Xbox Games Showcase, Gears E-Day Direct Announced! - Kinda Funny Games Daily 03.30.26

Summary

Podcast Summary: Kinda Funny Games Daily – Xbox Games Showcase, Gears E-Day Direct Announced!

Date: March 30, 2026
Hosts: Greg “GameOverGreggy” Miller & Lucy James (GameSpot)
Episode Theme:
A breakdown of Xbox’s newly announced 2026 Games Showcase, upcoming Gears of War: E-Day Developer Direct, changes at Xbox under new leadership, and wider discussion on industry news including Bungie’s Marathon plans, “This is an Xbox” campaign cancellation, and more.

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Main Theme/Overview

This episode revolves around the announcement of the 2026 Xbox Games Showcase—including the reveal that Gears of War: E-Day will get its own Developer Direct. The hosts discuss what this signifies for Xbox’s future amidst its shifting leadership and fan expectations. They also cover updates on Bungie’s Marathon, the killing of the “This is an Xbox” campaign, and address assorted gaming news.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Xbox Games Showcase 2026 & Gears of War: E-Day Direct

[05:08]

• Gears of War: E-Day Direct will immediately follow the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday, June 7th, 2026.
• The Showcase promises first-party gameplay reveals, news on upcoming titles (first and third-party), and indie premieres.
• E-Day will explore the origins of Emergence Day, aiming for both nostalgia and new audience engagement.
• Xbox FanFest returns, commemorating 25 years of Xbox.

Discussion:

• Lucy was “surprised we’re getting this news so early,” speculating it could relate to Xbox’s recent rocky period:
  “I feel like this is maybe a, oh, things have been a little bit wobbly in Xbox land. Let’s just keep bringing you the good news.” – Lucy [06:52]
• Speculation around other anticipated games: Fable, Clockwork Revolution, Blade, and their absence/presence at the show.
  “I almost feel… these deep dives at the end, I feel like should be used more for… here’s something you’re not expecting.” – Greg [09:14]
• Speculates Clockwork Revolution is not ready for this year, and Fable’s release might slip:
  “I also don’t fully believe it’s this year. That’s the kind they gotta get right… as you get closer to fall… you get closer to GTA. Why even bother?” – Greg [10:18]

Community Chat:

• Many fans are excited for Gears E-Day, but concerns pop up about recycling old IP:
  “Going back also seems like a weird choice… remember-berry’s [moments], remember Dom?” – Greg [11:28] “That’s modern media though. No one can have a new idea.” – Lucy [11:47]
• Comments mention a wish for more innovation and less reliance on nostalgia.

2. Xbox Branding Shift: “This Is an Xbox” Campaign Scrapped

[22:58]

• Microsoft confirmed new gaming boss Asha Sharma personally killed the “This is an Xbox” campaign because it “didn’t feel like Xbox.”
• The campaign originally aimed to make anything—phone, tablet, TV—a potential Xbox, reducing the focus on hardware.

Analysis:

• Lucy: “I also don’t feel like it really felt like Xbox. It felt like a pivot… a clumsy pivot.” [23:36]
• Greg frames the campaign as a product of half-measures:
  “…if you were gonna do this campaign and do it right, it would be Sarah Bond on the Today Show… everywhere. But with the budget they had, they could only go so far rather than the giant banner ads you need.” [27:41]
• Both hosts agree the messaging muddled consumer understanding, especially for less-core buyers (like Lucy’s “Auntie Janet” test) [26:02].
• Ongoing confusion about Xbox’s vision: hardware first, or cloud/ecosystem first?

3. Bungie’s Marathon: “In It for the Long Haul”

[40:08]

• Bungie claims ongoing commitment to Marathon, touting “many years” of support and incremental updates.
• Reported sales: ~1.2 million copies (unconfirmed estimate).
• Hosts are skeptical: “What the fuck else are they going to say? ‘Yeah, we’re killing it.’” – Lucy [40:08] “Fool me once, fool me 375 times with online games. I don’t believe…” – Greg [40:11]
• Lucy is outright pessimistic, anticipating layoffs and noting the broader live service downturn:
  “I desperately want to be wrong. Of course I think it will continue on… but I think Bungie is going to hemorrhage talent and I think there will be layoffs.” – Lucy [40:48] “Game does great—boom, still layoffs. Game does poorly—still layoffs. There is no protection for anyone anymore.” [41:56]
• Lucy speculates Destiny 2 will eventually take priority over Marathon, or that future Destiny content is seen as a safer investment for PlayStation.

4. Industry Mood & PlayStation’s Live Service Push

[45:41]

• Both hosts express skepticism about PlayStation’s recent live service strategies, e.g. Bungie, and studios like Haven (Fairgames).
• Lucy: “It’s just so clear that Sony’s push into live service is not working, has not worked, and if Bungie can’t even do it…” [46:02]
• Discussions about layoffs, consolidation, and heightened risk in the current games market.

5. Neil Druckmann's 2003 Last of Us Concept Art

[48:13]

• Neil Druckmann shared early concept art for what would become The Last of Us.
• Greg playfully critiques Neil’s drawing:
  “It’s a good thing you’re not an artist. Look how long this guy’s arm is…” [48:34]
• Both hosts love seeing raw, historical preproduction artifacts; Lucy reminisces about meaningful concept art from Bioshock Infinite and Mass Effect 2.
• Emphasizes the value and rarity of studios sharing “work-in-progress” material with the public.

6. Wii News Segment: Rapid Fire Updates

[51:06+]

• Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game launches July 2, 2026.
• Ivy Road Games closing due to lack of funding (makers of Wanderstop), noted for “bittersweet” but transparent departure.
• Tomb Raider Amazon series pause after lead Sophie Turner’s injury.
• Elder Scrolls: Blades mobile game to shut down June 30.
• Truxton Extreme shmup surprise announcement.
• General commentary: Many studios shuttering, funding evaporating, uncertainty rampant.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Xbox’s Showcase Strategy:

“Are you surprised by E-Day being the follow up to the showcase? Are you surprised we’re getting news so early about this?”
— Greg [06:40]

On the Gears Franchise and Xbox Nostalgia:

“Remember-barry’s. Remember Dom? Remember all the fun you had with them… let’s go back to what we know works.”
— Greg [11:28]

On Industry Reliance on Sequels/Remakes:

“That’s modern media, though. No one can have a new idea. We got to go back and–”
— Lucy [11:47]

On Xbox’s Recent Identity Crisis:

“I also don’t feel like it really felt like Xbox. It felt like a pivot. Clumsy pivot.”
— Lucy [23:36] “For what this campaign was and why it didn’t work… it is hard to explain to somebody that no, you don’t need the console.”
— Greg [28:38]

On Marathon and Live Service Games:

“What the fuck else are they going to say? ‘Yeah, we’re killing it’?”
— Lucy [40:08] “Game does great—boom, still layoffs. Game does poorly—still layoffs. There is no protection for anyone anymore.”
— Lucy [41:56] “Fool me once, fool me 375 times with online games. I don’t believe…”
— Greg [40:11]

On the Value of Old Concept Art:

“It’s a good thing you’re not an artist. Look how long this guy’s arm is…”
— Greg (re: Neil Druckmann’s sketch) [48:34]

General Industry Mood:

“The industry in general is depressing right now.”
— Greg [47:13]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Banter: [02:26] – [04:18]
• Xbox Games Showcase/E-Day Announcement: [05:08] – [15:21]
• “This is an Xbox” Branding Discussion: [22:58] – [32:16]
• Bungie’s Marathon & Live Service Skepticism: [40:08] – [47:13]
• Neil Druckmann’s Concept Art: [48:13] – [50:32]
• Wii News (Misc. Announcements): [51:06] – [54:53]
• Community Questions/Super Chats: [55:11] – [59:58]
• Wrap-Up & Final Thoughts: [63:16] – end

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Tone & Language

• The conversation is lively, with a mix of playful teasing (“Show some respect at the Home Depot!” [05:06]) and dry, sometimes cynical humor, especially regarding the industry’s repetitive cycles and existential anxieties.
• Both Greg and Lucy bring honest, sometimes blunt takes while interacting warmly with each other and the chat.

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Conclusion

This episode dives deep into Xbox’s big 2026 plans, with hosts discussing what the Gears E-Day Direct signifies for the ecosystem, how branding strategies reflect leadership changes, and why the whole industry seems stuck between nostalgia and failed innovation. Whether you’re in it for the reveals, live service drama, or the tangents on concept art and industry layoffs, this episode delivers an unfiltered look at where gaming stands in 2026—with the signature wit and candor of the Kinda Funny team.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Refreshing wild cherry Cola meets smooth cream. The treat you deserve. Pepsi Wild Cherry and cream. Treat yourself. K Pop Demon Hunters, Haja Boy's Breakfast Meal and Hunt Trick's Meal have just dropped at McDonald's. They're calling this a battle for the fans. What do you say to that, Rumi? It's not a battle. So glad the Saja Boys could take breakfast and give our meal the rest of the day.

[A]

It is an honor to share.

[B]

No, it's our honor.

[A]

It is our larger honor.

[B]

No, really, stop.

[A]

You can really feel the respect in this battle.

[B]

Pick a meal to pick a side

[A]

and participate in McDonald's while supplies last. If unwanted thoughts are taking over, don't wait to get help. Visit nocd.com to book a free call with their team. If you want to get our shows ad free and our exclusive shows, go to patreon.com kindafunny today in the nerdy news, you need to know about a Gears of War developer Direct is following this year's Xbox game showcase. Asha Sharma officially kills. This is an Xbox and Bungie says they're in it for the long haul with marathon. But it's PlayStation. Cause that's what we gotta worry about. We'll have all this and more because this is Kinda Funny Games Daily. What's up everybody? Welcome to Kinda Funny Games daily for Monday, March 30, 2026. I'm one of your hosts, Greg Miller, alongside GameSpot's Lucy James. Hi. Hey, Lucy. How are you?

[B]

I'm well. How are you?

[A]

I'm good. Do you want to show off your cool shirt?

[B]

Yeah, I do actually. Look at that. That is an Okami Den 3 Wolf shirt. Apparently it was like a Comic con exclusive or something. But a friend of mine just found it in a cupboard Capcom and gave it to me and it was like, you like A commie?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's my part.

[A]

Isn't that kind of understatement? Doesn't everybody like okami?

[B]

They should if they do.

[A]

You love okami, dude.

[B]

One of my favorites of all time.

[A]

Yeah. What's new?

[B]

Not much. Sad. I missed you guys yesterday.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Loose. Of course, loose. As you know, Ben's godmother was going to come over and babysit, but we had a trifecta problems at the Miller household. We're like, we're canceling date nights. Don't even worry about it. Don't worry about it.

[B]

But otherwise, no, I'm not traveling for a little bit.

[A]

Yeah, You've been on the road nonstop.

[B]

Yeah. Although I'm going to London in a couple of weeks, so.

[A]

Is that business or pleasure? I don't know if everybody knows she's from there. You can hear.

[B]

You can't tell from the accent, but I assure you I am.

[A]

Well, you know, I did my best today.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I didn't. I didn't. I didn't immediately undercut Jen at the table, but I did inside wince. And I know you would have winced too, when somehow we started talking about the Beatles. And Jen was like, we were talking about London already. That's what it was. You're talking about London. And then Jen was like, you know, the Beatles are from there. And I went. And I was like, ben, I read them the we are the Beatles book all the time. They're the lads from Liverpool. Come on, Ben, say it, Ben. And he didn't say it. I was like, all right, you know what? We're letting mom slide today.

[B]

Yeah. You know what? She's got enough going on. You don't have to bring up London and the Liverpools. Oh, thank you. I was worried about that. Thank you. We're getting coasters.

[A]

Fucking better to stop slipping.

[B]

But otherwise, no, I'm good. That's good.

[A]

Been playing a bunch of games. Don't mention them. You're gonna mention them on gamescast after this.

[B]

I didn't say anything.

[A]

You're sticking around for gamescast? You're just giving it out for free out there, telling everybody who'll listen what it is.

[B]

No, I'm not. I'm waiting for my envelope of cash for coming in early on a Monday morning.

[A]

Hey, man, you know what I mean? You just say it. We'll make sure you get a nice coupon. So the taco truck across the street, we're funny. You ready to dive into some gaming news?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

If you didn't know, this is kinda funny games daily. Each and every weekday we run you through the nerdy video game news you need to know about. You need to be part of the show live. Of course watch on twitch but on YouTube.com kindafunnygames you can super chat with your thoughts, opinions and more. I'm gonna have some and I need you to have some too. Of course we couldn't do this with our patreon producers on patreon.com kindafunny so thank you Carl Jacobs, Omega Buster and Delaney the Psalm Twining for now, let's begin with what is and forever will be the Roper Report. Time for some five items on the rope for report. Beckas does it. We're down to one. It's like left shark around here all the time now. So we just have to celebrate the one that works. Okay, now that's a Megalodon.

[B]

Okay, I'm sorry.

[A]

Show some respect at the Home Depot.

[B]

I'm so sorry.

[A]

Number one on the Roper Report. Xbox Games Showcase 2026 will be followed by Gears of War E Day Direction. It airs on June 7 and Xbox Fan Fest is back. We go to the one, the only Joe Scribbles over at Xbox Wire.

[B]

Sweet boy.

[A]

He is a nice boy.

[B]

Isn't he a sweet boy.

[A]

I miss him.

[B]

Me too.

[A]

It's time for another look at the future of gaming. Xbox Game Showcase 2026 will air on Sunday, June 7th starting at 10am Pacific. It will be followed immediately by a deep dive into the return of one of Xbox's most legendary franchises in the form of Gears of War E Day Direct. We'll begin the day with our annual Xbox Game Showcase including first gameplay looks and huge news on upcoming titles from our first party studios across the Xbox family as well as our third party partners from around the globe. From the biggest franchises to soon to be indie darlings. Immediately following showcase, we'll go in even deeper on one of the games coming later this year directly from the team behind the Gears franchise, the coalition studio Gears of War, E Day Direct will take players into the start of Emergence Day, offering new details, gameplay and insights about the hugely anticipated origin story to the Gears of War saga. To help celebrate the Xbox 25th anniversary, we're excited to bring back Xbox Fanfested Showcase. This year's experience will include a look back at the last 25 years alongside a forward view of what's next. Wow. Lucy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Are you surprised by E Day being the follow up to the showcase? Are you surprised we're getting news so early about this. We're in June. We're still here in March.

[B]

Barely. Yeah, I'm surprised. I feel like this is maybe a. Oh, things have been a little bit wobbly in Xbox land.

[A]

Let's just keep bringing you the good news.

[B]

Let's get some good news.

[A]

We got Project Helix we're working on. Don't worry about that. This is happening over here.

[B]

When's Fable?

[A]

This year?

[B]

That's the surprising thing for me. Unless Fable is earlier than June.

[A]

No, it's supposed to be fall, I believe is what they put. Yeah.

[B]

Then that case. That is a surprise for me. Then I. You know what? I'm not really a Gears of War person.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I liked what was the last one they actually made because that one ended on a cliffhanger. I played all the way. I played all that one because we did an audio logs with Rod Ferguson.

[A]

Sure, sure, sure.

[B]

I played all of that one. I played them all like when they first came out and stuff. What unanswered questions about E Day are there that need to be answered in a brand new game?

[A]

Rather than continuing the hugely anticipated origin story for the Gears of War saga chat. Are we anticipating Gears of War E day? And don't get me wrong, I understand I'm talking to the hardest of the hardcore. Yada yada yada. We're hardcore crazy gamers. I understand that Gears of War is a much bigger franchise than Fable.

[B]

Then yes.

[A]

What I would. Okay. There's a lot of yes going on. Sure. Okay. Hell yeah. Yes, we are not at all. Nope. Yeah. I mean, it's a mixed bag, but there's a lot more yeses than I thought there'd be an R chat. I know in the general populace there'd be more there.

[B]

And now, you know, PlayStation owners have been able to play Gears and so perhaps this is. That makes sense, I suppose if you are introducing the franchise to people who perhaps have not had that console. Get to experience E Day again. That's cool. However, unfortunately for Xbox, this will be the second best thing that airs on June 7th.

[A]

Oh, what's the first?

[B]

The Vampire. Lestat is coming back, everyone.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

The interview. The Vampire Season 3.

[A]

Oh my God. How are you going to be able to juggle both?

[B]

Goodbye Xbox.

[A]

Yeah, so I'm again bummed out isn't the right word. I for some reason. And you bring up Fable, which of course is one of my most anticipated games of the year now, if not

[B]

most anticipated known British person enjoyer over here.

[A]

I do enjoy a good British person. I was hung up on the belief that this would be Clockwork Revolution's time to shine.

[B]

Oh, you know what? That's a one f you blade.

[A]

That's another great one. But I almost feel like I don't know, these deep dives at the end, I feel like should be used more for, hey, here's something you're not expecting, you need to know about. We need to explain the Outer Worlds 2 was so well done of like, here's all the intricacies going on inside of this game. You might pass by.

[B]

And I feel like Clockwork absolutely has that. Even the trailer they showed last year was like, I. I'm excited for that game. Don't get me wrong, I thought that trailer was too long for that showcase.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But this, like, the post show thing is the perfect time to delve into all that.

[A]

The re. This just of course confirms that Clockwork Revolution not coming this year, which I think we've been able to see the writing on the wall for the way they've talked about it and the way they haven't talked about it, more importantly. But then for you even to bring up Fable, it's like, yeah, fuck, I know we already had the Fable direct, but again, we need people to dive in and be ready to go with Fable. But that I'm also. That game looks so impressive and so amazing, and I also don't fully believe it's this year. I just feel like that's the kind they got to get right. And also, as you get closer and closer to the fall, theoretically you get closer and closer to gta, so why even bother?

[B]

Yeah, it's a weird one. But hey, I'm happy for you Gears fans. You know what? Xbox fans in general. Yeah. No, no, no. It's been such a weird, messy couple of years for that brand to have fan fest, to have the 25th anniversary stuff. Did you see the clothes they dropped today? There's a new merch line of Xbox stuff to celebrate the anniversary.

[A]

Is it on the Xbox Gear store? Because that's where I'm going to right away. Oh, my God.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I go there and then they want me to log in because it's not up. It's not. You know what I mean? Come on, Xbox, just show the goddamn thing. Where'd you see it? Was it on the water?

[B]

GameSpot Slack.

[A]

Oh, well, open up the slack and then send it over to Barrett's. Lord Almighty.

[B]

Probably Wario tweeted it out. I don't know.

[A]

Okay, maybe we'll get back to it then. Let me bring in Some super chats. Okay. Of course. Be part of the show. Super chat. YouTube.com/kind of funny games, just like Jameson did. Jameson writes in and says, I'm looking forward to E days personally, but I actually really liked the story they were building with Kate in 4/5. I really. I still want 6 eventually. And that's the other thing here where again, as an outsider, where I feel like I've played many years and they all run together and I don't think

[B]

anything of them other than they all roady run together.

[A]

Yeah. Than me just playing them with Levi Buchanan or wherever back in the ignore. But like, going back also seems like a weird choice of just like, hey, remember Barry's. Remember Dom? Remember all the fun you had with them. We understand the new class isn't getting everybody excited, so let's go back to what we know works.

[B]

Yeah, that's. I mean, that's modern media, though.

[A]

True, true. Trip, trip, trip. True.

[B]

No one can have a new idea. We got to go back and.

[A]

Exactly. Yeah. Nobody's gonna. Nobody's gonna throw money behind a new idea. Aaron Lime says, I'm excited for the third party reveals at Xbox, but not really interested in first party. Wasn't a fan of the last Gears and Fables. Just not my thing. And Halo's the campaign. That and Halo's only the campaign. And allegedly has AI. I hadn't heard the AI complaints yet.

[B]

I haven't heard the AI stuff yet. But I did. I did play some of. What are they calling it?

[A]

It's Halo campaign Evolved.

[B]

I did play some of it, and it was like, I don't know.

[A]

That's another outrageous one of. They. They talked about that, and then there's just been quiet like, what the hell's going on with that? Yeah, where's that one that doesn't seem like that should take so long. Sky Super Chats. It says this is just for Lucy mentioning the vampire Lestat. There you go. C.J. says, Will we finally see Blade? Do you think we see Blade at this showcase?

[B]

God, I hope so.

[A]

In any substantial way. I think you could see it, but I think it'll be another very fast teaser. This one will actually have, like, it

[B]

was game awards 23.

[A]

Yeah. Correct. Yeah.

[B]

Thanks.

[A]

Thanks, Barrett.

[B]

Yeah. It was game 123 when they revealed it. Oh, yeah. God. Any. I mean, anything from Arcane, I am just ravenous for. Even though my love of Marvel has softened, I think, you know, man, please. I just. I just want something new.

[A]

Doomsday will bring you back.

[B]

Will it honestly, you said doomsday will bring you back. And I had to be like, wait, what's Doomsday?

[A]

God, it's crazy. It's been this long.

[B]

I know.

[A]

And this is all we have.

[B]

But they are just like, I am such a huge Arcane fan.

[A]

Yeah, for sure.

[B]

I'm still not over what Xbox did to Arcane Austin with Redfall and then shutting them down. I still want my Dishonored three.

[A]

I know, I know. One day. One day.

[B]

One day maybe. But no, I mean, what else? What else does Xbox have in terms of like first party studios that they could possibly tap into?

[A]

Yeah, Forza.

[B]

We'll probably have a new trailer.

[A]

Well, hold on. When isn't Forza Horizon May? I think Forza Horizon 6 is May. Why do I. Yeah, May 19th.

[B]

Why do I. Maybe DLC Forza is like a September thing. But I'm an idiot. I don't drive.

[A]

So do you know, driving these games, I walk everywhere. Forza Horizon, I can't wait for. But yeah, I imagine you get an updated thing there. They got a million games. That's not the thing. I. I think that showcase they'll build will be amazing and be chock full of awesome stuff. I just worry about where Blade's actually at, knowing nothing. I just worry that, you know, it's been so quiet and again in a

[B]

year, just let him cook.

[A]

Yeah. I also feel like you're in a year so crowded that like, do you want to show this instead of waiting for next year? But then again, what's the new cycle for marketing? Because I would hope that Blades in next year game, if not the year after that. Right. But then you're looking at. We start thinking about 2027. I would say Clockwork Revolution is going to be there. You got Blade, I assume hopefully is going to be there. You start filling it in on where you're going with it. I don't know if you want to start putting that in here. Where the fuck stated AK3? Like there's. Oh yeah, there's a lot of stuff going on out there, but really just don't fuck up Fable. Fable looks too good to be true. 25th anniversary. I like that they're bringing back a fan fest. I like that they're going to celebrate it. I hope they have cool announcements there. You know, I would say they're in a weird spot with that one of doing it around this day. I think I would have loved a PSX. It's a standalone thing. It's celebrating the 25th and during that you show the new Xbox that you keep talking about, this project Helix. Here's what the form factor is. Here's a whole bunch of stuff. Here's the paying it forward to the fans the same way PSX did.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I wonder here if you're putting those kind of announcements in the actual showcase, obviously, then doubling back to them for people being in the crowd.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, that's the thing. It's like, surely it'll be too soon to have anything to show of Helix. Substantially.

[A]

Substantially. Sure. The hope would be maybe just the four.

[B]

Something I made in Canva.

[A]

Exactly. Exactly. Exactly what you'd be looking for. But I don't know. I doubt it. But again, back to what we were talking about earlier. Like, I think so much of it right now is trying to change the tune. All right, cool. Phil's gone. Yeah, it was. It was messy with Sarah, but Asha is here. This is the thing. We're still committed to games. We're bringing Xbox back. Let's talk about the showcase now. Let's talk about this. Let's double down on the amazing games we do have with Fable coming theoretically this year with Forza Horizon 6 coming in May. I'm forgetting one that they have somewhere in between those that I think they have a date on chat. Keep me honest, there's a lot to love here.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But it is just like the Gears one is one where I go and I understand not every showcase, not every announcement, not every direct can be for me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But at the same time, I'm going to totally tune out during that. I'm not a Gears person.

[B]

Yeah. But the thing is, if you are to that point, it's the 25th anniversary, they were going to either go with a Halo or a Gears. And maybe Halo's just absolutely not there yet.

[A]

I think Halo is absolutely not there because I think Halo would have been the obvious slam dunk to do something with there to have something exciting for.

[B]

I mean, third party.

[A]

Third party will show up for sure. Everything will be Xbox play anywhere. Xbox game pass. That'll be super exciting for the Rog Ally owners like me. Like Moose.

[B]

I love my Rog Ally.

[A]

Damn right you do. Shadow slaying, super chats. As much as this is going to be the year of Xbox, Clockwork and Blade are for sure going to be Helix projects. You think they're going to wait that long? Now, granted, backwards compatibility, et cetera, et cetera, but like, I don't think you can wait that long for Clockwork. Well, Clockwork, you can wait on Blade, I haven't. These all been gestating too long.

[B]

It's also like get them going. I feel like you're already seeing diminishing returns with Marvel as an ip.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you have been for the last few years. The longer you distance yourself from everything with Endgame and you know, when Peak. Peak Marvel even saw it with the Avengers. Sorry to bring it up.

[A]

Oh no, you can make fun of Avengers, that's fine.

[B]

But you know, I'm not standing in

[A]

the way of bullets for Avengers. I enjoyed that game and I think that's a fine thing to say. No, no, they fucked that up.

[B]

But I don't know if. Yeah, the only thing. Yeah, come on.

[A]

Okay, let's get some more. Stake Stick says the Gears games are some of the best co op experience I've ever played. Played the whole series with my wife last year and she's a super fan now. So they are still making these fans out there. Immersion Fragrances says this year is a celebration of the last 25 years with Forza, Halo, Gears, Fable. Next year will be the new IP for the next 25. Exciting to think about, but as we continue to see all these companies just double down on nostalgia, I doubt it, but I'd like to see that. I'd like to believe that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Sasquatch Oni says most excited for the potential of OG Gears of War tone returning. And again, that would be the reach, I think here with E day of going back to the team, you know, being able to make it a little bit more like. Like I said, the member Berries.

[B]

Cliff's not involved, is he?

[A]

I think no.

[B]

I think he tweeted like they've asked me for advice.

[A]

Was it that I could.

[B]

Something like that?

[A]

It was something, yeah. I couldn't remember if it was snarky where they haven't asked me for adv or whatever. But yes, Cliff Bleszinski has tweeted at some point or BS about that at some point. Gary the Third super chats and says even with the deep dive Outer Worlds 2 sold less than 1 million units. New brass wants to push sales. God of or sorry, Gears of War. Sorry, PlayStation to me, Gears of War sells. Would have loved to see Fable slash Clockwork Revolution though. You're not wrong. But I also don't think that like I don't know how much of a this is the new brass speaking. It is, right? I think if it was we. We want to move units. We want people to be excited about gears in the 25th. And again, we don't have that Halo anchor we should have for the 25th anniversary. But we do have Gears. You double down on that, get it more mainstream, etc. Etc. But yeah, you're not wrong. But I doubt it was that Asha came in was like fucking get your nerdy RPG shit off the screen. We're not doing that great impression. Thank you. I've talked in the room. Talk to her several times. Otis prime, the coalition is Xbox's dark horse who honestly could make something naughty dog level if they got out of the Gears ip. It's great, but hard to make new people care. A new or different IP could be huge. And of course this is the back and forth with any of this where, yeah, okay, you want established IP to make money on and you know, get people into the Xbox ecosystem, et cetera, et cetera. But Gears of War has had so many bites of the apple and I look at it like, I know I don't like Gears, so I'm not even remotely excited for this developer direct at the end of it. But flip flop, you put out Auto Worlds 2 and 1 million sales, whatever it is.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

One final one here that's not about the game, but it's for you. Okay. Chris Dent says ask Lucy to drop her old school Geordie accent.

[B]

Oh, my old school. Because it's been so long since I spoke in my real accent. That's the thing, is that my accent goes all over the place and so if you want to hear me and like my real accent, if I'm going home, which I am in a few weeks time, it's going to be all this all the time.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Next episode of Friends per second. You're not going to understand. Understand me.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

But then I'll refer back immediately. Because I'm scared.

[A]

Well, no, it's because you're a chameleon. You can blend in anything.

[B]

No, I just world travel an anxiety disorder, so I try and fit in.

[A]

Okay, well, that got serious.

[B]

No, no, I'm not. I'm kidding. I don't know, my accent just changes all the time. Like I find myself really Americanized now. Sure, yeah.

[A]

You put your frozen pizzas in the freezer yet or you still put them in the fridge?

[B]

Well, no, because now I actually have space in the freezer.

[A]

Yeah, blame me and Jen for that.

[B]

So. So you can be fed and nourished

[A]

during COVID Sound of a smirk says, Greg, you could love Gears. The story is dark and super emotional. I have played Gears to be clear, I've played multiple Gears with people on

[B]

my own three gears cog gear.

[A]

Now, I've never connected the story, but I appreciate that and I do it. But I think they're more about going through and chainsawing people than I would like to. But I digress. It doesn't matter. I hope you're excited for Xbox Day June 7th. Of course we'll be live reacting to it here. It's kind of funny. Will it be live on a delay because we send everybody to sgf, or will it be normal and only? I'm tired from going to sgf. We'll find out once we figure out what's at sgf. Story number two, but still an Xbox Land Microsoft Gaming Chief Asha Sharma Killed this is an Xbox Campaign as it quote didn't feel like Xbox this is Tom Phillips at ign. Microsoft has confirmed that its new gaming boss, Asha Sharma, personally killed the company's controversial this is an Xbox marketing campaign because, ironically, it didn't feel like Xbox. The promotional slogan was announced with fanfare back in late 2024 when Microsoft tried to convince the world that Xbox could actually refer to any object that played Xbox games. This meant your smartphone was an Xbox, your dusty old tablet was an Xbox, and even your smart TV could be an Xbox, something that also suggested you no longer needed to buy an actual Xbox anymore. For a company that was already having issues shifting Xbox consoles, the marketing campaign felt a bit short sighted, a view reportedly also held by numerous staff at Xbox itself, whose job it had been to try and make the Xbox series X s not a flop. In recent weeks, fans have spotted this is an Xbox marketing pages disappear from the Internet, while a report has stated that the team members had been offended by it ever existing. And now Microsoft has officially confirmed the slogan is dead, with Sharma to thank for it being finished off. Quote Asha retired this is an Xbox because it didn't feel like Xbox. An Xbox spokesperson told Windows Central she is personally leading a reset of how we show up as a brand. End quote.

[B]

This is an Xbox wasn't killed, it was murdered.

[A]

Wanted for murder. Asha.

[B]

Cool. Fine. Sorry. It's a marketing thing. Fine. I understand completely like where it came from. I understand the process which led to the this is an Xbox campaign existing.

[A]

Yeah,

[B]

yeah. I also don't feel like it really felt like Xbox. It felt like a pivot.

[A]

Yeah, it felt like a major pivot.

[B]

Clumsy pivot.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's what Xbox has kind of unfortunately done the last few years. None of it has been elegant. A lot of it has been met with pushback. Obviously we've Got Phil and Sarah leaving and you know, Asha, new blood coming in. Stuff's gonna change.

[A]

Yeah. I think this was a no brainer. It's nice that they have something on the record about it. But of course, like Ash's entire introductory letter was about, like, we need to correct the sins of the past, return to console and return to console. So clearly this was dead in the water for again, you know, you turn it back to Friday's Games Daily with Bless and I talking about, all right, they're raising the price of PlayStation exponentially. 150 more for this PlayStation Pro. Right. And it being the idea of like, I think I would love to see that alternate universe where Microsoft didn't get money signs in their eyes and chase AI and let Phil and the team go all in on this because this is an answer to the problem we're in right now of like, cool tech is very fucking expensive. Your phone is an Xbox right now. Try it, jump in, play with it. But I know that like when you have a boss's boss's boss and a million shareholders who are trying to make, they don't give a shit about that. They're not going to give you the time, I think, to run with that campaign and really make something of it. And Asha coming in, for better or worse, clearly wants to contract and go back to being no, no, Xbox is this box. It is a console. Come get this box.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And we'll see how that plays out.

[B]

And that's the thing to that point about like, especially phones, I think is and tablets being the key thing as part of this campaign, because if you look within the wider context of the gaming industry is that gamers are getting older and the younger gen Z gen Alpha, they are on tablets, they are playing Roblox or Minecraft or Fortnite, they are not investing, they don't have the money to invest in a console. So really this campaign was meeting those people where they are, trying to find them. Yeah, trying to find them, meeting them where they are, which was on phones and tablets and making a foot in the door, a gateway to get involved in the Xbox ecosystem in some way. If you're investing by buying Game Pass using Xcloud and then maybe you see something that you want to play on a big TV in front of, like in your living room with the, you need the console for great, that's a way to funnel those people in there. But in doing so, the messaging was not the best. And it, it wasn't, it wouldn't be clear. I think, like As I get older, so like I have my aunt and uncle. Like, my uncle is really into gaming. But like my aunt will message me and be like, I don't know what to get him, blah, blah, blah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And she'll explain to me what it is like for her go to a game store and not know what she is looking for. And so one thing that I've tried to consciously do is put myself in the shoes of my auntie Janet. And to be like, if I didn't know what the ins and outs, if I didn't even know the difference between the X and the S, how would I approach this? And that is what Xbox is really doing. They are trying to find those people who are not as invested in the gaming ecosystem or as familiar with the language as we are and trying to get those people. This is insane.

[A]

Here's my take on it. Because you are 100% right and you go to the kids and you talk about the phones. And I think where my frustration with this is that this was the softest rebrand marketing campaign I think of all time. And that's an exaggeration. But in terms of to go find the kids and go find your aunt and go do this requires a herculean lift of we are rebooting Xbox. We are going on the Today show. We are running NBA ads. We are do this needs to be everywhere. And really what we saw with this was the same, I would say, tried and true marketing you would see for the new console, the new video game. It was on a bus stop. Sure. What does that mean when you look at it? It was promoted on IGN and GameSpot. Sure. But you're speaking to an audience that already knew about it to some degree, maybe understood it to some degree. But to your point, like I told the story last week when my cousin Paige hit me up, it was like, hey, I want to. I'm thinking about getting a console. Should I get a PlayStation or Xbox? And I was like, well, it's all about exclusives, but you could try all the Xbox stuff right now on your phone. She's like, what do you mean? I got her game pass. She popped in, she used it for a while, right. But it was like she had no idea that existed in like. So to talk about the complexity and the layers here, like four, this is an Xbox to have worked, needed buy in from the top of Microsoft that we are going all in all of our money, let's go and really do this. And clearly this was, hey, we've already been doing this, people Like Greg have already been saying this. Now we need to tell the world. But with the marketing budget they had and whatever they were approved for, I assume they could only take that so far rather than the giant banner ads you need flying over the Golden Gate Bridge.

[B]

Yeah. And it's also like some deserved and. But also, you know, you got a question a little bit, it's like complacency a little bit where it's like you are just go. You are using that word Xbox.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you are hoping and relying on the fact that people have some passing knowledge of what it is. But really, does everyone know? I don't know.

[A]

Yeah, that's a big question, I think, for where they're at right now. Right. As we've talked a lot about Asha coming in, what's going to happen, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Is it an actual college effort and the college try here of we're gonna, you know, do this and we're gonna re bring Xbox to the forefront? Or is this what some people have talked about that I like as a horrible analogy of like, she is the hospice nurse here to end life care? You know what I mean? And is it the death of Xbox and the birth of Microsoft Gaming where it is going to be that, hey, we are getting out of consoles. That's not the future. We're still making games. We still things. But it's Microsoft Gaming because, yes, Xbox, no pun intended, puts you in a box. It does. For what this campaign was and why it didn't work. It is hard to explain to somebody that, no, you don't need the console. But I don't even want the console. I have a this, that, the other, your phone that, you know, clouds apps on your TV and of course newest tv, so you gotta buy a new TV so you don't even know it's there.

[B]

I got a Just Dance app on my tv.

[A]

I saw that today, too. Yeah, I'm talking about one which obviously now you can do. So. Yeah. Hell yeah. Nvidia. What? No.

[B]

What?

[A]

No, no.

[B]

Lg.

[A]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm sorry, I was hung up because last night I turned on my TV to play Starfield. What up on my Xbox. What up? And it was the Just Dance app up there. And then it was Nvidia GeForce. Now that I also have as.

[B]

Oh, I didn't see Nvidia, but.

[A]

Oh, I haven't installed. Yeah, get out there, do it in Goblin says one God, one Xbox. I like it. And I do think that's something we've Lost in this. Let's just have one fucking thing to sell. Let's just sell one fucking thing. Not just multiple versions. Not the Rog and the Rog X. Let's just fucking sell one fucking thing. But I understand we're trying to meet everyone everywhere and it's working well. No, it's not well. Okay. You know what I mean. Nightlife says cloud is going to dominate. And no business decision is elegant. It's powered by money. Let's look back at Sony killing Bluepoint, one of the best studios. That's the definition of A2 clumsiness.

[B]

Blue Point wasn't killed.

[A]

Yes. No Nightlife. You. I understand you're packing everything into your membership response there, so maybe it wasn't as elegant as you wanted, but. No, money is at the heart of all the decisions that we look at and go, why would you fucking. Are you trying to make money? It's not going to work, but I'm glad a thousand people lost their job for it. That's great. That's really good. Casper says the best thing Asha can do is make the series S slash cheaper. That would be a great move. That would be. I mean, can it get you back on Costco shelves? I don't know.

[B]

You know, that would be like. That would be. That would be PS4 pass in the physical copy. If PlayStation raises stuff by so much and then Xbox is like, that'd be awesome.

[A]

If Xbox just raised theirs to get X, PlayStation erase theirs, then they come back down like, we are wrong. Don't worry about it. And then what's this here? Okay, these pitches, Love Sosa. Sorry. I have a photo of a three story building in Chicago with quote, this is not an Xbox on the side twice. It made zero sense in that context. Again, I think of the relaunch. If you were gonna do this campaign and do it right, it would be Sarah Bond on the Today show on Good Morning America and it would be the. It's not even. This is an Xbox. It's. Microsoft is retooling Xbox. Rebooting Xbox. It would be an all in thing. The reason this fails is because clearly to the point of people being offended by it, you're half in, half out. Yep, everything's Xbox. I don't need the console. No, no, you should still buy the Xbox then. What? What the fuck are you talking about? Like, what are you saying right now? It doesn't make any sense to a normal person.

[B]

No, I. Yeah, you know what?

[A]

What?

[B]

Good.

[A]

Good. Great.

[B]

Good.

[A]

Grand.

[B]

It's marketing.

[A]

It is marketing. We shouldn't get all we're all just rats in a maze. Everybody play the game, eat the cheese and have some fun. We're gonna move on to a company. Xbox knows a lot about Bungie. But not before I remind you about the Kinda Funny membership over on patreon.com kinda funny YouTube.com kinda funnygames Apple and Spotify. You can pick up the Kinda Funny membership. You give us $10. We give you 80 episodes of ad free viewing each and every month alongside daily vlogs podcasts from me. Timeout. Hey, how do you feel about this? What? I am old and like it or not, you're old too. I I still get when I say podcast, I still think MP3 and I saw some kid on one of the the channels of feedback today being like stop putting video only content in the podcast feed. And I'm like that is such an old head conversation. Because podcasts are videos now to people. They're on Apple and video. They're on Spotify's video. Podcasts are just videos. Think about that. Anyways, go, go over. Do that. If you didn't get any of those things though, you wouldn't have the ability to watch ad free. You're not using your benefits. So here's a word from our sponsor. You finally sit down to game. Just you, your controller and zero responsibilities. When your brain decides that's the perfect time to say what if I'm secretly a terrible person and everyone can see it but me and suddenly relaxing and enjoying yourself is impossible. Instead, your brain grabs onto that thought and will not let it go. Here's the thing. That kind of relentless thought spiral isn't just anxiety. It could also be ocd, a condition that's way too misunderstood and way more common than most people people realize. But it doesn't have to be that way. OCD needs ERP or exposure response prevention, which is proven to be the most effective treatment. And that's where no CD comes in. NOCD is the world's leading provider of OCD treatment and it's covered by insurance for over 138 million Americans. All of their licensed therapists specialize in ERP therapy. It will help you learn to take the power power away from the intrusive thoughts in live face to face virtual sessions. If unwanted thoughts are taking over, don't wait to get help. Visit nocd.com and book a free call with their team. That's nocd.com Spring starts at the Home Depot and we are bringing the heat to your backyard this season. Fire up the flavor with our wide variety of grills for under $300 like the next grill 4 burner gas grill that's perfect for hosting your spring cookout. Then set the scene and turn your outdoor space into the go to spot with patio sets for every budget. Bring it this season with grills that deliver flavor and patios that set the vibe from the Home Depot. Start your spring with low prices guaranteed at the Home Depot. Exclusions apply. See homedepot.com pricematch for details. Your little one grew 3 inches overnight. Adorable. Also expensive. Sell their pint sized pieces on Depop and list them in minutes with no selling fees because somewhere a dad refuses to pay full price for the clothes his kids will outgrow tomorrow and he's ready to buy your son's entire wardrobe right now. Consider your future growth Bird budget secured. Start selling on Depop where taste recognizes taste. Payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details. Zootopia 2 has come home to Disney. Let's go get ready for a new

[B]

case where the greatest partners of all time new friends gave it to Snake

[A]

and your last name the Snake Dream Team.

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New Habitats Zootopia has a secret reptile population.

[A]

You can watch the record breaking phenomenon at home. Zootopia 2 now available on Disney plus, rated PG and right now you can get Disney plus and Hulu for just $4.99 a month for three months with a special limited time offer ends March 24th. After three months, Plan Auto renews at $12.99 a month. Terms apply. The world moves fast your workday even faster Pitching products, drafting reports, analyzing data Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for work built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps you use, helping you quickly write, analyze, create and summarize so you can cut through clutter and clear a path to your best work. Learn [e-mail] M365 copilot chronic migraine 15

[B]

or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or more, can make me feel like a spectator in my own life.

[A]

Botox Anabachulinum toxin A prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or

[B]

fewer headache days a month.

[A]

It's the number one prescribed branded chronic migraine preventive treatment prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Effects of Botox may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a Life threatening condition. Patients with these conditions before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue and headache. Allergic reactions can include rash, welts, asthma symptoms and dizziness. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions including als, Lou Gehrig's disease, myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton syndrome, and medications including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. Why wait? Ask your doctor.

[B]

Visit botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-844botox to learn more. Oh, no.

[A]

So, Lucy, how old are you? Blessing in the chat. Pretty sure Lucy's around my age.

[B]

I'm 34. 84. 34.

[A]

34.

[B]

You?

[A]

Oh, so I'm just. I mean, you look great, you know. I mean, you look great for 34.

[B]

I still get ID'd, which in the UK too, which means they think I look under 25.

[A]

Damn. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Damn.

[B]

You know what? You know what the secret is?

[A]

What?

[B]

Don't go outside.

[A]

Yeah, don't go outside. Play a lot of video games. Sure.

[B]

And Botox.

[A]

Botox, yeah. Right. Story number three on the rope report. Quote, we are in it for the long haul and quote, bungie says Marathon will be steadily improved for many years. This is Chris Scullion at vgc. Bungie has vowed to continue to update Marathon for years to come, stressing that it's quote, in it for the long haul. Marathon was released earlier this month via. I'm sorry, wait, no, earlier this month, with Norway based Aline analytics estimating last week that it sold around 1.2 million copies. That was a line I wasn't expecting. What did I Aline? Is that what I'm saying? Say aluminum for me.

[B]

Aluminium.

[A]

Yeah. See? Can we trust her? Everybody now. In a technical blog post aimed at helping PC players reach 120 frames per second, Bungie has committed to the game's future, stating that it plans to continue improving it for a number of years. We had to dive into a technical blog post aimed at it. They see, they're saying this is going to be around forever. Quote, Marathon is the first DirectX 12 title that Bungie has shipped. It explained to players. We know that many of you have noticed how much Marathon has changed visually over the past year. Much of that change came through your feedback and we want to take a similar approach to performance in Marathon. While we aren't ready to provide specifics yet, we have already identified some smaller improvements that we can make soon, particularly to improve CPU performance. We also have longer term changes planned that will continue to further improve CPU performance. Bungie noted that its aim is to release a steady stream of smaller updates instead of infrequent larger ones, saying our plan is to get improvements out as soon as we can rather than wait to drop them all at the same time. Even though this might make them less obvious. It concluded, while we are very proud of what we have accomplished with this overall look and feel of the game since Alpha, we are in it for the long haul with Marathon. We look forward to many years of steady improvements to every aspect of the game. Thank you for taking this journey with us. End quote.

[B]

Well what the fuck else are they going to say? Yeah, yeah we're killing it.

[A]

Holy originals. Comments not like every games is a service multiplayer thing has said this. Go dig. Go find me the fucking Concord interviews where they were saying this in the lead up to it. Find out why I'm not mad at Bungie. I'm not mad at the reporting. I'm not mad at any of it. It's just fool me once, fool me 375 times with online games. I don't believe. Get Herman Hulse out here and even then you wouldn't be able to believe it. Even then we couldn't believe it. Even then we couldn't believe it.

[B]

We couldn't believe it.

[A]

What do you think is going to happen with Marathon?

[B]

I desperately want to be wrong. Of course I think it will continue on. I think they will support it for a couple of years at least. But I think Bungie is going to hammer talent and I think there will be layoffs. Just the sheer cost of creating a game this big and if those. And this is the thing, this is Alinea analytics estimating that it sold one.

[A]

Of course yeah, we don't actually know that.

[B]

Allegedly a lot more on PC than on PlayStation. I just think in this economy, in this downswing, in this crash, in this course correction, whatever you want to call the horrible past few years of the games industry, there's going to be bad

[A]

news looking at SteamDB right? The all time peak was 25 days ago. This is just on Steam for marathon with roughly 88,000 players. The 24 hour peak is roughly 40,000 players. So half of that is what you saw.

[B]

But I mean like look at Battlefield. What was their all time peak was like half a mil.

[A]

The six.

[B]

The six.

[A]

Let me give you, I can give you the actual numbers.

[B]

Huge layoffs.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. Oh yeah, exactly.

[B]

You can have like one of the best selling games of the year and you can still like, game does great boo. Still look get layoffs. Game does poorly still get layoffs. Like there is no protection for anyone anymore.

[A]

Like game is fortnite, believe it or not, still layup. Yeah, no, that's 100. Correct. And that's, you know, back to it of the return on investment. And so if I'm sie and I'm, you know, paying these checks and I know there's the whole thing of how much independence Bungie has, but even at Bungie, them trying to cost save, them trying to bring down headcount Bungee, I mean, I don't buy it.

[B]

The other thing is what is going to happen to Destiny 2? Like, I do a podcast with skill up my. Like a lot of my friends still play Destiny a lot. Or at least they used to. They all dropped off in the last year because updates have been just not worth their time anymore. Yeah, I do we foresee at this point Bungie killing Destiny to go all in on Marathon.

[A]

No, absolutely no other way around.

[B]

You think?

[A]

I think it would be that you.

[B]

They would kill Marathon to go in on Destiny 3.

[A]

Yeah. Or whatever that. Yeah, the future of Destiny. I think that's. You have a player base again. We're back to like, what can we do with the new ip. And I know technically marathons need a new ip, but you also know you're fooling yourself if you think anybody from old school marathons, like, oh, it's back, dude.

[B]

When I saw that, when I saw that reveal, I was like, what the hell is Mario?

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[B]

And then I was like, oh yeah, that thing.

[A]

So you have. There's a whole audience here that you're trying to do and I think you haven't seen the install base. And it's so hard to get that second breath of fresh air to get those new players in.

[B]

I was, I would say I was amazed at how much they like, based on what happened last year with the art, with the feedback from Play Tests with xyz, I was amazed that the splash was as big as it was. Like, it's getting nines. Like gamespot.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Oh yeah.

[A]

The game's good.

[B]

The game is good. I still think it's bullshit that it was classed as the number one game in Next Fest because that's when the service line was. But hey, that's a Steam issue, I guess. But yeah, I mean, Launch did better than I thought it would for them in terms of like perception in terms of critical feedback.

[A]

Critical feedback, Yeah. I just don't think it's enough to move the needle. And so I think what ends my prediction here, if I was looking into Greg's crystal ball, I think you see they, I do think there's layoffs, I do think there's staff reductions. I think they roll it down to we have a skeleton crew working on Marathon that's still doing the little updates and the game fixes, yada yada. Eventually you get the statement of like no major updates are coming. But I think the majority of people then swing back to the Destiny brand. Yeah, I'm not, I'm not dialed into Destiny off to tell you it's. They're going to do this giant expansion for Destiny 2. It's full blown Destiny 3, yada yada yada. I would imagine it's somewhere in the middle and it's termed, it's deemed the future of Destiny. And I would think by the time what I would be predicting here would be you get a giant Destiny 2 update. The big thing that would be like the bridge Destiny 3. And then I think somewhere between them there acts as a studio before they even get to Destiny 3. I just don't. And I just again back to where

[B]

we're at as they are a very expensive studio.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. And they're not paying off the dividends that I think PlayStation slash Sony Interactive Entertainment thought they would make when they brought them in.

[B]

I really wonder how PlayStation looks at the acquisition of Bungie, the release of Marathon, the cancellation of Concord and how they are looking at Haven with Fair Games.

[A]

Oh yeah.

[B]

Like if I was at Haven, how's that still going? I would have been more scared like if I was a developer, if I was working at a Sony first party studio, I would have been more concerned for my job if I worked at Haven versus if I worked at Bluepoint.

[A]

Thousand percent. Yeah, a thousand.

[B]

But I guess you know, that was with the context of not knowing that Bluepoint didn't have a project, you know. But it's like that's the thing. That's why we are the people commenting on stuff from the outside looking in. Don't get me wrong, but it's just so clear that Sony's push into live service is not working, has not worked and if Bungie can't even do it.

[A]

Yeah. The only thing I can figure with Fair Games with Haven Studios because Jade's gone and I forget they lost some other key leadership.

[B]

So it was someone from like the. Was it someone. Because it was like someone from Siege, I think.

[A]

Sure. Sadly, that's like, so Greek to me. Every time, there's always somebody who. I worked on Call of Duty. I worked on Battlefield. I worked on Siege. I'm like, great for you. I don't know. I can't help you.

[B]

You.

[A]

My thought there is that it must be that we're so far beyond the point of no return of, like, we've put so much money in, we got to make a couple bucks out of it, that we've got to be so far beyond that point of no return and so close to it being done. Ish. To be able to release, like, otherwise, why I would have told you forever ago they would be at the top. And this isn't me. I'm not talking shit about Haven Studios. I don't know any of you. I'm just saying in the world. We are in Jim Ryan's 12 live service pitch that they would have at the top of the list of this is gonna be the next studio close. This will be the next studio close. And every time Sony closes studio, it's not them. So it's like, okay, I guess then you're gonna get this game out. And I assume it's gonna do nothing. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it is a Helldiver situation comes out and does really, really well. But, like, nah, nah, nah. I don't know what's going on over there. It's. The industry in general is depressing right now. Nightlife says, quote, a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. End quote. And then credits division, of course, because we're talking WandaVision there. You know what I mean? But I get out there, go do that one. Blaker says Bungie killed Destiny 2 for Marathon. Now both will die again. They're trying to make the best games they can with the staff they have, so they're going out to do it. But I don't know, man. I just don't know. Story number four on the rope report. Neil Druckmann reveals 2003 art that would eventually become the last of us. We are on social media. Where at? Druckmann says cleaning out the garage today and stumbled on my original sketches from 2003 for a game pitch about a man, his surrogate daughter, and a trek across broken America. Been a wild journey. Grateful for every part of it, especially the few stops that remain on the road ahead. There you go. That's what it looked like originally. An amber Crombie shirt.

[B]

Is that an Abercrombie?

[A]

Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Yeah, A Little Abercrombie tank top. I'll tell you what, Neil, it's a good thing you're not an artist. Look how long this guy's arm is. Go back. Jesus Christ. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Always fun to see that. I don't buy he's cleaning out the garage and found it, though, you know?

[B]

You think what? You think he just had it on the wall?

[A]

He must have had in his pinball collection in there. He's got all this.

[B]

Oh, is he a pinball guy?

[A]

He's a pinball guy. Yeah, he likes pinball. Out now. That's cool.

[B]

That's nice.

[A]

I always like a little piece of art like that. It belongs in a museum kind of thing. We don't talk enough about that. I think when we're talking about video games, I love the stories of what's going on that got them there. And these little trinkets and little things and jots in the margins of other games and scripts that eventually became this stuff.

[B]

My favorite one of Those is the BioShock Infinite one, where it's on a napkin or something and it's a rudimentary square with a triangle roof and it's like an ocean and it crossed out, and then the next one is on a cloud.

[A]

Yeah. You know, audio logs. I feel like you got into a lot of this.

[B]

Yeah, we were very lucky with some studios in particular would bring, like, a lot of concept art. Like Zaum did for Disco. They brought us a lot of concept art. Remedy brought us, like, white box stuff of control. I think my ultimate favorite one is I have the original design documents for Mass Effect 2.

[A]

Ah, do you still have them? Are they in your garage now?

[B]

No, they're on my Google Drive.

[A]

Got it, got it, got it, got it.

[B]

But, like, yeah, you just don't get to see that shit.

[A]

So audio logs. Of course, if people don't know you bring in a developer, they walk you through the game they made. Right.

[B]

So we had. So it was basically like notes on the scene where you could write on the. Directly on the screen.

[A]

Telestrator.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Boom.

[B]

And so that's cool.

[A]

Yeah, it was cool.

[B]

I missed that show. Well, now we go to studio, back again.

[A]

So are you gonna do more of them?

[B]

I hope so.

[A]

Everybody make. Make them. Make more of them.

[B]

Please do. Honestly, getting the access is. It's just that people don't want to show a lot. People don't want people. This is the thing. I'm really glad that Neil did this because a lot of the times people don't want to show work in progress stuff. Which is why we always aim to do it after. Yeah, because like the game's been out, everyone's first impression is on the final game. You don't have to worry about showing stuff that's not finalized. Yeah, yeah, but that's, you know.

[A]

Well, I mean even if you showed something not finalized, I'm sure the Internet would be cool about it. You know what I mean? If you showed it early, not like they would beat you to death in the comments with that for the rest of your life. Like Halo, Lucy, Neil Druckmann showing intergalactic artwork of characters whose arms are far too long. Would be huge news. Yeah, okay. I'm sorry. Would be huge news. But that didn't happen today. If I wanted the smaller news, say the tiniest news I need to know about, where would I go?

[B]

You'd go to our last story, the Wii News Channel where we cover all the small news items you need to know about.

[A]

Number five, the Wii news from Gematsu. Avatar Legends, the fighting game will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2 and PC via Steam on July 2. Publisher and developer Gameplay Group and publisher PM Studios announced. The previous announced PlayStation 4 version is seemingly no longer planned. The standard edition is $30. You like this one from GDC? Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Bless. And I played it for the kind of Funny Mix showcase. And yeah, me being a big. Both of us, I think being really big Avatar fans. Blessing being more of a hardcore fighting game fan. Me a bit more casual fighting game fan. It was a great time playing that with the devs and Justin on that stream and so yeah, I'm really looking forward to that. That made a huge impression on us.

[B]

Thanks.

[A]

Excellent. Good news for once. Now let's go to bad news. Ivy Road Games, the developer of Wander Stop is shutting down. Over on bs. That's Blue Sky, Tim. They said unfortunately we've. Huh.

[B]

Just call me Tim.

[A]

No, I call it. Tim doesn't know. Tim doesn't know what Blue sky is. He doesn't know what a BS is. I call it out so I know he's listening somewhere right now trying to get his baby asleep. Ivy Road. I'm BS. That's a BlueSky. Unfortunately, we've got some bittersweet news today. We must share that Ivy Road is closing its doors due to being unable to secure funding for our next project.

[B]

That's a shame. I think. Look, Wonderstop was a really, really cool game.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think vibes wise it was perfect. I think it was very chill and I Think it was a really great examination of burnout and how you keep pushing yourself and throwing yourself up against the rocks. Even though if it doesn't necessarily help you in the long run, I think that's a shame. I'm glad they took a swing.

[A]

Yeah, me too. It's. I'm. It's kind of crazy. I wonder what their next pitch was. That they couldn't get funding.

[B]

Oh, they named it. It's something Angel. You'd have to check the post. But they also, you know, I. You know, every time there's layoffs and stuff, I think it's obviously awful, but I think they did a really good thing of like. Like, this is what this person did.

[A]

Yeah, I saw that.

[B]

Like, this is where you can find them. This is their LinkedIn and stuff. And I always applaud when people do that.

[A]

Again, we talk all the time, especially, you know, when I come back from DICE every year about how money is dried up. This is a great example of it. Right where you just. As an indie studio, it's very hard to go out and get funding right now for your next big idea, even when you've had something as successful as Wander Stop was in terms of critical. From vgc. Filming on the liveaction Tomb Raider series has been halted after lead actor Sophie Turner suffered an injury. As reported by Deadline. The Amazon MGM studio show has been temporarily suspended until Turner can recover. I didn't hear about this.

[B]

I think it just happened. Right?

[A]

My goodness.

[B]

I hope she's okay.

[A]

Yeah, of course. She looked great. In terms of the leaked stuff I saw, I was like, well, the official image. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, we wish her a speedy recovery. The Elder Scrolls Blades has been delisted. It will shut down on June 30th.

[B]

The mobile one.

[A]

Yeah, I think that that was the one from the other people. Yeah, that's the get. Went nowhere with it. It doesn't matter. It's gone. Did you even know it existed? Yes. No. Who cares? Tuxed Truxton Extreme launches July 30th on PS5 series, Xbox Series, Switch 2 and PC. And then. Huh?

[B]

What's that?

[A]

I have no idea. Probably. I think it's gonna be a trucks video game. But. Yeah, you can get that for me. Barrett. Truxton Extreme. Give me a trailer for that. And then Invincible versus adds Conquest. DLC characters Universa and the Immortal are also announced. There you go. That's. That's another fighting game. I'm not a fighting game guy. Wow. This is not what I would have expected. It's been 38 years since huge masterpiece trucks and new trucks and approaches. I thought for sure. I thought we were driving a truck. I thought we were doing a truck. This is a shmup. I'm just doing a shmup.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Oh, hell yeah.

[A]

Maybe I care about this now.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Trucks Jet Extreme. What a terrible name. But what an interesting looking game. Okay, fine. All right. I take it back. We'll be fine. And that's it for Wii News. Thank you. Thank you. We want to dive into some super chats before we get you on your way to the Gamescast, where of course, Mike will review Super Meat Boy 3D and then we'll talk about what you've been playing. Luce, you want any teases?

[B]

I'm under.

[A]

Oh, no.

[B]

I'm not under embargo anymore. The embargo lifted. I could talk about raccoon.

[A]

Yay. Leave in 1990 says Lucy. Are you going. Are you going to any health shows this year?

[B]

Tomorrow.

[A]

Whoa.

[B]

I'm playing the Warfield tomorrow, so I'm going to go see health.

[A]

Very cool.

[B]

I am stoked. And Carpenter Brute. I've never seen. Don't even know that I invited Jen. I don't know if she's coming though

[A]

I sincerely doubt it.

[B]

No.

[A]

Is it tomorrow?

[B]

It's a school night.

[A]

Yeah, she hasn't even mentioned that. You should text her again because I'd like to get her out of the house.

[B]

Yeah, okay.

[A]

You know what I mean. I'm going to. I'm going out tonight. I got an embargoed thing for work.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So she should get out and she. We're supposed to have date night. Yesterday. We didn't have it. So you're gonna. This is so you gotta get in.

[B]

She's gonna have date night with me.

[A]

You're gonna have to crowbar. She's not gonna want to go. You're gonna have to keep stressing and I'll figure it out and I'll come home and take care of this kid, I guess. You know what I mean.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Bowl of dog food in the tub. Let him sleep. That's what I do. El Captain 2293 says bit late, but if GTA 6, Fable and a new Call of Duty are coming this fall, where's the space for E Day? A game we haven't seen gameplay for just yet.

[B]

I would feel that end of August.

[A]

Yeah, right. The end of your summer.

[B]

That's where you like pre GTA post summer games mashup like that. That the Gamescom release window the most annoying of all release windows. I have beef with people who release games at the end of August. I don't know why.

[A]

Fair enough. Yeah, well, I guess no way. For me it's always when somebody releases it right before E3 slash SGS drops.

[B]

Like last of Us.

[A]

Exactly. Exactly.

[B]

I'll never forget that because Troy actually spoiled a thing for me in that game.

[A]

Fucking Troy. You know What I mean?

[B]

2013. I never forgot.

[A]

Don't forget. Never let him off the hook. Okay, let me go to the top here. Cyber rich says bladed birthday tax for the birth of my son Maddox last night. Happy birthday, Maddox and congratulations, Cyber rich dude. Bro Soda says just a quick super chat to show love to Lucy, James and Greg. I got. I appreciate it. Thank you for loving me the most. Griffin. D pad says or Griffey D pad birthday tax Love y'.

[B]

All.

[A]

Working on in games is a scary place right now. But y' all make it a little bit brighter. Happy birthday and hang in there. Big big gumps. Big gumps. I had a dream last night that kind of funny. Put on a live TV variety show. I did a song and dance dressed as an inflatable pac man. The audience hated it. That sounds about right. I don't think they would react well to that. You know. Aaron lime says potential Gamescast. Does PlayStation 5's new price hurt the GTA sales? They lead the market and the broader games industry funding unfortunately hinges on investor gambling on GTA being the biggest game ever. We talked about this at the end of yesterday's show or on Thursday, Friday show the show. I don't think it's a good games cast personally, because we need to look at the alternate universe where yes, without question, this will hurt the sales of gta. Will it hurt it that much? Like. Like such a small percent you wouldn't even notice. Or is it such a chilling effect that there are the people out there like, I'm not paying that much for a PlayStation. I'll skip it. We don't know because you can't. There'll be a lot of hearsay and a lot of people on subreddits being mad about it. But then there's gonna be so many other people are like, I'm still gonna do it. I'm still gonna make that move.

[B]

Well, because also we live in a world where Klarna exists.

[A]

Klarna, of course. Never forget, get everything installments, just pay 15% more or whatever it is. Doug Tastic says Starfield coming to PlayStation 5 with all the updates, DLC and at a lower price, A flagship game is cheaper and better on PS5. Make it make sense, Lucy.

[B]

You know, after my 10 hours with Starfield, I'm just. I'm just happy for you all that everyone gets to play it.

[A]

I hate this argument. This is an argument that gets lobbed all the time in this room. And I don't mean Garfield. I mean game of the year editions in general. If they feel. If this is how you feel, don't buy. Stay a generation behind every time. Yeah, just say a generation behind. Get all your games for $15 and they'll have all the DLCs and the updates and everything else you want. Like what are we talking about? They've squeezed every Xbox person who wants Starfield. Now they can go get the PlayStation people and I still get the fucking content. I'm. I'm still. I'm re obsessed right now. I'm six days and 10 hours into the save or whatever it's like. And then next week I got a boatload of new content. I'm getting my save on order my ship all in order right now. I'm sitting pretty. I love that PlayStation people get it. I'm not mad about that. You shouldn't be either.

[B]

I'm console agnostic now.

[A]

Yeah, well, yeah, yeah, for me too. Now I just go where the game is. Right. Right. We're going to the final one here.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

The Portland Kevin says birthday shout shout out to Griffin. Just supporting other best friends in the chat. I like.

[B]

Oh, that's lovely.

[A]

We go to kind of funny.com you're wrong where you keep us honest and tell us what we screwed up as we screwed it up. Sal writes in and says, oh, Sal from Gamatsu here. Now that you're wrong. Just an answer to the question is, is this too early of an announcement? Xbox showcase 25 was announced on April 9th, showcase 24, April 30th, Xbox showcase 2023, March 8th. Wow. And then Xbox showcase 2022, April 28th. So still, I mean with that March 8th everything's off. So we're right. The usual. Right about the usual announcement time.

[B]

Well also hang on tinfoil end of financial core in it.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Well, no, but I got in trouble for this last time.

[B]

Trouble.

[A]

Xbox or slash. Microsoft I guess works on the weird one they go to September.

[B]

What their end of quarter.

[A]

When is Microsoft. Microsoft earnings.

[B]

I could also be going off the European, you know, like.

[A]

Yeah, well, this is. Microsoft is expected to report Q3 2026 earnings April 28th through the 29th. So that's right then. So that'd be May, June, July, whatever to get the next one out.

[B]

I just assume every announcement from every major company is for stockholders rather than the actual customers.

[A]

Yeah. Microsoft fiscal year runs July 1st to June 30th.

[B]

Weird.

[A]

Yeah. So they're allowed to. I don't know. We don't know. Business. We don't know why you can do that. But you can do that apparently. Thank you, Sapphire. Yeah. Jeppo says missed WE News Greg Roger Craig Smith in an interview might have confirmed that the next Sonic project will be announced at IGN's showcase thing in June. Roger Jepo, that was maybe the wiggliest wee news I could have. Pot. Hey, this might happen. He might have said this and it might. I don't know what you want me to say there.

[B]

One wee news you missed that I was reading on the way in is that the people like the guy who plays Cliff in Crimson Desert suck. Not even.

[A]

We don't even know what the fuck was going on here as we were going live live there did start to do this kicked around thing that I'll read here right. Kebab says Ms. We News Ram prices are falling thanks to OpenAI cutting so much of its large parts and data center purchases. Yes and no. Daniel Ahmad quote tweeted or quote BS that and said yes. But also no. It's the spot price that has declined, not the contract price. Given these commitments were for the future, not for hard orders, it indicates there isn't a sustained drop in prices just yet. Yet. This could be the start of a lower long term demand though. So good news is AI bubble hopefully starts to burst but we will keep our eyes peeled.

[B]

Please don't burst too much because my 401k and also potential recession.

[A]

Oh, not potential like oh I know. Yeah.

[B]

I mean we're all gonna get way more than a recession screwed over when all this thing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But then we'll rebuild and hopefully in an AI free.

[A]

Yeah, we'll. We'll reinvest in all the companies and they'll do it all over again in another 1015 years. Matrix the cycle repeats itself everybody. That's another episode of Kinda Funny Games Daily. Lucy, thank you so much for coming in to join us today.

[B]

Yeah, of course.

[A]

Where can people keep up with you?

[B]

You find me over at gamespot. I am also on the Friends for Second podcast. I'm online Lucy James Games. You'll find me.

[A]

Hell yeah.

[B]

Posting my bad tweets and pictures of my cats.

[A]

Great. You're on gamescast of course right after this. So if you're watching live, don't go anywhere. If you're watching or listening later, like subscribe, share, remember, come on, pick up your patreon.com kindafunny YouTube.com kindafunnygames Apple or Spotify subscription to get everything ad free. Get your daily dose of me. And of course, go click over on YouTube.com kindafunnygames for Lucy's Gamescast, for Mike's review of Super Meat Boy, for all the cool content we're putting up, including a game showdown today, including a marathon stream today day. Not marathon. The game they're playing marathon. They're not going. It's very confusing around here these days. But there's lots of great content because we're a live talk show network all about video games. Thank you so much. Until next time. It's been a pleasure to serve you.