Episode 452: Goodbye Princess Leia, Hello 2017

The year has ended, as the last podcast of 2016 was recorded last week, and released today. There’s much discussion that was cut out and saved for a future outtakes episode. Regardless, there’s plenty of show to go around, and the sound quality is also far better than ever thanks to Jonah getting a professional headset and mic.

This week’s news includes:

  • Nintendo registers trademark that could point to a SNES Classic Edition
  • Windows 10 may be getting a new “Game Mode” option
  • The next game by That Dragon, Cancer‘s dev is not what you’d expect

This week’s Question of the Week is “What game in 2017 might you buy that you normally wouldn’t?”

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Gaming Podcast 196: Lies!Gaming Podcast 196: Lies!

This week we’ve got the Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect and we thought we’d do a quick review on a couple of the titles we picked up. We’ve dug up some history on the Game Com Handheld, comment on some community feedback and hit the news:

  • More MMORPGS using the free to play model
  • Microsoft convinced Kinect will sell better than awesome
  • Sony hopes Nintendo’s 3DS does well
  • Microsoft Kinect Selling out

This week’s question of the week, have you ever caved into the peer pressure, press and “sold out” signs to pickup a piece of hardware, software or other device?

Episode 290: No One Listens ForeverEpisode 290: No One Listens Forever

No Paul this week, no Gaming Flashback this week – just Jonah, Dan and Jordan discussing a ton of news items where Jonah expresses shock that Jordan had never heard of No One Lives Forever.

The items this week include:

  • Wii U sells 1.2 games per console
  • BioWare was planning spy action title in 2009
  • Sony Santa Monica outline reasons for sticking with God of War franchise
  • Hitman Facebook app removed for off-color joke
  • Activision: Black Ops II grossed $1 billion in 15 Days
  • Spike VGA 2012: The Phantom Pain announced, probably MGS5

This week’s Question of the Week: “What’s the most offensive thing you’ve seen in a videogame?”

Studios Closing: The Good, Bad and UglyStudios Closing: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Gamers around the world are going to feel the pain in the 2009 holiday season after the economy shakes apart many great development studios. Electronic Arts feels the pain of being a public company as their investors complain about lackluster revenue, THQ deals with closing studios to extend their runway and other firms will lose more headcount in the coming months.

It’s not all bad. But, it’s going to get ugly before it gets better.

The financial market has played tricks on everyone in our global economy and companies across all industries are going to feel a bit of a tightening around the belt. Investors are shaken and doing their best to protect their investments and cutting loose those that aren’t projecting profits in the near future. Game studios are going to slow their financial burn rates, trim a bit of the fat and hunker down the long term. The end result, next years holiday season will have a few less games because those games are being dropped to the floor now.

Mid-sized studios within larger firms may find their projects canceled or put on hold and their employees re-structured or let go while big studios assess what projects will make the long haul. This is the ugly side of the business, having to make a decision on what games stay and what games go with the grief of having to tell some of your best talent “goodbye.”

The bad part of the industry is occurring today, with publishers posting mediocre profits and trying to convince their investors to be patient and trust they’ve got a firm hold on their destiny. The game industry is not alone in this, many firms are reducing head count and many startups are finding themselves without series A or B funding; they’re closing their doors because the money is being directed to more stable ventures.

What’s the good in all of this?

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