expanded perspective that indie-specific awards provide.
- Notable Quote:
  “Finding categories that feel a bit more curated to be able to celebrate a wider amount of games and also be able to celebrate games in a unique way...that’s more exciting for me than action adventure or whatever.” — Blessing (62:35)

10. Wii News Rapid-Fire Segment

(63:08 – 64:15)

Briefs on League of Legends overhaul, Patapon 1+2 Replay updates, and Godzilla in Sonic Rumble.
Playful banter about why some news is “Wii News” versus headline news.

11. Community Shoutouts and Super Chats

(65:29 – 74:05)

Numerous community messages: birthday wishes, fan shoutouts, and heartfelt thanks.
Hilarious story about accidentally streaming with Spotify music overlaying game audio.
Final Q&A tangents and wrap-up.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

On Crunch:
“Crunch is bad. Period, end of statement.” — Greg Miller (15:14)
On Journalism:
“Great journalism asks and answers the obvious question.” — Greg Miller (42:07)
On Jason Schreier’s Process:
“So what happened was I sent an email to Team Cherry and I said, hey, do you want to talk about the making of Silksong? And they responded saying, sure.” — Jason Schreier (40:44)
Rebecca Valentine’s Acceptance:
“Knowing that people read my stuff and it resonated with them in some way is really, seriously, deeply meaningful to me.” — Rebecca Valentine (58:21)

Award Results (with Timestamps)

Site of the Year: Giant Bomb (28:00)
Story of the Year: “Why Silksong Took 7 Years to Make” by Jason Schreier (41:16)
Reporter of the Year: Rebecca Valentine (58:16)

Final Thoughts & Look-Ahead

The KFGD team expresses gratitude to news outlets, reporters, and the Kinda Funny community.
Next year’s award show promises to be even clearer and more inclusive—audience encouraged to save their favorite stories and reporters.
Friendly reminder that the show returns January 5, 2026, with the annual marathon stream and more of the wild Kinda Funny energy fans love.

Closing Note

(74:05)
“Thank you for hanging out. Thank you for voting the awards. Most importantly, thank you for supporting Kinda Funny through an entire year. Our tenth year of business. We can’t believe it either.” — Greg Miller

Useful Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 03:16 | Holiday attire, end-of-year energy | | 11:45 | Naughty Dog crunch news discussion | | 24:23 | KFGD Awards Introduction & Site of the Year | | 29:02 | Canceled Perfect Dark coverage | | 39:06 | Story of the Year Award | | 51:59 | Larian AI controversy | | 57:27 | Reporter of the Year Award | | 61:42 | Indie Game Awards segment | | 63:08 | Wii News rapid-fire | | 65:29 | Super chats, community shoutouts, show close |

For fans, journalists, and anyone invested in gaming’s journalistic backbone, this is a rich, funny, and thoughtful episode that both celebrates and scrutinizes the state of the video game industry in 2025 — and sets the stage for an even bigger 2026.

Kinda Funny Games Daily: The Inaugural KFGD Award Show!

Date: December 20, 2025
Hosts: Greg Miller, Blessing Adeoye Jr.

Overview

Episode Theme & Purpose

Celebrate the unsung heroes of video game news: journalists, outlets, and standout stories.
Recognize the essential reporting that powers Kinda Funny Games Daily.
Reflect on 2025’s industry highlights and controversies.
Engage with the community through super chats and shoutouts.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Show Open: End-of-Year Vibes and Style

(03:16 – 06:41)

Greg and Blessing open with holiday cheer, discussing festive attire and the hectic end-of-year energy at Kinda Funny.
Reflections on the team’s programming schedule, including ongoing competitions and holiday party plans.
- Notable Quote:
  “[My dad] was a man’s man. He’s doing…when Ben asks me to rub his back and my hands are like catching like velcro on his clothes…I got to do something. I have no excuse other than I don’t want to put on hand cream while I type my little paper.” — Greg Miller (04:03)
Lighthearted banter about moisturization and merch.

2. Housekeeping & Community Shoutouts

(07:46 – 09:45)

Thanks to the audience for their engagement, votes, and support throughout the year.
Super Chats and naming a Pokémon “Sal Romano” as an inside joke.
Notable Quote:
“You can just link it and then set a reminder and do it every 30 days because they don’t want you to remember that you could be giving away free money.” — Greg Miller (08:43)

3. (News) Naughty Dog’s Mandatory Crunch Returns

(11:45 – 24:23)

Discussion on Bloomberg’s report detailing Naughty Dog’s return to mandated overtime (“crunch”) for its upcoming title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
- Minimum 8 hours/week overtime, 5 days/week in-office, ends before holidays but stirs controversy.
Hosts debate whether Naughty Dog and PlayStation care about the critical coverage (“This is the cost of doing business…”, Greg, 15:14).
Talk about repeated patterns: attempts to avoid crunch fell apart, and skepticism about meaningful corporate change.
Industry-wide issues are examined: burnout, mismanagement, and the need for unionization.
- Notable Quotes:
  - “Crunch is bad. Period, end of statement. … Do they care about this? I have to think no, you have to know that this is the cost of doing business.” — Greg Miller (15:14)
  - “You would hope that…there’s communication as far as… 'We fucked up and we need to do this, and this is why.' I know, sadly, that kind of ownership, that kind of responsibility, that kind of clarity is never in these corporate worlds…” — Greg Miller (17:23)
  - “For me…the words I read here as far as… seven weeks… can’t be here past 60 hours… I guess I worry less about that, more so about where we at a year from now…” — Blessing (22:13)

4. The Inaugural KFGD AWARDS – Part 1

Site of the Year
(24:23 – 28:54)

Awards announced for excellence in journalism, starting with “Site of the Year.”
Nominees: Aftermath, Game Informer, Giant Bomb, This Week in Video Games, VGC.
Discussion of each site's milestones and impact (e.g., Giant Bomb’s transition to independence, Aftermath’s rise, Game Informer’s print comeback).
WINNER: Giant Bomb
- Video acceptance featuring Dan Ryckert.
Notable Quote:
“Congratulations, Giant Bomb, on winning the inaugural Site of the Year… Of course, we still have 'Story of the Year' and 'Reporter of the Year.'” — Greg Miller (28:54)

5. (News) The Canceled Perfect Dark Project

(29:02 – 37:18)

IGN’s report on Perfect Dark’s cancellation and insights from Joanna Dark’s actress Alex Wilton Regan.
- Multiple chapters of performance capture done; employees blindsided by Microsoft’s decision.
- Crystal Dynamics attempted to save the project; Take-Two discussions failed over IP rights.
Reflection on industry instability and empathy for affected creators.
- Notable Quotes:
  - “I did not see it coming. I was absolutely blindsided…” — Alex Wilton Regan (via IGN, 31:20)
  - “I’m still sad about this… I actually believed what this game was going to be.” — Blessing (33:03)
  - “Imagine—you’re cast as Joanna Dark…you get the giant debut at Xbox. I would be so confident, like, this is happening…” — Greg Miller (35:06)

6. KFGD AWARDS – Part 2

Story of the Year
(39:06 – 43:22)

Clarification of category confusion among voters (“Story” meaning a reported article, not ongoing news).
WINNER: "Why Silksong Took 7 Years to Make" by Jason Schreier, Bloomberg
- Schreier accepts via video, explains simply: “I sent an email to Team Cherry and said, ‘Hey, do you want to talk about the making of Silksong?’ And they responded saying, ‘Sure.’” (40:44)
Reflection on the value of straightforward journalism and the rarity of positive “good news” stories about prolonged development.
- Notable Quote:
  “Great journalism asks and answers the obvious question.” — Greg Miller (42:07)

7. (News) Larian Studios’ AI Controversy

(51:59 – 56:26)

Backlash over Larian’s announced use of generative AI in development; plans for a public Q&A/AMA.
Hosts discuss the line between productivity, creative ownership, and audience trust.
- Notable Quotes:
  - “For Larian, like, this golden child off of Baldur’s Gate 3 with this amazing community…to come out and say this, just like, dude, read the room.” — Greg Miller (54:32)
  - “I think all people want is to hear that, like, you’re not using AI anymore…” — Blessing (53:53)
How minor comments snowball due to the internet’s algorithmic amplification.

8. KFGD AWARDS – Part 3

Reporter of the Year
(57:27 – 59:36)

Final award celebrates the individual reporters Kinda Funny relies on for critical news.
Nominees: Jason Schreier (Bloomberg), Jeff Grubb (Giant Bomb), Jordan Midler (VGC), Rebecca Valentine (IGN), Wesley Yin-Poole (IGN).
WINNER: Rebecca Valentine (IGN)
- Heartfelt acceptance speech highlighting the emotional impact of audience support amid industry uncertainty.
- Notable Quote:
  “Knowing that people read my stuff and it resonated with them in some way is really, seriously, deeply meaningful to me.” — Rebecca Valentine (58:21)

9. The Indie Game Awards Recap

(61:42 – 63:03)

Indie achievements celebrated; diverse categories like Women-Led Indie Game and Africa/Australia/New Zealand Indie Awards.
Appreciation for the expanded perspective that indie-specific awards provide.
- Notable Quote:
  “Finding categories that feel a bit more curated to be able to celebrate a wider amount of games and also be able to celebrate games in a unique way...that’s more exciting for me than action adventure or whatever.” — Blessing (62:35)

10. Wii News Rapid-Fire Segment

(63:08 – 64:15)

Briefs on League of Legends overhaul, Patapon 1+2 Replay updates, and Godzilla in Sonic Rumble.
Playful banter about why some news is “Wii News” versus headline news.

11. Community Shoutouts and Super Chats

(65:29 – 74:05)

Numerous community messages: birthday wishes, fan shoutouts, and heartfelt thanks.
Hilarious story about accidentally streaming with Spotify music overlaying game audio.
Final Q&A tangents and wrap-up.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

On Crunch:
“Crunch is bad. Period, end of statement.” — Greg Miller (15:14)
On Journalism:
“Great journalism asks and answers the obvious question.” — Greg Miller (42:07)
On Jason Schreier’s Process:
“So what happened was I sent an email to Team Cherry and I said, hey, do you want to talk about the making of Silksong? And they responded saying, sure.” — Jason Schreier (40:44)
Rebecca Valentine’s Acceptance:
“Knowing that people read my stuff and it resonated with them in some way is really, seriously, deeply meaningful to me.” — Rebecca Valentine (58:21)

Award Results (with Timestamps)

Site of the Year: Giant Bomb (28:00)
Story of the Year: “Why Silksong Took 7 Years to Make” by Jason Schreier (41:16)
Reporter of the Year: Rebecca Valentine (58:16)

Final Thoughts & Look-Ahead

The KFGD team expresses gratitude to news outlets, reporters, and the Kinda Funny community.
Next year’s award show promises to be even clearer and more inclusive—audience encouraged to save their favorite stories and reporters.
Friendly reminder that the show returns January 5, 2026, with the annual marathon stream and more of the wild Kinda Funny energy fans love.

The Inaugural KFGD Award Show! - Kinda Funny Games Daily 12.19.25

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Summary

Kinda Funny Games Daily: The Inaugural KFGD Award Show!

Overview

Episode Theme & Purpose

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Show Open: End-of-Year Vibes and Style

2. Housekeeping & Community Shoutouts

3. (News) Naughty Dog’s Mandatory Crunch Returns

4. The Inaugural KFGD AWARDS – Part 1

5. (News) The Canceled Perfect Dark Project

6. KFGD AWARDS – Part 2

7. (News) Larian Studios’ AI Controversy

8. KFGD AWARDS – Part 3

9. The Indie Game Awards Recap

10. Wii News Rapid-Fire Segment

11. Community Shoutouts and Super Chats

Memorable Moments & Quotes

Award Results (with Timestamps)

Final Thoughts & Look-Ahead

Closing Note

Useful Timestamps

Summary

Kinda Funny Games Daily: The Inaugural KFGD Award Show!

Overview

Episode Theme & Purpose

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Show Open: End-of-Year Vibes and Style

2. Housekeeping & Community Shoutouts

3. (News) Naughty Dog’s Mandatory Crunch Returns

4. The Inaugural KFGD AWARDS – Part 1

5. (News) The Canceled Perfect Dark Project

6. KFGD AWARDS – Part 2

7. (News) Larian Studios’ AI Controversy

8. KFGD AWARDS – Part 3

9. The Indie Game Awards Recap

10. Wii News Rapid-Fire Segment

11. Community Shoutouts and Super Chats

Memorable Moments & Quotes

Award Results (with Timestamps)

Final Thoughts & Look-Ahead

Closing Note

Useful Timestamps