What’s Going to Happen To Ubisoft? - Kinda Funny Games Daily 01.15.25

Summary

Kinda Funny Games Daily: What’s Going to Happen To Ubisoft?
Episode: 01.15.25 | Release Date: January 15, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Kinda Funny Games Daily, hosts Blessing Adeoye Jr., Tim Gettys, and Barrett Courtney delve into the latest happenings in the gaming world. The primary focus revolves around Ubisoft's uncertain future, alongside discussions on Marvel Rivals, Microsoft layoffs, and other notable gaming news.

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1. Ubisoft’s Uncertain Future

[07:17 - 18:12]

The episode kicks off with a deep analysis of Ubisoft's potential restructuring. According to a report by Chris Scolion at Video Games Chronicle, Tencent and Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family are contemplating creating a new venture to house certain Ubisoft assets. This strategic move aims to enhance Ubisoft's valuation by possibly allowing Tencent to gain greater control over key intellectual properties (IPs).

Key Points:

• Ownership Stakes: The Guillemot family holds a 14% share in Ubisoft, while Tencent owns 9.99%.
• Potential Outcomes: By transferring select IPs like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Watch Dogs to a new entity, Ubisoft could streamline its operations and possibly attract new investments.
• Market Implications: The breakup of such a large conglomerate could lead to significant shifts in the gaming industry, affecting developers, employees, and the overall market dynamics.

Notable Quotes:

• Tim Gettys [10:33]: “It feels shady. This reads like they're preparing for the worst.”
• Blessing Adeoye Jr. [12:23]: “Are they creating a new company to own Assassin’s Creed and sell it off separately? It could maximize their asset value.”

Discussion Highlights:

• The hosts expressed skepticism about the feasibility and impact of such a move, considering Ubisoft's vast global presence and diverse studio network.
• They debated the potential consequences for gamers and developers, highlighting concerns about job losses and the fragmentation of Ubisoft’s cohesive management.
• Comparisons were drawn to Embracer Group’s strategy of managing multiple IPs through different subsidiaries, questioning whether Ubisoft might adopt a similar model.

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2. Marvel Rivals Expands with New Heroes

[18:12 - 27:45]

Marvel Rivals is making waves with its commitment to releasing a new playable character every six weeks. Michael Kripe from IGN reported that NetEase Games’ Creative Director, Gwang Yun Chen, revealed plans to sustain player engagement through frequent updates.

Key Points:

• Content Strategy: Introducing new heroes bi-monthly alongside seasonal stories and maps ensures continual content flow.
• Community Engagement: This approach fosters a loyal community by consistently providing fresh content and maintaining high engagement levels.
• Comparison to Overwatch: While Overwatch had a similar model, Marvel Rivals stands out by leveraging the powerful Marvel IP effectively.

Notable Quotes:

• Gwang Yun Chen [20:11]: “Every season we'll be rolling out fresh seasonal stories, new maps, and new heroes.”
• Blessing Adeoye Jr. [22:22]: “Marvel Rivals is such a polished game with an art style that shines incredibly well.”

Discussion Highlights:

• The hosts praised Marvel Rivals for its successful implementation of a live-service model, contrasting it with Overwatch’s struggles with balancing and player retention.
• Concerns were raised about the potential for content overload and the challenges of maintaining balance with such frequent additions.
• They speculated on the longevity of Marvel Rivals, contemplating whether the model could sustain itself long-term without burnout.

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3. Advanced Suit 2.0 from Spider-Man 2 Integrates into Marvel Rivals

[40:20 - 42:00]

Marvel Rivals is enhancing its gameplay by integrating the Advanced Suit 2.0 from Spider-Man 2. This update, announced via PlayStation’s Twitter, allows players to unlock this iconic costume on January 30th, coinciding with the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PC.

Key Points:

• Cross-Platform Integration: The inclusion of Advanced Suit 2.0 bridges the gap between console and PC gaming, enriching the player experience.
• Artistic Excellence: Hosts lauded the detailed animation and design, especially highlighting characters like Scarlet Witch and Mr. Fantastic.
• Community Impact: Such collaborations strengthen the bond between different Marvel titles and their respective fanbases.

Notable Quotes:

• Tim Gettys [40:20]: “It's a thing of beauty because look how far Insomniac came.”
• Blessing Adeoye Jr. [41:10]: “The art style is so good. I am playing a Scarlet Witch and the way her hair flows is insane.”

Discussion Highlights:

• The integration was seen as a testament to Marvel Rivals’ dedication to quality and fan satisfaction.
• They discussed the technical aspects and how such collaborations could set a benchmark for future cross-title integrations.
• The hosts expressed excitement about the potential for more such collaborations, enhancing the overall Marvel gaming ecosystem.

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4. Microsoft Announces Additional Layoffs in Gaming, Security, and Sales

[42:00 - 43:17]

Microsoft has revealed another round of layoffs affecting its gaming, security, and sales divisions. As reported by Sophie McAvoy at GamesIndustry.biz, these cuts are separate from previous layoffs focused on underperforming employees.

Key Points:

• Scale of Layoffs: While specific numbers weren’t disclosed, previous reports indicated significant cuts, including 1,900 employees from the gaming division last year and 650 more in September 2024.
• Company Statement: A Microsoft spokesperson emphasized their focus on high-performance talent and supporting employee growth.
• Industry Impact: Continuous layoffs signal potential restructuring within Microsoft’s gaming arm, raising concerns about future projects and stability.

Notable Quotes:

• Microsoft Spokesperson [42:30]: “At Microsoft, we focus on high performance talent.”

Discussion Highlights:

• The hosts expressed disappointment and concern over the ongoing layoffs, highlighting the human cost behind corporate restructuring.
• They debated the long-term effects on Microsoft’s gaming ventures, questioning whether this would hinder future innovation and project delivery.
• Comparisons were made to other major tech layoffs, discussing the broader trend of workforce reductions in the tech and gaming industries.

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5. Sony and PlayStation Studios Support LA Wildfire Relief Efforts

[43:17 - 46:58]

In a heartfelt response to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, Sony and several PlayStation studios, including Naughty Dog, Insomniac, and Sony Santa Monica, have pledged substantial donations to support relief and rebuilding efforts.

Key Points:

• Donation Amount: Sony has committed $5 million to aid first responders, communities, and rebuilding initiatives.
• Studio Contributions: Each studio released statements expressing their commitment to supporting the affected communities and acknowledging the resilience of Los Angeles.
• Community Impact: These efforts not only provide immediate assistance but also reinforce the strong ties between these studios and their local communities.

Notable Quotes:

• Naughty Dog [44:00]: “We are proud to have been part of such a strong and resilient community here for decades.”
• Insomniac [45:00]: “We feel a responsibility to support the communities that have molded us into who and what we are today.”

Discussion Highlights:

• The hosts commended Sony and its studios for their timely and generous support, emphasizing the importance of corporate responsibility during crises.
• They discussed the potential long-term effects on the gaming community and the role of major companies in disaster relief.
• Expressions of empathy were shared, with hosts urging listeners to contribute if possible and acknowledging the severe impact on individuals and industries alike.

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6. WE News: Suicide Squad Kills the Justice League

[46:58 - 70:10]

In the WE News segment, the hosts touch upon the controversial ending of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The game’s final update introduces an official ending that wraps up the story but has left players divided.

Key Points:

• Game Conclusion: The ending reveals that the player characters killed a clone or an alternate universe version of Batman, sparking intense discussions about narrative choices.
• Developer Critique: The hosts criticized Rocksteady Studios for not fully committing to their narratives, leading to fan dissatisfaction.
• Industry Reflection: The segment reflects on the challenges of maintaining story integrity in large-scale games and the importance of consistent universe building.

Notable Quotes:

• Barrett Courtney [47:18]: “It's the biggest walk back in history. If you're going to do something weird and stupid, commit to it.”
• Tim Gettys [48:37]: “This is what I want. Either Camouflage or WB Montreal get back to their Batman legacy.”

Discussion Highlights:

• The hosts expressed frustration over the perceived inconsistency in the game’s storytelling, highlighting how it detracts from fan immersion and satisfaction.
• They debated the potential reasons behind such narrative decisions, including commercial pressures and creative differences.
• Reflections were made on the broader implications for the gaming industry, stressing the need for coherent and committed storytelling in future projects.

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Conclusion

Throughout the episode, the hosts provided insightful commentary on Ubisoft’s potential restructuring, the success of Marvel Rivals, ongoing Microsoft layoffs, and Sony’s philanthropic efforts. Their discussions shed light on significant shifts and challenges within the gaming industry, offering listeners a comprehensive overview of current events and their implications.

Notable Closing Insights:

• Towards the End [55:37 - 60:54]: The conversation circled back to the anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, discussing predictions on pricing, features, and potential launch challenges such as scalping and tariffs.
• Community Engagement: The hosts interacted with super chats, addressing listener opinions and adding depth to their discussions on topics like Mario Kart’s enduring popularity and the future of hero shooters.
• Final Thoughts: Emphasizing the unpredictability of the gaming landscape, the hosts encouraged the community to stay informed and engaged as major companies navigate through transformative changes.

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Notable Quotes Summary:

• Blessing Adeoye Jr. [12:23]: “Are you creating a new company to own Assassin’s Creed and sell it off separately?”
• Tim Gettys [10:33]: “It feels shady. This reads like they're preparing for the worst.”
• Gwang Yun Chen [20:11]: “Every season we'll be rolling out fresh seasonal stories, new maps, and new heroes.”
• Naughty Dog [44:00]: “We are proud to have been part of such a strong and resilient community here for decades.”
• Barrett Courtney [47:18]: “It's the biggest walk back in history. If you're going to do something weird and stupid, commit to it.”

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of the episode, offering both the news and the nuanced discussions that provide deeper insights into each topic. Whether you’re catching up on the latest gaming industry shifts or eager to hear the hosts’ perspectives, this summary ensures you stay informed and engaged.

Transcript

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Today's stories include what's going to happen to Ubisoft. Marvel Rivals is getting a lot more heroes and Microsoft receives more layoffs. We'll have all this and more because this is Kinda Funny Games Daily. Yo, what's up? Welcome to Kinda Funny Games daily for Wednesday, January 15, 2025. I'm one of your hosts. Blessing. Adio Ye Jr. Joining me is LaCroix, Poppy. Tim Maugan, Gettys.

[Tim Gettys]

Bless. We might be on the eve of the Nintendo Switch too.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

We might be. I hope we are. But are we, Tim?

[Tim Gettys]

I don't know.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Something feels off.

[Tim Gettys]

Don't know. I'm with you. It's like I feel like we've gotten so excited. There's been so many like near misses, so many times where it's almost happened, but this time feels the closest to like there's more evidence than ever that it's going to happen. And like, just so everybody knows, last time Nintendo Switch 1, it was around 5pm the day before that we got that little creepy Mario image announcing that the things that we see, the NX for the first time. Remember the NX and X. I'll never.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Forget such a cool name.

[Tim Gettys]

But we were then introduced to the switch about 15 hours later in the morning. All right.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yep.

[Tim Gettys]

It's 11:30 right now. It is at 5pm today. Is little Mario about to creep behind that curtain?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't think they're gonna have another curtain. But that's the thing is like how do they even do it this time?

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, just a tweet, that's all they need. It doesn't need the image, but like just a tweet. Right?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

God, I hope they do something different. Right. Like I like when Nintendo is weird and they surprise us. And like I like when it's because we always look for patterns. Like that's the thing that me and you have in common is that we're always trying to find the patterns.

[Tim Gettys]

All right.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Nintendo, like oftentimes there are a company of patterns. Right. Every February you're getting a direct.

[Tim Gettys]

You're getting the Pokemon presents for sure.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Exactly. But we also know Nintendo for their weird Nintendo decisions. And so it's like for me, I am looking for the thing that is unexpected. What's the thing that we didn't come up with, the thing that we didn't think of that's going to come through. And I have us like, ah, yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Unique technique in the chat says I'm hurting for the curtain.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I'm hurting for the curtain.

[Tim Gettys]

You know, I'm with you. I'm with you. Right there.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. Like this. Like I know that maybe, maybe this evening when we get to it. And they're like, hey, tune in tomorrow. Like it's finally going to feel like, okay, cool, it's happening. But I think because it is all speculation, reports, conjecture. Right. Like people, like very well informed people being like, this is when this, this thing is going to happen. Right. Like I'm, I'm confident, but there is something that feels off.

[Tim Gettys]

Let's just.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

The vibe is.

[Tim Gettys]

Let's break down where we're at.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Let's break it down.

[Tim Gettys]

All right, here's the situation. We have Nate the Hate Reputable. A reputable source of information doesn't always get things right, but often gets things right.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yep.

[Tim Gettys]

As far as I know, that's the only real source saying it's going to be tomorrow. However, vgc, Jeff Grubb seem to be believing this and they are smart people.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Vgc, not just very welcome believing it, but they're like corroborating.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, corroborating with their sources on it.

[Tim Gettys]

So it's like, all right, there's that. You add on top of that, Nintendo has said officially we will see and know about this system before the end of the financial quarter. So we are running out of time.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's true.

[Tim Gettys]

So if not tomorrow, it has to be in the next two months, so why not tomorrow?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

You know what?

[Tim Gettys]

You know what?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

When you put it that way, I can't argue against that. Why not tomorrow? Yeah. Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

So that's, that's where I'm at. But I was thinking I was in the shower today. It was a really nice warm shower. I have this new little Bluetooth play previous track, next track volume thing in my shower. So now I get to control the music from in the shower.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I love that for you.

[Tim Gettys]

It's fantastic. Okay. I'm sitting pretty, feeling good, thinking about The Nintendo Switch 2 being announced tomorrow. But then thinking if it's announced tomorrow, that means in the next couple months we're going to get to play it.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, you think? So we get our holds on it.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, think about it, right? Yeah. I'll never forget me and Kevin going to New York for the, the big presentation that they did to debut the Switch 2 and like the launch date and the price and like the launch games and all that stuff and we actually got to play it. And seeing his believing of seeing the Switch actually switch off from the dock to being portable, I'll never forget walking into that elevator and Kevin Coelho, a man that I've never seen shaken or stirred. Looking up very, very high at Reggie P. Oh man. And literally gasping, literally going, and reg.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Reggie being like, what was that sound down there?

[Tim Gettys]

Like he's legit. It was one of the funniest things where Kevin looked Reggie in the eye and went.

[Barrett Courtney]

Really quick because I see a lot of people in chat saying like, yeah, it's weird that they're not like marketing like a stream for this yet or is there going to be a direct with this? Let's, let's take it back to what, 2016, right? It was the day before. It was October 2016. It was my first week working at Ignition. They put out that tweet of Mario peeking behind the curtain. They're just like, tune in tomorrow. It was not a direct. It was not a full breakdown. It was just a three and a half minute trailer. Just showing you the concept of what the switch was.

[Tim Gettys]

It was a three and a half minute commercial that did a better job of telling you every single thing you needed to know about this system and that Nintendo was fucking back, baby.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yep.

[Tim Gettys]

Yep. So I feel wild.

[Barrett Courtney]

This is the level of what we get if, oh for the initial thing. So I, I just don't want people to thinking like, oh, they're doing a whole direct, they're doing a whole stream around this. It's gonna be just a commercial that they drop on their YouTube when they're ready.

[Tim Gettys]

IMO. This is even better. I like this. Give us things to talk about, give us the speculation. Give me three seconds of the next 3D.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And that's the thing is. Yeah, like what I want is for the it to be a 2 minute, 3 minute. Hey, this is what the switch to is. And then yeah, like a month later, two months later. Give me the whole breakdown. Your to your point too. Like if it doesn't happen tomorrow, I think you're then talking about super bowl. But I think that, I think the, the trailer we get tomorrow or the commercial that we get tomorrow is the super bowl commercial for this thing. Right?

[Tim Gettys]

Like, very good point. We are very close to the Super Bowl.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

We are very close to the Super Bowl.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, if it's not tomorrow, it'll be soon. But if it is tomorrow, you know where to be. Twitch TV kind of funny games. YouTube.com kind of funny games.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Any last second predictions?

[Tim Gettys]

I mean we spe.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

We've speculated this thing to hell.

[Tim Gettys]

I, I that's the thing is I don't think there's much left to predict at this point. I think that it's it's going to be what it looks like. I guess my last thing is that I'm going to say. I've said it many times. I think we see Elden ring in this trailer. The most important prediction, and this is more of a me just hoping and pray and bless. O L E D I'm not giving up hope. Wow. Not giving up hope.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Wow. Love that for you.

[Barrett Courtney]

Give up hope, Tim.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm not.

[Barrett Courtney]

Just give it up. I'm not giving up my last prediction.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Bless.

[Barrett Courtney]

We do in fact see as much as we're seeing here with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart 9.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Wow.

[Barrett Courtney]

And that draft from you, you're gonna.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Be very happy about. Yeah, but I'm gonna get really upset when like the next game they show is 3D Mario.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, I think we get both. I think we get both.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Your pick for Mario Kart and then your counter pick of 3D Mario is just gonna like.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

They're gonna cancel each other. They're gonna cancel each other. Yeah. Net zero pick right there. All right, well, we'll see tomorrow.

[Tim Gettys]

Will we hear Sabrina Carpenter? Will we see Pharrell?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I think it'll be reversed. We're going to see Sabrina Carpenter. We're going to hear Pharrell.

[Tim Gettys]

You're right.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I'm taking it to the bank. Roger. 1000% right about that. I'm taking it to the bank. Remember, 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 all podcast services around the globe. If you love what we do, support us with the kind of Funny membership on YouTube, Patreon now on Spotify and Apple podcasts to get all of our shows ad free, watch us record them live and get a daily exclusive show for a chance to be a part of the show. Some of your thoughts and opinions as YouTube super chats as we go. Housekeeping for you. A lot of y'all have made comments about loving the anniversary logo and the water bottle slash notebook we got for the team. So the new anniversary merch collection is now up on kind of dot com store. Remember, we're an 11 person business all about live talk shows. Today after KHD you're going to get the stream which is going to be Nick and Andy playing Astrobot. Now that's what I had written down. Am I positive that that's what what's happening for the stream? Not at all.

[Barrett Courtney]

I don't know if Andy's on it and we'll see if Nick is actually in the mood for Kind of Funny's Game of the Year or if he just plays more of that movie trivia game.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah. Also, what will happen? This isn't in Housekeeping here. We're going to be reacting to the Daredevil Born Again trailer. We're just trying to figure out timing and stuff. It probably won't be live, but it will post later today on YouTube and then on the In Review podcast feed.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And then later today after the stream and after that. After 31 years at PlayStation, Shuhei Yoshida is out on his own and his first stop, the kind of funny games cast. That's happening today at 4pm Pacific Time. Shu sits down with Greg to talk about his career, the Vita and his future. Don't miss it live on YouTube and on Twitch and later on Podcast. Service is so cool. If you're a Kind of Funny member, you can get Today's Greg Way. Thank you to our Patreon producers Delaney Twining and Carl Jacobs. Today we're brought to you by BetterHelp, ExpressVPN and MeUndies, but we'll tell you about that later. For now, let's begin with what is and forever will be Roper Report. It's time for some news. We have six stories today, a baker's dozen, starting with our number one. That's right, more Ubisoft, Tencent and the Guillermo family are considering moving Ubisoft assets to a new venture, it is claimed. This is Chris Scolion at Video Games Chronicle. Tencent and Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family are considering the creation of a new venture containing some Ubisoft assets, it's claimed. A new report on Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the situation, claims the Chinese tech firm and Ubisoft's founders are thinking of creating a new entity, which they will then move certain Ubisoft assets over to in an attempt to boost Ubisoft's value. The GMAL Family currently owns 14% of Ubisoft shares, while Tencent owns 9.99%. The report suggests that by creating a new venture and moving some of Ubisoft's IPs over to that, it could allow Tencent to own a stake in the new entity and gain more control over those IPs. No final decision has been made, the report claims, and it's also not clear what would happen to the remaining Ubisoft IP that wouldn't be carried over to the theoretical new venture. Tim, the story continues.

[Tim Gettys]

It really, really does. Last week we did a predictions episode for 2025 where Roger Every month predicted what would the predictions. I forget the exact month or whatever was that Ubisoft is going to have some major, major changes, whether it's being sold off or dramatic shifts. Right.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I believe he said like July is.

[Tim Gettys]

And. And we all agree, like, I feel like the writing's on the wall. I think so much is writing on Assassin's Creed Shadows being a hit to whatever metrics Ubisoft means or needs that to be. And I think that that is not going to be a easy battle. I don't think it's impossible. I do think it's unlikely. Just based on the track records and everything that we've seen the last couple years, honestly, of Ubisoft, them delaying it and all of that, probably for the better. I think at this point it's like, do not this up if this is the last big swing. But what this story means in conjunction with everything I just said. I don't know, man. That's interesting. It seems shady. This reads shady. This reads like there's back end deals or that they're preparing for the worst in ways that like, at a certain point it's like, well, it's better to be prepared than not prepared. Because if the. If the writing's on the wall that this is not going to work out, something needs to shift and change. Is this the move? I don't know.

[Barrett Courtney]

It feels like juggling around shit just to delay the inevitable, which I feel like, I don't know, it's very weird.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't know.

[Barrett Courtney]

I wonder about the. The ego of the Gamal family and them just trying to hold on to like corporate power as much as possible and as long as possible. And this just feels like, you know, we want to have some sort of stake in not one, but now kind of two companies. And I don't know, See, and that's.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

The thing is I wonder what is the purpose, right? Like, are you creating a new company to essentially have that company own Assassin's Creed and then sell it off as the Assassin's Creed company and then sell everything else off individually? Like, I wonder if this is about the IPs within Ubisoft in the ranging values between those IPs and trying to figure out how to piece meal those up to then maybe sell them at maximum value? Because maybe selling. Maybe selling Ubisoft right now as it is with Assassin's Creed and then all this other baggage might be a lot compared to what if we can have a different company that owns Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and I don't know, Watchdogs.

[Tim Gettys]

Or whatever the big ones are. Yeah, the big ones.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And then sell them off. That way maybe the secondary company, maybe Gilmore then owns the rest. Or maybe Gilmore then like sells those IPs piecemeal. Like I wonder if they're just, just trying to figure out all different scenarios you can do with that stuff.

[Tim Gettys]

That makes a lot of sense specifically because of how big Ubisoft is. Ubisoft is unique compared to any of the other publishers out there where they have worldwide studios at a number way higher than even the big dogs, even the EAs even talking about guys like PlayStation. Right. Like Ubisoft is a truly worldwide publisher with dev teams everywhere. So that the amount of people, resources, IP bodies, buildings, every single combination. Yeah, it is a Herculan size thing to be able to try to sell as one giant thing. So yeah, breaking it up makes a lot of sense.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, I don't know, it just this chap brought it up as well. This thought sparked in my mind. It's like, it just feels like the Embracer thing. They're like, ah, we're, we're three different companies and one company is Lord of the Rings and Friends and the other company is Dungeons and Dragons and Friends or whatever the fuck it was. Right.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And so like, I do think Ubisoft is probably the most comparable company right now to embrace her. Not necessarily in terms of like how they came to fruition, but I guess just in terms of where they're at in like relation to everything else right now. Right. Like their games aren't the most triple A of aaa. Right. Like they have a bunch of IP that feels like they're either legacy or they're just not at their peak right now. Like they're just a company that has a lot of shit.

[Tim Gettys]

But I agree with everything you're saying, except for the AAA part. I would argue that, that Ubisoft games are as triple A as it gets and they're a different type of AAA than like the PlayStation Studios prestige games. But like, I do think that you can't get more AAA than Assassin's Creed Shadows or even Star Wars Outlaw.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, I guess what I mean, because I think there's different ways to interpret Triple A. Right. I think Assassin's Creed as an IP is triple A. Like in terms of, you know, visibility, like how popular it is. Like it is for sure, Triple A, I guess more so. I'm thinking of like the budget and like the polish and how that stuff comes through in the final product where I think if you're competing, if you're taking Assassin's Creed, right, and trying to compete that against like a PlayStation first party thing or I think what you think of is like the best of the best of single player stuff or even if you look at like their multiplayer endeavors or like their shots at multiplayer in the last few years, like, I just don't think the quality of the Ubisoft output has compared to pretty much like any of the big players, quality notwithstanding.

[Tim Gettys]

Budget. I mean, I don't know, but I would bet that the budget of an Assassin's Creed is in the same realm of conversation as the Call of Duty games and the Last of Us and things like that. Like, I think that maybe not one to one every single time, but I do think if we were to tier things out, I guess you're right if.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I'm looking at Resident Evil vs Assassin's Creed, right. Like, I'm sure, yeah, Assassin's Creed is still going to be very expensive compared to. Actually, I don't know, compared to Resident Evil, but it'll be, it'll be competing, essentially.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, it's just man, but like, then you look at Ubisoft, of all the things that they are and all things that used to be that they aren't anymore. But it is crazy how many times we have we asked, what even is Ubisoft now? Like, what is it? And I feel like it's getting hard, harder and harder to answer that with any level of positivity. And it always comes with either sarcasm or this like cloud of dread of just like, man, what's going to happen? What's going to happen? And it's now at the point of when's it going to happen? Like, we kind of just, we, we see the writing on the wall here. And I feel like in the last couple years we've seen the writing on the wall for many similar situations and one by one they happen the way that we've talked about. And I think that while it's very doom and gloom, it like hearing news stories like this reek of desperation at the very least. And also like trying to make it work and trying to figure out how to save whatever they can from a financial and power perspective. I don't think that any of this story is good for the gamers, good for the, the devs out there that are most likely going to be displaced again at best with this, otherwise just straight up not have jobs, period. Because how many things are going to get shuttered from this?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, you know, 100%. Like how many studios. No, yeah. No matter what the outcome is here, right? Like they could get bought by PlayStation, Tencent, Xbox, whoever. Studios are going to get shut down, teams are going to get shut down, people are going to get displaced. All that stuff is going to happen. And yeah, to your point, I don't think it's a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Like, even with Assassin's Creed, like earlier you brought up like Assassin's Creed Shadows feels like a last stitch effort almost at this point where I don't even know if it's a last ditch effort. I think it maybe is. It is the last hope. Yeah, last hope in terms of if Assassin's Creed Shadow knocks it out the park, then maybe we sell at a higher price. But I still do think the writing is on the wall no matter how Assassin's Creed Shadows does.

[Tim Gettys]

Right.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Like, I think we've just been there now with Ubisoft. The hole's been dug too deep. Yeah, we'll see what happens. I do want to bring in some super chats for you. Ricardo Gonzalez writes in and says, easier to sell the profitable IPs when they are not weighed down by all the losses from everything else. And that's the thing is like, I think Assassin's Creed and Far Cry and Tom Clancy, maybe those three, maybe you add in like one or two others, but I think those three, if you package those together, you can sell it at a high price.

[Tim Gettys]

And then that's the thing is like, that they would not also include everything else because there's a value associated with those. But then the people aren't going to buy at that higher, higher value because they're like, we don't want all this other stuff. And like that. I think you're right there. I think that is what the strategy here is and it does add up and make sense. It's just very unfortunate because I don't think that that ends in, in a productive way for solving the problems from our perspective.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Mems writes in and says, my switch to launch pipe dream game is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Double Dash.

[Tim Gettys]

That's awesome. I mean, a great idea, but no, it's time for a new Mario Kart, baby.

[Barrett Courtney]

There is been 11 fucking years we're.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Gonna get a new Mario Kart. But I think like, there were the reports from, I think maybe years ago at this point that there is some kind of like, twist. The new Mario Kart.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, there always is, right? Like, yeah, I feel like the.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I mean, what was the twist for eight. Anti gravity.

[Tim Gettys]

Gravity stuff. Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Like, it wasn't like the most like, crazy thing. Yeah, yeah. See, I think the way I interpreting was that seven.

[Tim Gettys]

That was seven. Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

The way I interpreted it was like some kind of double dash mechanic. Something that is like gonna change the game at its core, which I'd be down for.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah. I mean, honestly, I might even play Jack X lately. Yeah, that's very funny. But I feel like it'd be impossible for Mario Kart 9 to let me down. Like just getting a new Mario Kart. Whatever it is. I'm just like, yeah, this is going to be. It's going to be. Fire that team, man. What have they been working on? They did Mario Kart 8, they did arms, and then they just kind of chilled and then put out the, the booster course, which, like, which was like.

[Barrett Courtney]

To be fair, a whole other game.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah. But also like the level of quality and work put into them was like dramatically less than the, the core levels in the game. So I'm like, there's some levels that.

[Barrett Courtney]

Had like the Yoshi's island level.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, but. Yes, but I'm not even talking. I'm not talking about in terms of like, quality of like map design. I'm talking about quality of like assets and like background elements and like the production of it. Like, so I'm fucking hyped.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Hey. And then Dexterize in and says there is a possibility that there is no switch to imagine that's not a possibility. Kebabs writes in and says it'll have OLED but with a meundies thick bezel.

[Tim Gettys]

Let's fucking hope not. And that's the other thing that I'm really happy about with the quote unquote leak. So far, all of them look close to bezel less because thank God, the launch switch.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Like you play with the OLED for so long that like you accidentally see a launch switch and you're like, oh my, what was I doing?

[Tim Gettys]

The way people talk about the Wii U. Oh, it's a Fisher Price toy. I'm like, that's how I feel about the launch switch.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That thick ass bezel. That story number two. Marvel Rivals devs promises a new hero every month and a half. This is Michael Kripe at IGN. NetEase Games is telling Marvel Rivals players that a new hero will launch every month and a half as additional seasons roll out. The studio's creative director, Gwang Yun Chen clarified the team's post launch plans during an interview with Metro. He doesn't mince words, promising to Release a playable character every half season. That equals out to at least one new hero every month and a half, or roughly every six weeks. Quote every season we'll be rolling out fresh seasonal stories, new maps and new heroes. We'll actually be breaking down each season into two halves. Chen said the length of one season is three months, and for each half of the season, we'll introduce a new hero. We just eventually want to continue to enhance the experience and, you know, keep everyone excited in our community. End quote. Come on.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, gee, like in a world that we talk about these games failing and oh, why didn't they do this? And oh, if only that. Whatever. Here's Marvel Rivals being like, all right, y'all, we're just gonna do the damn thing. And they've been doing it and they're now being like, yo, we're gonna continue to do it. Like, it's just wild that Marvel's Avengers couldn't do this.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

It is crazy. Like, it's wild that a game that came out of nowhere last year and yeah, launched in December, it has so much quality compared to a Marvel's Avengers game from Crystal Dynamics. Right. Like Marvel Rivals is such a polished game, such a good looking game, has an art style that shine so incredibly well and so far from post launch. Content is killing it.

[Tim Gettys]

We got Community four this week that is being fed. Like, that's the thing is like it. It has all the things that the game needs, but also it has the community to back it up and to then kind of have this cycle continue. And then just being like, yeah, we're going to continue putting out characters because y'all are enjoying this. Like, this is great. I hope that they could ride this as long as humanly possible because it's a good sign that there is space for a new live service game. It can work when there's love and care put into it all.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And when it's Marvel's IP though.

[Tim Gettys]

No, well, exactly. But I mean, that doesn't. Marvel's IP doesn't mean success. Right? We've seen that now. It's like, I like that. Like, with great power comes great responsibility.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But I do think that. And this might be a hot take and chat, you can let me know because I know y'all play Marvel Rivals as well, right? If Marvel Rivals didn't have the Marvel IP attached, attached to it, I don't think it does nearly as well, but it does.

[Tim Gettys]

Like, that's the thing is like, we can say that, we can say it all we want, but it does and they are. They are bathing in it, man. They are in that they are using it to the best of their abilities. We are getting the Fantastic Four. Like, they're doing a great job with this. And, like, other people have the Marvel IP and they don't. They drop the fucking ball.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, I guess that's the point of, like, you know, I was talking to Mike on one of the Cape Cities last month, and we were talking about, like, if Marvel Rivals fails, that means that hero shooters are just, like, dead in the water. Like, nobody else can make a hero shooter anymore. And I think the fact that it's, you know, that it's successful means that, like, okay, if you have one of the most popular IP in the world, impair it with quality, then cool, you're going to be able to do it. I still don't think that anybody else is going to be able to do this again. Unless you have a top, top, top ip, which for me still doesn't. It's a weird one where I'm happy for my rivals. I love My Rivals. I'm playing it every week with my group of friends, right? But, like, I don't think. I don't think anybody else can enter this space. I don't think anybody can be like, all right, I'm going to make a hero shooter from scratch.

[Tim Gettys]

And I mean, unless, you know, you can, you shouldn't. So people should stop. Like, that's why I'm like, damn, they had all the ingredients and they made a great meal.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yep. And my one other thing with this new story, right? New hero every month and a half, I'm excited, but I'm also, like, how much is too much? Because in talking to Mike about this, right? Like, chat, remind me the cadence of Overwatch characters. Because I remember, you know, playing Overwatch in, like, the first, I guess, five years of Overwatch. I guess in the. In the entire life cycle of Overwatch, you get a new character and then rebalancing has to happen and it's this whole thing, right? And, like, I feel like the number of characters that Overwatch ended up having toward the end was a very good amount. Like, it never felt like we were lacking in terms of new characters maybe early on, but I feel like we got there. A new hero every month and a half just feels a bit unwieldy.

[Tim Gettys]

But here's the thing. Fuck ballads. No, it's Marvel, baby.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

No.

[Tim Gettys]

We introduce Gambit, people get excited.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I forget.

[Tim Gettys]

That's all you need.

[Barrett Courtney]

I forget who I was listening to. And they were talking about this and someone's perspective. I apologize for this take, but I find it interesting is that Overwatch with, like, how obsessed they were with like, balancing and introducing new characters, felt like it was trying to appease to like, the like, pro, like, esports side of it too much to the point that, like, it just like, general interest started to wane over time. Whereas, like, this game is popular with just like, general audiences. Lean into that. The way to lean into that is to not give a about the meta and not give a about balancing. Throw an exciting character in and figure it out later. You know, I hear what you guys.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Are saying, and I think I agree with you guys for the most part, but I do. Part of me does worry about that balancing, man.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I mean, there's a lot of characters like Apex, I believe was one every season. Overwatch, I feel like, had a similar cadence maybe at max, like one every three months. When Fantastic Four just added what, four characters? Or I think overtime is adding four characters. I think we got two this week. It's just a lot. That just sounds like a lot.

[Tim Gettys]

I'll never forget that everyone is here. Trailer for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. And as we were reacting, we realized that there was going to be 80 plus characters in this game. And Andy Cortez was like, and we only have time to balance four of them, sir. Good luck.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

And look where we ended.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's Smash Brothers, though. That's a game.

[Tim Gettys]

I think that. That Marvel Rivals should be Smash Brothers. Like Smash Brothers to fighting games is Marvel Rivals to Esports Overwatch? I think, yeah, yeah, there's balance for sure, but it doesn't. Like, that's not the most important thing. But it is there. The core of it's there. It's not like they're just giving it up and not caring at all.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

For sure. But I do think that, like, to your point, right, like, obviously Smash is played competitively. Like, you know, that is an element when Nintendo allows it. But I. I guess I. When you say Smash Brothers is to that as like, you know, Marvel Rivals is the esports Overwatch. Right. Like, I just don't know how much you're gonna hit in that esports side of things if you don't nail the balance the.

[Tim Gettys]

The esports side of things.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And that's fair.

[Tim Gettys]

You're right. Like, yeah, it's one of those. Like, oh, cool. Maybe somebody might do Marvel Rivals tournaments or might do, but that's not the point. That's not the fucking same way with Smash Brothers. Like, that's fair. You can. But the balance, it's not unbalanced, it's just not perfectly balanced.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

It's fair enough. We're going to move on to story number three. But before we do, I want to tell you about patreon.com kind of funny YouTube.com kind of funny kind of Funny Games, Spotify, Apple Podcasts where you can get the kind of funny membership which allows you to get shows ad free. And speaking of ads, let us tell you about our sponsors.

[Tim Gettys]

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[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

We'Re back, and I want to bring in a super chat, super chat from cowhand Foodka, who writes in and says, I don't know, Mario Kart 8 kind of holds up, guys, and can I give a hot take? I don't understand. Not. Not that I don't understand, but, like, when. When. When people. And when I say people, I'm looking at both of you. When people are like, oh, where's Mario Kart 9? Oh, we need Mario Kart 9. Like, I mean, it's been so long. Where's Mario Kart 9? I'm like, Yo, Mario Kart 8 plays like a game that came out today, y'all.

[Tim Gettys]

Mario Kart 8, bless.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Still holds up. It's Mario Kart. What more are they gonna add to it? You're driving and picking up items. It's gonna be the same game.

[Barrett Courtney]

Bless. In terms of gameplay, feel. I get what you're saying. I understand. But we've been playing these same tracks for the last 11 years.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

They gave you so much DLC. Is that not good enough? Is that not.

[Barrett Courtney]

Those tracks were from the mobile game, which were like, fine, but, like, I want to see you don't like New York Vision? Yeah, no, I was. I was about to say New York.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't want that. I don't want that heat.

[Barrett Courtney]

Don't come for me.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I just.

[Barrett Courtney]

I. I want to see a full new Nintendo Vision and, like, the little teases that we actually got of new courses, because a lot of the DLC courses were, like, old tracks. They were like the older, like, remade tracks, and then the other half were fucking mobile game tracks and shit. And those were fine. Those were whatever. But, like, we only got, like, a handful of new tracks, like the Yoshi's island one. And that just made me want it more of the new new.

[Tim Gettys]

You know, I'm with Barrett. I mean, absolutely. You're crazy, bro.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Come on.

[Tim Gettys]

Why, oh, why do you want to do 3D Mario? No, but that's a different game.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's a different game. Because then.

[Tim Gettys]

Different game. Yeah, of course it's a different game.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

You can throw your hat and turn on. Turn to the people, and it's like. It's not like I'm replaying Odyssey all the time.

[Tim Gettys]

Different Items.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Mario Kart 8. I'm going back every time, and I'm like, man, no, this hits. It's like, this is a perfect video game. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

[Tim Gettys]

It's absolutely perfect.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't need them to improve on perfect.

[Tim Gettys]

Then why do you want another 3D Mario?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Because that's just more content. You know what I mean? That's something different. That's something different, though, y'all seeing. Writes in and says the twist is Mario Kart Triple Dash, which I love.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, Triple Dash. I hate it, but I would. I love that because to me, that means, oh, there has to be enough characters to back that up. And more characters means more likelihood of a crossover, which is what I want.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. One character for the wheel, another one for the break, and another for the accelerator. You can play 3 player co op.

[Tim Gettys]

Jesus.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Joey Ratstone. Did you have something, Barrett?

[Barrett Courtney]

No, I just. I was thinking about the Gibroni boys.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Playing some Triple Dash, playing one. Playing with cart, you know, Joey Ratstone writes in and says, do you think Nintendo will have enough switch 2 units available at launch to combat the scalpers? Thank you for the great shows. No, absolutely not. But I hope so, man.

[Tim Gettys]

It'll be. I think it'll be okay.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But, like, I mean, yeah, Switch one. Did that have a lot of trouble?

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, it did. It was rough.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

At least we're not going to. Hopefully. Fingers crossed. At least we're not going to have to Deal with like the chip shortage again with the PS5 and Xbox series.

[Barrett Courtney]

X. I had to buy my Switch through the homie Alexio because he just pre ordered two and it was impossible for me to find one.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm pretty sure that the reason that we haven't even heard of the Switch 2 yet is them preparing for this. And like, I have just a lot of faith in Nintendo handling this all right. And like, I have been burned before. Like, I. I have never been more high to low than I was in the final predictions episode before the Nintendo Switch, after we got the commercial and after we got all that stuff when it was just the night before, going to New York and seeing that, the big presentation of like the launch games and all that stuff of like the endless possibilities of what the Switch might have, and then seeing them introduce one to Switch and seeing them introduce Project Octopath Traveler and all stuff. Some great games in there, some awesome games, but the dream kind of died that day. That presentation ended with the best game trailer of all time. Breath of the wild, big launch release date thing. But overall that was like, a lot of, like, not great news. I hope that doesn't happen again, but.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't think it's going, oh, we're going to.

[Barrett Courtney]

Well, we're going to.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I hope we get a percentage of it. I hope it's. I hope it's not as much. But like, I want a few duds, I want a few trailers that we watch that makes us go, what the. Are they smoking over there? You know what I mean? Give me. I get it.

[Barrett Courtney]

You want an arm.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Give me arms too.

[Barrett Courtney]

You want an arms too?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, like, but like, not literally arms too, but like, give me the equivalent.

[Tim Gettys]

You know What I mean? 1, 2. Switch is a dud.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Arms is a dud.

[Tim Gettys]

Arms.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Arms should have been better than it was. Like, I like the idea so much, but like, you play that game, that game is a dude.

[Barrett Courtney]

Give me three, four Switch.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

This is what I want to do at some point. And I was going to mention this during the Ubisoft thing where I kind of want to do like a Ubisoft IP draft. Like, you be the Gilmore family, I'll be 10 cent. We're just drafting IPs back and forth.

[Tim Gettys]

Cool.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That could be a Gamescast. We should also. I want to do a Nintendo Switch library draft.

[Tim Gettys]

Love that.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Where we go around, we draft five games each from the Nintendo Switch library when it's all said and done. Because, like, let me.

[Tim Gettys]

The best library of video game consoles.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Ever had 1000 you're not allowed to.

[Barrett Courtney]

Use the games that are reported from the Wii U.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Now here's the thing. This is what I'll tell you. We can have four people on this panel and fuck it. Each draft 10 games. Arms is not getting drafted. That's a dud. Okay, I just defined a dud.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, yeah, I think dud is a little far. I don't think it's the farthest.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I think it's just a little far.

[Tim Gettys]

It's just a little far. The theme song that good. It can't be a dud.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, the music was the best part of that game. Music was really good. Bodash writes in and says, do you think DC would make a hero shooter now with how popular Marvel Rivals is?

[Tim Gettys]

No.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yes.

[Barrett Courtney]

And we'll get it in 10 years and it'll be Rock City.

[Tim Gettys]

That's a good point. Yeah. They'll eventually get there.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I wish we lived in a world where, like, we could get one of these and it'd be dope and it'd be like a direct competitor to Marvel Rivals. It's the weird thing of, you know, I feel like you, you look online in like the DC and Marvel communities and there's always a conversation of like, okay, Marvel, Marvel has the best movies right now, but DC has the best cartoons and DC has the best games. And I feel like on the game side, it's gone a bit back and forth and like, I'm very sad about where we're at with D.C. games.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, here's just something that people aren't going to want to hear, but I don't care. I'm here. Blessed some hot takes. I'm going to have some hot takes and honestly, I'm going to be real. This is even a hot take. This is kind of just a reality. Like the battle between Marvel and dc. It's very different. Like, at the end of the day in terms of quality and all that stuff. I feel like there are examples, like Dark Knight I think is better than any Marvel movie ever.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Like, yeah, I'm not going to disagree with you. I love Dark Night.

[Tim Gettys]

I stand on that. Like, to me, I'm like, that, that is my, my true thought. So I'm not saying, like, this is true for everything. Marvel's just done such a good job across every medium over the last 20 years of domination that the amount of Marvel characters that mean a lot to a lot of people is so much more vast than D.C. has. I feel like there's like a, a ridiculous drop off of characters on DC after, like, 15. And I feel like Marvel has the Guardians level of just like every single one of the Guardians means a lot more than, like, the Justice Society of America.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

If I go to a random mall in America right now, I feel like there's a higher chance I'll see a Groot. Somebody wearing a Groot T shirt than a Green Lantern T shirt.

[Tim Gettys]

And you're talking about Green Lantern. I think that's an amazing poll, and that's kind of the point that I'm making. So I think a Marvel Rivals and like, oh, a new hero every month with where we're at and what Marvel is, I think is a completely different conversation than D.C. for a multitude of reasons.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Kind of looking forward to those DC movies, though. Tell me what you got.

[Tim Gettys]

James Gunn, but are you watching Creature Commandos?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

No, my exact point.

[Tim Gettys]

Really good.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Let's see. Reed writes in and says, Net East Pub. Net Ease published. Oh, God, it just shifted. Hold on, hold on. Oh, we're getting a lot of super chats. Shout out to you guys. Shout out to you guys. Net Ease published Overwatch in China. So they had HW2 copy. I don't know what that means. They had. Oh, they had homework to copy is what they're saying. All right, cool. Claw Master writes in. It says. Just want to chime in, Tim, on a correction about no one else using Marvel. Like Marvel rivals are. Marvel vs Capcom collection just came out, and it's really damn good. So let's calm down.

[Tim Gettys]

But I didn't say that. I didn't say anything close to that. Like, people are using Marvel. Right? But I'm saying Marvel's Avengers is an example of them using it wrong.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I just love them. They clap back at you about Marvelous Capcom, which is the thing that I.

[Tim Gettys]

Know you love, and I fucking love it more than anybody. And it's like, okay, cool. Also, it's a port of a game from 2000. Marvel Infinite's a good example of them not doing it right.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

God. Moaning 1 writes in and says, not related to anything, but I randomly decided to play exoprimal yesterday. And the yellow Devil boss they added from the Mega man crossover was hard as fuck. Good for you. Moaning I'm going to pause there in the super chats because they're rolling in now. They're random. And I want to get into that during the Super Chat section. But for now, though, let's talk more about Marvel Rivals with story number three. The Advanced Suit 2.0 from Spider Man 2 is coming to Marvel Rivals, pulling directly from PlayStation's Twitter where they tweeted out, quote, don't mess with the Amazing Spider man. The Advanced Suit 2.0 from Marvel. Marvel Spider Man 2 comes to Marvel Rivals. Unlock this costume in store on January 30th, the same day Marvel's Spider Man 2 comes to PC. Look at this. It's a thing of beauty.

[Tim Gettys]

It's a thing of beauty because look how far Insomniac came. They first revealed this, and it was met with a lot of hesitation, right? I don't say hatred, but hesitation. And now that's their Spider Man. This Spider man stands among the Spider Man.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I mean, like, not wrong.

[Barrett Courtney]

The first big step was when you saw it into the spider verse. You're like, oh, shit. They're making sure. Yeah, they're making a mark.

[Tim Gettys]

I think that's very cool. Good for them.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Have you played much Marvel Rivals? Do you plan to play much?

[Tim Gettys]

I want to. I just like, man, life's just life's life, and you know what I mean? But I'm just so happy that it exists. And it's like people are vibing with it so much and still playing it. The fact that Jeff the land shark is in the mouths of anybody, oh, it makes me very happy.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Every time I get swallowed up by Jeff the land shark ruins my day. He swallows me up, spits me out, and I'm just like, oh, God, I'm off the edge, you know, Every single time. Just let me stay on the edge.

[Barrett Courtney]

And think about that. That game is so fun because they left the shark be unbalanced, you know, I mean, you.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

They let you spit me out, and.

[Tim Gettys]

Now I'm being spit out.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Now I'm over the edge. Hate it. But I love that game. Yeah, I. I love that game so much. It is. I. I can't stress enough. I know everybody knows this because everybody's playing Marvel Rivals, but looking at that game in action, the art style is so good. Like, I am playing a scarlet witch and the way her hair flows is insane in that game. And they added in Mr. Fans fantastic and Sue Storm and like, the way that, like, Mr. Fantastic moves, the way he just turns around when you can do the character select screen. It's like there's so much attention to detail. And this is a multiplayer game. Like, this is a Overwatch, like hero shooter. And they nailed it as much as they possibly could. And so, man, what a time to be alive.

[Tim Gettys]

So cool.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Sad news story number four. Microsoft is to lay off a known number of staff. This is Sophie McAvoy at GamesIndustry Biz Microsoft has announced another round of layoffs affecting staff in its gaming, security and sales divisions, as reported by Business Insider. A spokesperson for the firm said these cuts would affect a small number of employees, but did not specify how many would be made redundant. They also specified that these layoffs were unrelated to the cuts announced last week that focused on underperforming workers. Quote At Microsoft, we focus on high performance talent, the spokesperson said via cnbc. We are always working on helping people learn and grow. When people are not performing, we take appropriate action. End quote. Last year, Microsoft cut 1900 employees from its gaming division, followed by another round in September 2024 affecting 650 workers. The hits keep coming, unfortunately.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, I mean dude, it fucking sucks. Like, and it's there's no end in sight to all of this and the restructuring and acquisitions lead to these type of situations and there's no getting around that besides not doing them.

[Barrett Courtney]

But they promised. They promised so sweetly in court with the FTC that they wouldn't do it. And we had to believe them, right? Here we are, they promised.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Story number five Sony and several LA based PlayStation studios donate to Wildfire relief Efforts this is Tom Ivan at Video Games Chronicle. Sony and a number of PlayStation studios have announced plans to donate to the Los Angeles Wildfire relief efforts. Fires that started last Tuesday have killed at least 25 people, displaced thousands and destroyed over 12,000 structures. They could become the costliest in US history, with forecaster Accuweather estimating that the total damage and economic loss may hit $275 billion. Sony said this week that it's donating $5 million to support first responders, community and relief in rebuilding efforts and other assistance programs. LA based PlayStation Studios, Naughty Dog, Insomniac and Sony Santa Monica have also released statements in which they confirm plans to donate to relief efforts. Quote Naughty Dog is Los Angeles grown and we are proud to have been part of such a strong and resilient community here for decades and will continue to stand by our own team members and our neighborhood as we work together to rebuild, said the last of us and Uncharted developer Naughty Dog. Well, we would also like to extend our gratitude to the incredible first responders and our partners at SIE and SONY for their support. End quote Quote Insomniak has called the Los Angeles area home for decades, wrote the Spider man and Ratchet and Clank Studio. We feel a responsibility to support the communities that have molded us into who and what we are today. We would also like to deeply thank first responders and volunteers for the heroic acts. With the ongoing containment and relief efforts, please stay safe. End quote. And the last quote. In these dire circumstances, we are reminded that the heart of this incredible city beats with singular resilient compassion as so many have selflessly rallied together to provide aid for their neighbors and stranger strangers alike. Said God of War Maker Sony Santa Monica. While we know the road to rebuilding will be long, there's no place we're more proud to call our home. End quote.

[Tim Gettys]

Incredibly scary times out there. Amazing to see PlayStation trying to help here. I think in addition to this, I saw a lot of people tweeting that work at PlayStation saying the PlayStation's mass matching donations that individuals are putting as well towards this. So yeah, great efforts there man. Praying for everybody. Hope everything works out. And you know, this is, it's going to affect so much going forward of, of life because there is so much that happens in Los Angeles and whether the company's buildings themselves or the people that work their houses are in bad situations, that's going to have long term effects on, on many things that we consume and beyond that, way more importantly than that, like the amount of turmoil that thousands of people are going through, I don't think there's they've ever faced anything like that in their lives. Like be patient with people, try your best to help. It's very scary times out there, 1000%.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Our hearts of course go out to people who have been affected by the fires and if you're listening and watching and you see and you have the ability and you see the, the a way to donate or give back or help people, like please do so because yeah is crazy. It's been like really scary to follow and watch that happen. And of course like we could attribute to so many things, whether it be climate change, whether it be structures, whether it be whatever. But like at the end of the day, like, like you mentioned, right, like be good to people, be patient with people and yeah, of course we wish the best for everybody affected by this. Tim, that was some big news we talked about, but if I wanted something smaller, say the tiniest news I needed to know about, where would I go?

[Tim Gettys]

You go to our last story, the WE News Channel, where we covered all the small news items that you need to know about.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Story number six is WE News from ign. Suicide Squad killed. The Justice League just received its final update, which along with the promised offline mode, adds an official ending to the game's story that wraps everything up. Barrett is shaking his his head in his hand. He's doing the face. Palm bear. Did you read what. What the. What the ending is?

[Barrett Courtney]

Roger Sentence.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I didn't. I didn't have the bandwidth because I don't give a. But like, is it crazy?

[Barrett Courtney]

It is the biggest, like the worst.

[Tim Gettys]

Thing you could possibly imagine.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

No way should we spoil it? I don't.

[Tim Gettys]

Yes, everybody.

[Barrett Courtney]

No one gives a right.

[Tim Gettys]

We're going to spoil the end of Suicide Squad. Kill the Justice League. So if you don't spoil a little.

[Barrett Courtney]

Bit of like what happens in the base game. So yeah, who cares? At one point in the base game, right, you kill Batman and everybody was up in arms about like, oh my God, they killed Batman in such like a brutal way. This is crazy, all this stuff. This is Kevin Conroy's last performance ever.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

What the.

[Barrett Courtney]

And the ending of this. It turns out that you had actually killed a clone or like a different alternate universe. Batman. And the Batman in the Rocksteady universe is actually still alive and we never actually killed him. The biggest walk back in history of just like, if you're gonna do something weird and stupid, commit to it. And like even just the introduction after the base game came out of like the Seasons of like. Oh yeah, the. The seasons are gonna about. Be about all these different universes. Like all right, well nothing fucking matters then. Who gives a shit?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Fuck. Again, this is an episode of Hot Takes, right? We can say whatever we want here. We got microphones in front of our mouths. Isn't. Isn't this what you want though? Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

No, I mean, I'm with you. Is this what you want? The end of it? I'm just like, yeah, hey, this place is a bad decision. And it doesn't fucking know.

[Barrett Courtney]

Is that this point? Let either Camouflage or WB Montreal get back to their era of the Batman. Arkham Verse. Young Batman. Cuz there's still so much you can do with there. Like the Rock City era of the Batman universe. Just let it go and do something else, cuz.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Well, cuz this is my thing, right? Does this make Suicide Squad even somehow? Even worse game? Yes. Yes. But the universe like you can still do like Batman.

[Barrett Courtney]

I'm done.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

You can make another AR game. You can continue the legacy.

[Barrett Courtney]

Anything post Arkham Knight.

[Tim Gettys]

I don't give a.

[Barrett Courtney]

Anymore. I don't do something else. Do Batman beyond in a different universe.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't give a. I do like that. I do like that. Bespoken. I can't argue against that.

[Tim Gettys]

Hilarious.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

From vgc, A developer has. Has put further development of their Steam. Excuse me. A developer has put further development of their Steam Early Access game on hold because they're going to jail for three years. Fortune's Run was released on Early Acts on early access in September 2023. It has since earned a very positive rating among its reviewers. But yeah, sadly you're not going to get an update on that game for three years. Jesus From Gematsu Kaizen gameworks has announced the main voice cast for Open World Mascot Management crime drama Promise Mascot Agency, which includes Kazuma Kiryu of Yakuza voice actor Takaya Kuroda in the role of protagonist Michi, as well as a couple of games industry icons like former Sony Interactive Entertainment head of Indies Shuhei Yoshida.

[Tim Gettys]

I love it, dude.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And White Owls Inc. President Hidetaka Swahiro aka Sweary65. I love Shuhei leaving PlayStation and immediately, immediately being announced in the game. Love that PlayStation Plus Extra. Look at this handsome.

[Tim Gettys]

I love that it gives them handsome.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Him.

[Tim Gettys]

He is.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Look at him.

[Tim Gettys]

Oh, I love him.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

He is just. Shuhei is just a guy that loves games.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, man.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And that's why you love.

[Barrett Courtney]

I'm excited for him to thrive.

[Tim Gettys]

Shuhei Yoshida was a producer on crash bandicoot1.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yep.

[Tim Gettys]

Like in the credits. Like, how dope is that? That's Legacy, man.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's legacy. PlayStation Plus Extra and premium games for January have been announced on Extra. You're getting God of War, Ragnarok Like a Dragon Guide in the main, Her Race's Name, Atlas Fallen, Reign of Sand, South Dakota Gundam Battle Alliance, Sayonara, Wild Hearts, Anno mutationum, Orcs Must Die 3, Citizen Sleeper and Poker Club. For premium you're getting Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings. And then also Medieval 2 Party Animals is coming to PS5. Then lastly, Lil Gator Game in the Dark DLC has been announced for Xbox, PS4, PS5, Switch and PC. And that is it for We News. We got a bunch of super chats. Super chat from Bless Smoking Joe420 writes in and says new Animal Crossing please hashtag Rogers always right.

[Tim Gettys]

My entire take and we'll see. But my take on Animal Crossing is I personally think the best strategic move is to not launch with an Animal Crossing. Animal Crossing is your second win game to get that second group of people in or sell a second switch for your friends and family and partner.

[Barrett Courtney]

Second switch being an oled.

[Tim Gettys]

No.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. Make Animal Crossing a launch style for that. They're like, yeah, Animal Crossing is the game that's going to show off the visuals of the switch too. We're going to save that. Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

The thing that Nintendo needs right now, and I don't mean to be a broken record here, but what Nintendo needs right now is not a thing that's like, oh, my God, this is the most visually interesting thing. It is a clear statement to people that, hey, you need to buy a switch too. You need to upgrade. It's not the same switch. This is a new thing, and it's worth doing. And there's very few things that are going to tell the audience of the switch. One, that Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, and 3D Mario are those three things. Pokemon is the ever present every couple years thing. What's up with Za, man? What's up with Zah?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, I'm with you. I. I don't think, at the very least, you can't double up on a year of Mario Kart and Animal Crossing. You gotta choose one or the other. And I think you're right. And, like, I think Mario Kart is the one for year one, because it has been so long, even though you're just gonna get more of the same thing. But, you know, it has been so long since Mario Kart.

[Tim Gettys]

I love being a. I've never wanted ever, not a single time until today.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Here's the thing, right? Because, like, I feel the same way about Smash Ultimate. Like, I'm never gonna be like, where's the next Smash game? I can't imagine ever being like, where's the next Smash game? They've made the best one. Just go play that one. Because, you know, just go place. Let's go play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. They made the best.

[Barrett Courtney]

More of the argument for Smash. And that's only because the literal, like, level design, what most people play is, like, the basic, like, level or whatever, at least, like, in our group, right? Are people playing Smash for the levels, or are they playing Smash to.

[Tim Gettys]

I play Smash for it all.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I play for it.

[Tim Gettys]

I play for it all, man.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Okay?

[Tim Gettys]

Y'all are cray cray. Okay. I just put special on the Switch, too, with all the DLC characters, because we're never gonna get all the characters again, ever. Yeah, but, yeah, have Smash Ultimate. Ultimate. Whatever the fuck. I don't give a shit. Do it. And then have a reboot of Smash Brothers. That's what I want.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I would be fascinated to see reboot, though. That's my thing, is you could convince me on a new. Well, there's the thing. No matter what, you're gonna convince me a new Mario Kart. Because I do love Mario Kart. But, like, if the Mario Kart. If Mario Kart 9 was a. Hey, we're stripping everything back, and, like, we are fundamentally changing the shit. You really got my attention. Like, you really. You really got me in.

[Tim Gettys]

I want more Smash than I do for Mario Kart.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. That's my thing is when I think of Mario Kart 9, I just think of more Mario Kart.

[Barrett Courtney]

But that's what's exciting is like, well, have they thought of next? What thing that we can't even fucking imagine right now? Blessing.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Driving on water.

[Barrett Courtney]

Is it? Well, I think we've got that technically, too, but three people driving a car all at the same time.

[Tim Gettys]

Triple Dash, man. I hate it. I hate it.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

David N writes that it says, give the MK characters unique abilities and make it a racing smash, Brothers.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, I love that. Although I don't always love the unique abilities. Like, that's.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. See, then Double Dash ain't the best. You're almost getting into, like, hero. Oh, yeah. I feel like you're getting. You're getting to, like, hero shooter territory when it is like, oh, Donkey Kong is a tank and he has this, like, specific ability. Or Mario has this thing. Right. Like, once you get into that, I feel like. I don't know. I guess Don Kong kind of is.

[Tim Gettys]

We've done that before, though. Like, I feel like Double Dash wasn't even the only one wrong.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Tricky Kappa. Right? Then it says, do you expect Trump's tariffs to affect the price? I think it's talking specifically about the Switch to.

[Tim Gettys]

I don't know, man. Like, we'll have to wait and see how that affects everything. I think the answer is yes.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I think overall, video games over time are going to cost more.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't know about the Switch 2 in particular, but, yeah, everything is gonna cost more for sure. Like, especially video games, which so many of them come from overseas.

[Tim Gettys]

It's so funny because I was thinking about this today as well, about the Switch, too, of, like, I have so much fun predicting so many different bits about it. Like, what games are gonna show, like, what are the features? Like, what's the release date? Like, all this stuff speculating on the price, I have no interest in. Like, I. I just don't care. I just feel like we're just saying shit. It's like, we don't know.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

And it's just gonna say something. And no matter what it is, we're all gonna be like, huh, okay.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

You know, I like it.

[Barrett Courtney]

And it also depends on, like. Like, when the tariffs are implemented. I Don't think it's an if. It's a when situation, when the Switch comes out, all that stuff. But yes, like, inevitably, things, not just your gaming stuff, is going to cost significantly more.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I like predicting price because like, every single time I predict a price, I see Chad go crazy. Like, no, that's crazy. And then like the PS5 Pro, I think was the one where I remember being on a show and being like, I can see it being $700 and like there was somebody in chat that was adamant and then they announced it for like 700 bucks. And I'm like, listen, man, I got my finger on the pulse. I know, listen. I know what a dollar cost.

[Tim Gettys]

What's the price of switch to 350? 3:50.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

3:50. $350.

[Barrett Courtney]

What is it after?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Take it to the bank after tips, tariffs. Oh, tariffs. It's coming out before the tariff. You know, Tom, slow to the punch.

[Barrett Courtney]

But. But like, I have to go up once the tariffs are in place.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

It's too late. It's too late. They can't raise the price. No, they're going to charge us $100 for software is what's going to happen. You're gonna buy the next Zelda game for $100 is what's gonna happen. Axel writes in and says the Switch 2 is gonna be a bit underpowered. Luckily for Nintendo, though, that I like playing Mario Kart while taking a dump. I mean, you speak for everybody in that regard, right? Like, yeah, the Switch 2 is not gonna be as powerful as the PS5 or Xbox Series X. No, nobody's buying it for the power. You're buying it so you can play Mario Kart while taking a dump.

[Tim Gettys]

Mm.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Charlie Nuggets writes in and says, I.

[Tim Gettys]

Feel like I've never played a video game while taking a dump. I just want to say that. And it feels like it's a common thing people do. I don't get it.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I think the only game I've done that for, Smash ultimate. And that's cuz, like, I just couldn't. I couldn't stop. I was. I was in a world of light. I was on a run. I was on a roll. I was hooked in. And it's smash. You know me, I fucking love Smash Brothers, man. I couldn't put the game down. And so I'm like, you know what, man? This is. Come in the bathroom with me. I'm sorry.

[Tim Gettys]

Oh my God. I love it.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Charlie Nuggets writes in and says, I feel like a really good example of a big IP in A crossover slash collaboration, not meaning success. Was the Assassin's Creed set for Magic. I forget what this is in context to, but, like, yeah, I got. I don't know, man. I feel like Assassin's Creed and Magic doesn't strike me as, like, the best kind of collaboration to hit with the audience.

[Tim Gettys]

But, like, Final Fantasy, you know that shit's going to hit. Oh, yeah, that comes out next year. Like, that's going to be very popular for bringing new people in. I mean, myself included. But, like, you're not going to get Barrett, who's the Assassin's Creed guy. He's not going to buy magic cards because they're Assassin's Creed, even though he loves Assassin's Creed.

[Barrett Courtney]

And I don't think, like, just because it's getting a collab with Magic is an indicator of, like, it being, like, this cultural phenomenon. Because, not to talk shit, but, like, Ghostbusters also got a collab with Magic. And, like, is Ghostbusters the biggest thing on the planet? No.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Ubisoft also strikes me as a company that's like. Especially in the current era of Ubisoft, I should say that's very much like, yo, if you'll give us money to do some, we'll do it. Yeah, yeah, like. Like, hey, Magic, please. Please put Etsy on the card. Please put Altair on the card. Right. Like, but, like, you know, I look at Fallout, for example, the Fallout collaboration, and I don't know for sure, but I gotta imagine that successful. I got a pack. I know a friend. I know one of my friends I play with all the time has, like, a pack of the Fallout ones. I think Mike might have the Fallout one. That's the one that got me in. And, like, I do think I've started checking out Magic TikTok, Tim. Mainly because Mike sends them to me.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And sometimes I'll read the comments, right. And, like, there was a TikTok about some of the upcoming, like, collaborations and upcoming sets that Magic has coming out. And as I'm reading the comments, everybody's mad. Everybody's like, oh, they're ruining the magic. I love why you bringing in all these different ips, like, Universal Magic. Great again. Yeah. Like, it's not. That's what they sound like.

[Tim Gettys]

I get that.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And I. And I get it too, because it's the idea of the more you do the collaboration stuff, the more that you're not doing the core content.

[Tim Gettys]

Totally.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

So I totally understand where they're coming from. The rebuttal that I'll always give is that hey, how many people have the collaborations brought in? Greg got the Ghostbusters thing. He's probably the only person that came in through Ghostbusters, but they got him.

[Tim Gettys]

They got him.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

They got him. They got me through through Fallout, and I'm sure a lot of other people Final Fantasy might bring. Tim Gebbies.

[Tim Gettys]

Oh, it's 100%. Bring me at least to collect these things. Like, do you see this art?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's incredible.

[Tim Gettys]

Do you see this Sephiroth here? Are you kidding me? I want them.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And so are there shinies there? Yes. Well, there's foils. Like, there's. There's cool looking cards. Yes, good shinies. But yeah, the collaborations and the universe beyond stuff is doing what it is doing what it needs to do in order to get people into magic. And so I know that sucks for the people that have, you know, been here and, like, people that are. Have been invested. But hey, you know, if it's successful, it's doing what it needs to do. Oh, man. Oh, man. We got more super chats for you.

[Tim Gettys]

Keep going, man.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Well, here's the thing. My browser's slow, and so I'm trying to scroll up and down.

[Tim Gettys]

Okay, I could do this here then. Let's see where we at here. We got Danny tortellini. Sorry, my bad. Danny Tortelli says I had Nick on the mind. You know what I mean?

[Barrett Courtney]

SpongeBob so hard.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Plus, I don't know. You get that reference? I got it. No, I got it.

[Tim Gettys]

I love me a tortellini. You know what I mean?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

What is it?

[Tim Gettys]

I feel like raviolis get all the, like, shout outs, but, like, tortellini.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Is that like a kind of pasta? Danny Tortellini sounds delicious.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm so sorry, Daddy. I'm so sorry, Daddy. Tortelli says Nintendo needs to add the Wii news music to Alarmo. That'd be cool.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, yeah, that'd be neat. Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Clawmaster writes in. First off, my bad, Tim. Second, late WE News Edition Evo Lightup was announced yesterday alongside the first Evil Awards show taking place February 15th.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Love that.

[Tim Gettys]

Have you talked about this yet, stuff?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

No, I saw the lineup. Like, there's not anything surprising in the lineup, so I think it kind of. I kind of saw it and just.

[Tim Gettys]

Forgot about Marvel 2's back, baby.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, yeah. Marvel 2. That's awesome. Yeah. Is that, like, in the main lineup or is that. No, it is in the main lineup.

[Tim Gettys]

Surprise game or whatever.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, I expected that, though. It's awesome. But yeah, I saw that. I was like, oh, yeah, that. That sounds about right for, you know, the Marvel vs. Capcom collection having just come out. But no, that's awesome.

[Tim Gettys]

Phil says, I had a dream Pokemon made an Unreal Engine game for launch. I laughed, I got upset, and then I went back to sleep. Why, Tim? Yeah, man. You know, I. I am so interested in what Pokemon ZA is going to look like. Like Pokemon Legends. This will be the longest in development Pokemon game we've ever had. Ever.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Really? Yeah, it's wild.

[Tim Gettys]

Like, we've been getting these things like, annual. This at this point will be like two years until it comes out.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

This is what happened. My browser. My browser just straight up chat gave up. Like, it went from being on the page to them being like, it just went to a white screen.

[Tim Gettys]

So we got Pokemon Legends off, which is confirmed for Switch.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, Switch one.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

So it's like we imagine it'll also be on Switch to. Or at least playable on Switch because of backwards compatibility. But the more exciting thing is we're then getting Generation 10 of Pokemon.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

See, and that's. Honestly, that's what I'm way more invested in. Like zaw, I think it being part of the Legends branding has me. I. I think about it as a side game. I think about it as like, oh, it's another one of those for the people that. With Legends. Jen. Like, I want to hope that Gen 10 is what they are putting all their effort into as far as, like development time. Like, I'm hoping that ZAW is. Hey, yeah. We spent a regular amount of time that we make making a Pokemon game working on this, but we're putting all our things into. Into Gen 10.

[Barrett Courtney]

I think I need that. I think I know what ZA and Gen 10 is going to look like.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, my God, Barrett, when you're right, you're right. For audio listeners, Barrett just pulled up a screenshot of the last Pokemon game.

[Tim Gettys]

It's so funny because, like, I know me and you more than most love Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to different degrees, but can you bring it up again, Barrett? I think a lot of it has to do with how much we also Love Super Mario 64.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yo, that mountain is just straight up.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

It really does look like Mario 64. I've played so much of a game that looks exactly like this that it doesn't bother me. That's so funny.

[Tim Gettys]

Oh, man. We also have the engaged family gaming saying there's a difference between secret layer drops like Ghostbusters and entire sets. Assassin's Creed and Final Fantasy. Also, magic fans are notoriously awful. Jesus Christ. This video game Man, God, I love it. I got every single Pokemon there in the decks. Every single.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

For you.

[Tim Gettys]

I played that game for 150 hours or so. God.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

You know, for. For. For as bad as Scarlet and Violet is, it's crazy how good Scarlet and Violet is, you know, it's crazy. That game is so good.

[Tim Gettys]

It's so good.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

It's the. It's the biggest Monkey Paw video game I've ever played in my life.

[Tim Gettys]

Here's the other thing. And I love it because I'm starting to see. I mean, I'm very much unlike Pokemon Twitter in every way. So it's like I. I'm not. I don't know that this is actually like a popular opinion or if I'm just getting the things given to me. We all talk so much shit about how Sword and Shield looked when it came out. And the wild area had some issues. Whatever. Bear, can you bring up some footage of Sword and Shield?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I'm sure Sword and Shield probably looks like the Mona Lisa compared to Scarlet.

[Tim Gettys]

And Violet, but there was just like the art style for it. Just like the look at the vibes of the towns. I'm like, damn, dude, they. They had something like we had something.

[Barrett Courtney]

Special and nobody appreciated it at the time. And it really upset me. Like even Tim think about the opening town and how pretty like, yeah, that looked. It was crazy. Also those starters, so cute and adorable.

[Tim Gettys]

Just like. Yeah, the way that the characters are like outlined even like, like somehow this.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Looks even better than I remember because I also. Yeah, I remember hating like how Sword and Shield not hating how it looked, but just being like, all right, whatever, this is, whatever.

[Barrett Courtney]

There's still a style to it that you could still see the vision. And while like, yeah, it wasn't the most high res looking thing, it was like, okay. There's still a vibe here though.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, it was the wild areas where they tried to do the open thing. That's where this game, I think visually kind of really fell apart.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, man. Gigantamaxing. I forgot about gigantamax.

[Tim Gettys]

I'll never forget, dude. They just introduced it to Pokemon Go and I hate it so much.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. Oh man, what a time.

[Tim Gettys]

CJ splits on says, is it a surprise there's no platform magic Collabs? It's like PlayStation Nintendo. Is that what he means?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, maybe. I don't think that's surprising because I think there's a lot of juice you can get out of just individual ip. Yeah, you could do a God of War collab and then you can do a horizon Collab. Right. Like, I think that's the smarter way to go about it if you want to get, like, the bang for your buck. Because I do think the audiences will show up to these things individually.

[Tim Gettys]

And then we have greeny 22 stream saying, if you want a Castlevania cross cyberpunk game, check out Blade Chimera. Came out today, and it's getting reviewed. Well, that sounds really cool.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Blade Chimera and I can't really cool name.

[Tim Gettys]

Put those things together in my mind.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Castlevania and Cyberpunk Bear, can you bring up Blade Chimera?

[Tim Gettys]

And it's called Blade Chimera?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, it's from Ladybug. You know what this is so far? This is looking exactly how I pictured it from the description, because I. In my mind, I had, like, a katana zero. Okay, this had. I know they said Castlevania, but this has more Castlevania than I somehow expected.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, this is kind of rad.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Cool. Yeah, this looks really cool.

[Tim Gettys]

Good for that.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't know if it's the YouTube video. I don't know if I love the audio of it, but, like, this looks really cool. All right, leave him here.

[Tim Gettys]

Thank you for that, Bear and Samson. L says SpongeBob's getting a magic collab, but there's a winky face, so I don't know if he's serious.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

They got to be joking. There's no way. I can't imagine.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm gonna look it up now. I'm gonna go to your wrong to close things out. Here we got.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, wait.

[Tim Gettys]

Damn. Kebab says that was the second time Tim's Ms. Red Daddy Tortelli's Davis Tortillas.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's what I thought. Yeah, Like, I was having a flashback, man.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm a bad person. I am so sorry.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Secret layer crossover with spongebob squarepants, huh?

[Tim Gettys]

I'm gonna try to order some tortellini for lunch. I don't know where it's gonna sell them, but I want it.

[Barrett Courtney]

We had tortellini at some point last week.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Tim, can you tell me what tortellini is?

[Tim Gettys]

Tolini are just like. They're like ravioli, but just in a different shape. They're like a mini croissant inch.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, yeah. I've had tortillina plenty of times then.

[Tim Gettys]

Hella good.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, yeah, I do like tortellini. Yo, if you get something creatures, I.

[Tim Gettys]

Had tortellini soup today.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, that's what we had the tortellini in was soup. Damn, dude, it adds so much to the soup.

[Tim Gettys]

Layers to this. All right, everybody, that's it.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

We did it.

[Tim Gettys]

We did it.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's kind of funny. Games Daily, everybody. Tim, thank you so much for joining me here today. Of course. After this, it's gonna be a stream. Nick was in the back. I should have asked him. Nick, what's the stream? What's the stream? Today they're debating.

[Barrett Courtney]

Tell them to debate faster.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

We're debating on it because it's either gonna be me and Joey playing Astrobot or Roger just got back and he's housing some in n out right now. We might play Centur. Oh, God. Breaking news. We're playing sin2noodle. There we go. There we go. Danny Tortellini, Girger lawyers. We're gonna have some fun.

[Barrett Courtney]

I'm still gonna keep the headline as Nick Scar Pino plays kind of funniest game of the year, but then just add 2025.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I like that.

[Tim Gettys]

It's yes, a hint, a tease.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Love that. Again, 10p. What's for joining me?

[Tim Gettys]

Thank you.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Has been kind of funny. Games Daily. Each and every weekday we run you through the nerdy news that need to know about live on YouTube, Twitch and all podcast services around the globe. If you love what we do, support us with the kind of funny membership on Patreon or YouTube or Spotify or Apple podcast to get all of our shows ad free, watch us record them live and get a daily exclusive show. Enjoy the stream next and the games cast after and the reaction to Daredevil born again after the stream before the games cast.

[Tim Gettys]

Right?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yep, there you go. But until next time, Game Daily.