Bored Certified Gaming Podcast

This week, Andy and Josh discuss a small and not highly-anticipated title that hopes to make some noise in the gaming world. Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War is the newest iteration in the hit FPS series, and this time, we're going back to the past! NO WAY! Who saw THAT coming?!? The Cold War was a dumb time in American history, but apparently Activision thinks it'll make the perfect setting for their next game. They recently revealed a campaign trailer, and we dissected all 3 minutes of it! It's got action, adventure, stealth, and Ronald Reagan? The guys discuss their thoughts on the trailer, the game itself, and the state of Call of Duty as a whole. Is this a step back, or a leap forward for the franchise?

This week, Andy and Josh (begrudgingly) discuss Fortnite. The elder statesman in the battle royale genre has been no stranger to the headlines, and the court system, as people keep trying to sue them. This time, the tables have turned. It's Epic Games's turn to sue somebody, and they aimed high. Apple and Google have been tech giants for decades, but they've become a bit stingy when it comes to their 30% developer fees on their respective app stores. Epic wasn't having it anymore, so they filed a suit and put out a smear campaign against Apple and Google. They wanted to get 100% of the money from the microtransactions instead of 70%. With the Epic Games store already established, they were already on their way to doing so. In response, Apple and Google took Fortnite off of their stores. If you take a shot at the king, you best not miss. Was this a dumb move, or will it work out in Epic Games's favor in the end?

This week, it's Andy and new cohost Josh! Josh is a former college athlete, so we thought we'd use his first episode to dive into the NCAA and the video games they stopped making a few years ago. EA and the NCAA were the best of friends and had been pumping out sports titles like the University of Alabama puts out NFL players. They were each making tons of money, and we as gamers were reliving the college experience over and over again. Then some legal disputes got in the way, and everything stopped. What exactly happened? Will these games ever come back? What's preventing them from doing so? We hope they can come back soon. I just want to be able to take my school to the championship, because they won't anytime soon without my help.

This week, the guys discuss Project XCloud. Microsoft is getting in the game streaming....game. Many have tried and few have succeeded, but that doesn't mean Xbox can't give it a go. Andy and Amar recap what game streaming is; run through how XCloud is different than its competitors Google Stadia, PSNow, and others; and give their personal thoughts on this technology's future in the gaming world. Will Project XCloud be the new Stadia, or is there such a low bar that it can't help but surpass its predecessor? Is Microsoft making the right moves this time around, or is it a waste of money? CAN WE PLAY XBOX GAMES ON THE TOILET?!

Video games might be hitting their peak. Andy and Amar would know all about peaking, as they did it in high school. Just kidding. Computing power and graphics have been improving at a steady pace for decades, but that rate has substantially declined over time. The advancements we've made have paved the way for faster and better video game technology to be accessible to everyone, but everything plateaus at some point. Have we reached that limit, or are there a lot more improvements to come in video game technology? The Xbox Series X and PS5 are going to be the next great gaming consoles, but where do we go from there? Is it going to be worth waiting even longer to get slightly faster processors and minimally sharper graphics? With the limits in the advancements of graphics and processing power seemingly being reached, will things like game streaming and VR take center stage?

This week, Andy and Amar discuss length. No, not that kind of length. The length of your favorite video games. It seems as though most video games aren't getting finished nowadays. These companies spend years and hundreds of millions of dollars making games like God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, and The Last of Us Part II, just for people to only play a portion of them. Endings go unseen, and stories are only half heard. Is it because games are getting to be too long and too in-depth? Is there simply too much stuff to do, or is there something else at play here? With the Xbox Series X and PS5 coming soon and budgets/costs rising, can game developers and publishers afford for this to continue? The guys go over an interview from ex-Sony CEO Shawn Layden, dive into some stats, and defend longer games a little bit. This isn't a video game, so try and finish this entire podcast episode.

This week, the guys talk about Twitch. Our big purple streaming overlords can't seem to get out of the news lately, no matter how hard they try. What was once a titan in the gaming industry now might be knocked down a peg or two based on how they respond to what's currently going on. They're involved in a crazy lawsuit with a sex addict; they have a rising number of sexual harassment/assault accusations to address; they just banned one of their biggest stars for an unknown reason; and they might now have another substantial opponent in the streaming space with Mixer falling flat and Facebook Gaming absorbing it. Andy and Amar get serious and discuss the ramifications of these news stories. One of them matters more than the others. Sexual abuse and harassment is not a joke; and everyone who is affected by it should be taken seriously and given a safe platform to speak about it. Thanks for listening. If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse, call the National Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or go to https://hotline.rainn.org/online.

The day has come! We finally got to see the PS5! While assumed to be asleep at the wheel this whole time, Sony got off its butt and gave us some hard information that might actually complicate things come this holiday season. The Xbox Series X had all but released, and we still had no idea what the fifth Playstation would look like. Not anymore! Andy and Amar discuss the entire PS5 reveal event, the games that were shown, and the look of the newest entry in the Playstation series of consoles. There are some cool titles, some interesting surprises, and some really poor choices on the part of the game developers. They're probably going to buy both an Xbox Series X and a PS5, but who comes first? That's the big question we're left with, and it's not an easy answer.

This week, the guys discuss Valorant. If you've been following video game news, you know what that is. If you don't, it's the newest first-person shooter from Riot Games. The creators of League of Legends decided to make a shooter, because everyone else has one. People are calling it a mixture of Overwatch and CS:GO, and they would be 100% correct. League of Legends is already massive, and now they're trying to have two of the biggest games out there. After what seems like a successful beta, will Valorant blow up; or will it all blow up in their face? Only time will tell. For now, Andy and Amar can go over the beta statistics and Twitch numbers, give their overall impressions of the game, as well as discuss whether they think Valorant can do some damage in the current landscape of online shooters from a streaming and eSports angle. It's going up against the likes of Fortnite, Warzone, Apex Legends, and others, so it better come to play. Either way, the guys are excited to get a new shooter on their hands.

This week, Andy and Amar discuss something that no one really thinks about, but is absolutely essential to gamers everywhere. Controllers. That's right. Controllers. You thought we were going to say imagination or skill? Nah. You're probably thinking to yourself how boring an episode on controllers can be, but just hear us out. We as players of video games are so used to looking at the screen, we don't care what's in our hands. We know where the buttons are, what each one does, and that's all we need. But that's the point here. We don't think about the impact that controllers have on our gaming experience or how they've changed over time, when we need them to play literally any game out there. The guys go through the history of video game controllers and uncover an interesting narrative of sorts between the big gaming companies of the time. Competition breeds innovation, but it also might breed copycats too. There have been bad ones, awesome ones, and weird ones too. Some companies have kept their aesthetic, some change it up a little bit from time to time, and some have very interesting ideas about how hands work. Looking at you Nintendo. We hope this episode will get you to look down at your hands once in a while and actually think about that piece of plastic you're holding. Without it, you'd really suck at video games.

Andy's by himself this week, and the recent Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Remastered news has him feeling very nostalgic. So here I am, growing older all the time... Remasters and remakes of our favorite video games have become commonplace as many companies are running out of ideas. Instead of coming up with original IPs, they're putting "if it aint broke, don't fix it" into real world practice. Make old stuff cool again, and that'll buy you some time to think of something new. They keep bringing our childhood back, and we keep lining up to buy it every single time. It's a fine business model to have; just make sure you're picking the right games. Andy goes back in time and spends this episode discussing some titles that he would give the remaster/remake treatment if he were in charge. He's never going to be in that position, but let's just humor him anyway. Some are considered mega hits that would hold up today, and others are more obscure games that might reach a broader audience in a more modern generation with updated visuals and gameplay. Instead of getting Skyrim for the 3,000th time, maybe these classics will make a comeback. We can only hope.

The wide world of sports isn't so wide anymore. Every sport has an offseason, but while we're in this quarantine, every sport has to be in their offseason. People use sports to get away from the stresses of life. They turn off their brains for a bit and cheer for men and women bumping into each other for a small trophy. Whenever these athletes weren't on TV, video games would usually come to the rescue and help fill that void. Whether it be football, soccer, hockey, baseball, basketball, golf, or even cricket; there were a multitude of titles out there to help scratch that competitive itch in many different ways. Today, these sports games aren't hitting their goals as much as they used to. The quality is getting worse, gameplay is either frustrating or boring, our choices are severely limited, and the game companies' mindset is about getting our dollars with microtransactions instead of putting out a satisfying product.This week, Andy and Amar give a play-by-play on the state of sports video games. How did we get here? Is there anything we can do to go back to the way it was? Are we stuck like this until actual sports come back, whenever that is?

We are four days into May, and each one has felt like a month and a half. That being said, being in the middle of a quarantine gives us plenty of time to celebrate one of the best holidays ever; Star Wars Day! Andy and Amar are HUGE Star Wars fans, and embrace all that comes with it. The toys, the books, the Princess Leia cosplay, everything! Mostly that last one. As lifelong gamers and Star Wars lovers, it's not very difficult to imagine that they especially enjoy all of the awesome video games that the mega-hit franchise has put out over the years. Whether you want to pilot ships, command wars, play with legos, or simply go through the stories in the movies, there's a game for you. This week, on this very special day, the guys go through each one that has come out over the last 30 years. There are a ton of them, so 30 years was more than enough. Some were hits, some were duds, but all are strong with the Force. Celebrate with us and make sure to watch an episode or three today, and may the fourth be with you.

This week, the guys talk about a few different things, because there’s actually news to talk about! This coronavirus quarantine just got a little more exciting. Fortnite held another concert, this time with Travis Scott as the headliner. The opener wasn’t great, because it was a fight-to-the-death shooting competition. It was brutal. We would have went for a comedian, but that’s just us.Next, Nintendo had a breach. The gaming OG’s let their guard down a little bit, and people had their info stolen to buy lots of Fortnite V bucks. Are there 10 year old hackers now?Thirdly, WWE games might no longer be a thing anymore. Just like WrestleMania this year, the wrestling games have no fans. Will they rise from the dead like The Undertaker, or be pinned into submission and never return? Finally, people are making too many bells in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Those rich people at Nintendo are hoarding all of the bells themselves and updated the game to lessen spawn rates for tarantulas and other valuable bugs. Looks like the 1% is moving the goal posts again...

People may consider video game trophies and achievements meaningless, others consider them vital to the overall gaming experience. We at the Bored Certified Gaming Podcast think of them as our lifeblood. From a psychological standpoint, gamers (including us) may even develop a bit of a dependence on them. These little slices of dopamine have been around since 2005, and it has been Andy and Amar's goal to get all of them. Not a lot of them, ALL of them.In this episode, the guys delve into the history, science, math, and english behind achievement and trophy hunting. Not the animal thing though. The video game stuff. They've spent the last decade or so collecting, and want to share their thoughts and personal experiences, while also bragging a little. Don't tell them that this is an intervention...

Another week, another podcast under quarantine. The guys are back, but this time, they're here to help you out. You're sitting at home every day, and probably bored out of your mind. Luckily for you, bored is our first name. We don't want you twiddling your thumbs waiting for this quarantine to be over, so here's an episode on some video games that will keep you occupied.Whether you're a full-fledged gamer, or a newbie who may want to give gaming a shot, Andy and Amar have some awesome titles that will definitely do the trick. They go over some of the prettiest, longest, most detailed, and family friendliest games out there. If you've played them before, maybe this will help rekindle your fond memories of the game. If you've never heard of them, look at some trailers, do some research, and maybe give them a shot!As always, stay safe, healthy, and indoors.

The coronavirus has been impacting everything we hold near and dear, and the video game industry is not immune to it. The giant gaming expo known as E3 has been cancelled in lieu of prerecorded presentations and socially-distanced livestreams.E3 is one of the biggest video game events of the year, with thousands upon thousands of people flooding the convention center to try highly-anticipated games and hear about new ones from the horse's mouth. With COVID-19 taking away everything we love, will that "is" turn into a "was?" Also, would we even miss it?!Big players like Sony and Nintendo continue to pull out of the event in order to better control their spending and their narratives. When looking at their numbers and data this year with E3 cancelled, everyone will get to see if that was the right move or not. If enough companies decide to stay home from the expo in the future, E3's earning curve might flatten too.The guys discuss their thoughts about the expo, as well as their concerns over whether this event will continue to be in existence when all of this is over. Is E3 too far gone to be saved, or is it something truly needed in the games industry that will rebound?

With the coronavirus pandemic currently sweeping the world over, we want to bring you to a hopefully happier time a few months in the future. A time where you the consumers have a crucial decision to make. If we all can make it through to the holiday season, will you be purchasing a PS5 or an Xbox Series X? Which black video game machine will end up collecting dust on your entertainment center? Which mini supercomputer will be shooting video into your below-average tv? It's an important choice, and it's one that we want you to be prepared to make.The guys go through the pros and cons of each device, while also talking about some casual specs. With these two, the specs are never casual. Andy and Amar also give a little perspective and discuss what they look for in a console. Curious which way they lean? You'll have to listen to find out.

Your favorite podcast hosts are back! It's been a while, but some stuff has been going on in their lives as well as around the globe. The world is currently dealing with the coronavirus, but gamers were born ready for it. We're masters of social distancing, and have never had a problem staying at home. While we all wait for the COVID-19 pandemic to be over, Nintendo did us a solid and released Animal Crossing New Horizons. While we can't go outside into our own world, we CAN explore a virtual one on our Nintendo Switch.Animal Crossing is bigger and better than ever! Now, you're on an island, and still somehow owe Tom Nook money. His greed will catch up with him someday. Along with the classic fishing, bug-catching, and fossil hunting, you need to turn this deserted piece of land into a hotspot for those who want a little more seclusion in their lives. In this episode, Andy and Amar discuss what they like about the game, as well as what they wished would change. It's a great game, but is it a perfect debt simulator?

Andy's by himself again, so it's a quick one this week! Hee-e-ey! (hee-e-ey!) Andy bought his Nintendo Switch almost exactly a year and a half ago, and he's got some things to say about it. He tells the story of how he came upon a Switch, and then goes over why he likes it so much. It has games from AAA titles to indies that you can play in bed, on your tv, on a place, with a fox, in a box, wherever. It's been a ton of fun, and is only going to get better from here. Good on you, Nintendo.If you're still on the fence about the console, maybe this will sway you. Or maybe it will make you hate Nintendo even more. To each their own.

The Oscars wrapped up this past weekend. The best actors and directors in the world got together to give each other high fives and celebrate how good they have been over the last year. Some left with little golden men statutes, others left with their millions of dollars still intact. In thinking about movies and how they relate to video games, Andy decided to look at all of the movies based on video games that have released in his lifetime. Unlike Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, they have not aged well. Huge video game franchises like Super Mario Bros. and Mortal Kombat were finally being put on the big screen. Unfortunately, they were just as quickly taken off of it. They're all kind of bad, but some are just less so. Hopefully someday the great minds of cinema will use their powers of good to make better video game movies, but we'll have to stick with Tomb Raider and Detective Pikachu in the meantime.

Game delays aren't fun, but they also aren't without purpose either. Andy and Amar discuss why they happen, and the pros and cons behind them. Putting these big titles back in the oven for a bit can be beneficial to both game developers and consumers; yet at the same time can also be costly to both parties as well. Game delays are essentially a double-edged sword in a mythic RPG that you won't get to play for another few months because it's not done yet.We know this week's episode was supposed to come out on Monday, but we thought it would be fitting to release it later than it was supposed to be. It's pretty meta, don't you think?

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... (Disney, please don't strike us)This week, the guys talk about streaming, which is pretty nuts now. Ninja moved to Mixer, and it has become an absolute free for all. Platforms like Twitch, Mixer, YouTube Gaming, and now Facebook Gaming are all-in try to lure streamers and their audiences to be their superstars.Getting to be a big streamer takes a lot of time and effort. Using exclusivity contracts, these on-camera gaming personalities are trying to make it even bigger. Selling your streaming soul to these mega-corporations apparently only costs a couple million dollars a year. Personally, we'd do a lot more for a lot less. While this does put some Ben Franklins in the pockets of the streamers, does it equate to dollar signs for the companies as well? Are they each taking away from the success of their competitor? Can anyone stop Twitch's reign?!

This week, Andy and Amar respect women and tackle sexism in video games. Specifically, in the hit game Escape From Tarkov. The ever-developing title from 2012 has been climbing up the Twitch charts recently, and is apparently made by people who need to climb out of the trash first. According to the developer, there will be no playable women in this "realistic" military shooter. Also according to the developer, it is for the dumbest reason possible.The guys talk about how stupid some developers are, how badass female video game characters are, and how hopeful they, as lovers of video games, are that things change around here. Whether you're a man, woman, transgendered, gender fluid, non-binary, or an alien race that found our podcast, you're all welcome here.

It's the first episode of 2020! The guys start off the new year with a little economics lesson! Wait, where are you going?! Don't leave! It's about video games!Like all fun things in this world, gaming costs money. ROI, cash flow, supply and demand, and all of that jazz. The industry standard has been $60 for quite some time, but have you ever wondered why that is? No? Well we're going to tell you anyway. Andy and Amar dive into how video games are priced, what that money goes towards, and why you should suck it up and pay it like everyone else in the world does. They also discuss whether the price of video games will rise or a free to play micro transaction model will eventually take over.

The end is finally here! After 11:59pm on December 31st, 2019 will be over. Another decade of gaming is in the books, and a new one is about to begin. In this final episode of the four-part series, Andy and Amar cap off the decade with the years 2018 and 2019. Fortnite got huge, Apex Legends came close to topping it, and everything has a battle royale mode now. That's it. That's the recap.Kidding.Tons of cool stuff came out in 2018 and 2019. Make sure to check out our other episodes for a more in-depth look into what happened in 2019!This review series has been a real blast to the past, and we've enjoyed going back in time with you! See you next year!

The holiday season may be upon us, but the review of the decade continues! In this week's episode, your favorite hosts dive headfirst into 2016 and 2017. While it wasn't so hot in politics at this time, all of that turmoil was trumped by what were two solid years in gaming. See what I did there?These two years brought with them a system that is near and dear to Andy and Amar's hearts, as well as numerous titles they continue to enjoy to this day. Games like Wolfenstein II, Destiny 2, Splatoon 2 (that's a lot of "twos"), Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Persona 5, and Doom provided countless hours of entertainment for people around the world. Just like this podcast! Also, the Nintendo Switch released in 2017, and is still the guys' favorite gaming system to use in the bathroom. Much easier than a PS4. We know, because we've tried.From us at the Bored Certified Gaming Podcast, happy holidays.

The nostalgia continues! Part two of our Decade of Gaming in Review series begins with 2013 and takes us right into the middle of a console war. Microsoft and Sony had been at it for years, fighting to see who's hardware hits the hardest. In 2013, and they both came to play. Round after round, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One would duke it out and try to take home the belt for best selling console. The XBone got some punches in, but the PS4 eventually came out on top.Andy's in the ring by himself this week, and takes a dive into the important headlines and headliners that came out in this eventful period. Games like The Witcher III, The Last of Us, GTAV, Destiny, Wolfenstein, Fallout 4, Bloodbourne and Rocket League were all knockouts. I think I'm all out of boxing wordplay, so I guess I'm down for the count. Nevermind. Found one more.

A whole new decade of gaming is on its way, and there's nothing quite like reminiscing about all the cool games that have come out over the years. So that's exactly what we're going to do! This is part one of our four-part Decade in Review series. It's like YouTube Rewind, except it's about video games and is actually good.In this week's episode, Andy and Amar go back to high school and hit the highlights from what was happening in the gaming world during the years 2010, 2011, and 2012. Like everyone's high school experience, there were both studs and duds. Games like Red Dead Redemption, Minecraft, Skyrim, Halo: Reach, and Call of Duty Black Ops were on the football team and dating cheerleaders. Meanwhile, Final Fantasy XIV, Duke Nukem Forever, and the Kinect were the losers taking their cousins to prom. Andy and Amar were somewhere in the middle, in case you were wondering. Ah, to go back to a time where all of our days were spent in front of a screen with controllers in hand...Look for the next three parts coming out over the rest of December as we head into 2020 in style!

Call of Duty is back.....to the present? Back to.....modernity? Back to reality? Oh, there goes gravity.... Back to the topic at hand, Modern Warfare is the newest iteration in the Call of Duty series. It’s been out for about a month now, and Activision and Infinity Ward just recently announced that Season One of multiplayer will launch on December 3rd. It’s been renewed for a few seasons after that too! Looks like the pilot did pretty well.Andy’s been playing the hell out of Modern Warfare since it’s release, and wanted to share his thoughts on the game with you all. The sound design is fantastic, the visuals are top notch, and the gameplay is classic (but somehow updated) Call of Duty. The campaign is darker and harder-hitting, and the multiplayer is still a delicate balance of skill and OH MY GOD I GOT HIM HOW WAS THAT NOT A HEADSHOT?!? Tons of fun. If there was any kind of descriptor that Call of Duty Modern Warfare can be given, it's that the good people at Activision and Infinity Ward dialed up the realism to make it a truly nostalgic sensory experience. Andy feels like he’s been transported back to 2007 and he’s in middle school playing Modern Warfare until the sun comes up, but he's still a 25 year old man who can drink and rent a car. Honestly, that's the vibe of this game. It's a new game that’s made for today, but it’s old in all the right places. Go try it out for yourself!

It’s a short and more heartfelt episode this week. We know. We're pretty nice.Thanksgiving is a day to reflect on what you should really be appreciating in your life. It's a time of looking inside yourself and seeing what makes your thoughts happier and your days more worthwhile. I mean yeah your family is cool and all that stuff, but what we're really talking about here is video games. They're the ones who are always there for you when you need them. They also won't fight about politics at dinner, bring up the fact that you're not using your degree that they helped pay for, and think you should get more serious in your relationships...Anyway, there are things in the gaming world that deserve a little more recognition this time of year. So that's exactly what we here at the Bored Certified Gaming Podcast are going to do. There are a few we think deserve a shout out and maybe a bit more attention in the public eye than they are currently getting.The guys discuss how Xbox is killing it with the Xbox Adaptive controller and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, give props to the Sonic the Hedgehog movie for listening to its fans pleas, and talk about some of those sweet Black Friday video game deals we're all truly thankful for.We hope you enjoy it, and hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

It’s a happy day in the Galar region, because Pokemon is BACK baby! Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield recently released on Nintendo Switch, and gamers everywhere couldn't wait to dive right in. It has beautiful graphics, 94 new Gen 8 Pokemon to catch, no Pokemon Go mechanics (thankfully), big stadium battles with Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon, raids, and that same catch 'em all feel that's been a staple in these games for years. Amar is a huge Pokemon fan, and literally took off of work to play it. Now that's dedication. After putting an entire weekend in to the game, Amar spends this episode giving a review of the 8th generation Pokemon title, while also trying to convince Andy to pick it up ASAP. He needs to find the perfect shield to his sword. Andy's pretty hesitant, so he might have his work cut out for him.

This week, Andy and Amar discuss Google Stadia! Our search engine overlords at Google are trying to get into the gaming scene. If you haven't heard about it, you will soon. It might be the future of gaming and give the console wars a new challenger, or it might be on the scrap heap within a year. We don't know for sure. But it feels good from what we're hearing so far. The guys aren't really experts, or fortune tellers, but just hear them out.It'll be like Netflix, but for video games. You put an app on your phone, tablet, or TV, and you just stream the games you want to play. No boxes, expensive equipment, or hardware requirements. You just need a solid internet connection and a controller. That's it. Crazy, right? While it has been tried before, Google Stadia transcends all systems and allegiances. No loyalties. You can get all the Xbox, PC, PS4, and Switch games ALL IN ONE PLACE. Boom.Shouldn't this be a bigger deal than it is?!Who knows? Maybe Bing will want to get into the gaming market next.Also, GameFly sucks. You heard it here.

This week, the guys are reviewing The Outer Worlds (not The Outer Wilds). It's a new RPG from the good people at Obsidian, and no, it's not a Fallout game. It comes PRETTY close though. Andy and Amar have played it a bunch since it came out, and have some thoughts on the game as a whole. How lost in the story did they get? How many charisma checks did they pass? How many fights did they sneak through or go in guns blazing on? How much junk did they needlessly pick up and carry around all day like some kind of psychopathic mobile hoarder? Strap on your Spacer's Choice gear, grab some saltuna, and listen in to find out!

Your two favorite hosts are at it again! This week, they talk about Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). These are technologies that are still on the outskirts of gaming nowadays, but they hope to one day be mainstays in the worldwide gaming conversation. Are they pivotal innovations in video games, or are they just party tricks that will inevitably fade into obscurity? Will an Oculus be in every living room in the world, or will it only be for rich people?The guys also discuss their personal experiences with AR and VR, and see if they can predict the future a little bit. The world of VR and AR may not be where society wants it to be, but hey, it beats actual reality sometimes. Our podcast will hopefully be available in VR sometime in the next......20 years.

Amar is a massive Gears of War fan. Andy....owns them. Gears 5 recently came out, and the guys were psyched to dive into it. They spend this episode delving into whether Gears 5 was worth the money or not. Seeing as how they only payed $2 to play it on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and got it a few days earlier than everyone else, it was! Shocker. For those who don't know anything about the Gears of War franchise, it has buff men and women who annihilate alien dudes with their bare hands. Also, the guns have chainsaws on them. I mean, come on. What's not to love?To finish the episode off; Amar gives his early thoughts on Borderlands 3, and Andy talks about Twitch streamers being banned for non-sex sex stuff. Sounds very good-bad to me.

Andy's on his own today, and wanted to discuss video game remasters and ports. Like in most hipster circles today, old things are good again. We as human beings like to be comfortable. Nostalgia is such a powerful comforter that we will shell out $60 for a game we played a year ago and still have a dusty copy of somewhere. We love having our favorite old things brought back to life in order to experience them again for the first time. With us stuck in the past, nostalgia sells. Game studios know this, and jump on the opportunity. Sex is out, old stuff we liked once is in. But has it gone too far? Are they really just a shallow cash-grab disguised as fan service? Does the time, energy, and resources it takes to make a remaster earn more money than doing a simple port? Everyone has their favorite games and would love the opportunity to play them again, but is it at the expense of creativity or the loss of manpower spent on a new IP that you might also love? Andy gives his two cents on the matter, which would probably otherwise be spent on a 5th copy of Skyrim. We're looking forward to this podcast being remastered and uploaded again in a few years.

The holiday season is upon us. Every game developer saved this year's masterpiece for a release during the three months before January. It happens every year, and we're never fully prepared for it. We will be tested physically, emotionally, and financially. That being said, you are dealing with two professionals with little regard for a backlog or a savings account.Amar and Andy discuss what's coming out in the next few months, why they're pumped for each game, and which organ they'll have to part ways with in order to afford them. I mean, you only need one kidney, right?

In this episode, the guys talk about a little indie game called Call of Duty. Maybe you've heard of it. These two are old enough to have played every single Call of Duty game, and have noticed a downward trend in the quality and popularity of the franchise. The Activision heavy hitter is attempting to get back on top, by going to what got it there in the first place. We're going back to 2007, because Modern Warfare is back baby!It may be another iteration of the renowned shooter, but this time it's different. The developers are making a new Call of Duty, but wanted to pay homage to one of the best online shooters of all time. Nothing will ever beat Call of Duty 4. Nothing. This is more of a refresh than a reboot. It could either hit the target, or blow up in their face. Warfare puns. Andy and Amar, self-proclaimed "experts" on answering the call, give their thoughts on the new changes coming to the game and the state of the franchise as a whole. They're excited, and they're also old. 2007 was a long time ago you guys.

In this episode, Andy plays solos and talks about how Epic Games got themselves into some nasty legal trouble. The makers of Fortnite were focusing too much on making mechs, skins, and floss dances, and weren't paying attention to the giant hole in their data security. Not quite a victory royale for them. Because of the breach, millions of people's personal information was stolen. In response, the great Fortnite players of America are squading up to sue Epic!Andy jumps out of a bus and drops some legal knowledge about class action lawsuits, as well as provides some tips for those who may have had their information put up for grabs by Epic Games. He's a gamer and licensed attorney, so he's qualified to talk about all of this stuff (but mostly the gaming part). One would even say, he's Bored Certified!Thank you, thank you. I'm here all week.Ah how the mighty have fallen. Someone call Phoenix Wright.

So there was a mixer just for ninjas? Oh, a Ninja Mixer?! My mom got one for her birthday.Wait...So apparently Ninja, the world's most famous person with red/blue hair, recently announced that he is going to stream exclusively on Mixer now. Don't know what Mixer is? Us either. It's Microsoft's streaming platform that no one uses....UNTIL NOW! In this episode, Amar and Andy discuss what this news means for Twitch, and streaming as a whole. Andy, who is an actual lawyer, gets excited about a contract. Nerd.Also, the guys talk about breastfeeding on Twitch, which is apparently a thing now. It may be controversial, but you gotta feed your kids. No problems here.We here at the Bored Certified Gaming Podcast promise to never move this podcast to Mixer for any reason.If you work for Mixer, please disregard that last sentence. We're open to negotiations.

In this episode, Amar and Andy discuss how money is being earned by teens, gambled away by adults, and spent on new releases by us.The Fortnite World Cup just wrapped up, and teenagers have floss danced enough to earn more cash than we'll ever hope to have in our entire lives. If only we were halfway decent at video games. Looks like we'll have to keep our real jobs after all.Next, GTAV finally has the holy trinity of bad influences. Sex, crime, and now gambling! Mothers, now is the time to get your kids a copy of Grand Theft Auto V and give them life skills they'll need for when they go bankrupt and need to sleep on your couch. I mean it's only a couple slot machine pulls and poker hands. I can quit at any time.Finally, Amar picked up Fire Emblem recently and has already put FOURTEEN hours into it. He gives his honest thoughts about the game and adds to the pile of shame that is our game backlog. We're disappointed too.

Game companies are putting out their titles faster than ever; but should they? I mean, they're just taking care of business, and working overtime (work out). Andy's by himself this week, burning the midnight oil. He dishes on employee burnout at game developers and why it's kind of our fault. Before you get defensive, he thinks it's a product of the times as well. We are always itching to play the new great IPs and their inevitable sequels. Game studios know this, and want to scratch that itch as much as possible. It equates to more eyeballs turning into dollar signs. To keep up, technology gets better and faster and employees see their families less. It's how these businesses are run, but that doesn't mean it's good. Is there anything we as consumers can do? Is there that sweet spot in work life balance that also gets us our games when we want to play them? Can we be a little more patient? That last one is a joke.To end the episode, Andy also reaches into his backlog and shames himself publicly for not giving a certain game more attention. Boo this man. Boo.NOW QUIT READING AND GET BACK TO WORK.

So we have a podcast now! In the pilot episode, Amar and Andy discuss the newly announced Nintendo Switch Lite! It's basically a diet version of the Switch, and we're pretty intrigued to say the least. We dive into some specs and go through the pros and cons of each in order to help you guys determine if you should SWITCH over to this one. Bad pun, I know.That being said, we're probably going to be buying one. We're suckers for this stuff. We're also old and just want the Game Boy Advance to be cool again. Speaking of being old, we also talk about what's new with the Call of Duty Modern Warfare reboot/refresh/remaster. Didn't that come out already, twice? There's too many to keep up with.