Checkpoint

A new AAA Lord of the Rings Game is coming, Microsoft's Activision Blizzard Deal has been approved by the EU, Mortal Kombat 1 has been officially announced, and the long awaited PlayStation showcase is NEXT WEEK. All this and more on this week's episode of Checkpoint.

Happy Tears of the Kingdom LAUNCH day eve and reviews are in! Sony's PS5 Showcase is apparently coming THIS MONTH, Starfield gets rated by the ESRB which reveals loads of new details, AND Tears of the Kingdom will reintroduce “traditional” dungeons.  All this and more on this weeks episode of Checkpoint.  

It's May Fourth! Happy Star Wars day! Today we are talking about people having an awful time with Redfall, Xbox announcing their big summer showcase along with what we need to see at that show, and the Gran Turismo Trailer debut. All this and more on this weeks episode of Checkpoint.

Fresh off of the Horizon Forbidden West DLC Burning Shores releasing we get news of a THIRD Horizon game confirmed to be in development! Today we break down the news and also talk about Star Wars Jedi Survivor and the reviews coming out along with Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom thoughts coming from the preview build! Thanks as always for listening!  

Sonic the Hedgehog Developer Sega purchases Angry Birds parent company Rovio, Star Wars Battlefront 3 was canceled just “2 yards from the finish line”, Armored Core 6 Key art has leaked, AND Dead Island 2 reviews are out All this and more on this week's episode of Checkpoint.  

Does Xbox WANT Redfall to fail? Apparently their latest exclusive will launch on Xbox Consoles in a locked 30fps. Spider-Man 2 may be a Spiderverse Game? Media Molecule's Dreams is ending support for the game this year. AND is Coruscant an explorable world in Jedi: Survivor? All this and more on this week's episode of Checkpoint. 

Creators and Journalists went hands on with Jedi Survivor bringing tons of news gameplay, details, and updates, Sony is rumored to be working on a handheld that could release as soon as next year, AND Marvel's Avengers has finally kicked the bucket. All this and more on this week's episode of Checkpoint.   

Link shows off his new abilities in the long awaited Zelda Tears of the Kingdom gameplay reveal, Beloved TMNT graphic novel The Last Ronin is becoming a “god of war” style video game, and Microsoft is ending its $1 Game Pass trial offer. All this and more on this week's episode of Checkpoint.   

Diablo 4's Beta fixes a major problem in the series, Jedi: Survivor gets a new trailer hinting at its High Republic ties, and we reflect on Lance Reddick's Destiny Legacy.  

The PS5 Pro is currently in development and is launching sooner than you think, Resident Evil 4 Remake Demo gets incredible reception, and Destiny 2's new raid sparks the difficulty debate once again. All this and more on this week's episode of Checkpoint. 

Starfield gets delayed alongside a new trailer, Dr. Disrespect doubles down on Blockchain games, and Discord integration is FINALLY available on PS5. All this and more on this week's episode of Checkpoint.

Destiny 2's new expansion Lightfall releases and breaks its own records, we have a brand new look at the highly anticipated Final Fantasy 16, AND the Wii U/3Ds shops are closing soon; what does this mean for game preservation? All this and more on this week's episode of Checkpoint.  

It's our 150th episode! Microsoft makes a potentially historic deal with Nintendo and Nvidia, Blumhouse enters video game production, and we answer some community questions about the podcast and the games industry. Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual   

Microsoft confirms Game Pass cannibalizes sales, Wild Heart early impressions have arrived, AND Insomniacs Wolverine is targeting an M rating.  

Hogwarts Legacy breaks Twitch records despite continuing to be a divisive topic this week, Nintendo Direct satisfies and underwhelms at the same time, and why Steam Next Fest is really important for indie developers.  

EA kills multiple games currently in development, E3 is looking pretty grim in 2023, and in light of Jedi Survivor we have a little chat into why delays are overall good for gaming.    Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

Xbox shows off a few new titles in a Xbox Direct, Washington Post kills its gaming division, and We need to talk about Banter in video games. All this and more on this episode of Checkpoint.    Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

This week Microsoft announces that they will be laying off just about 10,000 employees across their company. These layoffs may heavily affect a few internal game studios. Suicide Squad leaks as a games as a service and apparently there is metal gear news coming soon.    Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

Xbox and Playstation are both positioned to have big years in 2023. What would make this year great for the both of them and what would be a giant miss. Details have surfaced online about the Star Wars Open World game from Ubisoft in the same week that Ubisoft drops some very bad news in an earnings report. We are implementing some changes to the flow of the show. Let us know on Twitter/Instagram how we are doing and what we can do better! Thanks for sticking with us into 2023!  Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

We announce our top 5 games of the year, Epic Games is in a huge Fortnite Lawsuit, Digital game sales are skyrocketing, and the next Tomb Raider game will be published by Amazon. All this and more on this week's episode of Checkpoint.   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

Recapping all the big hitters at The Game Awards, The Last of Us Part 3 is rumored to be in development, and The Witcher 3 is looking like a great way to play for the first time or hop back in for the tenth. All this and more on this week's episode of Checkpoint Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

This week Microsoft claims it will bring Call of Duty to Nintendo, Jedi Survivor leaks ahead of game awards showcase, and Elden Ring is getting a free PvP colosseum update. All this and more on this Pre-Game Awards show!   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

Need For Speed Unbound shadow drops a week early but is it any good? CD Projekt is determined to make more transmedia project after the success of Edgerunners, and Monster Hunter Rise is coming to current-gen/Game Pass in 2023. All this and more on THIS episode of Checkpoint Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

Midnight Suns hands-on impressions, Control 2 is now in development, and The Game Awards nominees have arrived. All this and more on this week's Checkpoint. Thank you Ryder for joining us today!!!   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual

Sonic Frontiers & God of War have launched, A AAA John Wick title is being pitched by big studios, Activison confirmed a new premium Call of Duty in 2022 (but is it a full game or a large DLC?), and Monster Hunter is coming to mobile. Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

This week we are talking about EA's massive 3 game deal with Marvel, PlayStation VR2's release date/price/game lineup, and some big troubles with game subscriptions such as PlayStation Plus and Game Pass.   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual

This week God of War: Ragnarok Previews are out, CD Projekt annonces a Witcher remake, and there might be some insider information on a new Bungie game… Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

Is 30 FPS Normal on Current Gen Consoles? - Checkpoint #135   In today's episode we talk about the recent news that Gotham Knights and A Plagues Tale Requiem will only run in 30 FPS on current gen consoles. Is this the new normal for more graphically demanding games? Is this acceptable? Also, Playstation and Xbox have pro controller news for both systems! And Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope launches.   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

Is Phil Spencer teasing an Xbox streaming device? Let's take a close look at his shelf. The Meta Quest Pro gets unveiled with a HEFTY price tag. Does it's new features make the price worth it? And finally Hideo Kojima gives us a glance into his next game… and of course leaves us with lots more questions.    We apologize for the late upload! We'll be back on track next week :)   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual

Exciting time this week as the world waits in fifty-thousand person queue times while CD Project Red drops a bomb about the future of their studios and upcoming game lineup. We also dip our toes into a little controversy regarding a rumored remaster of Horizon Zero Dawn. Thank you again for watching

All three Strictly Casual members join today's show where we talk about how Edgerunners is skyrocketing Cyberpunk game sales, E3 2022 will be in person, Disney says there will be two Star Wars games a year, and finally EA's new original game Wild Hearts gets revealed. Oh yeah and Ryder loves Grounded 1.0. Thanks for listening. We love you:) Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual

GTA 6 might have just had the biggest leak in the history of gaming. Leaks are bad for the industry and the consumer. Twitch is in SHAMBLES this week with gambling, drama, and payment cuts. Nvidia reveals their 40 series GPUs AND Logitech just announced their new handheld game console? What a wild week. Lets dive in.  Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual

This is the week dubbed E3 Part 2. We got a new Nintendo Direct with tons of updates on very anticipated games AND a PlayStation showcase that focused on Japanese studio games! Also some people were able to go hands on with PSVR2 this week. We have a lot to talk about. Welcome to episode one hundred and thirty. And a little Overwatch 2 character battle pass controversy as a cherry on top.   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

 Will the new Phantom Liberty DLC save Cyberpunk 2077? Splatoon 3 is getting some early review scores for both singleplayer and multiplayer. AND Supermassive has started to unveil their brand new game. Sorry for the rough audio this week! James is still getting the internet optimized in the new apartment!   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual

The Last of Us Part 1 is out now and of course there is a lot of controversy around the price and if it is necessary. God of War Ragnarok is GameInformers cover story this month and we have our first glimpse at new combat details. AND there is a brand new mafia game in development. Lots of fun stuff this week. Thanks for the continued support everyone!   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

PS5 prices just as Gamescom releases some juicy footage for all new games! AND with a rumored PS showcase coming soon seems like it's going to be tougher for consumers to get their hands on a new PS5... We also talk about some insane details revealed from Bungie & their integration with Epic Games and cover some highlights from a Phil Spencer interview about Activision! Enjoy and let's get a "miss you vin" in the chat!   PODCAST LINKS Checkpoint (Gaming News Podcast) - https://strictlycasualpodcast.podbean.com/ Freeze Frame (Movie/TV News Podcast) - https://freezeframepodcast.podbean.com/   

Blizzard came out with a slew of new details on Overwatch 2's progression and account merging, It has been revealed that there was a canceled Iron Man game, Gamescom is NEXT WEEK and we have some confirmations and predictions of what will be shown, AND the big rumor this week is that Playstation will have a PC launcher.   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual

This week Midnight Suns was delayed indefinitely with some rumors on what they are working on. Tower of Fantasy launches and of course there is a ton of controversy. Tekken 8 gets a tease and Xbox is bringing a game changing update to the series s.

This week on Checkpoint, the boys cover everything you need to know about the new Pokémon presents and give new insight to Scarlet and Violet. Gotham Knights drops nome new gameplay and there is a lot to go over.    Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

Finally some long awaited details for GTA 6. KOTOR is apparently delayed indefinitely, there is a Black Panther game in development at a brand new studio, AND we get a brand new look at PSVR2    Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual

This week, the cute little cat game is out and everyone you know is talking about it. There is a brand new studio coming from some veteran developers, Discord is coming to Xbox, AND PlayStation is getting into the world of esports.    Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

This years Assassins Creed has been leaked, Gamestop fires a bunch of people to make room for NFTs, and Metal Gear celebrates its 35th anniversary of the first game. ALSO Supermassive is getting bought out as well as Playstation Plus is getting new games this month.   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

Forspoken got ANOTHER delay, GoW: Ragnarok FINALLY has some new info and a release date, there is a rumored Red Dead 1 and GTA IV remaster, and what will be shown at the Ubisoft Forward in September?   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual

Hideo Kojima took to twitter to sing praises about The Boys and talk about a project he was working on. There was a 3rd party mini Nintendo Direct this week with a bunch of cool announcements. Spellbreak is officially put 6 feet under. AND Hidetaka Miyazaki talks about From Software's new title.   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

It's a huge Final Fantasy week. FFXVI gets a load of new details and FF7 Rebirth and Crisis Core Remaster get announced. Sony is gearing up for some big hardware reveals next week AND Activision Blizzard slips up once again.   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

This was probably the biggest week of reveals for gaming of the year. There is so much to talk about with Starfield and the launch of PlayStations new Plus Tiers. We also have new info on the Gran Turismo movie which actually sounds interesting?? Also Shredders Revenge has launched to good review scores   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James' Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer  Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual 

This week goes crazy on rumor watch. Loads of info on Kojima's new horror game, E3 claims they will return in person 2023, Bend Studio gets a logo overhaul and glimpse into their new game, AND Battlefield 2042 is finally getting content… is it already dead?   Strictly Casual: https://www.youtube.com/StrictlyCasual Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer 

Star Wars Celebration gave us a first look at Jedi: Survivor, Summer Game Fest is coming up quick, Sonic Frontiers gets some gameplay, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduce LeChonk, AND Microsoft is rumored to be working on a streaming stick. All this and more on CP 115. Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James' Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood  

Norman Reedus has done the unthinkable and upset Kojima-san, God of War Ragnorok seems like it is forsure releasing in 2022, EA is shopping around for a buyer, and Raven's quality assurance team is successfully unionizing which could be a huge shift for the industry.  Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James' Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer 

PlayStation Plus launches in a couple months and we finally have an idea of what to expect from their game lineup… but is it even all that good? 100 Thieves has entered development on a new game, and the Silent hill rumors are going NUTS. James has returned :) Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga James's Twitter - https://twitter.com/JamesWalmer

Gotham Knights dropped 13 minutes of… interesting gameplay. Starfield and Redfall get delayed leaving no exclusive games for Xbox in 2022. EA and FIFA end their relationship, and Alan Wake 2 new details.   Vinnie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/bobashinga Ryder's Twitter - https://twitter.com/Mister_Alewood