Hardcore/Casual

On this week's episode of Hardcore/Casual, we breakdown to latest announcements made at last week's Nintendo Direct & what release we have to look forward to in 2022. Also this week: Microsoft provides clarity of Call of Duty Exclusivity, A Battlefield 2042 Petition picks up steam, & reviews of Olli Olli World are discussed.Trigger Warning Topic of the Week: Difficulty, Accessibility, & "Getting Good"Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show:WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

Wow. What a week & what a year so far in the gaming industry. This week's leading story is all about the huge purchase of Bungie by Sony Interactive Entertainment. We will be breaking down the key pros & cons of the deal for both companies and how it will effect us as gamers in the future.Also this week: Announcements from Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, & Cyberpunk 2077. Nintendo comments on its interest in the Metaverse. Battlefield 2042 & Halo gets hit with more delays. And we look at some reviews of Dying Light 2.Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show:WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

This week on Hardcore/Casual we discuss the latest release from Game Freak, Pokemon Legends: Arceus & its impact on long time fans. Also this week: Is Battlefield 2042 going free-to-play?, the upcoming release of the Steam Deck, February games releases, & rumors are a new company making gaming consoles.Trigger Warning of the Week: We discuss the debate around Call of Duty becoming exclusive to the Xbox platform.Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show:WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

Welcome Back! Our first OFFICAL episode of 2022 kicks off with the biggest news story of the year! This week is all about Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard for an eye watering $68.7 billion. We breakdown all the implications for this blockbuster deal and what it could mean for our industry in the future! Also this week, we discuss: E3 2022, Twitch's DMCA problem, Dying Light 2's 500 hours of gameplay & more. Trigger Warning Topic of the Week: NFT's in Gaming.Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show:WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

As we look ahead to 2022, packed with highly anticipated video games releases, Hardcore/Casual has compiled a list of the video games we are most hyped for in the coming year. Join us in this special bonus episode as we breakdown and discuss the best games coming to consoles and PC in 2022. Happy New Year!Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show:WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

For our last episode of 2021, we are giving you a special Game Awards podcast discussing everything we saw and are excited about from Geoff Keighley's Game Awards. We dive into the most anticipated announcements, trailers, & gameplay reveals. Also, we breakdown the awards themselves as well as talk about the controversy surrounding the community reception to the award show itself. Let's send off 2021 together. Thank you for being here with us this year. See you in 2022!! Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show:WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

Our favorite month is upon us! November is here and brings with it games releases for everyone!This week FromSoftware gave us 16 minutes of Elden Ring gameplay, Snoop Dog leaks Grand Theft Auto news, & The Eternals gets review bombed by critics.Also this week: Netflix makes it's gaming debut, Marvel's Avengers announces upcoming Spiderman DLC, & Activision/Blizzard CEO pens a letter addressing their toxic workplace.Trigger Warning of the Week: NFTs & the Metaverse.Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show:WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

Happy Halloween Weekend! Plenty of sweet gaming treats to chew on this week!!Starting off we got updates on some of the most anticipated video games yet to be released: Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy: The Definitive Edition, Halo Infinite, Horizon Forbidden West & Starfield!We also got some juicy rumors this week about a new platform fighter coming from Warner Brothers & Cartoon Network, as well as some reporting around a new Wu Tang Clan RPG in development.Of course we can't end this week without discussing Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack!Lastly we wrap up the show with out Trigger Warning topic of the week: a discussion about preservation vs. innovation & the death of physical media.Also this week: Spider-man No Way Home rumors, Facebook changes its Name, & Sony's latest State of Play.Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

Games Announcements Galore! This week we got updates on some of the hottest upcoming releases including: Elden Ring, Battlefield 2042, Tiny Tina's Wonderland, & Saints Row! We also got some juicy news from three major video game publishers: EA's separation from FIFA, Ubisoft's announcement of a long forgotten franchise, and for our Trigger Warning topic this week, we give you the latest on the Activision/Blizzard lawsuits. Also this week: DC Fandome, Marvel Phase 4, Sony vs. DBrand, & Xbox's 20th Anniversary Celebration.Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

This week is all about your the most popular live service games and the constant controversies that follow! Starting off with FIFA and what is behind a potential name change, Marvel's Avengers most recent monetization strategy, and a conversation around Destiny 2 and why they are vaulting so much core content. Also this week: Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack Pricing Announcement, Microsoft begins step toward the Right to Repair, & for our Trigger Warning topic of the week: Kotaku, Metroid Dread, and a conversation around emulation.Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

What a week! Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp all went down for multiple hours, Twitch had its source code released on the internet, and it turns out Apple is the largest gaming company in the world... And we are diving in to all of it!Also this week: Nintendo unveils the FINAL Super Smash Bros. Character, Konami is said to be reviving some much beloved franchises, Marvel's What If Finale is finally here, and your host gives you his thoughts on the latest Halo Infinite Test Flight.Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

WE'RE BACK!! On our welcome back episode we catch up on the news we missed over the last two weeks! This week is all about the latest Nintendo direct! We breakdown and discuss the latest game announcements, Nintendo Online updates and of course, the Mario Movie casting announcement!Also this week: Twitch's new chat moderation feature, Details on the newest games coming to Xbox Game Pass, Activision/Blizzard update & the latest on Disney/Marvel's most recent lawsuit.Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

This week we were spoiled with gaming news from all corners of the space... From the recent AAA holiday releases being delayed to the devastating Nvidia leak, we have more than enough to sink our teeth into this week. Also, we discuss the Epic v. Apple decision that was made this week, in addition breaking down the latest episode of Marvel's 'What If...' And of course, we look ahead to Week 2 of the NFL with Five Minutes of Football. For our Trigger Warning topic this week, we have an open conversation about the recent uptick in gaming activism. Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER: WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

This week we decided to keep it simple and focus our attention on the HUGE news that came out of the Sony PlayStation Showcase! Highlighting our favorite games of the showcase (Hint: It's Spiderman!) & dive into some choice stories from the last week including: The Horizon Forbidden West Controversy, Marvel's Shang-Chi Review (spoiler-free) and the reintroduction of the Five Minutes of Sports! Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER: WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

Nothing but controversy and videogames on the menu this week! Join us as we tackle this week of wild news! We got details about several upcoming games releases including Halo, Starfield, & Elden Ring. We also dive into the controversy around Austin Evans' latest PS5 teardown. And for our Trigger Warning of the week we dive into the PEGI ratings' approach to addressing gambling in young gamers. Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER: WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

To celebrate our tenth week, we are bring you a double feature! This bonus episode is dedicated to GamesCom 2021 and breaking down our favorite reveals, trailers, release dates and gameplay! Come join us as we dive into Awesome Indies, Futures Games Show and everything that the AAA publisher had to offer!Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER: WHACKOPZIG: WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

Wow! This week brought us more news than we could handle with just one episode! In this episode we discuss the new Spiderman: No Way Home trailer, the Wata Grading Scandal, and what is going with Halo. Trust me this week is packed with plenty of news going over the misteps, mistakes, and blundering from games companies all over the space. Come Join us and be a part of a growing community! Don't forget to support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER: WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

This week on Hardcore/Casual we discuss all the discourse around Xbox Gamepass and whether it is hurting games after release. Is Outriders an outlier or an example of more to come? Also this week, we dive into the #TwitchDoBetter conversation happening online, give updates on the latest MCU news and talk all about the fresh looks we got at Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl as well as Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Come Join us and support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER: WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

This week we talk all about movies! Discussing why the Suicide Squad tanked at the Box Office, South Park's new nine figure deal with Paramount+, and we revisit the Disney lawsuit that is shaking up Hollywood. But don't worry gamers, there is plenty to get into this week with August games' releases in full swing! We also check in with the Steam Deck, talk about the new GTA Trilogy rumors, and dive into our favorite games from both Indie Showcases we got this week. Come Join us and support the show: WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER: WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

Today we are sinking our teeth into the latest games to release with discussions on The Ascent and Death's Door. Later we talk about California's "Ban" of high-performance gaming PCs. And of course, we had to give you the scoop on the latest news from the Scarlett Johanson v. Disney Lawsuit. Also: Sony announces expandable storage for the PS5, Nintendo decides to update some well-deserved titles, and Halo hype is building as fans flock to Technical Preview. WHACKOPZ@GMAIL.COMTWITTER: WHACKOPZSUBSCRIBE, SHARE, DOWNLOAD & REVIEWAvailable on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

This week comb through all the juicy details of the latest Anna Purna Interactive Showcase, the latest on the new PS5 Redesign and pose the question of which Black Superman project are you most excited for? For out Trigger Warning topic this week: The Fallout from the Activision/Blizzard lawsuit in California. WARNING: This episode we will be discussing issues of sexual assault, harassment, and other topics some of our audience will find triggering. Please be advised.

After a long week of pre-order madness, the gaming space showed no signs of slowing down. This week on Hardcore/Casual we dive into Ebay's response to Steam Deck re-sellers, Netflix new potential partner in the gaming industry, and Kotaku's latest hot take headline. Come join the discussion by reaching out to the show whackopz@gmail.com or on twitter @WhackOpz.

This week we had the mobile console wars explode with Valve announcing a handheld PC coming this holiday, Nintendo Switch OLED Model pre-sales go live, and Netflix wants to succeed where Google and Amazon are failing. For our Trigger Warning topic this week, we decided to address difficulty sliders in gaming, and why some gamers are grabbing their pitchforks over Psychonauts 2 latest accessibility feature. Come join us here or reach out to the show at:WhackOpz@gmail.comTwitter: @WhackOpz

On this week's podcast we react to the latest Nintendo hardware release: The Nintendo Switch OLED Model. We also sink our teeth into Sony's State of Play, Loki Finale Predictions, and NBA Finals talk. For our Trigger Warning topic this week, we dive into the gaming landscape to discuss recent disappointments and let downs from developers, publishers, and manufacturers. With this last year being littered with so many companies not meeting our expectations, we ask, are gamers expectations too high? Tune in and find out in the latest episode of Hardcore/Casual hosted by WhackOpz.

This week we are debuting our Trigger Warning topic of the week, where we discuss difficult conversations within the gaming, technology and entertainment spaces. This weeks topic is "Platform X". A twitter rant from a indie publisher has caught much of the gaming spaces eye as he lays out the fine points of how to sell your game on a popular gaming platform... Come find out what this mystery console maker has been up to behind the scenes and how it is effecting your gaming experience. Also this week: GTA rumors, MCU news, July Releases, NBA Playoffs & More!Reach Out and get your message read on the show!whackopz@gmail.comtwitter: @whackopz

As a special treat for our listeners who joined us day one, we bring you our E3 breakdown where we discuss 17 different titles shown at E3 2021 that we can't wait to get our hands on! With indie titles like Replaced & Kena Bridge of Spirits, in addition to the AAA blockbusters like Starfield and Elden Ring, we are more excited than ever to have you while we break down our favorites!

In our inaugural episode, we will be giving you the run down on the latest rumored games in development, including what is we are expected to see at EA Play this summer. In addition, we're going to breakdown some of our favorite episodes of Disney's Loki and Adult Swim's Rick & Morty. We will be diving into an update on Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo Switch with an eye toward Holiday 2021. Lastly, we will wrap up with 5 minutes of sports discussing the recent supreme court decision involving the NCAA. Come join us for our very first episode! And stick around for some special announcements about bonus content coming soon!

Hardcore/Casual (hosted by WhackOpz) is a podcast and live show that covers the week's news in gaming, entertainment and pop culture, as well as dissects the ever-changing landscape of technology and it's impact on our media.Each week will include the "Trigger Warning" topic of the week, where host WhackOpz gets into the weeds of specific topic within the entertainment and gaming space.Hardcore/Casual is a place for you to learn more about the fastest growing industry in the world and find new perspectives on the media we consume everyday. Whether you are a grizzled gaming veteran or a day one noob, Hardcore/Casual is place you can feel welcome and grow along side us as we traverse to expansive world of gaming and media.