A crisis averted.

Games we played this week include: 
Silent Hill: The Short Message (7:15)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (27:30)
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (37:25)
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (39:03)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
Rumors swirl around possible changes to Xbox first-party exclusivity (53:20)
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-microsoft-rethinking-exclusivity-plans-to-bring-starfield-and-indiana-jones-to-ps5

Development of The Day Before was allegedly a shitshow (1:02:10)
https://www.eurogamer.net/new-the-day-before-report-alleges-employees-fined-for-making-mistakes

Square Enix has decided it wants to make better games (1:04:05)
https://www.eurogamer.net/square-enix-reviewing-overall-game-development-to-improve-quality

---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Podquisition 475: A Quiet Place

The bar has been raised yet again.

Games we played this week include: 
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (10:50)
Helldivers 2 (16:30)
Mouthwashing (31:10)
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (34:25)
Final Fantasy Rebirth (40:45)
Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed (47:15)
Hardcoded (49:20)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
MS to address rumors around console exclusivity (56:10)
https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/12/24070445/microsoft-xbox-business-update-event-future-february-15

French worker unions call for strikes at Ubisoft (58:10)
https://www.pcgamer.com/unions-call-for-strikes-at-ubisoft-studios-in-france-to-protest-wages-we-cannot-tolerate-being-treated-as-expendable-to-mitigate-their-bad-decisions

Microsoft layoffs hit Toys For Bob hard (1:04:05)
https://www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-layoffs-affect-86-staff-at-spyro-crash-bandicoot-studio

The FTC seems irritated by Microsoft’s layoffs (1:01:30)
https://www.polygon.com/24065269/ftc-microsoft-activision-deal-layoffs-appeal

Voice actor responsible for PEGI rating stingers was paid 200 Euros for the gig (1:05:00)
https://www.eurogamer.net/the-voice-actor-behind-pegi-18-says-he-was-paid-just-200

---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Podquisition 476: The Best Kind of Feedback

We welcome it.

Games we played this week include: 
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (6:35)
Helldivers 2 (16:15)
Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed (21:05)
Cookie Cutter (25:00)
Heartworm (31:15)
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (34:25)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
MS really bungled their cross-platform announcement (46:45)
https://www.techdirt.com/2024/02/20/xboxs-business-update-event-attempts-to-address-rumors-vaguely/

Embracer-owned Flying Wild Hog joins with Polish Gamedev Workers Union (53:55)
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/embracer-owned-studio-flying-wild-hog-has-unionized

ZA/UM continues to be a mess (1:04:05)
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-za-um-will-lay-off-25-percent-of-staff-after-project-cancellation

---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Podquisition 477: The Sweet Embrace of Death

It’s a lovely day for a drive.

Games we played this week include: 
Pacific Drive (8:00)
Geometry Survivor (30:00)
Pocket Card Jockey Ride On (33:20)
Pepper Grinder (37:30)
Penny’s Big Breakout (38:45)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
WWE 2K24 seems to be dropping a couple of significant wrestlers (42:05)
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/wwe-2k24s-confirmed-final-roster-seemingly-removes-vince-mcmahon-and-brock-lesnar/

Nintendo sues developer of Yuzu emulator (49:05)
https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/27/24085075/nintendo-switch-emulator-yuzu-lawsuit

---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at mercenarycreative.com.

Podquisition 478: Taking the Scenic Route

Yeah, that’s right. We said it. What do you intend to do?

Games we played this week include: 
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (4:30)
Supermarket Simulator (33:00)
The Outlast Trials (41:05)
Warhammer 40k: Boltgun (51:10)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
Warner Bros. continues to learn the wrong lessons about live services (42:05)
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/warner-bros-discusses-volatile-aaa-console-games-will-lean-into-free-to-play-and-mobile/1100-6521597/

Yuzu and Citra emulators quickly fold under legal action from Nintendo (49:05)
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-lawsuit-shuts-down-switch-emulator-yuzu-and-3ds-emulator-citra/1100-6521589/

A complex scam involving imitated games hits Steam (1:15:50)
https://www.ign.com/articles/valve-pulls-fake-steam-helldivers-2-games-but-devs-express-concern-they-appeared-in-the-first-place


---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Photo Credit: Forest Runner / CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED

Podquisition 479: Courting Controversy

What a lovely surprise.

Games we played this week include: 
Balatro (5:15)
Pullfrog (13:40)
Mars After Midnight (15:05)
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (18:50)
The Thaumaturge (31:15)
Princess Peach Showtime (48:40)
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley (51:25)
Rise of the Ronin (54:40)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
SAG-AFTRA’s video game voice actors might be next to strike over AI (1:01:30)
https://variety.com/2024/gaming/news/ai-duncan-crabtree-ireland-sxsw-1235936090/

Bobby Kotick can’t stop, won’t stop, wants TikTok (1:03:05)
https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-activision-ceo-bobby-kotick-wants-to-buy-tiktok-report-2024-3

600 QA employees unionize at Microsoft companies (1:05:30)
https://www.polygon.com/24093254/activision-qa-600-workers-union-microsoft


---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Podquisition 480: Unexpected Moomin

Like you’ve never thought about it.

Games we played this week include: 
Balatro (3:20)
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (10:35)
The Veil: Shadow of the Crown (25:12)
The Thaumaturge (29:20)
Contra: Operation Galuga (29:55)
Alone in the Dark (41:35)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
Ubisoft’s AI NPC dialogue generator is pitiful (49:00)
https://www.eurogamer.net/ubisoft-boss-generative-ai-is-just-another-new-technology-to-be-tested

PS5 Pro confirmed by leak from third-party developer (53:10)
https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2024/03/19/ps5-pro-specs-leak-being-investigated-by-sony/

You can now drink mayo (55:15)
https://kotaku.com/stardew-valley-16-update-drink-mayonnaise-1851344320


---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Podquisition 481: Up Against the Wall

Breathe it in.

Games we played this week include: 
Princess Peach Showtime (6:30)
Rise of the Ronin (23:10)
Darkwood (34:40)
Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line (43:50)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
First Neuralink patient, upon release, immediately pulls Civ 6 all-nighter (47:10)
https://www.ign.com/articles/first-human-patient-to-receive-a-neuralink-brain-implant-used-it-to-stay-up-all-night-playing-civilization-6

$400k worth of PlayDate handhelds misdelivered and stolen (54:10)
https://kotaku.com/playdate-handheld-stolen-1851369066

Microsoft wants to invite more storefronts to the Xbox platform (55:15)
https://www.polygon.com/24108670/xbox-epic-games-store-phil-spencer-interview

An Xbox handheld increasingly seems like a thing that is happening (1:00:30)
https://www.polygon.com/24108660/xbox-handheld-console-phil-spencer-interview

---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Podquisition 482: A Cool Breeze

It is what it is, pal.

Games we played this week include: 
Content Warning (11:00)
MiG Switch (17:50)
Rise of the Ronin (27:50)
Islets (35:40)
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (43:30)
Pepper Grinder (54:50)
Final Fantasy X (1:00:05)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
ESRB claims software designed to age verify isn’t intended to be used by children (1:01:35)
https://www.eurogamer.net/us-government-blocks-age-estimation-technology-that-would-have-analysed-faces

After massive sell-offs, Embracer doesn’t think it’s ready to start acquiring again (54:10)
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/embracer-say-their-restructure-is-over-but-its-too-early-to-start-acquiring-studios-again

---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Podquisition 483: Destrucity

Anyone who says otherwise is probably an even bigger criminal.

Games we played this week include: 
Botany Manor (9:25)
Little Big Adventure (17:45)
Virtual Springfield (20:20)
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (31:40)
Final Fantasy X (47:10)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
Management at Life is Strange developer Deck Nine seems pretty awful (49:10)
https://www.ign.com/articles/how-hidden-nazi-symbols-were-the-tip-of-a-toxic-iceberg-at-life-is-strange-developer-deck-nine

Roblox studio chief basically admits their business is supported by child labor (54:30)
https://www.eurogamer.net/roblox-studio-boss-children-making-money-on-the-platform-isnt-exploitation-its-a-gift

Yuji Naka claims Dragon Quest producer perjured themselves, provides no evidence (1:09:05)
https://www.eurogamer.net/sonic-co-creator-yuji-naka-accuses-dragon-quest-producer-of-lying-during-insider-trading-trial

---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Podquisition 484: Crime Pays

A saga continues.

Games we played this week include: 
Fallout TV series (8:55)
Horrified (29:10)
Princess Peach Showtime (36:00)
Rose and Camillia (37:50)
Balatro (43:15)

---
News things talked about in this episode:
Apex Legends tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia (48:15)
https://www.eurogamer.net/apex-legends-wont-censor-game-for-saudi-arabia-esports-tournament-respawn-says

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth menu rephrased after many gameplay hours lost (54:15)
https://www.ign.com/articles/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-patch-retry-from-this-battle-menu

Alternate network for Wii U and 3DS online play up and running (56:55)
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/10/24126064/pretendo-resurrects-wii-u-nintendo-network-without-console-hacking

Hades 2 about to enter beta, sign-ups open
https://www.eurogamer.net/hades-2s-technical-test-set-to-begin-shortly-and-sign-ups-are-open-now

---
Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com

Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday.

Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Podquisition 485: Who’s Odlaw?

Audio home of The Jimquisition, featuring its lovely little podcast, Podquisition - starring Jim Sterling, Laura Kate, and Conrad Zimmerman!

Podquisition 484: Crime Pays

Jimquisition

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