Kinda Funny Games Daily 10.20.25: Summary

Main Theme:
Today's episode dives into the latest news in the world of video games—focusing on the controversial $1,000 price tag for the Xbox-branded ASUS ROG Ally X handheld, rumors of a Resident Evil 0 remake, the surge of extraction shooters like Arc Raiders, and all the essential (and weird) industry updates. Regular hosts Blessing Adeoye Jr. and Andy Cortez guide listeners through both headline news and entertaining tangents, blending insight and humor in KFGD's signature style.

Episode Overview

• Hosts: Blessing Adeoye Jr. & Andy Cortez
• Date: October 20, 2025
• Key Stories Covered:
  • The ASUS ROG Ally X price controversy and Xbox's response
  • Resident Evil 0 remake rumors and casting leaks
  • Extraction shooter boom: Arc Raiders and Escape from Duckov
  • Industry culture deep-dive: Mind's Eye post-mortem
  • Weird & wild news bits (WE News), including Ninja Gaiden 4 stunts, a new handheld, and more

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The ROG Ally X $1,000 Price Tag (Starts ~13:45)

• Who Sets the Price?
  Xbox boss Sarah Bond clarified that ASUS, not Xbox, determined the ROG Ally X's $1,000 price.

  • Quote (Sarah Bond via IGN):
    “ASUS used its insights into the market into the feature set, into what people want to determine the ultimate prices of the devices.”
    (15:09)

• Xbox’s Position:
  Despite the price and initial pushback, Bond cited "overwhelming demand," with devices selling out at launch.

• Hosts’ Take:

  • Surprised at how directly Xbox shifted blame to ASUS.

  • “It’s kind of weird to say it without saying it... You still want to do the quarterback thing and go, well, I control all... but she’s just like, well, it’s their product, whatever.” – Andy Cortez (15:42)

  • “If so much is your fault and something happens that’s not your fault, you’re like, ‘Hey man, fuck, you. Lose ‘em. This one wasn’t us!’” – Andy Cortez (17:03)

• Price vs. Value:
  Discussion on whether sales validate the high price, and speculation on intended production volume and target audience.

• Community Reaction:
  Playful suggestions that “people listening to Xcast too much” are primed to blame ASUS. (15:35)

2. Resident Evil 0 Remake Rumblings (42:00)

• The Leak:
  Voice actor John McLaren’s resume—referring to a project called “Chamber”—hints he’s playing Billy Coen, strengthening remake rumors.

• Hosts’ Perspective:

  • Interest piqued due to Capcom’s strong track record with previous RE remakes: "Capcom hasn’t really missed with the Resident Evil remakes." – Andy Cortez (28:47)
  • Discussion about the original being a GameCube exclusive, later ported.
  • Excitement for a technical facelift and modern gameplay treatment: "To get the massive shift to third person would be awesome... a massive dub." – Blessing (31:06)

3. Extraction Shooter Boom: Arc Raiders & Escape from Duckov (36:15 & 41:33)

• Arc Raiders' Impressive Playtest:

  • 190,000+ concurrent players during the “Server Slam.”
  • Poised as “the biggest extraction shooter ever on Steam” (so far), rivaling Escape from Tarkov upon its Steam launch next month.

• User Experience:

  • Crossplay excitement and accessible design heralded as a gateway for new players.
  • “There’s a groundswell of enthusiasm and hype for this and momentum.” – Blessing (39:43)

• Extraction Genre Era:

  • “Are we entering into the extraction era?” – Andy (39:57)
  • Arc Raiders seen as more approachable than Tarkov; console adoption broadens the audience.

• Escape from Duckov’s Surprise Hit:

  • Parody of Escape from Tarkov, “half a million sales in a weekend, 173k peak concurrents.” (43:21)
  • Comparison to indie breakout hits with viral surges (BattleBit, MegaBonk, Schedule One).
  • $15-20 “impulse buy” price point cited as key to indie multiplayer success.

4. Industry Debacles: Mind’s Eye Studio Culture (49:00)

• BBC Feature Recap:
  Former MindsEye/Builder Rocket Boy staff allege chaotic management, constant “Leslie” (the boss) interruptions, and a discouraged culture.

  • "They started calling, like, bugs and bug reports ‘Leslie’s’ after the CEO." – Andy (50:54)

• Hosts’ Angle:
  Both hosts see it as another entry in the “yearly disaster” genre (like Gollum), with the BBC article providing valuable insight into failed AAA launches.

5. Rapid-Fire WE News (52:11)

• Over-the-Top Marketing:

  • Ninja Gaiden 4: Xbox & Koei Tecmo fly a 26-foot giant video game display via helicopter over Miami for a Guinness World Record.
    “Basically a billboard that’s playing Ninja Gaiden 4.” – Andy (53:00)
  • “The latency’s gotta be not great... how am I supposed to parry this?” – Blessing (53:13)

• New Handheld Announced:

  • Anbernic RGDS, a $100 DS-style clamshell for emulation, divides Andy and Blessing on its stick placement and appeal to those who missed the DS era.

• Sleeping Dogs Movie Update:

  • Simu Liu tweets the first script is finished, accompanied by a “sleepy dog” pic.
  • Hosts lament the lack of Shang-Chi or Eternals sequels.

• Major AWS Outage:

  • Recent morning saw PSN, Xbox, and Roblox down due to AWS issues.

• Gaming Industry Notes:

  • The Sims Mobile to sunset in 2026.
  • Football Manager adds FIFA World Cup rights.
  • Absolum hits 200,000 copies sold in a week.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Xbox Blame-Shifting, Price Setting:
  • “I think any rational person gets that. But kind of odd in a press release... ‘That’s ASUS’s price. Sorry.’” – Andy Cortez (15:42)
• On Resident Evil Remakes:
  • “Capcom seal of approval... pretty high bar for what these remakes are.” – Blessing (29:53)
• On Extraction Genre’s Ascent:
  • “Holy, you gotta be worried if you’re a Bungie dev right now.” – Blessing (39:43)
• On Indie Hit Phenomena:
  • “It’s the lottery. Sometimes it just hits for no real reason, sometimes it just takes the right people playing it.” – Blessing (43:41)
• On Studio Culture Trainwrecks:
  • “We were working on five high priority bugs, but now Leslie has sort of taken hold of everything else.” – Blessing (51:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• ASUS/Xbox ROG Ally X Price Story: 13:45 – 20:58
• Resident Evil 0 Remake Leak: 42:00 – 31:24
• Arc Raiders Breakout: 36:15 – 41:33
• Escape from Duckov Viral Success: 41:33 – 48:07
• Mind’s Eye Studio Exposé: 49:00 – 52:00
• WE News Lightning Round: 52:11 – 63:02

Additional Highlights

• Steam Next Fest: Hosts chat indie demos like Luminesce Arise, ReAnimal, Demon School, and Skate Story, sharing streaming impressions and fantasy league stakes.
• Extraction Shooter Story:
  Andy shares a hilarious betrayal mishap involving in-game alliances in Arc Raiders (65:53).
• On AI in Game Art:
  Listeners ask about using AI for sprite creation; both hosts are wary, favoring the “human soul” in creative work (70:25+).
• Snack Chat:
  Blessing praises Costco cookies and Reese’s Oreos; Andy laments fruit gummy temptation.
• Marvel Movie Tangent:
  Both hosts bemoan the lack of Shang-Chi or Eternals sequels, vividly recalling favorite scenes (57:22+).
• Community Shoutouts:
  Super chats engage topics from Arc Raiders streams to AI usage, sprinkle in humor and “awkward middle child tax.”

Tone

• Casual, witty, and genuinely gamer-focused.
• Frequent playful banter and inside jokes
• Open, sometimes self-deprecating—a hallmark of Kinda Funny's rapport

In Summary

This episode blends meaningful industry news (the reality behind hardware pricing, rumor sleuthing for big-name remakes, and the cultural winds behind extraction shooters and indie hits) with the hosts' authentic, lighthearted takes. Their chemistry keeps things fun even amid deep dives, tangents on classic Pokémon debates, accidental betrayals in extraction games, and snack confessions. If you’re looking for informed but enjoyable video game talk—current, community-driven, and meme-laden—this is essential listening.

Memorable Outro:
“Game Daily. Shake her hand.” – Blessing (78:27)

(For a deeper dive, consult timestamps above for each main news segment.)