Xbox Games Showcase, The Outer Worlds 2 Direct Announced - Kinda Funny Games Daily 04.09.25

Summary

Kinda Funny Games Daily: Video Games News Podcast
Episode: Xbox Games Showcase, The Outer Worlds 2 Direct Announced
Hosts: Greg “GameOverGreggy” Miller, Tim Gettys, Blessing Adeoye Jr., Andres Cortez, Roger Pokorni
Release Date: April 9, 2025

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Introduction

The episode kicks off with hosts Andres Cortez and Roger Pokorni engaging in their signature lighthearted banter about favorite cereals, setting a relaxed and engaging tone for the day's discussions.

Xbox Games Showcase and The Outer Worlds 2 Direct

Key Highlights:

• The Xbox Game Showcase 2025 is scheduled for June 8th at 10 AM PT, featuring a lineup from first-party and third-party studios.
• Following the showcase, The Outer Worlds 2 Direct will delve into new gameplay details and developer insights from Obsidian Entertainment.
• The strategic placement of The Outer Worlds 2 Direct immediately after the Xbox Game Showcase underscores the significance Xbox places on the title.

Notable Quotes:

• Andres Cortez [00:47]: "This year's Xbox Game Showcase will bring you everything you'll need to know about what's next for Xbox, no matter where in the world you're watching."
• Roger Pokorni [13:22]: "We're going to see this game. This game's coming out. Obsidian's going two for two this year."

Discussion Points:

• Performance Expectations: Hosts express excitement yet caution regarding the console performance of Outer Worlds 2, noting that while the PC demo runs smoothly on high-end machines, console optimization remains to be seen.
• Obsidian’s Trajectory: The hosts commend Obsidian Entertainment for consistently delivering quality titles and express optimism about Outer Worlds 2 potentially becoming a flagship RPG for Xbox.
• Industry Impact: The announcement reflects Xbox's commitment to bolstering its RPG offerings, potentially setting a template for future showcases.

Razer Pauses US Laptop Sales Due to Tariffs

Key Highlights:

• Razer has halted sales of its Blade 16 laptop and other models on its US website following the Trump administration's imposition of sweeping tariffs on laptop components from China and Taiwan.
• The Framework 13 laptop sales were also paused, mirroring the impact of tariffs on similar products.
• Razer has yet to comment officially on the impact of tariffs, leaving consumers uncertain about future availability and pricing.

Notable Quotes:

• Andres Cortez [26:19]: "Razer may not be openly talking about the impact of tariffs, but Framework halted sales of its entry-level laptop 13 in the US on April 7."
• Roger Pokorni [26:27]: "That's a whole gaming thing. Framework is a company that is based upon the ideals that you can repair and upgrade your laptops by yourself."

Discussion Points:

• Market Challenges: The hosts compare this situation to Microsoft's tumultuous attempt to acquire Blizzard, highlighting the ongoing struggles tech companies face with international trade policies.
• Framework’s Unique Proposition: Emphasis on Framework's commitment to repairable and upgradable laptops, making the impact of halted sales even more significant for consumers valuing sustainability and customization.
• Consumer Reactions: The hosts express frustration and concern over the limited availability and rising prices of laptops, drawing parallels to other tech market disruptions.

PlayStation Portal Update Adds New Features

Key Highlights:

• Sony has rolled out an update to the PlayStation Portal's cloud streaming beta, introducing new functionalities such as game sorting, gameplay capture, and enhanced queue management.
• Captured content during streaming sessions will now automatically upload to the cloud, accessible via the PlayStation app, with videos capped at 3 minutes and a resolution of 1920x1080.
• The update also addresses server load by implementing a queuing system that estimates wait times and automatically loads players into games once their turn arrives.

Notable Quotes:

• Andres Cortez [35:58]: "Sony has quietly added animated PS5 backgrounds featuring Horizon, Demon Souls, Ghost of Tsushima, and more."
• Roger Pokorni [30:44]: "One day, we got to figure out how to jailbreak this fucking thing. I know people already have, sort of, but if they can start putting some emulation on that."

Discussion Points:

• Enhanced User Experience: The update aims to improve accessibility and user interaction with the PlayStation Portal, making it a more viable option for remote gaming.
• Community Feedback: Positive reception to features like automatic content uploads and the queuing system, with hosts expressing enthusiasm for future developments.
• Potential for Emulation: Roger highlights the potential for the PlayStation Portal to support emulation, expanding its versatility beyond streaming.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pricing Concerns

Key Highlights:

• Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser acknowledged that the Switch 2 might be unaffordable for some consumers, reaffirming the continued availability of the original Switch and upcoming games until 2026.
• Nintendo aims to maintain market inclusivity by offering older models alongside the new release, ensuring that gamers at different price points remain engaged with the ecosystem.

Notable Quotes:

• Andres Cortez [40:27]: "While discussion surrounding Switch 2's price continues, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser understands that some consumers may not be able to afford the system."
• Roger Pokorni [42:22]: "Everyone's got to take a day off."

Discussion Points:

• Affordability Strategy: Nintendo's decision to keep the original Switch available addresses potential financial barriers, ensuring a broader market reach.
• Historical Context: Comparison to previous Nintendo strategies, such as the continued support for older consoles post new releases.
• Consumer Reassurance: The hosts appreciate Nintendo's balanced approach, although they humorously critique the delivery of the message.

CD Projekt Red Absorbs Molasses Flood Studio

Key Highlights:

• CD Projekt Red has absorbed Molasses Flood, ceasing its operations as a separate entity shortly after the acquisition.
• Molasses Flood was working on a multiplayer title set in the Witcher universe, codenamed Project Serious, which had stalled due to leadership and developmental challenges.
• The merger aims to realign Project Serious with CD Projekt's broader studio structure, though it results in some leadership changes, including the departure of co-founder Damian Ayla.

Notable Quotes:

• Andres Cortez [48:53]: "This is always a mixed bag, right? It's so sad when a company that had its own identity and its own team is brought onto another team and just slowly loses its identity."
• Roger Pokorni [51:53]: "It's a tough landscape out there."

Discussion Points:

• Impact on Molasses Flood: The absorption leads to uncertainty regarding Project Serious, with concerns about potential layoffs and the loss of the studio's unique vision.
• Industry Trends: The consolidation reflects broader industry movements where smaller studios are often absorbed by larger entities, impacting creative diversity.
• Developer Sentiments: Hosts express empathy for the developers affected, highlighting the personal and professional toll such mergers can have.

Other News Briefs

• PlayStation Plus Extra Premium Games for April 20, 2025: Announcements include titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Rage Tape 2.
• Nintendo Switch 2 Postponed in China: Due to ongoing government regulation issues, the release in China has been delayed.
• Vampire Survivors Developer Abandons Cross-Save Plans: Legal issues have forced the developer to halt cross-save features for PlayStation consoles.
• New Game Releases: Despelote launching May 1 on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, and Disney Illusion Island on May 30 across major platforms.

Listener Interactions and Super Chats

Throughout the episode, the hosts engage with listener super chats, addressing various comments and providing humorous responses:

• Cereal Guessing Game: Early in the episode, Roger attempts to guess Andres’s favorite cereal, leading to fun exchanges with notable quotes like Andres declaring, "I would never be caught in the same room as a Fruity."
• Super Chat Highlights: Comments range from requests for impersonations to discussions about game launches and personal anecdotes, such as a listener wishing luck to a fellow player.
• Corrections and Clarifications: Hosts acknowledge and respond to listeners pointing out inaccuracies, like the Logitech G Cloud pricing discrepancy.

Notable Quotes:

• Andres Cortez [55:03]: "Super charging you for mentioning Titanfall 3. Riley responds with a two-dollar super chat and says, 'Nah, keep it.' Five dollars well spent."
• Roger Pokorni [58:33]: "We news the last of Us has been renewed for season three ahead of the season two premiere. Cool."

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with final interactions, reminders about supporting the podcast through memberships, and teasers for upcoming shows and streams. Hosts express gratitude towards their Patreon supporters and provide a glimpse into future content, maintaining their engaging and personable connection with the audience.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and interactions from the Kinda Funny Games Daily episode on April 9, 2025. Whether you're a dedicated listener or new to the podcast, this overview offers a thorough understanding of the episode's content and the dynamic rapport between the hosts.

Transcript

[Andres Cortez]

Today's stories include. Xbox's summer showcase is getting a big Outer Worlds 2 breakdown, Razer pauses their laptop sales in the US and some nice new PlayStation features. We'll have all this and more because this is Kind of Funny Games Daily. Hello, gamers. Welcome to Kind of Funny Games daily for Wednesday, April 9, 2025. I am Andres Cortez, and I'm joined by Roger Pokorni.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, I like that. When I was in Spanish class, they would call me Rogelio.

[Andres Cortez]

Rogelio, okay.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, yeah. And I like that. But I also don't like it for some reason. Makes me feel like a soccer player, which I don't feel like I'm worthy of that.

[Andres Cortez]

You played soccer?

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, I did.

[Andres Cortez]

Recently.

[Roger Pokorni]

Broke my. Yeah, exactly.

[Andres Cortez]

Yeah.

[Roger Pokorni]

Fiance. Broke her ankle.

[Andres Cortez]

Broke her ankle.

[Roger Pokorni]

It's done. It's done.

[Andres Cortez]

I've. I have a. I was gonna say a friend of mine. I haven't talked to him about, like, 25 years, but shout out. Rogelio. Who? Born the same birthday as me.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh.

[Andres Cortez]

It was always. It was always February 16th. Me. Me and Rogelio. Yeah.

[Roger Pokorni]

Wow.

[Andres Cortez]

And then I saw pop up on MySpace 10 years later or on Facebook 10 years later, and it was like, Roger. I was like, who the is Roger? Oh, we never called you Roger, bro.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, interesting. Oh, interesting.

[Andres Cortez]

Very, very interesting. This is Kind of Funny Games Daily. Each and every weekday, we run you through the nerdy news. You need to know.

[Roger Pokorni]

No.

[Andres Cortez]

Around live on YouTube, Twitch and podcast services around the globe. Now, before we started the show, Roger, you asked me, what's your favorite cereal?

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

And then you said, no, I want to guess.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah. Okay, so I. A lot of let's work with me chat right now, because if we're thinking about Andy Cortez, right, he likes all the fake flavors. Right. He likes all the energy drinks with artificial everything in there. So my brain goes to, like, Fruity Pebbles. Right. But that's a good guess. But you strike me as. As an enigma. You strike me as somebody who might be into honey bunches of oats. I don't know. You seem to me like a honey bunch of. But that's not even my final answer. I think you might be a honey nut Cheerio guy. That's my final. Damn, Roger.

[Andres Cortez]

That's my.

[Roger Pokorni]

That's my final guess right there.

[Andres Cortez]

First off, Fruity Pebbles. Way off.

[Roger Pokorni]

Wow.

[Andres Cortez]

I would never. With a Fruity Pebble. I wouldn't. I wouldn't be caught in the same room as a Fruity.

[Barrett Courtney]

I get Roger's thought process there, though. Of like artificial flavors, all that stuff.

[Andres Cortez]

Now here's the thing. Cocoa Pebbles. Oh, oh, okay.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, I didn't, I didn't take you as a chocolatey guy.

[Andres Cortez]

I love Cocoa Pebbles. Love them.

[Roger Pokorni]

Are you a chocolatey guy?

[Andres Cortez]

You know, that's a great, that's a great point and that's a great observation by you. I'm not necessarily a chocolatey dude. But the thing about Pebbles, you got to eat them way faster and they get soggy really, really quickly. So it's like, I love Cocoa Pebbles, but only under the correct circumstances. Honey Nut Cheerios. Yeah, I really love. I eat them without milk. Okay. I like, I like doing the handful. Honey bunches of oats. Great call. I used to do that a lot.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, I do that with peanuts in them notoriously.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Roger Pokorni]

Every day. Just.

[Andres Cortez]

What does he toss? Jalapenos. What is he.

[Roger Pokorni]

Sometimes I'll put a little bit of extra salt in there and then sometimes I would overshoot it.

[Andres Cortez]

You put in some cumin. What are you doing? Sometimes Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, yeah, I forgot about that one. I should have called that one. That's like, that's a generic one but like it's a good one. It's a great one, I think. But also you have the same issue though because like they, when you put enough milk in there, they just get too soggy. No, they don't have enough structure, I.

[Andres Cortez]

Think because the Fruity Pebbles lack real estate and you know, like size they have. When the Fruity pebble and the Cocoa pebble lacks the size, it becomes soggy Fastier. Fastier is what I say. Yeah, I really lost my Wilson fist.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, that was rough. Yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

But here's the thing, Roger, you know, oh, that's the penguin.

[Roger Pokorni]

We're so back.

[Andres Cortez]

We're right back into it. If you love what we do, probably. I don't know why you would support us with the kind of funny membership on Patreon, YouTube and now 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. Submit your thoughts and opinions as super chats as we go. Housekeeping Friday, massive day. We kick off the Elder Scrolls Online podcast, a kind of funny Gamescast limited series. Join Greg, Mike and Zenimax Online Studios director Matt Ferreor and Elder Scrolls Online game director Rich Lambert as they start an unflinching four part show about the highs, lows, successes and failures of the 10 year old game Greg calls the deepest Dive of his career. And it all kicks off Friday as your normal games cast as well as the elder scrolls online. YouTube. We never get to this level of depth from developers, so don't miss it if you want to know how games really get made and keep going. I was, I was surprised by the premise of this whole pitch and then I saw Mike playing it and I was like, what are you doing, Mike? He's like, I'm playing all those girls. Like, oh, you have an account. He's like, oh, yeah. I'm like, you know, I have like 100 some hours in this game.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

Which is shocking to me. Yeah.

[Roger Pokorni]

I did not know that.

[Andres Cortez]

Yeah, I had no idea about that. But that all sounds amazing. Everybody tune in Friday for that.

[Roger Pokorni]

Hell yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

Remember, we're. We're a little small baby business. We're just a little babies. Okay? Just a bunch of us. We just need somebody to hold us. We need your monetary help. Your eyes and your ears. We're just a small little business. And today after kind of Funny Games Daily, you'll get the games cast. Tim and Blessing talking beyond video game music quiz. And after Gamescast is a sponsored stream for Monaco 2. Oh, it's gonna be a little bit. A little bit of a collaboration, we say.

[Barrett Courtney]

Little competition.

[Andres Cortez]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Barrett Courtney]

I. I mean the stream is already technically up on YouTube.

[Andres Cortez]

So we're playing against Giant Bomb or we're beating Giant Bomb. Should I say.

[Barrett Courtney]

There we go.

[Andres Cortez]

I'm laying it down right there. Thank you to our Patreon producers. Anatoly asked Delaney Twining, Carl Jacobs and Omega Buster. And I also forgot that if you're kind of funny member. Today's Greg Way is being done by Blessing.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, huge. He looked at me and said, how do you record a Greg Way? And I said, don't worry about it.

[Andres Cortez]

I do remember that. Yeah, it happened a little while ago. I'm not going to go into the intro quite yet. Barrett faked you out. Last night I played a demo.

[Roger Pokorni]

It's like jazz with you. You know what I mean? Like, I never know if you just want to get to the intro, you just like, hey, I just want to get the show over with. Or now we're going back.

[Andres Cortez]

Keeping you on your feet. Yeah, it's jazz, but yeah, in a seven, eight, you know, music measure. Last night I played a demo for a game that I've been very excited by since we saw the PlayStation showcase. It is called Metal Eden.

[Roger Pokorni]

Metal Eden.

[Andres Cortez]

Metal Eden. The. The. It's essentially just a super futuristic Doom looking game. A lot of people in chat were like, andy, what's the hook of it? Is it look, it's, it's a, just a straight up campaign. Oh, yeah. There is not. You're not rogue like in rogue lighting somebody. I was like, wait, so you're telling me this isn't a deck builder? Roguelite? What, multiplayer? No, it's just a campaign. Futuristic first person shooter. Feels a lot like Doom.

[Roger Pokorni]

It looks like Doom.

[Andres Cortez]

As soon as the key art popped up, I went on a little spiel and I was like, man, I love when a game developer can retain a look. Right. When employment means that people get to stick around and people aren't jumping ship all the time and you get to form an identity. Because Raycon, the people that we're watching right here, not the, not the, not Ray J's, no, you know, earphones, earbud and gaming company. No, his Raycon is R E I K O N. And they developed Ruiner many, many years ago. Ruiner came out in 2016, 2017, I believe. Really awesome game, top down, sort of shoot them up with one of the best aesthetics in gaming you've ever seen. It's such a great vibe. And I was like, wow, this is really, really cool. The key art popped up and I said, look at that, that's so recognizable because I played Ruiner and immediately I'm like, look at this company's, this studio's identity. And then people in chat told me, actually last year they laid off 80% of their workforce, that is, and that they finished, I think the last year of development on this game. They had, I don't know, something like 15 people working there, so something very, very small. Those numbers are all kind of arbitrary because a bunch of different articles had different numbers up. It was 70 people laid off, 60 people laid off, 80 people laid off. I don't really know, but that kind of stinks. But when we saw this thing Previewed at the PlayStation showcase, I was like.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, wow, this looks gorgeous.

[Andres Cortez]

This looks pretty damn good.

[Roger Pokorni]

Now safe space is a safe space.

[Andres Cortez]

Sure.

[Roger Pokorni]

I, I, I thought the game was named Runner. Every time I would see it, I thought it was.

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, really?

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, I thought it was Runner until this just now. So I was like, oh, Runner.

[Barrett Courtney]

Something different.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

Their first game, Ruiner. Very cool vibes, very red and cyberpunk. And.

[Roger Pokorni]

That looks awesome though. That game looks sick and metal.

[Andres Cortez]

Eden demo is out available. It's available everywhere you ever released it, Played it on Steam. I think it's May 7th and immediately people in chat were like, oh, cool, demo's out now. And they were coming back 20 minutes later going runs like on console. So I don't know how the console performance necessarily is. Apparently it's not super great. Ran great on PC. If you have a really good machine.

[Roger Pokorni]

Is it a contender?

[Andres Cortez]

I don't know yet. I don't think so. It's fun enough.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah. Is there any.

[Andres Cortez]

Is there any difference?

[Roger Pokorni]

Is there any hook here?

[Barrett Courtney]

The.

[Andres Cortez]

The hook of it is you are first person shooting and smaller enemies. You can yank their core out. And everybody knows I love yanking cores. All right. It's recore all over again. Except here. The. The yanking of the core not as satisfying as I would. As I would have hoped. You know, there's a cool thing about recore where you kind of shooting the enemies and then you have to. It takes a while. There's like a push and a pull to take, you know, to yank that core out. Here you are.

[Roger Pokorni]

The.

[Andres Cortez]

The core is kind of like your main means of shaping a doom like gameplay loop where if you take the core out and you absorb it, it gives you health and it makes you powered up to where if you can melee one of the larger enemies that are shielded, their armor breaks off and then they are way weaker. So it kind of. It'll make your melee stronger and it'll heal you. Or you could toss it at enemies and it delivers. You can level this up as well. You can. The explosion will kind of have like a little AOE explosion effect. If a lot of enemies are around, they will all get affected, but then when they die, they will also drop ammo. And so you kind of in that push and pull mechanic of I need a health, but I also maybe need ammo. Whatever the hell. It's. It's. It's kind of a cool thing. It's just the. The core feeling of yanking the core. It doesn't feel.

[Roger Pokorni]

It doesn't feel like heavy or like. Is that what you want? Yeah, it's a loose core.

[Andres Cortez]

Now the. We all hate a loose core. Roger. But the. I mean, the. The sound design of this main pistol that you have and you have an AR and a shoddy. They all felt really, really damn good. Controlling on keyboard mouse. Weird. It. I had the sensitivity down to like 15 and I was like, let me drop it down a little bit further. I was like, let me keep on going. I got down all the way to zero. I was like, it just feels. It feels like there's a weird.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, like a little smoothing acceleration.

[Andres Cortez]

It said Smoothing was off, but I don't believe it. I don't know. Didn't feel perfect, you know, but I think it's, you know, for a demo for something that's out in a month where they can maybe iron out all those issues, it's something I'm looking forward to. And I got to assume it's going to be a pretty short game, you know what I mean? But today we're brought to you by Better Help Roger. We'll tell you all about that later. It's jazz here, baby. For now, let's begin what is and forever will be the Rope Report. It's time for some news. We have seven stories today. The Roger Report.

[Roger Pokorni]

Whoa.

[Andres Cortez]

And call it that one.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, I like that.

[Andres Cortez]

Xbox Game Showcase followed by The Outer Worlds 2 direct airs on June 8th. This is from Joe Scribbles at Xbox Wire. 11 minutes of an Outer Worlds gameplay videos out now on ign. It's an IGN first. I got to watch some of it before the show. And the story goes like this. Make space on your art on your calendar. The Xbox Game Showcase 2025 will be live streamed on Sunday, June 8th starting at 10am Pacific Time. Following in the footsteps of the 2023 Starfield Direct and 2024 Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Direct, this year we will again have a double feature with the Xbox Game Showcase immediately followed by The Outer Worlds 2 direct. It all begins with our annual Xbox Game Showcase bringing you a look at our upcoming titles from across our first party studios in addition to incredible new titles from our third party partners across the globe. This year the show will be digital only. Our live stream will bring you everything you'll need to know about what's next for Xbox, no matter where in the world you're watching. Immediately following the showcase, The Outer Worlds 2 direct will bring you inside the walls of Obsidian Entertainment, revealing new gameplay details and developer insight straight from the people making the sequel to the award winning first person sci Fi rpg Getting Closer and Closer. Raj. Yeah, a game that we maybe thought it's going to get pushed out. Maybe it still does. Who knows? But feels kind of like 11 minutes.

[Roger Pokorni]

A whole direct here. We're going to. We're going to see this game. This game's coming out. Obsidian's going two for two this year.

[Andres Cortez]

Getting a lot of info, Rog.

[Roger Pokorni]

Crazy stuff. I. Where do you want to go here? Right? Because I can talk about the Outer Worlds two element of it. I can just talk about the idea that Outer Worlds 2 is getting so much, you know, praise and excitement behind the Xbox machine, marketing machine here. Right. Putting it right afterwards after the Xbox Showcase is a huge slot right there. Right. Like that is reserved for Starfield. Before, Black Ops 6 was the first Xbox game pass Call of Duty game. Right. And then now Outer Worlds 2. I was not expecting Outer Worlds 2 to have that slot. I expected in my heart of hearts, baby, Gears of War. Maybe Gears of War is coming out this year. Maybe we do the big push there. Right. So I think in my mind that means that Gears of War is not coming out this year. I expected maybe even like a fable or something like that. Right. Like, but our worlds too. That's. That's kind of cool that this studio is getting that push behind it. I don't necessarily think it's as exciting. I don't know. What do you think?

[Andres Cortez]

Part of me wonders if they are just trying to set a formula for what these things will be. Hey, we'll have our big showcase and afterwards we'll give you a super deep dive on an upcoming big first party title. And part of me wonders, are they up there in these offices going, should we put Outer Worlds 2 on this stage? I mean, it's obviously more time, more advertising, but Starfield is the next big RPG from Bethesda. Call of Duty 6. That is massive. Or Black Ops 6. Right. That is huge. I wonder if they were like, we have something here, might as well showcase it to kind of keep the formula going and get people excited about what's. I think is going to be a really, really awesome RPG. Especially after playing Outer Worlds 1 and replaying that recently, this year, not fully beating it, but still being like, wow, I. I really messed up in not giving this game all of my time. I am sort of surprised like you are by the stage that it's being put on. I think for a smaller sort of RPG that is not trying to be Starfield, it's not trying to be no Man's Sky. It's always going to be a more insular sort of closed off experience with open zones. Right. But I think it's pretty massive for someone like Obsidian to continue to get love because they are the ones that are continuously putting out great products.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah. I mean, it makes me happy. I mean, I'm the same with you. Right. I played Outer Worlds actually for the first time, I think last year.

[Andres Cortez]

Right.

[Roger Pokorni]

And I fucking fell in love with it. I had a great time. I was even playing on the Xbox One version because I didn't want to pay for the series X version. It's Only on game pass, whatever. I had a great time with this. So I'm very excited. I'm very happy that they have the showcase. But it does, it just makes, it's. It, it's interesting. It's interesting. And I'm glad that they're continuing the formula of like, hey, the game that we're showing is going to come out like pretty soon. We're not going to show. You do a whole deep dive on a game that's coming out a year from now, right? These games are going to be. We're going to show the game and then it's going to come out pretty soon afterwards, right? It is interesting in my mind that it wasn't a Call of Duty again. There was a little bit in my head of like, maybe that's just going to be the Call of Duty spot, right? Every year we're going to have the Xbox thing, we're going to have the Call of Duty thing. That made a lot of sense to me. I have two minds of that one. Maybe they just want to make sure that hey, we're spotlighting whatever big game that isn't called Call of Duty is going to get the clicks anyways. It doesn't matter. But also too, maybe the Call of Duty just isn't that exciting this year, right? Maybe they just don't have. Black Ops 6 was a huge quote unquote revolution for what?

[Andres Cortez]

No Omni movie?

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, no Omni movie. I mean, honestly, they're not going to have like that big thing where it's like, here's the, you know, the big, you know, TM new movement system, new thing that we can really push here that is pushing forward Call of Duty. It's probably just going to be another Call of duty.

[Andres Cortez]

No. So McDavish, you can also, you can also only have so many FIFA and Madden moments at, you know, at E3s, at EA's E3 presentation. You know what I mean? But at a certain point, Call of Duty doesn't need to be dove in deep into.

[Roger Pokorni]

I mean they'll have their own thing, right? They'll next, they'll have all that jazz.

[Andres Cortez]

But I, I think that this can possibly put outer worlds on a much larger stage, obviously with a lot more eyes on it to get people understanding. These dudes really, really have an incredible portfolio. Outer Worlds 1 largely slept on by the masses. Right. It's still a very popular game, obviously. I'm not trying to downplay it. It's well known within. If you're watching game show, you know, game talk Shows or game podcasts. Yeah. But it's not that title. It doesn't have that sort of that prestige. Let's give it that prestige. Yeah, we put out about earlier this year. We had a, you know, a good amount of success there. Obviously not as much as I think that they would have hoped. I'm not sure where numbers are with Avowed, but for me, the way that I experience Avowed, going back to playing Outer Worlds and kind of playing them simultaneously, I personally, I was just like, wow, I. I kind of wish this was just Outer Worlds. I. I wish I was playing Outer Worlds too right now.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

Because I didn't really vibe necessarily with the characters or a whole lot of the writing. And then I think it gets really pumped up and. And push into another level of quality later on that I really enjoyed and felt more of those sarcastic tonal shifts that the Outer World is known to give you. Right. The Outer World is very much, you know, it's. It's a very. It's a parody on. Yeah, not necessarily even a parody, but let's make fun of capitalistic corporate corporations. A lot of satire reminds me a lot of like, GTA and how, you know, everybody's just living a shitty life, but there's a lot of heart there and great moments and. And I. I think I am looking forward to this way more than to Avowed. How much Avow did you play?

[Roger Pokorni]

Not much. I played a few hours of it and I dropped off pretty heavily because same thing, bro. I was like, I'm excited for Outer Worlds, but in Fantasy World, and I'm like, not really getting that as much. Right. And then I see this 11 minutes, I'm like, oh, shit, we're back. Like, this is fully. This is what I wanted. I just wanted Outer Worlds too. That's the reason why I dropped off of a. Vowed so hard. But I think eventually I will get back to it, push forward a little bit. But either way, like, this. This to me is the most exciting thing. So I am excited for those people that have not played Outer Worlds or heard about it or are tangentially related to it to now get a look at it. But I also just a little bit scared of just like, I don't. How do you pitch this game to, like, people that, like, I don't know, like, is this going to actually help the game that much or is it just going to be the same people that are like, oh, I saw this game and oh, it's not really what I'm looking for. Move on. Right. I Don't know. Is this, is this actually going to be the thing that pushes Outer Worlds 2 into this mega franchise or is it just going to stay in the smaller nicher side of the RPG sphere?

[Andres Cortez]

I think part of me wonders, are you, are you just trying to get more of the Game Pass audience on it? Are you trying to get more people onto Game Pass to show them, look at this really high quality RPG with great character interactions, decision making. You are make. You are sort of role playing your character in this world. And by the way, it's also on Game Pass. Yeah, I think What Outer Wilds 2 or Outer Worlds 2? You know, this whole situation with it being after the showcase, I think you brought up a lot of great earlier points of what are we going to see with Ide? What are we going to see with Fable?

[Roger Pokorni]

Perfect Dark, Ninja Gaiden.

[Andres Cortez]

They're Ninja Gaiden four. Ninja Gaiden four. Sorry. Yeah, you're right. Sorry. I was, I was thinking Rage Bound, the, the science. But immediately I wonder, wow, are we really that far off from Perfect Dark and Fable? It just, it just really sort of makes me worry more about those. But then on the flip side, I go, Andy, don't worry. It's because Outer. While Outer Worlds 2 is coming out very, very soon and they want to really, really focus and push. This is, this is the moment to push right here for Outer Worlds too. This is the marketing area.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, I think Obsidian is owed this moment too. Right. Like, I mean, they've just been working so hard on so many great games that they deserve at least a spot once, right. Of like, hey, this is our sequel. This is the thing that is going to perfect this Outer Worlds formula. This is the moment to give it the biggest spotlight ever. Yeah. When I look back at this year, Xbox had a great year so far.

[Andres Cortez]

Like, they've been the insomniac of. Of Xbox, you know.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, for sure. But Xbox in total, like has a great year lined up. It has a. Has had a great year already with south of Midnight Avowed earlier on. Like, they're, they're doing well this year. So. Yeah, I'm not expecting Gears of War ea, even though it's on my Fantasy Critic, which might have been a mistake. But we never know. We never know.

[Andres Cortez]

There's still a prayer still opener. Prayer.

[Roger Pokorni]

They don't need Gears of War. Right. They. They need just Outer Worlds to fill it up. They have what I just say, Ninja Gaiden 4 coming out soon. Right. So they have a good year lined up. I'm not worried about Xbox at all. Perfect Dark. That's another conversation. I also don't believe in that game. I just like we like what we saw. That gameplay we saw. People were blown away by it. I was like, that doesn't look real. Like that doesn't look like a real game still. It does not. I look at that and I'm like, I don't see me playing that. That seems like a very, very, very, very much a vertical, vertical slice. If you can find one for E3 games, I don't know. Yeah, I fit. I'm not worried about it.

[Andres Cortez]

I don't think I, I don't think I disagree with that on the perfect dark tech. But just one quick thing I want to point out on avow or on on Outer Worlds too, it looks awesome visually. That was always one of my problems with outer worlds 1. I when I was replaying it earlier this year, I installed so many damn mods. Oh visual stuff and it looks really, really damn good. But it makes me really happy to see how much of an improvement the engine has gone through. How much of an improvement? Just art direction and lighting. Because I think Outer Worlds 1 was pretty, pretty unattractive to look at. I never felt like, oh wow, look at the visuals here.

[Roger Pokorni]

It just always felt a lot of muddiness.

[Andres Cortez]

It was really punched up also in spots. It felt like interior lighting was very lacking in a lot of spots. And even in these slower sort of sneak through moments where we see the character talking to NPCs, I think they're doing a great job with interiors and with just the way the lighting is working overall. So super stoked about that. That makes me happy because again, I love the writing of Outer Worlds. I love the tone. I kind of love existing in that world and if it's going to look better, I'm in. Let's do it.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, this is what I want out of my RPGs.

[Andres Cortez]

Super exciting story number two Razer pauses direct laptop sales in the US as new tariffs loom Antonio this comes From Antonio G. DiBenetto at the Verge. Razer's upcoming Blade 16 and other laptops are no longer available for pre order or purchase on its US site. The configurator for pre ordering, its new Blade 16 laptop was available as recently as April 1, according to the Internet Archive, one day before the Trump administration announced sweeping UF tariffs on China, Taiwan and others that make laptop components. When asked recently if tariffs might affect razor prices or availability, its public relations manager, Andy Johnson told the Verge, we do not have a comment at this stage regarding tariffs. Razor may not be openly talking about the impact of tariffs. Close quote. By the way, Razor may not be talking openly talking about the impact of tariffs, but Framework halted sales of its entry level laptop 13 in the US on April 7 and Micron reportedly confirmed surcharges for its memory chips will apply once the tariffs take effect after midnight tonight. The direct link to the blade 16 configurator now takes you to a 404 error page and its product page only now has a notify me button instead of anywhere to submit your pre order while shopping for other laptops on Razer site, only skins and accessories are available for purchase. Even a new laptop stand at Razer announced today which a press release said would be available now only has a notify me button with no price listed anywhere. Meanwhile, the same laptop stand has a price of 99.99 Canadian on the Razer Canada site where the Blade 16 configurator is still available. It's a similar story for Razer's site in other countries as well. We've contacted Razer for further comment on tariffs and asked for confirmation that it has paused sales, but it did not respond to the by the time of publication, this is gonna continue to happen. We're gonna keep on reading stories like this. This is probably the 12th time we've read a story like this. This will be the there'll be many, many more in the future. I was making a comment earlier to Roger that It's just, it's gonna remind me of the of Microsoft trying to buy Blizzard and battle like what a nightmare saga that was for bo. This is going to continue but own the libs man. We're winning, we're winning.

[Roger Pokorni]

The part of this that I didn't know which is not even a video game, I guess it's a gaming thing is the Framework thing. Man, that sucks for that company. What a small company. I don't know if you know anything about Framework y'all.

[Andres Cortez]

I do.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah. You don't have one. Yeah. Then you returned it.

[Andres Cortez]

I returned it cuz I'm waiting for well I was waiting for a better one.

[Roger Pokorni]

Now you can't get one and I.

[Andres Cortez]

Legitimately was going to buy a better one. And this framework 13, the press releases that were coming out on it before it came out was sort of a hey get a higher end laptop that's very affordable for students out there. Awesome color configurations, really, really neat, you know, concept. It's not just you're not going to spend $2,000 on a laptop for your students. This is something that your young children of students will. Children of students. Doesn't make any sense, Roger.

[Roger Pokorni]

I guess everyone's kind of children.

[Barrett Courtney]

Very affordable old student.

[Andres Cortez]

Very, very affordable entry level laptop. And yeah, it sucks for a very.

[Roger Pokorni]

Small company and especially, yeah, if anyone doesn't know anything about Framework. Framework is a company that is based upon the ideals that you can repair and upgrade your laptops by yourself. Right. So you can literally just get all the pieces and put together your laptop and save a bunch of money. It's a really cool concept. So that sucks for them. I've watched a lot of videos about that and they're behind the scenes stuff so that sucks for them. It sucks for Razer. And yeah, again we're going to keep on getting this and excited for tomorrow. We're gonna get more news stories like this.

[Andres Cortez]

Yeah, we'll see what the next companies will be. I was already kind of bummed out because I, you know, every, every time I see the new Priuses, Roger, I just, I fantasize about getting a new Prius.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, that means not a new one.

[Andres Cortez]

I don't, I've never had one. That means. Yeah, that means I could sell you my Honda.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

Dude, it's only got 23000 miles on it, Roger.

[Roger Pokorni]

That's a great deal.

[Andres Cortez]

I'm thinking like $33,000, man. Okay, Terror, you know, I'm being terrified but every time I look at one of these cars, I'm like, God dang, they're going to, you know, car prices are already going to, they're already not great and they're going to just keep continue to get worse. Which is you looking at? Huh? What Prius were you looking at the brand new Priuses?

[Roger Pokorni]

Were you looking at the ones that had like the solar panel roof? Have you seen that?

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, no, they just look slick. I just love the body, the body style of it. But yeah, this, this sucks. We a lot of bad decisions being made everywhere and you know, doesn't. You can't have your stock depleted if you don't have stock rush. You know what I mean? You know what I mean?

[Roger Pokorni]

I got a lot of stock. I bought stock a few months ago.

[Andres Cortez]

And a man child. You, you know, you don't know anything about the stock market.

[Barrett Courtney]

What's that?

[Andres Cortez]

Yeah, what's that man?

[Roger Pokorni]

We don't got one.

[Andres Cortez]

Story number three, new PlayStation Portal update adds features to PS5 cloud streaming beta. This comes from Jordan Midler at VGC. Sony has added additional features to his PlayStation Portal cloud streaming Beta Test the new features that will be added to the system in the update include the ability to sort games in the catalog screen, as well as the ability to capture gameplay. Images and videos captured during the streaming session will be automatically uploaded to the cloud server, which can be accessed from the PlayStation app. Captures will be stored for 14 days. Video clips up to 3 minutes in length will be supported, with the resolution for those clips locked at 1920 by 1080. A new queuing system has been implemented for when the streaming servers are full. An estimated wait time will now be shown to the player. When the wait expires, players will be automatically loaded into their game. Players will now be notified when their session is about to end due to inactivity. And a new feedback screen has been added so that players can rate streaming sessions after they end. PlayStation portals Cloud streaming Service Cloud Streaming offering is still in beta. It's cool. Continuing to improve it. Continuing. You know, for somebody who doesn't use a Portal, but loves the body style and the feel of it, great to kind of, you know, hey, this little surprise of a piece of hardware kind of caught us all by surprise. We weren't expecting to sell this. Well, it's doing pretty damn well. Let's continue to invest in this because, I mean, you know, we're gonna get that PlayStation handheld one day. Roger dedicated one, you know.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, I mean, I, I. My first thought with the Portal was that this was just gonna become E waste. That's when I taught Snowback Mike about the term E waste, and then he just started using the term E waste for just regular trash, which is incredible. Yeah. He would just be like, you throw away a candy, man. It's just a bunch of E waste. That's not how you use the word.

[Andres Cortez]

Yeah.

[Roger Pokorni]

So I'm happy that, yeah, one, it's successful and two, they're continuing to update it because, man, also, one day we got to figure out how to jailbreak this fucking thing. I know people already have, sort of, but, like, if they can start putting some emulation on that. You know what I mean?

[Andres Cortez]

Come on.

[Roger Pokorni]

Just a little bit.

[Andres Cortez]

Okay, but what sort of hardware capabilities are we talking with this? I don't know what's on board with it.

[Roger Pokorni]

Someone got GTA 3 running, like, in the first week of this thing coming, coming out, so it has to have something going on.

[Andres Cortez]

Damn, they couldn't even do that with the grand. The Auto remasters.

[Roger Pokorni]

So true. So true.

[Andres Cortez]

That. That's a, that's a, A tough little venture right there. Yeah. This is Great for people who are invested into that PlayStation ecosystem to continue to reward people for buying the damn hardware. Because it's one of those, again, kind of a surprise for me. I did not expect this thing. I don't think a lot of people expected this device to sell really great. And I expected to be a shitload of returns for people going, oh, wait, it's just a cloud thing.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, the amount of times I've had to explain to, like, my high school friends of, like, oh, no, no, no, this is just a streaming thing. This is just a streaming thing.

[Andres Cortez]

And then Tim showed me Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth playing from his house on here on the work. I was like, wow, that's really impressive. What's it, bear? What's it like to have good WI Fi? You know, we don't know.

[Barrett Courtney]

It's weird. I just noticed the other day you stood up chat, because sometimes I like to look directly and my camera's also not working, so might as well just look at you. I was, like, a good block away from our house, and I had a better signal of our WI fi.

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, nice, dude.

[Barrett Courtney]

My.

[Roger Pokorni]

You guys might be signing into the wrong WI fi. Yeah, I, I.

[Barrett Courtney]

There's something.

[Andres Cortez]

I think there's adamantium in our walls. I really.

[Barrett Courtney]

There's something in the walls. Like, no matter what kind of route, if we get, like, a better route, like, it's not going to help. There's like, there's something in the wall.

[Roger Pokorni]

All you got to do is, like, Kevin. I don't know, just like, Kevin in the house. He'll set it up. He's very excited about it. Don't you worry about it. No, I let Kevin make content out.

[Barrett Courtney]

Of it once eight years ago to help us move in a couch, and that'll be the only time he's gonna.

[Andres Cortez]

Trojan horse Mike into there as well. Let me fix the back of you.

[Roger Pokorni]

Let me see the room.

[Andres Cortez]

Mike had his chance not to get.

[Roger Pokorni]

On my high horse, everybody. But also, thank you so much for having bad WI fi, Andy, because you gave me your Logitech G cloud.

[Andres Cortez]

I did.

[Roger Pokorni]

That's a better console, guys. You guys just got to get the Logitech G cloud. I mean, I understand it's a PlayStation thing and it just works seamlessly, but, like, you can play all your PlayStation games remotely on the Logitech G cloud and also any other thing you want to do. You can emulate games. You can do all the stuff. It's like 140 bucks.

[Andres Cortez]

Play that on Steam day. You can install chiaki for deck Chiaki. That's the way the guy says it in the tutorial or in the YouTube tutorial. You know when you want to install a PlayStation.

[Roger Pokorni]

I thought you're doing a Mr. Miyagi.

[Andres Cortez]

No, that's the way the guys. I think he's like from Sweden maybe. I can't really place the accent. He's like, if you're going to install Chiaki videck, that's what he's. A few people will understand that reference. I need to install Chiaki for deck.

[Roger Pokorni]

Go to the ad. What are we doing? What are we doing?

[Andres Cortez]

You know, what are we doing, Roger? We're. We're doing our jobs. We're getting paid. What? What is going on?

[Roger Pokorni]

It's a daredevil set.

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, I didn't even see them down there. We're making money. And in order for us to stay employed, everybody, it' with your eyes and your ears. And with the help from our incredible sponsors. So let's hear from them right now.

[Greg Miller]

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. We all know that therapy can feel like a lofty investment. But we also know that there's nothing better to invest in than yourself. The state of your mind is just as important as your physical health. Let's talk numbers. Traditional in person therapy can cost anywhere from 100 to 250 per session, which adds up fast. But with BetterHelp online therapy, you can save on average up to 50% per session. Therapy should feel accessible, not like a luxury. With BetterHelp, you pay a flat fee for weekly sessions, saving you big on cost and on time. Some of my best friends use BetterHelp and love how helpful it can be for learning positive coping skills and how to set boundaries. It empowers you to be the best version of yourself. And it isn't just for those who've experienced major trauma. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give better help a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible and suited to your schedule. Your well being is worth it. Visit betterhelp.com kindafunny to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp. H E-L-P.com kindafunny betterhelp.com kinda funny.

[Andres Cortez]

I decided I'm going to put a 90 day hold on to tariffs. 90 day hold? That's more than 80 days, Roger. Tariffs have been put on hold. Breaking news, breaking news.

[Roger Pokorni]

You heard it here first. Well, not China. China's is up.

[Barrett Courtney]

Everything's gonna be fixed.

[Andres Cortez]

China's still up. China's is up.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, it went up. Went up to 125 now.

[Andres Cortez]

Bam.

[Barrett Courtney]

And it doesn't get a pause?

[Andres Cortez]

No, he was pissing me off. I made it higher. Well, I mean, shoot, hopefully. Let's go check the Razor website. Let's see if we can. I'm gonna check that framework. Right. Check Toyota, see what's up. The Priuses.

[Roger Pokorni]

Impulse Buys a prius.

[Andres Cortez]

Story number four. Sony adds more animated PS5 backgrounds, including Ghost of Yote.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, that game's not even out yet.

[Andres Cortez]

This comes from Jordan Midler at VGC. Sony has quietly added animated PS5 backgrounds featuring Horizon, Demon Souls. Hey, Sony. Hey, Sony. Fuck it. Come over here, let's talk. Let's talk real quick. Where is Demon Souls on PC?

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, that's what you want?

[Andres Cortez]

Where is it? Why is it. Is it China? Is it the tariffs? Fuck, man. Put it on PC and Ghost of Yote to select players. So a lot of cool backgrounds being put on there by a lot of their awesome games. Previously, PS5's Welcome Hub was had one animated background which featured Astrobot. Now backgrounds for Days Gone, Demon Souls, Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yote, God of War, Ragnarok, Horizon, Call of the Mountain, Horizon, Forbidden west and Lego Horizon Adventures, Ratchet and Clank, Rift Apart, Rise of the Ronin and Stellar Blade have all been added, but are only available to certain users at the moment.

[Roger Pokorni]

What?

[Andres Cortez]

Why?

[Roger Pokorni]

What is going on in the behind the scenes in PlayStation with this? And then also the limited edition PlayStation 2 and 1 and 3 themes. Themes that have went away, but then they tease. We're coming back, but then they're not back yet. It's like, what the fuck is happening, Nintendo?

[Andres Cortez]

Look, y'all, look, we're going to put up these themes. Nintendo killed it with that when they put the Mario collection for 30 days on sale and they took it off the market. We got to do.

[Roger Pokorni]

We got to do that.

[Barrett Courtney]

But not charging anybody purchase the themes or anything. It's just like we're just going to have it and take it away for no reason.

[Andres Cortez]

Exactly.

[Roger Pokorni]

And also, let's be honest, those themes sucked. They were not good themes.

[Andres Cortez]

Well, we don't see them animated.

[Barrett Courtney]

They weren't amp like. Yeah, they weren't implemented well.

[Roger Pokorni]

No, they were bad themes.

[Andres Cortez]

Are you talking about the PlayStation ones? Oh, I never even.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh yeah, they would cover sounds even so they would. It would cover like the, like the images that would like when you like go over a like a game, it shows like the little key art. It would cover that key art because it Would have like this weird. Like transparent. Yeah. On top. On top. That was like showing some PlayStation stuff. Who's weird.

[Andres Cortez]

That's weird.

[Barrett Courtney]

Here's how you bring back themes.

[Roger Pokorni]

Sounds funny.

[Barrett Courtney]

Is that you put in a back end setting where you can disable the like full picture of the game when you click over to the game square and you can just keep the theme on.

[Andres Cortez]

How about that?

[Roger Pokorni]

Come on. How about.

[Barrett Courtney]

How about that?

[Roger Pokorni]

Catch me outside.

[Barrett Courtney]

Catch me outside.

[Andres Cortez]

How about that? They have taken everything from us. Didn't expect a Bad baby reference.

[Roger Pokorni]

Back.

[Andres Cortez]

We're up then. Tariffs are gone. Bad baby is back.

[Roger Pokorni]

So back.

[Andres Cortez]

Yeah. Very, very odd. Put in a story in KFGD that we decided not to put in the show.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, but you're making the executive decision.

[Andres Cortez]

But I'm making an executive decision just to bring it up because it happened when I was on the show with Greg the other day. And again, a tweet from no Bell on on Twitter. Who says More details on the rumored Titanfall 3 game from last week's Apex leaker. Unreal Engine 5 single player almost complete live service with battle passes returning Apex characters. Stop talking about it, Nobel. Careful. Be careful what you're doing. I'm sick of Titanfall 3 supposed game existence rumors no more. I don't want to hear the words together in a sentence ever again until we see a trailer for it.

[Roger Pokorni]

I'm scared that they're going to just cancel it and break your heart.

[Andres Cortez]

I'm just tired of it for the last four or five years. Roger. Every. It's.

[Barrett Courtney]

It's every other week, man.

[Andres Cortez]

And it's like it always happens when I'm on shows and this time it's only because I'm bringing it up.

[Roger Pokorni]

But still.

[Andres Cortez]

Yeah, it's always. Oh, a respawn person said, well, Jeff.

[Roger Pokorni]

Grubb said it's fake.

[Andres Cortez]

Apparently Jeff Grubb says it's fake and somebody's gonna go, Jeff Grubb doesn't. And it's. That's gonna be. I'm enough.

[Roger Pokorni]

Okay, now let's enough. Let's keep you honest here. Where's the same energy for Hollow Knight? Like what's going on there?

[Barrett Courtney]

Because we've actually seen a trailer for that.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, but it's been like years of us talking about this thing.

[Andres Cortez]

Roger yourself, once you grow the up, Andy.

[Roger Pokorni]

Okay. Why don't you grow up and have some consistency? If you have the same feelings about Titanfall. Have the same feelings about Hollow Knight. How about Bloodboard? Oh, how about Bloodborne?

[Andres Cortez]

My Honda Civic just went up to 38, 000. You're not getting this sucker. I require a much higher down payment on it. You're pissing me off. Story number five. Nintendo understands that some consumers won't be able to afford the Switch 2. Great.

[Roger Pokorni]

I'm glad they understand that.

[Andres Cortez]

Hey, you know, knowledge is power. At least they know this comes from Brian at Nintendo. Everything. While discussion surrounding Switch 2's price continues, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser understands that some consumers may not be able to afford the system. And before I go further with the story, I just want to say get us in your super chats, because I haven't even mentioned that at all. And I would like this company to stay employed. Oh, back to the story.

[Roger Pokorni]

You're gonna do a thing of like, oh, no. So then we can afford the Switch to thing.

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, for the pre. Oh, I see. Well, maybe, who knows? Maybe Nintendo Switch 2 goes back down to 399 or whatever, which wasn't even, you know, unofficial price at any point. Bowser was speaking about the cost in a recent interview. For those interested in Nintendo's overall ecosystem, Bowser highlighted that it will continue to have Switch 1 available. New games for that console will also continue to launch heading into 2026. Bowser told the CBC. Who was that? Andy?

[Barrett Courtney]

No.

[Andres Cortez]

Who was that?

[Barrett Courtney]

No, come on, man.

[Andres Cortez]

Who was that? Bowser told the cpc. Bowser told cbc. As we saw it coming, but it's still a comedy.

[Barrett Courtney]

Who does this Bowser sound like? It sounded like an actor.

[Andres Cortez]

Kind of sounded like my Seth Rogen. Yeah, there you go. Bowser told CBC. As we look at Nintendo Switch 2 and you think about the feature sets that I talked about, we believe that the pricing is appropriate for the value of the machine and the gameplay experience overall. We recognize there are some people that may not be able to afford the Switch 2's price point. That's why we wanted to make the other Switch platforms available.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, wow, that's exciting.

[Andres Cortez]

They're making them on sale again. I thought they were going to take them off, Roger. So people will still have an opportunity to come to our gaming universe, be a part of these characters in these worlds, and see value, if you will, in whatever rung of the platform they'd come in.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, I made the. People have made the joke already. But when I saw the news story, I immediately went to the Don Matrix. Remember that an Xbox One was coming out. He was like, we still got the 360 if you don't want to play online. Right. Which was meme to death. And that was a shitty thing to say. Right. Because that was something they could have changed. Right?

[Andres Cortez]

And.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, exactly. Well, it was the thing of like turning off the online. Right. So they could have changed that.

[Andres Cortez]

Right.

[Roger Pokorni]

This to me, I'm like, what are you going to say? You're fucking the CEO of the company? Like, what are you going to say? Like, yeah, of course you're going to be like, I can't afford it. Oh, man, we should have thought about that. You know, we're going to drop the price $100. Like, of course he's going to be like, buy the other ones then because they're cheaper. So, yeah, I mean, it's. This is, this is a nothing burger. It makes sense.

[Andres Cortez]

I need Doug Bowser to reply to people like a really angry sports coach. Oh. And just be like, that's a, that's a dumb question. I'm not going to answer it. Next question sort of thing.

[Roger Pokorni]

I like that. I like that. Bring that energy.

[Andres Cortez]

What do you. I mean, yeah, you're totally right on here. What are you expecting? This is an executive making a statement about his company saying, yeah, some people may not be able to afford it. Some people will always not be able to afford the thing you're putting out.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

But hopefully they will buy the cheaper thing that has been on sale for the last eight years.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Or most likely they already have it and you know there's still support for it. Right. Like Metroid Prime 4 is still coming to that. Right?

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah. And this is also a pretty good answer just because Also, like in Xbox360 going to one era, there wasn't backwards compatibility out the box. Right. So it didn't even make sense to buy the last one if you're going to buy the next one, this one. Full backwards compatibility. If you buy everything on Switch 1, you're going to be able to bring it over to Switch two. So again, not a bad answer here for what he's saying, but I understand how it is. You know, it's sensitive topic right now. Everyone's mad about the price.

[Barrett Courtney]

Could have worded it better, probably, for sure.

[Andres Cortez]

I got so distracted by an incredible comment from Kylo Reid who says layoffs don't talk to be layoffs. Layoffs. It's a, it's a famous sports quote from an old coach who went playoffs. Talk to me about the playoffs. And it's also kind of. Alan, you ever see the Allen Iverson one? No, I'm talking about practice, man. Talking about practice. We're not talking about a game. Talking about Practice. That's another. That's another very popular quote. I'm just here to bring the sports references that six people will enjoy. Story number six.

[Roger Pokorni]

Six people.

[Andres Cortez]

Six people. I did want to refresh the super chats really, really quickly because I see a super chat from Alex Fraser who says, oh, the two dollar super chat says read Doug Bowser quotes in a Trump voice, please. I will not do that. I will not do that. Thank you for the two dollar super chat though. Two dollar Super Chat from Erk Thump. Every time I see a weird looking username, I'm scared I'm saying, yeah, a slur.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, for sure.

[Andres Cortez]

I'm scared I'm saying something that is the, you know, long been canceled two dollar Super Chat says Titanfall 3 is the new Half Life 3.

[Roger Pokorni]

No, Half Life 3 is the new.

[Andres Cortez]

Half Life 3 is still Half Life 3. Correct. Cody Boone, two dollars Super Chat says. Did you guys see the marathon ARG last week? I did see all of the Internet popping off about this marathon arg and people deciphering the music and using Mozart symphony to figure out what the I. I love when Bungie gets in their bag with so pumped up. Pumped up for marathon.

[Roger Pokorni]

Pumped off.

[Andres Cortez]

I'm pumped off. I'm pumping off and I'm pumped up. Roger. And the thing is, was I invited to play it? No. But I'm not mad at all. No, I'm not bothered by that. Okay. You can look at me and be like, Andy's probably. I don't. You know, all of a lot of my cool friends got to go play the game Marathon.

[Roger Pokorni]

Close friends.

[Andres Cortez]

A lot of close friends of mine. I wasn't there but I had stuff to do also, you know, I had.

[Roger Pokorni]

You were in New York.

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, oh, I guess you were at the Nintendo thing. I. Well, I had stuff to do because freaking. I, I had to.

[Barrett Courtney]

Chris.

[Andres Cortez]

I had to order Cheez Its. I had to order my Cheez Its because I was out.

[Barrett Courtney]

Chris Anko was also in town.

[Andres Cortez]

Chris Important. Yeah, that was very important. So I'm not, I'm not jealous or bad. I'm not mad, everybody.

[Roger Pokorni]

No.

[Andres Cortez]

But this game, my goodness, I'm excited for Saturday for this big reveal.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, it's on Saturday.

[Andres Cortez]

It's on Saturday. 10am we'll be talking all about it on Monday. The reason I'm super pumped up about it is obviously Bungie new shooter. That really, really means something. But I can't think of a more fresh art style. Yeah, I can't just. When you think sci fi's been there Done that. Even a game like Metal Eden feels fairly derivative, but it's got some new ideas. Visually, Marathon, I don't think there's been anything. Again, a bungee just kills it with their art direction and their art style and just aesthetics, you know, and maybe it's just, hey, instead of neon green or instead of neon pink, replace with neon green.

[Roger Pokorni]

Sure.

[Andres Cortez]

There's still something about the. The visuals and the look of what they're going for that feels like the freshest you've ever seen.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

I'm so pumped up to that little.

[Roger Pokorni]

Moment of just like the first person. I'm like, fuck if that game looks like that. Holy shit.

[Andres Cortez]

I mean, this is def. This has got to be in game.

[Roger Pokorni]

Visuals don't get me excited.

[Andres Cortez]

Something about blue blood also.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, it's hot.

[Andres Cortez]

It's really cool.

[Roger Pokorni]

Cat thing.

[Barrett Courtney]

It's like Irobot.

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, yeah. They had like, white blood, right?

[Barrett Courtney]

Something like that.

[Roger Pokorni]

Did they?

[Barrett Courtney]

Pretty sure it was blue.

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, that's what the androids had in. In Alien. That's what you think they had white blood.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, yes, they did. They did. Spinning out.

[Andres Cortez]

So, yeah, super pumped about Marathon. Thank you for allowing me to have the chance to just talk about Marathon and pump off with y'all. Riley with a $5 supercharger says we won't get Titanfall 3. I'm sorry, it sucks. But the way we'd get it is if Respawn left ea, then EA will claim rights to Titanfall ip. I. Riley, I don't know if you heard me talk about. I don't want to see those words together ever again. I will venmo you your $5 back, Kevin. Get on it. Story number six, the end of an era. The molasses flood has been absorbed into CD Projekt Red. This comes from Christopher at game developer. Total aside, right here. I felt like I was talking saying the new chapter in an audiobook because it reminds me of listening to Jason Triers when I was reading it. Reading that book with my ears and hearing the end of an era.

[Roger Pokorni]

The end of an era.

[Andres Cortez]

Chapter 6.

[Barrett Courtney]

Reading that book with my ears.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, I get it.

[Andres Cortez]

That's a good book. It's a good read. Good read. Molasses Flood has been absorbed into parent company CD Projekt Red less than four hours after it was acquired by Cyberpunk and the Witcher developer. A notice, huh?

[Roger Pokorni]

Four years.

[Andres Cortez]

Four years. About to say four hours fast.

[Roger Pokorni]

I was like, damn.

[Andres Cortez]

Holy shit, what year is it? You know, like, damn, that happened a long time ago, too. A notice on the studio website, confirmed the news and explained the Molasses Flood has cease operating as a separate legal entity. Doug Bowser says we want to let you know. We want to let you know on April 1, 2025. You can't be. You can't be merging companies on April 1, bro. That's got to be a rule. You can't do that. You got to wait for this.

[Roger Pokorni]

Everyone's got to take a day off.

[Andres Cortez]

You can't do that on the first, man. We want to let you know that on April 1, 2025, the molasses flood TMF merged with CD Projekt Red, a company being part of the CD Projekt Group.

[Barrett Courtney]

That's probably why they saved like announce it till later, because they didn't actually announce it on the first, you know.

[Andres Cortez]

But imagine the people getting the. The news on the 1st, like the employees.

[Barrett Courtney]

Probably not.

[Andres Cortez]

The Molasses Flood was purchased by CD Projekt in 2021 for an undisclosed fee and tasked with creating a multiplayer title set in the Witcher universe. Work on the game, codenamed Project Serious, appears to have stalled in recent years, with CD Projekt laying off around 29 developers at the molasses flood in May 2024 after deciding it needed to build a new framework for the spinoff. During a recent earnings call, CD Projekt Red or CD Projekt said that the decision to absorb the Molasses Flood into its wider studio structure will ensure even better alignment in the scope and direction of Project Sirius, but will result in, quote, some changes in the project leadership, end quote. It's unclear whether those leadership changes are referring to voluntary departures or layoffs, but we do know that the Molasses Flood co founder Damian Ayla has chosen to leave the company. In a post on LinkedIn, Ayla described the merger as the end of an era, end quote, but suggested it would be good and healthy for the Molasses Flood team in the long term. He also confirmed he wouldn't be following the company post transition.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, this is always a mixed bag, right? It's, it's so sad when a company that had its own identity and its own team is brought onto another team and then just slowly loses is it loses its identity and becomes, you know, part of the parent company. Just for the main idea of like, I like different studios with different visions and leadership. That feels unique under a publisher, but it seems like that was getting in the way of them fully getting together with CD Projekt and creating something in the Witcher Franchise. Right. So I, I, it seems like this is, this is a positive in terms of going in that, that direction, but it is, it is sad to see that and hopefully this doesn't lead to any layoffs in any form.

[Andres Cortez]

I would have loved to seen what the heck they were working on. I know they said pro, you know, the project stalled and has been pretty much defunct for a while. But I, I think it's such an interesting story coming from the Molasses flood because of their past work and their catalog and having games that look nothing like a CD project game. What the heck would a Witcher game have looked like in that universe? What were they capable of? It sucks. It reminds me of freaking Valve buying the in the Valley of the Gods developer.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

Blanket on the name of the developer.

[Roger Pokorni]

No.

[Andres Cortez]

Yeah, yeah, but you know, people that made Firewatch, it's, it's, it's another one of those situations where the parent company says we're going to have you work on this. And then maybe, you know, I also wouldn't doubt that whatever this project they're working on isn't just, it wasn't working out things. You know, it could have just been up top leadership going. Games as a service is just not where we need to be. Look at the, look at the industry, look at the way things are moving. That is such a money pit to continue to pour funds into when a game comes out and then seven months in you hear, oh, player count is only this. People are angry because of balance. And then the game just sort of starts to fumble and flop. But yeah, interesting story. Sad for the flame in the flood. And I said that they won't continue to see their vision, but I gotta assume they're just going to continue to work on other things under that umbrella. And canceling this project, which, man, I cannot imagine.

[Roger Pokorni]

Well, it doesn't say it was canceled necessarily. Right. It just says the re, they have to rework the framework of it. So.

[Andres Cortez]

Well, I, I mean I, to me, this, whatever this project being stalled, I just think that there are so many people that have put so many years of their lives into something and then to be like, hey, actually we're going to buy you and kind of what you were working on. Let's just start from, it's like, whoa, dude, that was a lot of years in your prime. And you hear about developers and game developers in certain studios going, I had an eight year gap on my resume because I was working on whatever game that got canceled. I was working on Wonder Woman.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, exactly.

[Andres Cortez]

And so I feel like these stories happen way too often and can only discourage future people from wanting to get into game development. It's just. It's such a. A tough landscape out there. And you know, that was pretty huge, Rog. Pretty huge news right there. But if I wanted to hear about the tiniest news, where would I go?

[Roger Pokorni]

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

[Andres Cortez]

We news.

[Roger Pokorni]

We news.

[Andres Cortez]

We know Lon don't know about the. The 90 day tariffs. We talked all about it.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah, but then someone also corrected us, said that it's 10 on every country now, not non zero.

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, okay.

[Roger Pokorni]

Good call.

[Andres Cortez]

10. It's a big number. It's a round number. We news the last of Us has been renewed for season three ahead of the season two premiere. Cool.

[Roger Pokorni]

Huge.

[Andres Cortez]

That's awesome. Already seeing a lot of reviews out there.

[Roger Pokorni]

Yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

Diamond Cardi from ign. Diamond, I know you're out there. He said like he didn't review it.

[Roger Pokorni]

But I just want to. You just want to point out that he's out there.

[Andres Cortez]

Yeah, he's out there. Existing. No, he said that he really enjoyed it, but it wasn't as thrilling as season one. Next little Wii news item. Astrobot has won best game of the year at the BAFTA awards. Oi, bruv. Bafta Astro. Shout out to Ben Starr dressing up as the Joker.

[Barrett Courtney]

Jimbo.

[Andres Cortez]

Jimbo.

[Roger Pokorni]

Committing to the bit.

[Andres Cortez]

Committing to the bit. PS Plus Extra Premium Games for April 20, 2025 have been announced on the extra tier. Hogwarts Legacy, Expelliarmus, Blueprint, Lost Records, Bloom and Rage Tape two.

[Roger Pokorni]

Damn, when the is that coming out? That's crazy.

[Andres Cortez]

EA Sports, PGA Tour, Battlefield and Plate Up. And in the Classics tier, in the Classic session, Alone in the Dark 2 and War of the Monsters. This next little Wii news comes from Nobel via Nikkei. Nintendo has decided to postpone the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 in China due to some ongoing government regulation issues. From vgc, Vampire Survivors developer says it had to abandon its plans to add cross save to PlayStation consoles due to a legal issue. What?

[Roger Pokorni]

What?

[Andres Cortez]

How so?

[Roger Pokorni]

Expand on that one.

[Barrett Courtney]

Actually, like that's. Can I start using that? When you guys ever ask me difficult questions like it's a legal.

[Andres Cortez]

I would love to answer that, but it's a terrible issue.

[Roger Pokorni]

It's a legal issue.

[Andres Cortez]

I just got to assume it was somebody over at Sony being like, look, I can't have. I can't have my wife catching up to me in her progress. She played on Xbox a lot. I gotta still beat her in my leaderboard.

[Roger Pokorni]

That's so weird.

[Andres Cortez]

Despelote launches May 1 on Xbox, PlayStation and PC Switch at a later date. That game looks really, really neat. And finally, Disney illusion Island launches May 30th on Xbox Series X or series consoles PlayStation 5 and PC. And that's it for the Wii news. Roger, can you get your wrong while I go back into some super chats?

[Roger Pokorni]

Sure thing.

[Andres Cortez]

Tell me what we got wrong. In a bit after I read these couple of super chats. Two dollar Super Chat from Kebab says say Expelliamus like King Bowser. I'm not. I'm not a fucking jukebox.

[Barrett Courtney]

Do it.

[Andres Cortez]

I don't even know how Bowser talks. I was making noises. All I think is when he makes that Taiwan.

[Barrett Courtney]

That was Jabba the Hut.

[Andres Cortez]

That was.

[Roger Pokorni]

What the was that?

[Andres Cortez]

Holy.

[Barrett Courtney]

At some point in there.

[Andres Cortez]

This is Pod Racer. Any other sounds? Street Shadow. Five dollar Super Chat says. Just want to highlight from this chat. Astrobot wins another game. Oh yeah, yeah, we talked about that. And Helldivers 2. Best multiplayer. Cool shout out to Helldivers too.

[Roger Pokorni]

I love that.

[Andres Cortez]

Riley, 21, gifted another two dollar super chat and said this is in response to me saying I will venmo you back your money for mentioning Titanfall 3. Riley responds with a two dollar super chat and says Nah, keep it. Five dollars well spent.

[Roger Pokorni]

That's nice.

[Andres Cortez]

Thank you. Thanks for funding our company. Birthday tax from B. Blanco. Y'all crack me up every day. Thank you. Happy birthday to you. I hope you're not Benny Blanco.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh, you have beef?

[Andres Cortez]

You got beef.

[Roger Pokorni]

Oh shit.

[Andres Cortez]

Selena Gomez, I miss you. And that's it for our super chats. Roger, what did we get wrong today?

[Roger Pokorni]

Two people wrote in that are not. You're wrong. So you don't get to be read out here. One person wrote the Phoenix. Roger mentioned the Logitech G cloud being a good option because it's only 140, but it's actually 300. You're. You're wrong because it was put up on Wario 64 that it was on sale for $140. So that was my reference there. So yes, it is not a MSRP of 140. Of 140. But you can purchase it for 140.

[Andres Cortez]

So five dollar super chat for Mr. Hawks has just got a call back for final interview tomorrow after having the second interview a few hours ago. Wish me luck, y'all. Good luck, Mr. Hawks.

[Roger Pokorni]

Good luck.

[Andres Cortez]

If you need Me as a reference. Let me know. I'll do my best. Everybody. This has been kind of funny. Games daily. Each and every weekday, we run you through the nerdy use. You need to know about jazz, Roger.

[Roger Pokorni]

No, I was just laughing at the idea of like you being a reference on and then someone trying to call you before. No, on a Sunday.

[Barrett Courtney]

Like, it's either calling him before noon or him seeing the call and just being like, look, here's.

[Andres Cortez]

I don't.

[Barrett Courtney]

I don't know if I want.

[Roger Pokorni]

He answers his bowser.

[Andres Cortez]

Here's the thing. I'm done for. You know, he's. He's a good employee, you know, but in Gotham, you know, not so much. I'm down for the. The bit that Andy sleeps in all the time and sleeps till three in the morning to keep going. Right. That's my personality. But Barrett, when was the last time you saw me sleeping that late?

[Barrett Courtney]

Dude, I've actually, I've. I've been giving you a lot of. But I have been noticing a lot lately. Specifically in the last couple months, I've.

[Andres Cortez]

Been getting up at 10 in the morning.

[Barrett Courtney]

You're getting up and out. Getting up by like 10, 10:30.

[Roger Pokorni]

Out. Yeah.

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, dude, he goes on walks. It's always like the Andy. He never leaves his. His. His stream room.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, I mean, partly true, partly true.

[Andres Cortez]

But like every weekend I'm out and about, I am walking, I'm getting my steps in.

[Barrett Courtney]

He comes back two hours later. And then I don't see him for.

[Andres Cortez]

14 hours soaking in the sun, you know, and then I'll smoke in a joint, stop at this store, you know, smoke a heater, you know, like, I'm all over the city, walking around, going to all, Seeing all cool sites, awesome restaurants, seeing them Golden Gate Bridges in San Francisco. There's a lot of crazy.

[Roger Pokorni]

Like a montage every day. Like, wow, look at this.

[Andres Cortez]

In front of a Whole Foods Trader Joe's selfie. This has been kind of funny Games Daily, each and every weekday, we run you through the nerd you need to know about live on YouTube, Twitch and podcast services around the globe. If you love what we do, support us with the kind of funny membership on Patreon or YouTube to get all of our shows ad free, watch us record them live, and get a daily exclusive show. Really important. Tomorrow, 10 or 9am it is the Triple I Initiative Showcase, which has apparently a look at the new Katana Zero DLC sequel, whatever it may be. Triple I Initiative showcase, 9am, 9am I'm gonna be reacting on my channel. I'm off tomorrow. I'm off tomorrow.

[Roger Pokorni]

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Barrett Courtney]

You better be. You better be offline by 10am Bro.

[Roger Pokorni]

We're kicking you off.

[Andres Cortez]

Oh, I will be, because I'm going back to bed. Everybody knows I don't. I don't, you know, cross stream. I'm not my coward. You know.

[Roger Pokorni]

Mike will be live right as we're live. I'm doing a gaming News show at 10am it's my day off.

[Andres Cortez]

Enjoy the gamescast next and the stream after. But until next time, it's been our pleasure to serve you.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Podcasting was a revolution until big tech and big money started rewriting the rules. What's a Podcast? The Revolution Redefined is an urgent new docu series featuring exclusive insights from industry experts like AJ Feliciano, general manager of the Roost.

[Roger Pokorni]

I still want to kill the word podcast.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Plus pioneers like Ira Glass, Adam Carolla, Leo laporte, Guy Raz, and more. If you care about the future of podcasting, listen now to what's a Podcast? Wherever you get your podcasts.