Episode 523: Valve Running Out of Steam

Valve continues to have problems in the wake of Epic (and now Discord) giving developers more of the earnings pie, as the year draws to a close. Meanwhile, T.J. explains his gamertag.

This week’s episode includes the following news items:

  • Developers do not believe Steam is worth it anymore
  • Canada announced for Civilization VI: Gathering Storm
  • Studio Wildcard’s Atlas is delayed by a week
  • Rainbow Six Siege chat filter and toxicity update

Let us know what your favorite game of 2018 was.

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Episode 445: Zelda II of the FutureEpisode 445: Zelda II of the Future

This week features some more Civilization VI talk, as well as discussion of a new side-scrolling RPG Gunmetal Arcadia Zero, which is available for a few days at a “pay whatever you want” price; basically, it’s a science fiction Zelda II.

This week’s news includes:

  • Star Wars Battlefront 2 coming Fall 2017, EA suggests
  • Journey and Flower studio thatgamecompany teases its next title
  • New teaser sets Mass Effect: Andromeda 600 years after the last game

This week’s Question of the Week is for the Civ 6 players out there, “Which civ is your favorite in Civ 6?”

PS3 and 360 Price Cuts, Before Holidays EndPS3 and 360 Price Cuts, Before Holidays End

A lot of people have purchased the Xbox 360 and a growing number have had new interests in the PlayStation 3. The summer time is winding to an end and fall will bring us a new host of video games and reasons to keep playing our current generation consoles. Many analysts and industry leaders believe the 360 and PlayStation 3 will undergo a USD $50.00 price cut before the Holidays begin.

With holiday madness comes momentum and sales, a USD $50.00 price cut would help bring new momentum to both consoles, especially with Nintendo lapping them in sales. Nobody has considered the direction of the Wii as it doesn’t need to be priced competitively given this is going to be the third year it’s impossible to find in stores.

Do the consoles really need a price cut? It’s hard to argue the PlayStation 3‘s dire need for cutting in price given its already outrageous costs for a console with the least amount of desired titles. The Xbox 360, for most, has the best lineup of titles with a strong fall series of games. The Wii… well, titles don’t really matter just yet because people still buy the console upon sight. The PlayStation 3 is showing off some impressive graphics for this fall and early next year, it may almost be time to invest in the product.

The fall games will keep hardcore gamers buying titles but it will do little to inspire new console sales. If GTA IV, Halo 3, Gears of War and Metal Gear Solid 4 couldn’t drag a gamer to buy, what fall titles will do so this year? Probably very few.

It’s time for the big console vendors to broaden their audience by opening the console to a demographic of gamers that just can’t afford the higher graphic consoles. No, USD $50.00 won’t bring in everyone but it may inspire those on the fringe of consideration to change their minds. With their new consoles in hand they can use their USD $50.00 savings to purchase a new holiday release title.