Episode 147

After a week of frenzy and anticipation, Microsoft finally comes forward with their plans for the future of Xbox - and while their brief announcement threw cold water on the ongoing discussion, this week we talk about what Phil and co. said (and didn't say), and analyze Xbox's position going forward.  As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Red Dead Redemption 2, Tale of Two Wastelands, Persona 3 Reload). This episode was recorded in February 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

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Timestamps:
0:00 - Microsoft Porting Four Games to Other Consoles
8:36 - Microsoft, PlayStation, and Nintendo's Long Term Monetization Strategy
12:56 - Activision Blizzard Games On Gamepass
16:47 - Layoffs and Sustainability
23:30 - Xbox Teasing Next Gen and PlayStation Strategy
29:25 - Final Thoughts on the Announcement
32:50 - Red Dead Redemption 2
40:55 - Tale of Two Wastelands
42:07 - Persona 3 Reload

Xbox Cross-Console Contingency

Episode 154

Mike has returned from PAX East, and he has many stories to tell! Today, we talk to Mike about some of the new games he played, the developers he spoke to, and the events he attended. As always, we conclude by talking about the games we're playing (Sea of Thieves, Dragon's Dogma 2). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Mike's PAX East Adventure
22:51 - PAX Tekken 8 Tournament and The Fighting Game Community
34:30 - PAX Final Thoughts and The Gaming Community
48:58 - Sea of Thieves
57:00 - Dragon's Dogma 2

PAX Pilgrimage and Dragon's Dogma

Episode 155

Video games have produced countless iconic and memorable characters over the decades. Today, we reflect on what makes a character iconic, and which ones we think stand the test of time. We also review the results of the recently conducted BAFTA poll naming the top 20 most iconic gaming characters of all time. We end the show by shouting out a couple of our favorite games (Stardew Valley, Mass Effect Trilogy). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Some of Our Most Iconic Gaming Characters
13:14 - Discussing the BAFTA List of Most Iconic Characters
41:12 - Discussing Notable Omissions / Final Thoughts on Iconic Characters
45:13 - Stardew Valley
51:04 - Mass Effect Trilogy

Iconic Characters

Episode 156

When a game series is around for a while, eventually the identity of the series will begin to mean different things to different people. Today, we discuss games that divide fanbases and what the merits of each series pre and post divide are. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Monster Hunter World, Minecraft, Ultros). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Pre vs Post Breath of the Wild Zelda
8:41 - Portable vs Mainline Monster Hunter
13:11 - The Split Fanbase Between The Last of Us Part I and II
17:30 - Old vs New Fortnite
23:41 - Smash Melee vs Smash Ultimate and Fighting Games
30:56 - Pre vs Post Elden Ring Soulslike Games
35:40 - Distinct Final Fantasy Fanbases and Other Split Fanbases
42:28 - Monster Hunter World
54:17 - Minecraft
1:02:25 - Ultros

Fanbase Fissures

Episode 157

Ahmed and Connor have returned from Italy, and travel is on their minds. Today, we discuss video game settings that are inspired by real-life locations and talk about games that capture a sense of wanderlust. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Slay The Spire, Monster Hunter World, Lil Gator Game). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Visiting Real Locations Depicted in Games
15:43 - Popular Locations Adapted in Games
26:46 - Assassin's Creed and Historical Locations
30:28 - Ahmed and Connor's Italy Anecdote
34:17 - Uncharted and Wanderlust / Idealized Places
42:15 - Sucker Punch and Other Sony Studios Tangent
49:58 - Slay The Spire
56:55 - Monster Hunter World
1:02:22 - Lil Gator Game

Globetrotting Games

Episode 158

Fallout is out now on Amazon Prime Video, and it's a bonafide hit! Today, we talk about the show in spoiler-free and spoiler-filled contexts, and discuss how the success of the show could impact Bethesda's plans. As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, RimWorld, Dave the Diver). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Reach out to @PodcastGametalk on Instagram or Twitter, or @gametalk on TikTok
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Fallout Impressions (Spoiler-Free)
20:08 - Our History With Fallout Games
23:44 - Bethesda in a Post-Fallout Show World
32:30 - SPOILERS - Our Thoughts on Fallout Season 1
1:03:09 - Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
1:08:29 - RimWorld
1:16:38 - Dave the Diver

Fallout Fever

Episode 159

In a one-two punch of terrible first party news, today we discuss both the baffling choice by Sony to require a PSN account on PC to play Helldivers II and the heartbreakingly infuriating decision Microsoft made to close four of its first party studios. In the wake of workforce reductions and studios shuttering, we observe the landscape of the present Xbox ecosystem - and it is not a pretty picture. As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Dave the Diver, Sea of Thieves, Songs of Syx). This episode was recorded in May 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Reach out to @PodcastGametalk on Instagram, Twitter, or Tiktok

Timestamps:
0:00 - Sony and the Helldivers II PC Situation
21:24 - Tangent on Nintendo's Success and Helldivers Controversy Aftermath
25:06 - Microsoft Studio Closures and Future Outlook
45:35 - Xbox Leadership on Studio Closures
52:39 - Dave the Diver
58:14 - Sea of Thieves
1:02:21 - Songs of Syx
1:06:15 - Briefly Discussing Hades II, Stellar Blade, Monster Hunter World, and Fallout 4

Shortsighted Sony and Mismanaged Microsoft

Episode 160

Developing a full game solo is a herculean feat of engineering and artistry. Today, we discuss notable games that were developed by one person and what goes into creating a game alone. We also talk about the newly released Animal Well at length, in both spoiler-free and spoiler-filled contexts. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (V Rising, Animal Well). This episode was recorded in May 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Games Developed By One Person
22:32 - Marketing Small Games and Animal Well Pre-release Talk
29:40 - V Rising
33:53 - Animal Well Spoiler-free Impressions
50:11 - SPOILERS - Animal Well Deep Dive
1:16:50 - Concluding Thoughts on Animal Well (Light Spoilers)

One-Dev Wonders and Animal Well

Episode 161

As we get older, retro games are something we grow increasingly fond of. But is it entirely due to nostalgia, or do retro games still have merits when compared to modern releases? Today, we discuss our love of retro games, and what goes into collecting and playing older titles. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (TerraTech, Hades). This episode was recorded in May 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Check us out on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Retro Gaming
16:46 - Retro Artstyles
25:49 - Retro Hardware, Collecting Games, and Emulation
31:59 - Preservation Issues with Modern Games
37:03 - Retro Games and Things Modern Games Lack
55:26 - TerraTech
1:01:00 - Hades

Retro Replay

Episode 162

Game design is challenging, doubly so when designing a game for both casual and competitive play. Today, we discuss games that balance both competitive and casual play, our experiences with competitive games, and how we think the player bases of these games impact design decisions. We also give our thoughts on the newly released Hellblade II, and what its release could mean for Microsoft and Ninja Theory. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne). This episode was recorded in May 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Check us out on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Competitive vs Casual Game Design
18:09 - Balancing PVE and PVP
23:13 - Our Experiences With Competitive Gaming
29:58 - Speedrunning
34:05 - Balancing High-Level and Low-Level Play
41:44 - Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
1:09:27 - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
1:23:43 - Assassin's Creed Odyssey
1:36:02 - Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Competitive vs Casual and Senua's Struggle

Episode 163

Summer is just around the corner, and that means "E3" season is here! While E3 may be gone, the Summer Games Fest lives as its spiritual successor; and Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all have games to show as well. In today's episode, we discuss last week's PlayStation State of Play and make predictions for the upcoming Nintendo, Microsoft, and Summer Games Fest showcases! As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Monster Hunter Rise, Assassin's Creed III, Destiny 2). This episode was recorded in June 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Check us out on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Concord First Gameplay Trailer
6:27 - God of War Ragnarok PC and FSR 3.1
12:46 - Discussing State of Play Games
28:26 - Monster Hunter Wilds First Gameplay Trailer
36:31 - Astro Bot Announced
45:43 - Xbox Showcase Predictions
56:37 - Nintendo Showcase Predictions
1:04:19 - Summer Games Fest 2024 Predictions
1:13:13 - Monster Hunter Rise
1:18:47 - Assassin's Creed III
1:29:04 - Destiny 2

State of Play Summary and Summer Showcase Predictions

Gametalk is a podcast discussing games and the gaming industry. New episodes are uploaded Wednesdays on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast services.

Xbox Cross-Console Contingency

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