Podcasts about 2D

Donkey Kong looms large this week as Patrick and Mark dig into new developer interviews about Donkey Kong Bananza and a fresh copyright filing that breathes new life into rumors of a Donkey Kong movie. Plus, Nintendo retires another discount program, buzz builds around a possible July Nintendo Direct, and more.The guys also talk about:Patrick's experience playing Mario Kart World with GameChat.Do retro 2D games hold up better than retro 3D games?Nintendo updates its publisher agreement in Asia. Can it help clear out the eShop spam?SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/nintendocartridgesocietyFRIEND US ON SWITCH / SWITCH 2Patrick: SW-1401-2882-4137Mark: SW-8112-0583-0050

In this episode, we sit down with Bill Barlas, Co-Founder and Solution Architect at Quick2Bid, a fast-growing system integrator specializing in CPQ solutions for mid-market manufacturers and enterprise service providers. With over 10 years of CPQ experience, Bill shares his unique journey—from working on his first CPQ project at a plumbing company using Blueprint CPQ (now Xait CPQ) to building a consulting firm that tailors every solution from the ground up. We dive into: How Quick2Bid balances Xait CPQ, HubSpot CRM, and PandaDoc to deliver high-impact quoting solutions Why demand for product configuration on HubSpot is surging—and how they're meeting it The top 3 business drivers for CPQ buyers today: quote velocity, quote accuracy, and faster onboarding The shift away from Salesforce CPQ—and what customers are looking for instead Where AI fits into CPQ workflows (and where it doesn't) How Quick2Bid delivers projects—time & materials for CPQ, fixed price for HubSpot Plus, we get personal: Bill opens up about his martial arts practice, homeschooling his three kids, and how his mother and Kevin Geraghty (Blueprint CPQ co-founder) helped shape his career. If you're selecting a CPQ solution or want to understand the evolving CPQ landscape—from 2D visual quoting to AI-driven insights—this episode is packed with real-world insights and practical takeaways.

What drones can pilots choose based on their requirements and what are some of the best drones across multiple domains. Today's podcast is brought to you by Drone U's In-Person training. This is our five-day boot camp that includes a one-day Flight Mastery + Videography Training, followed by 4 days of Desktop and Cloud Based Mapping training. In this unique training event, we cover desktop and cloud based mapping techniques. Our Desktop-Based Mapping Class is designed for drone professionals looking to gain expert-level skills in processing, analyzing, and manipulating mapping data. This intensive course utilizes Pix4DMapper, Pix4DReact, and Pix4DMatic, providing a comprehensive hands-on experience in advanced drone mapping techniques. Cloud-Based Mapping Class is designed to give you a complete, hands-on experience with modern drone mapping techniques using Site Scan by Esri. Over the course of 1.5 intensive days, you'll learn how to create high-quality 2D maps, orthomosaics, and geo-referenced models while mastering the essential principles of data acquisition and processing We have classes in July, August and September, Click HERE to book your seat today !! On today's episode we discuss all about the best drones that pilots need to know to ensure they utilize the best drones for their business. We discuss specifics of the drone requirements pricing and features of American vs Chinese drones notably drones such as DJI, FreeFly Astro and other American offerings in the market. We also discuss best drones for specific use cases and share our list of the best drones for each use cases and why we believe the drones are best bang for the buck. Tune in today on this short information packed episode !! 5-Day Free Course: Thriving Drone Real Estate Business Transform your drone operations into a thriving real estate-focused business. Learn client management, pricing for profit, and creating high-value deliverables. Grow My Drone Business Get your questions answered: https://thedroneu.com/. If you enjoy the show, the #1 thing you can do to help us out is to subscribe to it on iTunes. Can we ask you to do that for us real quick? While you're there, leave us a 5-star review, if you're inclined to do so. Thanks! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-drone-u/id967352832. Click here for access to Skywatch for all your drone insurance purposes ! Become a Drone U Member. Access to over 30 courses, great resources, and our incredible community. Follow Us Site – https://thedroneu.com/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/droneuADU 1382: Build my own drone to do photogrammetry work? Instagram – https://instagram.com/thedroneu/ Twitter – https://twitter.com/thedroneu YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/droneu Timestamps: [2:09] - Learn all about Rob and Paul's recent travel and visit to Drone U events [6:39] - Right questions to ask to determine the best drone for your purpose [7:39] - FreeFlyAstro drones and their characteristics and which model is best for your requirement [11:59] - Best drones for mapping dams and bridges and into things [21:14] - Learn about the opportunities for American drones in the US [22:29] - Fixed wing drones and their advantages for data acquisition [27:12] - Comparison of FreeFly drones and DJI drones [30:42] - Drones for Confined space [37:00] - Drones that carry LiDAR [41:35] - New drones and their offerings for pilots and their limitations [45:52] - The one DJI drone we are excited about - Mini5 Pro

In this episode, let's talk about my passion for collecting physical CDs, especially from my favorite male seiyuu artists and 2D groups. This is an unscripted episode in which I will be geeking a lot about the joys of collecting and the significant details that make physical media special to me.Timestamps00:00 Introduction00:19 Why I Collect CDs01:04 The Value of Physical Media03:31 Challenges and Arguments Against Physical Media08:10 The Joy of Collecting14:04 Digital vs. Physical Media24:37 Supporting Artists Through Purchases28:30 Conclusion

We dive into DreamWorks' criminally underrated 2022 animated film "The Bad Guys," exploring why this stylish heist movie deserves more recognition alongside studio favorites.• Based on the popular children's books by Aaron Blabey• Features an impressive voice cast including Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Awkwafina, and Anthony Ramos• Animation style heavily influenced by "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" with a blend of 2D aesthetics and 3D modeling• Combines elements of classic heist films like "Ocean's Eleven" with family-friendly themes• Perfect balance of humor for both kids and adults with sophisticated film references• Strong box office performance ($250 million worldwide) and critical reception (88% on Rotten Tomatoes)• Sequel coming in 2025, making this the perfect time to catch up• Animation quality and stylistic choices prove DreamWorks is evolving and taking creative risksLetterbox'd Synopsis: When the Bad Guys, a crew of criminal animals, are finally caught after years of heists and being the world's most-wanted villains, Mr. Wolf brokers a deal to save them all from prison.

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our major series on various indie games, now looking at some 2D action games with Spelunky. We talk very briefly about its director and then Tim marvels over a dynamic level design that nonetheless feels just right. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Into the Jungle (Tim) Issues covered: walking over the sands, a little history of the game, a legendary game, precise platforming, procedural and dynamic, how the level generation works, rules-based generation, eschewing precise level design, not being able to know the level, having many verbs, having to learn the skills, the wind-up of the whip, a game where you have to be focused, not seeing an obstacle due to focusing, focus meditation, the Spelunky daily challenge, similarities to theater, taking a risk with design, not knowing what other players will do, opponents dictating skill ceilings, matchmaking as the balancing feature, consistency of behaviors, not rushing, gaining knowledge in games, the ghost and fear, practicing via the tunnel man, whether it's helpful to skip ahead, the speed-run achievement, spending time on each level, getting abilities in the stores vs equippables, the eggplant and the ball-and-chain, Derek's book, learning by death.  Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Tiny Subversions/Darius Kazemi, Fez, Derek Yu/mossmouth, Andy Hall, UFO 50, PS Vita, World of Warcraft, Cave Story, Diablo, Dead Cells, Minecraft, Kaeon, MegaMan, Contra, Super Mario Bros., Hunt: Showdown, Overwatch, Fortnite, Halo (series), Dark Souls, Andy Nealen, Zelda (series), Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Olmecorox, Half-Life 2, TIGSource, Demons's Souls, Dark Souls 2, Outer Wilds, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia.    Next time: More Spelunky! Twitch: timlongojr  Discord DevGameClub@gmail.com 

We are debuting a NEW SHOW SEGMENT this month called Arsenal Evolution, a show that takes both an in-game and real-world look at the evolution, history, and fanfare of different abilities and power-ups for Samus. We thought it was only appropriate to talk about an ability that has become synonymous with Samus herself, and has appeared in every Metroid game: the Morph Ball! We go game by game, looking at how it was utilized, the different power-ups and upgrades associated with it, the transition from 2D to 3D, and so much more! This episode has it all, including a run in from the ice cream truck, so morph down and tell us what items you'd like to see on future Arsenal Evolution's!   Visit OmegaMetroid.com!   Subscribe! Podbean x iTunes x Spotify x YouTube Support us on Patreon! Omega Metroid Patreon Buy Omega Metroid Merch! Check out our Etsy merch shop! Download the Omega Metroid Theme Song! Get the Single for Free on Bandcamp! Follow us! @OmegaMetroid x @Spiteri316 x @DoominalCross x Omega Metroid Team Member Starter Pack Chat with us in Discord! Omega Metroid Discord Advertise on the Omega Metroid Podcast!

Al and Kev talk about whether or not farming game remakes are worth it. Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:08: What Have We Been Up To 00:38:42: Game Updates 00:58:01: New Games 01:11:11: Farming Game Remakes 01:51:29: Outro Links Research Story 1.0 Tiny Garden Switch Info Go-go Town “Tourist Trap” Update APICO Physical Edition Farming Simulator 16-bit Limited Edition Romestead Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello, farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. My name is Al. (0:00:34) Kev: My name is Kevin (0:00:36) Al: And we’re here today to talk about Cottagecore games. (0:00:39) Kev: You woo supposedly the word on the street is it says on the box (0:00:46) Al: Does it? (0:00:47) Kev: That’s odd, yeah, it does it what does the websites I’m assuming it does (0:00:51) Al: I don’t know. This is a good question. What does it say on the website? (0:00:54) Kev: You know, we’ve never done (0:00:55) Al: It says farming. It says a podcast about farming simulators. (0:00:58) Kev: Well, there you go, I guess we were lying somewhere, you know one of these days (0:01:00) Al: Yeah, classic. (0:01:04) Kev: Not days we should do in April fools and switch it up (0:01:07) Kev: Or we talk about I don’t know something else. I guess we kind of do that sometimes but you know something really different (0:01:12) Al: Something, something else. (0:01:14) Kev: Yeah (0:01:16) Kev: We talk about gotcha games, I mean I already do but you know all in oh (0:01:23) Kev: Yeah (0:01:24) Al: Hello. We are going to talk this episode about, I want to have a discussion about remakes. (0:01:25) Kev: Hello listener (0:01:34) Kev: We don’t oh (0:01:34) Al: Specifically remakes of farming games. (0:01:38) Kev: Oh, that’s well hmm. I mean it’s still in the neighborhood like there’s stuff to be discussed for sure (0:01:47) Al: Well, that’s why we’re doing it. (0:01:51) Al: I don’t tend to have topics that I don’t think I’ll have much discussion. (0:01:55) Kev: That is died and I believe that’s factually not true (0:02:00) Al: Wow, how dare, how dare you, how very dare you. (0:02:04) Kev: Oh (0:02:06) Al: Before that, we have a bunch of news, but first of all, Kevin, what have you been up to? (0:02:13) Kev: Okay, let’s see here when I wrote things down (0:02:16) Kev: Okay, Marvel snap. Okay, I should have talked about this earlier because it ended this week, but I mean all snap goes (0:02:22) Kev: It’s good the the new Fantastic Four (0:02:27) Kev: Season with cards based off the movies coming up (0:02:30) Kev: They’re just doing a whole new season like first step family (0:02:34) Kev: First steps whatever but but that’s coming so you know and that looks good (0:02:38) Kev: But I didn’t talk about maximum voltage overdrive or whatever that thing was called (0:02:45) Kev: You played snap outs been a minute. Did you play maximum voltage? (0:02:49) Kev: Do you remember that mode at all? (0:02:50) Al: I think it was around when I was playing, but I don’t think I played it. (0:02:54) Kev: Uh-huh (0:02:56) Al: I did the Deadpool Diner and I did. (0:02:59) Kev: Yeah (0:03:00) Al: There was one other one that I did, but I don’t think I did maximum. (0:03:02) Kev: Okay, so (0:03:04) Kev: So yeah, every once in a while snap introduces these like alternate modes with different rules or different words or whatever (0:03:12) Kev: And so one that they’ve done is called maximum voltage (0:03:16) Kev: and previously maximum voltage was a three-turn game instead of six turns and (0:03:20) Kev: They would give you a random amount like two to four energy every turn like extra so it was you know (0:03:27) Kev: Not just the one two three four (0:03:29) Kev: So you had you could play cards quickly and you had to do on three turns (0:03:34) Kev: It’s a it’s a different pace a game. It’s fun even shorter. I liked it (0:03:41) Kev: Well this past week or two they did maximum voltage overdrive or overcharge whatever’s over something (0:03:50) Kev: Where it was a four-turn game (0:03:53) Kev: The same rules of okay, you get random two to four energy every turn (0:03:59) Kev: on top of what you already have (0:04:02) Kev: But they (0:04:04) Kev: Also filled your deck out with like was it eight or twelve extra random cards in your deck (0:04:10) Kev: Those extra cards had lower costs and higher power (0:04:15) Kev: So it was it was a wild ride because it was a lot of like kind of RNG really right what you get (0:04:22) Kev: It’s hard to build around like, you know real strategy around it (0:04:26) Kev: and you know, I (0:04:28) Kev: I enjoyed it enough. It was fine enough. You know a lot of people don’t like RNG sort of (0:04:34) Kev: modes or strategy so you know I don’t think as popular as other ones but at (0:04:40) Kev: least they tried something right like I always did they say hey try it and then (0:04:43) Kev: we’ll see how it goes but the bigger fiasco was the rewards because when they (0:04:52) Kev: have these side missions they’ll give you usually like a sort of bonus currency (0:04:56) Kev: or side currency or whatever specific for that mode with a shop or reward tier (0:05:01) Kev: or something like that. (0:05:04) Kev: In this case they gave you a shop, you could earn let’s just call them vault points or whatever they were called. (0:05:08) Kev: And so there was a new card in the shop. (0:05:12) Kev: Kid Omega, I don’t know who that character is but they had a decent enough ability. (0:05:16) Kev: But regardless, so yeah, it was a new card and very cool and all. (0:05:24) Kev: But here’s the thing, for the first time ever in one of these side modes, you could not earn the card for free. (0:05:32) Kev: Um… (0:05:34) Kev: Well, I guess you technically could, but… (0:05:36) Kev: So how it works is every eight hours you get a set of three missions, and you get X number of points for it, right? (0:05:44) Kev: Well, people did the math. (0:05:46) Kev: If you did all the missions, every single set of three for every eight hours for the entire duration of the thing, (0:05:52) Kev: you would still have to win 500 games, I think it was, to earn enough points to earn the new card. (0:05:57) Al: That is so many games. (0:06:04) Kev: But… (0:06:04) Al: I don’t think I’ve ever won 500 games combined in the, like, what, combined what, six months (0:06:06) Kev: Yeah, totally. (0:06:14) Kev: I mean, I might be there with you. (0:06:18) Kev: But yeah, so that was wild. (0:06:24) Kev: And a lot of people were up in arms about it, as you can imagine, and I think understandably so. (0:06:30) Kev: Also, because Marvel Snap, traditionally, has been… (0:06:34) Kev: Play-ish where or at least you if you played enough you could get a decent pool of cards or you could get work (0:06:40) Kev: You know the new cards they were releasing if you kept up you could (0:06:45) Kev: You could you could play for free (0:06:48) Kev: the boat the money was either spent on generally speaking on (0:06:55) Kev: Cosmetics, you know variants and bundles (0:06:57) Kev: I guess the season passed you could unlock a new card and that’s ten bucks a month and like that (0:07:02) Kev: But they would drop for free later (0:07:04) Kev: So you didn’t have to do it. But anyways (0:07:08) Kev: Point is that a lot of players feel like the the snap devs are kind of leaning a little more into (0:07:15) Kev: You know pay to win or pay to get the new cards (0:07:19) Kev: So that was a big (0:07:20) Kev: Yeah, big big bit a little bit of fiasco (0:07:25) Kev: and (0:07:26) Kev: Yeah, it’s over now. We went to another mode called sanctum showdown, which is but it’s much slower paced modes fun (0:07:35) Kev: They’re playing it safe. No crazy (0:07:38) Kev: Expensive card or whatever but (0:07:40) Kev: It’s interesting to see (0:07:43) Kev: kind of a shame that they you know, they’re a little money hungry, but (0:07:48) Kev: Cuz though otherwise the game I think is in still in a decent shape (0:07:52) Kev: They’ve released so many cards like I think it’s almost in a state of we can play whatever you want more or less (0:07:59) Kev: But yeah, I mean I’m still playing it. I’m still enjoying it. I did not get the kiddo-megan card (0:08:05) Kev: You know, it’s wild. I saw somebody with that card on day one (0:08:08) Kev: Which means they must have put a lot of money or gold or whatever. Yeah, there’s always an I found the whale. Oh (0:08:08) Al: Hmm there’s always one. There’s always one. Yeah (0:08:16) Kev: Speaking of not having money or wanting money (0:08:20) Kev: Yes, let’s talk about unicorn overlord. So I reached the end of what’s called best stories. That’s the beast land (0:08:30) Kev: Campaign area there’s basically like five countries in the game or whatever and each one is kind of (0:08:34) Kev: Its own little chapter if you will write its own little story and arc and so I reached the end of the best stories chapter (0:08:41) Kev: Which is fine and all the villain was a rat man a rat where rat I guess. I don’t I don’t know how to describe it (0:08:50) Kev: You know, I’ll show you a picture (0:08:52) Kev: but (0:08:53) Kev: And so I enjoyed it. It was a fun chapter. I think the Beast people were cool, but what is funny and (0:09:00) Kev: I can feel it. I learned about this (0:09:04) Kev: When I went online because it felt something felt like it was changing the writing in unicorn overlord who was pretty alright (0:09:12) Kev: Up until around now because they really just kind of did not give the the rat man’s name (0:09:19) Kev: His name was Elgore and he kind of had an interesting story (0:09:23) Kev: The rats were generally oppressed people and he wanted to rise up and then you know, he became a general (0:09:29) Kev: So it’s kind of an interesting story and there was some evil the evil bad guy team (0:09:34) Kev: We’re doing experiments on him yada yada (0:09:38) Kev: But it was really really rushed. And so I kind of looked into it and it turns out (0:09:45) Kev: That oh (0:09:47) Kev: Hold on one second now (0:09:49) Kev: my mic (0:09:51) Kev: Sorry, there we go. Sorry. My mic had a hiccup and I think we’re good now while checking (0:09:57) Kev: double-checking (0:09:58) Al: Sounds fine to me. (0:09:59) Kev: Yes, okay. I lost a few seconds of the recording, but okay. I’m okay (0:10:03) Kev: I don’t know, at least the– (0:10:03) Al: It’s fine now. (0:10:05) Al: Zoom is pretty good at like starting out. (0:10:05) Kev: Yeah, all right (0:10:09) Kev: Well, anyways, so I looked up that why it started feel rushed and turns out that the unicorn (0:10:15) Kev: Overlord development ran out of money and basically the director producer they started funding it out of their own pocket (0:10:22) Kev: so apparently this last (0:10:25) Kev: quarter or so of the the game is gonna feel very rushed and (0:10:30) Kev: There’s no time for story anymore. Which is sad but (0:10:34) Kev: That said the game is still (0:10:38) Kev: Entertaining. I like it. It’s fun. Yeah, like unicorn overlord to two thumbs up from me (0:10:45) Kev: Let’s see (0:10:47) Kev: So yeah, so that’s good. Um, oh, okay follow up from last week (0:10:50) Kev: So we spent a little time having a fun little chat about magic the gathering and capitalism and the $1,000 (0:10:58) Al: Like 20 minutes. (0:10:59) Kev: pack of set of four packs (0:11:02) Kev: and it was all started as you may recall because (0:11:04) Kev: I was looking at the, or you know, the Final Fantasy set of Magic the Gathering cards came out, (0:11:12) Kev: and I did not want to buy them because I didn’t want to spend them, or spend the money for them. (0:11:17) Kev: Well, this week I bought the Final Fantasy card set from Magic the Gathering, virtually, virtually, there’s my caveat, haha. (0:11:26) Kev: Uh, no, I did not spend money, but… yeah, haha, virtual versions of my cardboard. (0:11:27) Al: Oh, wait, that’s that’s even that’s even all right. (0:11:30) Al: I was going to say that’s even worse if you bought digital cards. (0:11:35) Kev: No, no money spent. So I’ve been, I’ve played Magic the Gathering Arena, though that’s the online client. I fired it up to get in there and try. (0:11:43) Al: Good game. I’ve not played in a long time, but when I was playing, I was doing a lot of arenas. (0:11:49) Kev: Alright, it’s good. It feels comparable, I think, to, you know, Pokemon TCG live. (0:11:54) Al: Oh, I think it’s way better. (0:11:56) Al: I think it’s way, way better. (0:11:57) Al: I think the I mean, it’s been a while since I played it. (0:12:00) Al: But in my experience, the app was much less slow in menus and the effects were much better. (0:12:05) Kev: Yeah. (0:12:08) Kev: I agree with that. It is much, much more polished, right, overall. A little fancier. And you’re right, a little less laggy. (0:12:17) Kev: But, yeah, but I mean, the point is, it serves as a decent online, you know, substitute for the paper game. (0:12:26) Kev: So I got some, yeah, Final Fantasy cards there and played a little, doing a choco bow deck. (0:12:33) Kev: I’m really upset (0:12:35) Kev: Those cards are really good, art-wise and gameplay-wise (0:12:42) Kev: They have, because I mentioned I was playing Final Fantasy, the proper FFTCG (0:12:49) Kev: That game doesn’t have equipment cards (0:12:51) Kev: Magic the Gathering does, so Magic the Gathering can include iconic items and weapons (0:12:57) Kev: Like the Buster Sword, or a cup of instant noodles from Final Fantasy XV (0:13:04) Kev: So I’m more…a little… (0:13:05) Kev: I’m jealous that Magic did it so well. (0:13:07) Kev: Whoever…the people working on the Final Fantasy set, they really love Final Fantasy. (0:13:13) Kev: They have Souplex the Train as a card. (0:13:17) Kev: People who know FF5 understand that reference. (0:13:25) Kev: But yeah, I mean, I try to… (0:13:27) Kev: I’m still thinking about it. I’m looking at it. (0:13:31) Kev: The card’s proper. I’m not gonna buy it yet. (0:13:35) Kev: Oh, it’s been…I’ve been craving it. It’s a siren song. (0:13:38) Kev: So I had to…you know…I had to at least do it virtually to enjoy it a little. (0:13:46) Kev: But I digress. That’s what I’ve been up to this week. (0:13:50) Kev: What about you, Al? What’s going on? (0:13:52) Al: Well, let’s see, what have I been up to? (0:13:56) Al: Shock surprise. (0:13:58) Al: I have been playing some Mario Kart World up. (0:14:00) Kev: Yeah, you’re going for it, man. Getting all those knockouts here. I’ve seen your progress. (0:14:04) Al: Yes, so update on that. (0:14:07) Al: I have done all of the Grand Prix’s 150, three stars and all of the knockout (0:14:13) Al: all of the knockout tours, 150, three stars. (0:14:19) Al: and I have done enough in free. (0:14:22) Al: Rome to unlock mirror mode. (0:14:25) Kev: Okay. (0:14:27) Al: And I have unlocked all of the costumes. (0:14:30) Kev: Oh, you’re- you’ve done it all almost pretty much at this point. (0:14:33) Al: I am still missing three characters. (0:14:36) Kev: Wait, wha- oh. How d- uh- uh-huh. (0:14:38) Al: But that’s because they are the Kamek characters, (0:14:43) Al: so you have to be on a specific course (0:14:47) Al: and someone use the Kamek behind you on that specific course. (0:14:50) Kev: Uh, okay, I did notice that I got some kamiks and I think I got kamiks characters out of that. (0:14:53) Al: There’s a chance that you get one that character, so. (0:15:00) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:15:01) Al: So I’ve got most of them, but I’m still missing three of them. (0:15:04) Al: And it’s like they are dreadful to try and force like the bet. (0:15:08) Kev: Yeah, who are they? (0:15:10) Al: How who am I missing? (0:15:12) Al: Let me check my spreadsheet. (0:15:14) Al: I am missing Rocky, wrench. (0:15:18) Al: Peepa and Swoop. (0:15:20) Kev: Oof, oof, oh man, I like swoop. (0:15:21) Al: I have the rest of them. (0:15:22) Al: So that’s I have that’s 15 out of 18 characters unlocked (0:15:26) Al: and 103 out of 103 costumes unlocked. (0:15:31) Al: So, yeah, and I’ve got all the vehicles as well. (0:15:36) Al: All 40 of them. (0:15:37) Al: So I am going to I’m definitely going to do. (0:15:40) Al: I’m definitely going to start doing mirror modes. (0:15:42) Al: I really want to restart all the mirror modes (0:15:45) Al: before I get too much muscle memory for specific courses. (0:15:46) Kev: Yeah. (0:15:49) Kev: Mmm. (0:15:50) Al: Right, because that that’s when it becomes really hard. (0:15:52) Kev: Yeah, you’re right. (0:15:53) Kev: That’s an excellent point. (0:15:53) Al: But I’d love I’d love to three star mirror mode (0:15:56) Al: because I’ve never restarted every mirror mode in a Mario cart. (0:16:00) Kev: I mean you’re like there, you’re wide as well, right? You’ve gone the 90%? (0:16:06) Al: Yeah, it’s I guess the thing is it’s just about like time now, right? (0:16:10) Kev: Uh-huh. (0:16:10) Al: Like we’ve got two and a bit weeks until Donkey Kong comes out. (0:16:15) Al: That’s basically my deadline, right? (0:16:15) Kev: I was about to say, that’s the deadline, right? (0:16:17) Al: Like if it’s if I’ve not done it by (0:16:20) Al: Donkey Kong coming out, it’s probably never happening. (0:16:23) Kev: Yeah, well, maybe they’ll release some DLC, but I understand what you generally say. (0:16:28) Al: Yeah, but at that point, I don’t I think at that point I’ll play the DLC, (0:16:31) Al: but I don’t think I’ll go back and try and do the other mirror modes. (0:16:31) Kev: Yeah, it’ll be out of your system, I get it. (0:16:34) Al: Right. (0:16:36) Al: So we’ll see. We’ll see how I feel. (0:16:38) Al: But I’m going to I’m going to at least try and see how far I get. (0:16:42) Al: But obviously it’s quite few and, you know, I can see I should be able to do them. (0:16:47) Al: Right. Because I’ve done one hundred and fifty. (0:16:49) Al: I should be able to do mirror mode. (0:16:50) Al: I don’t think I’m in use to them enough that I will cause problems. (0:16:53) Al: Although maybe there’s a couple of courses that are recreations of previous ones, (0:16:58) Al: like the Mario Bros circuit, which is just like the continuation from the one (0:17:00) Kev: Yeah (0:17:03) Al: and since the sna is- (0:17:06) Al: right? That one might be trouble because I suspect I’ll have muscle memory for that course (0:17:06) Kev: Yeah (0:17:12) Kev: Sure sure (0:17:12) Al: but we’ll see, we’ll see. I’m gonna try and we’ll see how I go (0:17:17) Al: and I think that’s all I was considering. So have you done much free roam? (0:17:22) Kev: Not too much myself now (0:17:25) Al: So you’ve got the P switches, you’ve got peach medallions and you’ve got the question mark blocks. (0:17:27) Kev: Yeah (0:17:29) Kev: Yeah (0:17:32) Al: the only one that’s actually like shown on the map. (0:17:36) Al: The P switches where each course has a certain number of P switches and it shows you how (0:17:38) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:17:40) Al: many you’ve got. So I’m considering doing the P switches, but there’s no way I’m going (0:17:47) Al: to look for all of the peach medallions and all not not P switches sorry the question mark blocks. (0:17:52) Al: It’s not the P switches the question mark blocks. There’s no way I’m going for the piece all the (0:17:56) Al: P switches and all the peach medallions. I’ll probably do some more just playing around in (0:18:00) Al: free roam and if I see some I will do some, but I’m not going to go out my way to get (0:18:04) Al: every day because it’s like (0:18:06) Al: 300 P switches or something it’s mad how many there are I’m not going to do (0:18:08) Kev: Yeah, you don’t want to collect all the Koroks? (0:18:12) Al: all of them definitely not but I can see myself doing all the question mark (0:18:17) Al: blocks just because they’re like clearly like there’s six on this course six on (0:18:22) Al: this course six on this course I could see myself doing that but I’m not I’m (0:18:28) Al: not going all in on that at this point right like we will see (0:18:31) Kev: man. I gotta say the free roam is a little disappointing from what I’ve experienced and (0:18:39) Kev: seen. I was really hoping for, for lack of a better word, secrets, right? Little nooks (0:18:47) Kev: and crannies you could explore that, you know, you wouldn’t experience on a race or whatever, (0:18:52) Al: - Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:18:53) Kev: right? Like in, you know, shooting for the stars, like even a handful of courses not in any of the (0:19:01) Kev: pre-write, you know, unofficially labeled, like you enter a cave and all of a sudden (0:19:06) Kev: there’s this little racetrack down there. Stuff like that, but anyways, yeah, there’s not much (0:19:12) Kev: going on other than unlocking mirror mode, I guess, on free roam. Although I do like the (0:19:20) Kev: Princess Peach Castle, the window easter egg, that’s fun. (0:19:23) Al: Yeah, yeah, it’s I will agree that I think free roam is a little bit of a disappointment, but yeah, I am still very much having fun. (0:19:35) Al: And I will definitely be playing this with people in person a lot. (0:19:40) Kev: I’m sure. I mean, it’s Mario Kart. It’s built for that. (0:19:41) Al: No, it’s 100% worth. (0:19:44) Al: Yeah, it’s 100% worth it, especially as, you know, it was what, like 30 quid in the bundle, right? (0:19:49) Kev: Yep. (0:19:50) Kev: Exactly. (0:19:50) Al: Like it was very much worth that. (0:19:53) Al: And just, it is, I still stand by it’s the most fun to control the, with the new physics reactions. Like I feel like all the other ones will feel quite stiff going back to them. (0:20:04) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don’t think (0:20:10) Kev: Yeah, I yeah, I don’t think a lot of people are gonna push back on that it does feel very good to control (0:20:16) Kev: I agree (0:20:19) Kev: Yeah, it’s it’s I mean it’s Mario Kart right like it’s still gonna be good (0:20:22) Kev: It’s a but it is funny though that you know insert the the Simpsons sheep gif when Donkey Kong bonanza comes out (0:20:28) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely. That is going to be like a couple of weeks of just (0:20:34) Kev: Yeah (0:20:37) Al: like that’s the only thing I’m playing. Yeah. And we, has the direct been since we recorded (0:20:39) Kev: It looks so good, I only more (0:20:44) Al: our last episode? I can’t remember. Super fun. I’m so excited for this. I think it’s (0:20:44) Kev: I I can’t remember. We haven’t talked about it either way, but that’s uh (0:20:51) Kev: that’s a (0:20:52) Kev: good looking direct (0:20:53) Al: really, yeah, I think they, that was a great direct because it shows (0:20:58) Al: it kind of confirmed a bunch of the stuff we already knew while also giving us enough (0:21:03) Al: to be like, oh, there’s more. Right. And, and I think it’s really, I think it’s really (0:21:09) Al: good looking. Like I love the different effects that you get in transforming into other animals (0:21:16) Al: and also having Pauline basically be like a parrot on your shoulder. Right. It’s really (0:21:22) Kev: yep it’s it’s so good I i love the online reaction that we the internet gave of like you (0:21:23) Al: fun. (0:21:30) Kev: know the trifecta of uh was it ralph and vanellope uh sully and boo and now we’ve got dk and pauline (0:21:38) Kev: you know big guy and then little girl um it’s it’s fun (0:21:38) Al: Look, it works, right? Like why, why break it? Why try and fix it if it’s not broken, (0:21:47) Kev: Exactly. It’s great. Um, yeah, I’m I’m very pumped. Uh, (0:21:52) Kev: for uh uh the the game or general, I guess. Um, it’s I’m a (0:21:59) Kev: little disappointed that we don’t get the animal buddies (0:22:02) Kev: per se. I mean, I know Rambi’s in there and and it’s kind of (0:22:06) Kev: in there, but you know, it’s it’s the functions been replaced (0:22:09) Kev: by your transformations and the transformations are cool. I (0:22:12) Kev: won’t lie. Um but uh I don’t know. I’m a guy who likes Rambi. (0:22:17) Al: Well, look, I don’t have any real history with the previous DK games other than trying them and not enjoying them. (0:22:23) Al: So I don’t particularly mind. (0:22:27) Al: I’m not a lower muncher. (0:22:30) Kev: Sure, I mean, it’s not even like lore stuff because that’s uh, that’s just uh, you know, I guess mechanics or (0:22:38) Kev: Gameplay traditions, whatever. But if you want to talk about lore, I mean we can get trying to you know (0:22:43) Kev: We can try figure out why on earth (0:22:48) Kev: Does how is Pauline hanging out a DK? How does that timeline work? (0:22:52) Al: Well, I think everything lines up if you just ignore the original DK game. I don’t think (0:22:59) Al: anything else is a problem. I think it’s only that. And I think that this ties in so much (0:23:00) Kev: Yeah. Which… (0:23:05) Al: better to Odyssey, because why would Pauline be the mayor of a city that’s named after (0:23:11) Al: her kidnapper? But she would be the mayor of a city that’s named after her hero. (0:23:12) Kev: Yeah, I like the way you think there that’s a good point, yeah, but and also like this (0:23:28) Kev: is even more so than Odyssey cuz I mean Paulina was in there was you know, she’s first time (0:23:32) Kev: back in forever or whatever but she’s you know, she has a starring role finally, that’s (0:23:40) Al: Yeah, my I also I have another theory that it might be time (0:23:47) Kev: All right, oh well there you are now we’re talking let’s get into that Zelda split timeline (0:23:55) Al: Well, I don’t even think it needs to be a split timeline, right? (0:23:58) Al: Like, if something happens and she gets shot forward and then she goes back in time after this, (0:24:04) Kev: Oh, I like it. I like. (0:24:05) Al: you know, she could still go through the whole thing, because the thing is, right, (0:24:09) Al: Pauline in Donkey Kong, that’s not this Donkey Kong, that’s Cranky Kong. (0:24:14) Kev: that is cranky kong who does exist yeah oh I like that that’s clever yeah there you go all right I like it (0:24:15) Al: So, you know, she’s obviously from the past. (0:24:22) Al: Or, or, here’s another suggestion. (0:24:25) Al: If Donkey Kong, if Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong are both Donkey Kong, then maybe Pauline. (0:24:32) Al: This could be a different Pauline. Maybe this is Pauline’s daughter. (0:24:35) Kev: You know, I mean, that’s well established, right? Bowser Jr. looks just like Bowser when he’s a baby, I guess, so you know. (0:24:45) Al: Pauline Jr. (0:24:46) Kev: Pauline Jr. could be! (0:24:49) Kev: Although, okay, you know what? You know what? I’ll even point the bat at the stands here. (0:24:54) Kev: I bet we get little Pauline here as a character in Mario Kart World War 2. (0:24:58) Al: I hope so. I do hope there is some stuff coming, so I saw someone note that some of the characters (0:25:06) Al: have lots of costumes, and some of them have almost none. In fact, some of them have none. (0:25:11) Al: And the interesting thing is, one of the characters that has almost none is Donkey Kong. He only (0:25:12) Kev: Yeah. (0:25:16) Al: has one costume. Just before a Donkey Kong game comes out, suspicious. So are we interested (0:25:17) Kev: It is very strange considering, you know, he’s… (0:25:21) Kev: Uh-oh, uh-oh! (0:25:28) Al: in a Mario Kart World update coming with some Donkey Kong costumes to encourage you (0:25:34) Kev: I mean (0:25:36) Al: to be interested in the new game? Maybe. Yeah. And we obviously have all the baby characters, (0:25:37) Kev: If if it feels like the most obvious dough in the world, right, um, so yeah (0:25:46) Al: so would we get a young Pauline, as well as the babies that we’ve got of the other characters? (0:25:48) Kev: I like it (0:25:51) Kev: How cute (0:25:51) Al: We don’t have Pauline at all. Oh no, we do have Pauline. But also Pauline only has one (0:25:53) Kev: We do it, Paul (0:25:58) Kev: Like a generic racer costume, so there you go (0:25:58) Al: costume. So, you know, the two of them, both in an upcoming game. You know, I will be very (0:26:05) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah (0:26:09) Al: disappointed if there’s not. But this makes you wonder what else could be related to things, (0:26:11) Kev: I you know that’s I don’t think you’re being unreasonable (0:26:16) Al: right? Birdo only has two costumes, so that’s an interesting one. Could there be a Birdo (0:26:22) Al: thing coming up? Who knows? Lakitu only has two costumes, and there is an update to… (0:26:28) Al: Why can’t I remember the name? Goodness me. Mario Party. Which Lakitu obviously has a (0:26:34) Kev: Which Mario what okay? (0:26:40) Al: big part in Mario Party. Maybe I’m stretching at this point. Who knows? But we’ll see. I’m (0:26:41) Kev: Yeah (0:26:48) Kev: We we will see I think that’s the end that’s all we can kind of say really um (0:26:54) Al: I’m sure we can say much more, but let’s not. (0:26:56) Kev: Well, well, okay, yeah, you know, I will say this like each his legs still make me very uncomfortable. I (0:26:59) Al: Fair, very fair. (0:27:03) Kev: Don’t like it (0:27:05) Kev: Get in the car. Don’t look at those freak. Yeah, no, no, I don’t like it. That’s (0:27:08) Al: Don’t put him on a bike. (0:27:15) Al: He should be in the cloud cart. (0:27:19) Al: That’s the only one he’s allowed to be in. (0:27:20) Kev: Yeah, you really or you know, I don’t care I (0:27:23) Al: No, I’m just saying. (0:27:26) Kev: Look, I don’t care if it’s like (0:27:29) Kev: Horrendous I don’t care if it’s horrendous like animation clipping just (0:27:35) Kev: Just stick the the dang (0:27:36) Al: The cloud around every cart you put them in. (0:27:40) Kev: Yeah, yeah, when he’s the bike it’s just clipping right to the cloud (0:27:45) Kev: Okay, you make it it’s worth it (0:27:50) Al: All right, so that’s my car. (0:27:52) Al: I’ve also I don’t want to talk too much about this, but I do want to mention it. (0:27:58) Al: I’ve opened Lens Island again and started playing that. (0:28:02) Al: So for context, I originally backed on. (0:28:06) Al: Kickstarter and I started playing it when it first came out, but it had no controller (0:28:11) Al: support and basically was horrible to use on the steam deck. (0:28:16) Al: So I have started playing it again, and it is less horrible to play on the steam deck. (0:28:24) Kev: But that’s always the bar we want less horrible (0:28:25) Al: And I think that’s as far as I’m going to go on this comp on it just now. (0:28:33) Al: I will probably go into it a lot more in the next. (0:28:36) Al: episode, probably, but no promises. (0:28:38) Kev: Okay, fine. Okay. (0:28:43) Al: So that is a thing that is currently happening that I am not going to give any opinions on right now. (0:28:52) Al: But finally, we are recording this on Saturday, the 28th of June. (0:28:57) Al: I have just finished the first day of Pokémon Go Fest 2025 Global. (0:29:01) Kev: Oh, is that what’s going on? Okay. (0:29:03) Al: That’s what’s today. (0:29:04) Al: Yeah. So, uh, I had. (0:29:06) Al: Fun. I got a few hours where I was allowed to remove my (0:29:14) Al: responsibilities from children and just go play Pokemon in Edinburgh. (0:29:17) Al: And yeah, I got a good amount of stuff done and I enjoyed that. (0:29:20) Kev: Cool. What is going on? What are they releasing? (0:29:24) Al: This is the Crowned in Shield form Zacian and Zamazenta. (0:29:30) Kev: Wait they weren’t in there already that’s weird, but okay (0:29:32) Al: No, they had the base forms, but not this Crowned in Shield form. (0:29:37) Al: Uh, because they’ve got to release them separately to make the most money, right? (0:29:42) Kev: - Oh, yeah, yeah. (0:29:46) Al: But yeah, so, uh, yeah, I think they did this one a lot better than the previous (0:29:52) Al: other forms, because with Curum and with, uh, oh, what’s the other one? (0:29:59) Kev: Uh, uh, uh, Nick Asma. (0:30:03) Al: Nick Rosma, thank you. (0:30:05) Al: with both of them. (0:30:06) Al: You have a certain amount of energy you need to get to fuse them, but if you separate (0:30:15) Al: them, you have to use the same amount of energy again to fuse them again. (0:30:21) Al: It’s like a thousand-fuse energy, or whatever they call it. (0:30:25) Al: I can’t remember and I don’t care. (0:30:26) Kev: Yeah, that’s correct (0:30:29) Al: Once you fuse them, you use up that thousand, but you get like a hundred per raid that you (0:30:33) Al: do. (0:30:34) Al: raids to get enough defuse once (0:30:35) Kev: Okay (0:30:36) Al: set of them. And then if you’re like, “Oh, I fused the wrong one”, and you unfuse it, (0:30:37) Kev: Yeah, oh (0:30:42) Al: you then have to do another 10 raids to do it. But of course, those raids were only available (0:30:45) Kev: It sounds like a lot (0:30:48) Al: for one weekend. They’ve never been available again, so you can’t get the energy anymore. (0:30:55) Al: It’s dreadful! (0:30:56) Kev: That sounds like a lot. (0:30:58) Al: Well, the good thing is that Zamasenta and Zacian, once you turn it into crown form, (0:31:04) Al: If you revere its form, you can… (0:31:06) Al: you can then do it again without using any energy. (0:31:09) Kev: Sure, okay. Okay, I mean, that’s that’s definitely nice. I just, man, I just got to say I didn’t go that long at all. But hearing how like, because I think Megas were kind of the first one where you had, you know, special mega energy or whatever. Like, it’s, oh, it doesn’t sound great. Just the oddest. (0:31:33) Al: The the Megas actually I think is a lot better than it was when it first launched. (0:31:38) Al: So like you you can get one free mega for each of your mega Pokemon once a week. (0:31:45) Al: So once you’ve done the initial one, every week, you can do it once for free. (0:31:49) Al: You only have to pay more energy after the first one (0:31:53) Al: if you want to do it faster than that. (0:31:55) Al: And as you get up the power, like once you can level up the mega and once you get (0:32:00) Al: Mega level 3. It matters. (0:32:04) Al: How much it costs so like every if you were to do it every single day, you wouldn’t be using a huge amount of energy so it’s it’s not it’s it’s much better than it was initially launched and I get why you know it is a bit frustrating that you still have to use it energy at all but it’s a lot less annoying you also get energy if you walk with them as a buddy and stuff like that so you know it’s it’s fine it’s fine it’s these fusing ones that are the most annoying because it’s like. (0:32:33) Al: I know have my necrosimas and my cutums fused and I can never unfuse them because I would never be able to fuse them again right like it’s just that’s it if you chose the wrong one tough and it’s really annoying because one of them I did choose the wrong one and but there’s nothing I can do about that I’m stuffed and that’s just what I have to live with. (0:32:40) Kev: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. (0:32:46) Kev: Oh, no! (0:32:50) Kev: Ugh. (0:32:52) Kev: Oh, that’s rough. That’s rough, buddy. (0:32:53) Al: Still. Yeah, that is life but yeah so there’s actions Amazon to was done much better and I got shiny. (0:33:03) Al: And I got my energy and I’ve I’ve powered them up so nice powerful Pokemon looking looking great my shiny shield was it shield form kind of what it’s called and they have new adventure effects so. (0:33:04) Kev: Yeah! (0:33:10) Kev: Yeah, that’s the game! (0:33:18) Kev: That’s cool, that’s good. (0:33:19) Al: There we go. (0:33:22) Al: And they can also be used because they’re when they’re in that form they can be used at power spots, which normally only dynamics Pokemon can be used a pair of spots, but of course you can’t you can’t. (0:33:33) Al: And they can also be used in Dynamax session and Amazon to but when they’re in that form you can use them a pair of spots so that’s fun. (0:33:44) Al: So yeah, I probably do a little bit tomorrow as well because it was Amazon to things action tomorrow, but which is a bit annoying, but if you got the ticket for go fest you do get enough energy to do one of one of the dogs, so I do have enough to do as action, but I probably want to get enough to do another one. (0:34:02) Kev: Sure. Well, I am glad that you’re enjoying it. (0:34:03) Al: Continuing to enjoy Pokemon go despite everything. (0:34:07) Kev: I don’t… (0:34:11) Kev: This, well, that’s kind of, uh, I mean, that’s just a blanket save these days. (0:34:20) Al: They keep trying to ruin the game, but I still somehow enjoy it. (0:34:24) Al: All right, let’s talk about some game use a woo. (0:34:31) Kev: Oh, wait, wait, back up. (0:34:32) Kev: I’m sorry, I just– (0:34:33) Kev: I don’t know why you just clicked something in my mind. (0:34:34) Kev: I forgot. (0:34:35) Kev: I want to follow up my Magic the Gathering thing. (0:34:39) Kev: So as I look, you know, I was dipping my toe in the MTG pool. (0:34:44) Kev: Guess what’s the next secret layer? (0:34:45) Al: I don’t know. (0:34:46) Kev: You know me. (0:34:48) Al: Ah, ah, ah, pressure, um, unicorn over the light! (0:34:53) Kev: Haha, oh, oh, that’d be so (0:34:54) Al: No, ah, no, um, let’s see, so Kevin, something Kevin would like. (0:34:59) Al: Well, it’s not going to be like anything Nintendo. (0:35:02) Kev: No, no it’s just very funny hearing that. (0:35:04) Al: Wait, is it? (0:35:06) Al: No. (0:35:08) Kev: I didn’t intend, I didn’t intend, life log Nintendo Pass. (0:35:09) Al: Well. (0:35:12) Kev: You don’t like Nintendo things, um, but it won’t, uh, MTG, I gotta say, it wouldn’t be (0:35:15) Al: I mean, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that’s the opposite of what I thought, Kevin. (0:35:19) Kev: in there. (0:35:20) Kev: Yeah, okay. (0:35:21) Kev: Yeah, okay, yes, yeah, I know what you’re saying, but the way it came in my ears, it’s (0:35:21) Al: What I thought was, oh yeah, it could be, you know, you like Nintendo stuff. (0:35:25) Al: And I was like, oh no, but they’re not going to do something with Nintendo. (0:35:27) Al: That was my point. (0:35:30) Kev: It’s not too funny. (0:35:31) Al: Trying to accuse me. (0:35:32) Al: Accuse me of not thinking you like Nintendo stuff. (0:35:34) Al: Ah, no, I’ve not got anything. (0:35:39) Al: Nothing’s coming. (0:35:40) Kev: Ow! The lowest hanging fruit! Gotta go fast! (0:35:44) Al: Oh, Sonic. (0:35:45) Al: What? They’re doing Sonic, Magic the Gathering? (0:35:47) Kev: They’re doing- okay. (0:35:49) Kev: Yeah! Dude, they already did SpongeBob! Who cares? (0:35:53) Al: What? This is what one out all these cards look so good. (0:35:54) Kev: Oh, you missed that! SpongeBob’s in magic! Oh, yeah! (0:36:02) Kev: Don’t they? (0:36:03) Al: Oh, no. Oh, no. (0:36:04) Kev: They look- that’s- that’s the exact reaction. (0:36:10) Al: I don’t want this. Well, no, I do want this. (0:36:14) Kev: And you- and- oh, my- like, Shadow- (0:36:15) Al: I managed to not even look at the Doctor Who and Lord of the Rings ones somehow. (0:36:18) Kev: Oh- oh, yeah. (0:36:20) Kev: Shadow looks busted. It’s insane. (0:36:24) Kev: They’re no big the cats, so point against them for that. No cream, either. (0:36:28) Kev: But overall, it’s- it’s in their- (0:36:31) Kev: Ugh, Sonic’s ability, ‘cause you know, when they have an ability, they have a little, like, name for it. (0:36:36) Kev: It- it’s literally “Gotta go fast.” (0:36:38) Kev: You know “Gotta go fast” isn’t even from the games. (0:36:40) Kev: It’s just from the, uh, the- the dub intro of an anime. [Laughter] (0:36:45) Al: Yeah, I’m not particularly surprised. (0:36:48) Kev: Oh, yeah, Sonic’s going to magic. (0:36:50) Kev: It’s- ugh. I don’t like it. I’m- I’m- I’m- oh, dear. I’m cooked, as the children would say. (0:36:58) Kev: You know, Unicorn Overlord, it- wild as it- it’s not in Magic the Gathering, but in- they have one of those- (0:37:04) Kev: What is it? I think it’s, like, the Overlord edition. You know, one of the big fancy collector’s editions. (0:37:08) Kev: There’s actually a whole (0:37:10) Kev: building card game inside that it’s wild (0:37:16) Kev: Yeah, card games are my vice. They’re my legal addiction. Sonic’s coming to magic (0:37:16) Al: And will this be coming and will this be coming to arenas? (0:37:28) Kev: uh good question I don’t know arena is very weird because arena has (0:37:39) Kev: arena is kind of its own environment it has exclusive arena cards it has its own formats (0:37:45) Kev: and i’ll tell you the the bad ones we’re getting a spider-man set in a few months (0:37:51) Kev: that the spider-man set cards are coming to arena but not with spider-man full (0:37:58) Kev: they’re going to replace them with whatever generic magic card characters or whatever (0:38:02) Al: What? What does that even mean then? (0:38:05) Kev: it means they didn’t get the license to use it digitally (0:38:07) Al: What would be the point in adding the cards then, if they’re not the cards? (0:38:11) Al: So they’re gonna have like the same effects, but not use any names for Spider-Man. (0:38:14) Kev: yeah yeah you you get yeah you get pied or arachnid avatar I don’t know (0:38:18) Al: That’s so stupid. (0:38:20) Al: Just don’t do it. (0:38:28) Kev: uh good old magic together I i joined just this year what a good time to get into this game (0:38:36) Al: Update, I have downloaded Magi the Gathering Eraser. (0:38:39) Kev: yeah oh we gotta play some games um all right let’s go to non sonic base oh or is there (0:38:44) Al: Yes, yeah, news, game news. No, no, no, no, there’s obviously not. Research story have (0:38:47) Kev: is there sonic base news maybe not yet one day it’s inevitable (0:38:56) Al: announced that their 1.0 is coming the 21st of July, so it has been a long time coming. (0:39:00) Kev: Okay (0:39:02) Al: Let’s see, when did this first come into Early Access? February 2023 was when this launched (0:39:04) Kev: Yes, oh wait research, so I don’t know I heard something else okay that that is exciting (0:39:11) Al: in early access. (0:39:12) Kev: Research work takes forever to ask Cody. That’s why the 1.0. It’s it’s forever (0:39:14) Al: So, maybe we need to get our second harvest on this after the 1.0 is out. (0:39:18) Kev: It’s the equivalent of getting their PhD congratulations research story (0:39:23) Kev: I’m sure Cody isn’t triggered by this at all (0:39:31) Kev: Okay, so wait we got let’s see what is the date on the oh July 21st there (0:39:38) Kev: It is but it’s available on the on a beta branch. That’s weird. What do you mean? (0:39:43) Kev: 1.0 will be available in beta before one point (0:39:45) Al: No, no, that’s so. So that’s before launch, you’ll be able to play the beta. (0:39:48) Kev: Yeah, I know that that’s very weird to me like (0:39:52) Al: Well, OK, I see what you mean. I see what you mean. I see what you mean. So (0:39:57) Al: it’s not actually that uncommon in software development where you go, this is our beta for (0:40:05) Al: 1.0 or 1.1 or whatever. That is not that uncommon, actually. I think it’s less common in games, (0:40:07) Kev: Sure. Yeah. Sure. And I mean, like, you know, public betas and test servers, (0:40:12) Al: But it’s definitely something that you see quite a lot. (0:40:18) Kev: like they’re common and I’m not saying it’s unheard of, but I don’t know. (0:40:21) Kev: It just feels weird, especially in game dev, like the 1.0 is the big fitting, right? (0:40:25) Kev: So, uh, I don’t know, but whatever, um, but hey. (0:40:28) Al: You still have to pop the game you can’t just play it’s not just anybody can play it like it’s public (0:40:33) Kev: Yeah. (0:40:34) Al: But public for people who have paid for the game, right? (0:40:37) Kev: That’s true. Good point. (0:40:40) Kev: All right. But hey, it’s here. (0:40:42) Al: Tiny garden the content the (0:40:45) Al: Featured game of last week’s episode have released a statement regarding the Nintendo switch version (0:40:52) Kev: I didn’t think I’d ever hear a statement from Tiny Garden. (0:40:56) Al: This is this is great. I’m just (0:40:58) Al: going to read some of the statement because I don’t think I can really (0:41:01) Al: summarize it better than they have done. “We wanted to clarify some questions (0:41:06) Al: that have arisen regarding the Nintendo Switch version of Tiny Garden. We have (0:41:09) Al: been vague and perhaps not communicated with you as well as we could have, for (0:41:14) Al: which we apologize. We did not want to cause you unnecessary concern or bore (0:41:18) Al: you with technical details. The truth is that the Switch version of Tiny Garden (0:41:23) Al: will be ported by an external company. As we are such a small team it was very (0:41:28) Al: hard for us to do everything in-house. The problem here is we’ve not yet found a (0:41:32) Al: company that can port the game with the polish and quality that we feel (0:41:35) Al: comfortable with. Both our publishers Super Rare Games and us want to deliver (0:41:40) Al: the best possible version of Tiny Garden on Switch. However, we did not (0:41:43) Al: anticipate that this porting would be so complicated.” Hey, I could have told you. (0:41:48) Al: We’ve seen this before. (0:41:50) Kev: What are you talking about? (0:41:52) Kev: It’s katrossi katronfi, it’s fuckies! (0:41:56) Al: And then they go into details about complaining. (0:41:58) Al: About their game engine and that’s the reason. (0:42:02) Al: Sure, fine. (0:42:05) Al: It’s funny because it’s like, oh no, we didn’t know it would be complicated to bring it to a (0:42:10) Al: console. Like what did you expect? Like these things are always complicated. (0:42:14) Kev: Well, yeah, I mean anything game dev is complicated pretty much anything dev software dev is always complicated (0:42:19) Al: Yeah, exactly. (0:42:21) Kev: Well, look here. Here’s your free advice tiny garden people call biting studio (0:42:27) Kev: Those are the guys who make cassette beasts that except beasts is on Godot. They brought it to switch (0:42:32) Kev: It’s awesome on switch. There you go (0:42:33) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s the thing. I suspect if you do it in Unity or Unreal, I suspect (0:42:42) Al: it is slightly easier because they are obviously like larger companies use them and so therefore (0:42:51) Kev: They’re established. (0:42:53) Al: need the console support to be as good as it can be, right? Because otherwise there (0:43:00) Al: There would be big problems because Godot is. (0:43:04) Al: open source and therefore more likely to be used by smaller teams, and they are less likely to be focusing on consoles at all more likely to be focusing on just PC because that is the easiest for. (0:43:18) Kev: Uh-huh (0:43:18) Al: I mean, it’s just the easiest to develop for full stop right because there’s no gatekeeper right like that has has been the case for a long, long time. (0:43:20) Kev: Yeah, I mean yes, yes, that’s correct (0:43:26) Kev: And probably will always be the case because just the nature of the beast so yeah (0:43:28) Al: Exactly. (0:43:29) Al: Exactly. (0:43:30) Al: Exactly. (0:43:31) Al: So there’s, they’re probably simplifying. (0:43:33) Al: Things in what they’re saying, you know, these things happen. (0:43:40) Al: I would like to clarify again, please, if you’re backing a game on Kickstarter, if you (0:43:47) Al: want it for console, don’t back it on Kickstarter, right? (0:43:50) Al: Like just, just like it’s the console is always like, it is when the Kickstarter happens normally, (0:43:59) Al: the way that it is happened is there is a working version of the game. (0:44:03) Al: It may not be final. (0:44:04) Al: It may not have all the content, but they have a game and it can run on PC. (0:44:08) Al: There will be nothing running on console at that point. (0:44:11) Al: And it’s very likely, unless they are a team that have ported to console before, it’s very (0:44:16) Al: likely that they have no idea what they’re doing with consoles at all, right? (0:44:20) Kev: Yep. (0:44:21) Al: And this, this isn’t meant to be harsh on them. (0:44:24) Al: This is just a fact that if you have, if you’re not a console developer, you do not know how (0:44:29) Al: complicated it is. (0:44:30) Al: I am not a games developer, right? (0:44:33) Al: I’m a web developer. (0:44:34) Al: And even in web development, there are things that if you don’t know how it works, it is (0:44:38) Al: so much more complicated than you realize. (0:44:42) Al: And there are just certain things that are more awkward. (0:44:45) Al: And if you haven’t started development on it, you don’t know how complicated it is. (0:44:49) Al: And it is likely not going to be done until the game is finished. (0:44:52) Al: That’s the other thing, right? (0:44:55) Al: Even Stardew Valley still doesn’t get updates out day and date on console, right? (0:45:00) Kev: Yeah. (0:45:01) Al: and stardew valley (0:45:03) Al: is one of the biggest indie games, full stop. (0:45:06) Kev: Yeah. (0:45:07) Al: It’s not like he’s only on his own anyway. He has a team that he works with, he worked with (0:45:12) Kev: Nice. (0:45:12) Al: porting companies before, he has done many different things, and even he can’t do it. (0:45:20) Al: It takes so much work, even big companies struggle with that. (0:45:26) Al: It is rare for a game to come out at the same time on PC and console unless you are one of (0:45:31) Al: of the biggest games and they will. (0:45:34) Al: Completely different teams working on the PC version, working on the switch version, working on the PlayStation version Xbox is different because they’re like the Microsoft of well, pretty much Microsoft have done so much work and I, you know, I’m the first to jump on Microsoft a bad bandwagon, but Microsoft have done so much work to make putting games to Xbox so incredibly easy it’s not. It’s still not just as simple as click a button. It does. (0:45:36) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:45:41) Kev: Yeah (0:45:44) Kev: They are a PC (0:46:03) Al: It does it, but it is so much easier than any other console. If you have an existing PC game, especially if you’re using the tools that Microsoft give to make the game on PC. (0:46:07) Kev: Sure. Yeah. Well, I mean, guess. Hi. Hey, I’m still holding out for mighty number nine (0:46:15) Al: All that being said, all that being said, never back a Kickstarter for a switch game. Just don’t do it, right? (0:46:25) Kev: on the 3DS. Uh, but. (0:46:31) Al: I have, I have, when I, when I bought my steam. (0:46:33) Al: Dick, it was so good because it meant that I could go through and like change (0:46:37) Al: all of my kickstarters to use to steam codes instead of switch get codes. (0:46:41) Kev: Mmm, yeah, at least (0:46:41) Al: And you get the game a year before, right? (0:46:44) Al: It’s just every, every, every single one is there’s none of them. (0:46:49) Al: Not a single game that I have backed on Kickstarter has released (0:46:53) Al: on switch at the same time as steam. (0:46:54) Kev: year you’re not wrong not at all ah well you know what though in this (0:47:03) Kev: particular case there’s an easy way to fix this you know what you don’t even (0:47:07) Kev: have to release on the switch tiny garden just so you know what we’re (0:47:11) Kev: canceling it we’re investing everything into the playdate port and we’re all in (0:47:12) Al: Honestly, a Playdate port would probably be quicker, because it would have to lose features, (0:47:17) Kev: we’re good all is forgiven (0:47:24) Al: right? It’s not going to be the same, the graphics are simpler, like honestly, if they started now (0:47:31) Al: from scratch, they could probably get a Playdate version out before they could port their version (0:47:34) Kev: Well, well there you go, Tiny Guard. The path is there. (0:47:34) Al: to Switch. I’m not joking. They would of course get a fraction of the sales, right? There are (0:47:42) Al: Playdates. Yes, it does. I love the Playdate, it’s so good. I just wish I played it more. (0:47:44) Kev: the dozens look I mean I might join the dozens I’ll say that (0:48:00) Kev: Yeah (0:48:05) Al: As far as I can see, the only number I’ve seen on Playdate sales was in May of last year, (0:48:10) Al: They said 70,000 have been sold (0:48:12) Al: But that was one year into it, and we’re now a year later, so who knows

There's untapped potential for the virtual hardwood and blacktop in the indie gaming space. To that end, this week we discuss The Dunkers, a 2D indie basketball title that's currently available in Early Access on Steam. We also once again touch on the possibility of a new basketball game from EA Sports, unaware that a big announcement was in fact on the horizon! The post NLSC Podcast #586: The Dunkers, A New Indie Hoops Game appeared first on NLSC.

Though traditional, 2D animation was the norm for animated shorts in the 1930s, they weren't the ONLY things being made. George Pal was also out there, creating shorts using a fascinating form of stop-motion which involved a great many carved wooden figures. His 1930s work was primarily comprised of advertisments, but they're fascinating nonetheless. Do these old works still hold up, even if the things they advertise are no longer relevant? Listen to find out!

Award-winning editor Richard Overall joins Filmmaker Mixer to discuss his work on the BAFTA-nominated animated feature Kensuke's Kingdom. Richard shares insights into shaping the film's breathtaking 2D animation, collaborating with voice talents like Cillian Murphy and Sally Hawkins, and balancing adventure with heartfelt emotion. We also dive into his career in animation, from editing The Amazing World of Gumball to directing voice performances on Elliott from Earth. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at the art of animation editing and Richard's journey through storytelling.

¡Experimenta la emocionante adrenalina de duelos de vida o muerte en un abrir y cerrar de ojos! Sumérgete en Two Strikes, una saga casual de lucha en 2D adornada con hipnotizantes animaciones dibujadas a mano, llevándote a una feroz época en Japón, donde cada golpe de espada podría significar condena o gloria. cada movimiento podría ser el último, desplázate rápidamente para acercarte o evadir los ataques, ¡aprovechando la oportunidad cuando los enemigos estén al alcance de tu arma! Y cuando la victoria esté a la vista, ¡desata golpes devastadores para reclamar tu honor! Disfruta del programa y no olvides suscribirte para estar al día de todos los programas, especiales y análisis que lanzamos cada semana. Y dale a like si te gustó y echaste un buen rato con nosotros. Nos encantaría saber qué opinas, así que déjanos tu comentario aquí en iVoox y en: - Twitter: @MemorycardUCA - Email: memorycarduca@gmail.com

We catch up with Professor Kaat Desloovere!Gait Classification: How does gait classification help in tailoring rehabilitation strategies for children with cerebral palsy?Another brilliant interview with researchers from EACD / IAACD 2025 at Heidelberg Germany!

WayForward is a renowned video game studio that was founded in 1990. The company has developed games for publishers such as Capcom, Konami, and Nintendo and has released their games across major hardware platforms from the last 35 years. They are also the creators of the Shantae series of 2D platformers. WayForward recently developed the The post WayForward Games with Tomm Hulett and Voldi Way appeared first on Software Engineering Daily.

Movie of the Year: 1999The Iron Giant (feat. Kate Dellis!)Introduction: Why The Iron Giant Still MattersIn this episode of the Movie of the Year podcast, the Taste Buds explore the enduring appeal of The Iron Giant, Brad Bird's 1999 animated masterpiece. The podcast delves into how the film's powerful themes, from Cold War anxiety to a redefinition of masculinity, continue to resonate with audiences.Whether you're an animation aficionado or a first-time viewer, this deep dive into Brad Bird's masterpiece highlights why it remains a defining piece of cinematic art.War and Fear: The Cold War in The Iron GiantSet in 1950s America, the film uses its period setting to mirror the paranoia and tension of the Cold War. The Taste Buds analyze how the film reflects societal fears of the unknown and the consequences of militarization.With the government's aggressive pursuit of the Giant symbolizing real-world escalation, the episode illustrates how the film's anti-war message is as relevant today as it was in 1999.Masculinity and Emotion: Redefining the Hero in The Iron GiantThe movie reimagines masculinity through its characters' emotional depth. The Taste Buds break down how Hogarth's bravery, Dean's unconventional masculinity, and the Giant's compassion offer a fresh take on heroism.By challenging traditional gender roles and emphasizing vulnerability, the film delivers a powerful commentary on what it means to be truly strong.A New Style of Animation: Artistry in MotionThe podcast dives into The Iron Giant's distinctive animation style, blending traditional 2D with early CGI to create a timeless visual aesthetic. The Taste Buds discuss Brad Bird's directorial choices and how the film's clean lines, muted palette, and expressive character designs contributed to its cult status.This segment also touches on the film's place in animation history and why it remains influential.Guest Panelist Spotlight: Kate Dellis from WGBHSpecial guest Kate Dellis, a producer at WGBH, joins the Taste Buds to offer her unique perspective on The Iron Giant. Kate shares insights into the film's emotional complexity and artistic innovation.Her thoughtful analysis helps elevate the discussion and adds depth to the podcast's exploration of the movie's legacy.Additional ResourcesBrad Bird on The Iron Giant's Legacy – NPRAnimation World Network on The Iron GiantMovie of the Year: The Green Mile EpisodeFinal Thoughts: The Iron Giant Still SoarsTwenty-five years after its release, The Iron Giant continues to inspire with its timeless message of peace, compassion, and identity. On this episode of the Movie of the Year podcast, the Taste Buds and guest Kate Dellis reveal how the film's themes of war, masculinity, and groundbreaking animation combine to create a true classic.If you love thoughtful movie analysis and want to understand why The Iron Giant remains essential viewing, this episode is a must-listen.

WayForward is a renowned video game studio that was founded in 1990. The company has developed games for publishers such as Capcom, Konami, and Nintendo and has released their games across major hardware platforms from the last 35 years. They are also the creators of the Shantae series of 2D platformers. WayForward recently developed the The post WayForward Games with Tomm Hulett and Voldi Way appeared first on Software Engineering Daily.

Confused by the new regulations and a patchwork of state-level policies? With a new administration setting fresh policy priorities, supply chains are facing shifting rules and growing pressure to adapt. Maggie Lyons, Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs at GS1 US, joins hosts Reid Jackson and Liz Sertl to decode the changes affecting how products are made, moved, and sold, and what businesses can do to stay ahead. From SNAP waivers and red dye bans to extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws and 2D barcodes, this episode breaks down how government decisions are impacting daily operations across food, retail, and consumer packaged goods (CPG). Maggie's team works with policymakers and industry leaders to align mandates with existing systems, helping avoid duplication and enabling efficient, standards-based implementation. In this episode, you'll learn: How state-level regulation is influencing national supply chain strategies Why new ingredient bans could create a ripple effect across CPG brands What you can do to stay ahead of policy changes impacting your industry Jump into the conversation: (00:00) Introducing Next Level Supply Chain (02:07) Why GS1 built a policy team (04:02) From Capitol Hill to CPG strategy (06:34) Staying focused amid constant regulatory shifts (08:48) Government agencies shaping supply chain standards (10:38) Customs, tariffs, and food assistance priorities (14:59) How SNAP waivers complicate retail operations (17:57) What red dye bans mean next   Connect with GS1 US: Our website - www.gs1us.org GS1 US on LinkedIn   Connect with the guest: Maggie Lyons on LinkedIn

Side Quests is back and so is host Matter of Michael! He is a podcaster, video game collector, author and robotic maid! The game he is talking about today is Mischief Makers by Treasure and Enix. You can also find all his work here! We have a Patreon! Gain access to episode shout outs, bonus podcasts, reviews, early downloads of regular episodes, an exclusive rss feed and more! Click here! You can find the show on Bluesky, Instagram and YouTube! Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! Rate us on Spotify! Wanna join the Certain POV Discord? Click here!

Show Notes 20 June 2025Story 1: Crawling Toward the Future: Robotic Centipedes Aim to Revolutionize FarmingSource: Impactlab.comSee also: https://groundcontrolrobotics.com/Link: https://www.impactlab.com/2025/05/25/crawling-toward-the-future-robotic-centipedes-aim-to-revolutionize-farming/See this short video here: https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=Ground+Control+Robotics&&mid=2803501D0F3FAF7A22AD2803501D0F3FAF7A22AD&&FORM=VRDGARSee video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvm4AK_z_0cStory 2: Soft robotic gripper injects leaves with precisionSource: Cornell University Chronicle Story by Stephen D'Angelo Cornell Research and InnovationLink: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/06/soft-robotic-gripper-injects-leaves-precision#:~:text=Cornell%20researchers%20have%20developed%20a%20soft%20robotic%20device,can%20also%20inject%20genetic%20material%20into%20the%20leavesSee research paper here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.adu2394Story 3: Seoul National University College of Engineering Researchers Unveil World's First 3D Microphone with Single-Sensor Position EstimationSource: Bioengineer.orgLink: https://bioengineer.org/breakthrough-innovation-snu-researchers-unveil-worlds-first-3d-microphone-with-single-sensor-position-estimation/See also: https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-sensor-3d-microphone-enables-robots.htmlSee research paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0736584525000249?via%3DihubStory 4: First-of-its-kind technology helps man with ALS ‘speak' in real time - New brain-computer interface system enables faster, more natural conversationSource: https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/first-of-its-kind-technology-helps-man-with-als-speak-in-real-time/2025/06Link: See research paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09127-3Honorable MentionsStory: World's first 2D, non-silicon computer developedSource: PennState News Room Story by Ashley Wenners HerronLink: https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/worlds-first-2d-non-silicon-computer-developedStory: China's Largest Relocation Project: Robots Relocate 7,500 Ton Historical ComplexSource: RealityPlus.comLink: https://www.rprealtyplus.com/international/chinas-largest-relocation-project-robots-relocate-7500-ton-historical-complex-120313.htmlMUST SEE VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aatM7mvCEkoStory: Turning CO₂ into cement: A new path to greener constructionSource: Earth.com Story by Rodielon PutolLink: https://www.earth.com/news/turning-co2-into-cement-a-new-path-to-greener-construction/Story: Your Next Flight Could Run on Algae: Inside the Biofuel Revolution - Climate CosmosSource: Climatecosmos.com Story by Jeff CarlinLink: https://climatecosmos.com/sustainability/your-next-flight-could-run-on-algae-inside-the-biofuel-revolution/

Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard go over Apple's 2025 Design Award winners, exploring groundbreaking apps that showcase the best of Apple's platforms. From AI-powered language learning tools to visually stunning adventure games, these winners represent the pinnacle of mobile innovation and design excellence.Delight and Fun Category CapWords - Revolutionary language learning app that transforms everyday objects into interactive stickers, supporting nine languages with AI-powered photo recognition Balatro - Award-winning poker-inspired deck builder that cleverly teaches poker fundamentals while delivering addictive gameplay across multiple platforms Innovation Category Play - Developer-focused app enabling interactive SwiftUI prototype creation with seamless cross-device syncing between iPhone and Mac PBJ, the Musical - Quirky Shakespeare adaptation telling Romeo and Juliet with condiments as characters, featuring original soundtracks and creative storytelling Interaction Category Taobao - Pioneering Apple Vision Pro shopping experience with photorealistic 3D models allowing users to visualize furniture and products in their actual spaces DREDGE - Atmospheric horror fishing adventure with seamless gameplay continuity across iPhone, iPad, and Mac platforms Inclusivity Category Speechify - Accessibility-focused text-to-speech app supporting 50+ languages and hundreds of voices, designed for users with dyslexia, ADHD, and low vision Art of Fauna - Beautiful wildlife puzzle game featuring vintage-style artwork with full voiceover support and innovative block-based puzzle mechanics Social Impact Category Watch Duty - Critical wildfire tracking app providing real-time evacuation updates and emergency information faster than traditional services Neva - Emotionally resonant adventure game exploring environmental themes through the relationship between a girl and her wolf companion Visuals and Graphics Category Feather - Intuitive iPad app enabling users to transform 2D designs into stunning 3D models using touch and Apple Pencil interactions Infinity Nikki - Visually spectacular open-world adventure game featuring magical outfits, whimsical creatures, and breathtaking rendering quality Shortcuts Corner New "Use Model" action in Shortcuts enables cloud, local, or ChatGPT model integration for AI-powered automation Apple's Shortcuts Gallery now features dedicated Apple Intelligence examples including leftover recipe generation and PDF summarization App Caps Mikah's Pick: Gigapixel AI-powered photo upscaling app that enhances image resolution and quality using sophisticated machine learning models Features standard and low-res enhancement modes plus specialized face recovery for portrait photographs Particularly useful for printing older photos or enlarging images without quality loss Rosemary's Pick: Dark Noise Premium white noise app enabling custom sound mixing with extensive library of ambient sounds Supports audio layering with other apps, iCloud sync across devices, and Siri Shortcuts integration Includes whimsical features like "unnamed goose mode" and developer-friendly privacy controls These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today/episodes/757 Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard go over Apple's 2025 Design Award winners, exploring groundbreaking apps that showcase the best of Apple's platforms. From AI-powered language learning tools to visually stunning adventure games, these winners represent the pinnacle of mobile innovation and design excellence.Delight and Fun Category CapWords - Revolutionary language learning app that transforms everyday objects into interactive stickers, supporting nine languages with AI-powered photo recognition Balatro - Award-winning poker-inspired deck builder that cleverly teaches poker fundamentals while delivering addictive gameplay across multiple platforms Innovation Category Play - Developer-focused app enabling interactive SwiftUI prototype creation with seamless cross-device syncing between iPhone and Mac PBJ, the Musical - Quirky Shakespeare adaptation telling Romeo and Juliet with condiments as characters, featuring original soundtracks and creative storytelling Interaction Category Taobao - Pioneering Apple Vision Pro shopping experience with photorealistic 3D models allowing users to visualize furniture and products in their actual spaces DREDGE - Atmospheric horror fishing adventure with seamless gameplay continuity across iPhone, iPad, and Mac platforms Inclusivity Category Speechify - Accessibility-focused text-to-speech app supporting 50+ languages and hundreds of voices, designed for users with dyslexia, ADHD, and low vision Art of Fauna - Beautiful wildlife puzzle game featuring vintage-style artwork with full voiceover support and innovative block-based puzzle mechanics Social Impact Category Watch Duty - Critical wildfire tracking app providing real-time evacuation updates and emergency information faster than traditional services Neva - Emotionally resonant adventure game exploring environmental themes through the relationship between a girl and her wolf companion Visuals and Graphics Category Feather - Intuitive iPad app enabling users to transform 2D designs into stunning 3D models using touch and Apple Pencil interactions Infinity Nikki - Visually spectacular open-world adventure game featuring magical outfits, whimsical creatures, and breathtaking rendering quality Shortcuts Corner New "Use Model" action in Shortcuts enables cloud, local, or ChatGPT model integration for AI-powered automation Apple's Shortcuts Gallery now features dedicated Apple Intelligence examples including leftover recipe generation and PDF summarization App Caps Mikah's Pick: Gigapixel AI-powered photo upscaling app that enhances image resolution and quality using sophisticated machine learning models Features standard and low-res enhancement modes plus specialized face recovery for portrait photographs Particularly useful for printing older photos or enlarging images without quality loss Rosemary's Pick: Dark Noise Premium white noise app enabling custom sound mixing with extensive library of ambient sounds Supports audio layering with other apps, iCloud sync across devices, and Siri Shortcuts integration Includes whimsical features like "unnamed goose mode" and developer-friendly privacy controls These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today/episodes/757 Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard go over Apple's 2025 Design Award winners, exploring groundbreaking apps that showcase the best of Apple's platforms. From AI-powered language learning tools to visually stunning adventure games, these winners represent the pinnacle of mobile innovation and design excellence.Delight and Fun Category CapWords - Revolutionary language learning app that transforms everyday objects into interactive stickers, supporting nine languages with AI-powered photo recognition Balatro - Award-winning poker-inspired deck builder that cleverly teaches poker fundamentals while delivering addictive gameplay across multiple platforms Innovation Category Play - Developer-focused app enabling interactive SwiftUI prototype creation with seamless cross-device syncing between iPhone and Mac PBJ, the Musical - Quirky Shakespeare adaptation telling Romeo and Juliet with condiments as characters, featuring original soundtracks and creative storytelling Interaction Category Taobao - Pioneering Apple Vision Pro shopping experience with photorealistic 3D models allowing users to visualize furniture and products in their actual spaces DREDGE - Atmospheric horror fishing adventure with seamless gameplay continuity across iPhone, iPad, and Mac platforms Inclusivity Category Speechify - Accessibility-focused text-to-speech app supporting 50+ languages and hundreds of voices, designed for users with dyslexia, ADHD, and low vision Art of Fauna - Beautiful wildlife puzzle game featuring vintage-style artwork with full voiceover support and innovative block-based puzzle mechanics Social Impact Category Watch Duty - Critical wildfire tracking app providing real-time evacuation updates and emergency information faster than traditional services Neva - Emotionally resonant adventure game exploring environmental themes through the relationship between a girl and her wolf companion Visuals and Graphics Category Feather - Intuitive iPad app enabling users to transform 2D designs into stunning 3D models using touch and Apple Pencil interactions Infinity Nikki - Visually spectacular open-world adventure game featuring magical outfits, whimsical creatures, and breathtaking rendering quality Shortcuts Corner New "Use Model" action in Shortcuts enables cloud, local, or ChatGPT model integration for AI-powered automation Apple's Shortcuts Gallery now features dedicated Apple Intelligence examples including leftover recipe generation and PDF summarization App Caps Mikah's Pick: Gigapixel AI-powered photo upscaling app that enhances image resolution and quality using sophisticated machine learning models Features standard and low-res enhancement modes plus specialized face recovery for portrait photographs Particularly useful for printing older photos or enlarging images without quality loss Rosemary's Pick: Dark Noise Premium white noise app enabling custom sound mixing with extensive library of ambient sounds Supports audio layering with other apps, iCloud sync across devices, and Siri Shortcuts integration Includes whimsical features like "unnamed goose mode" and developer-friendly privacy controls These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today/episodes/757 Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard go over Apple's 2025 Design Award winners, exploring groundbreaking apps that showcase the best of Apple's platforms. From AI-powered language learning tools to visually stunning adventure games, these winners represent the pinnacle of mobile innovation and design excellence.Delight and Fun Category CapWords - Revolutionary language learning app that transforms everyday objects into interactive stickers, supporting nine languages with AI-powered photo recognition Balatro - Award-winning poker-inspired deck builder that cleverly teaches poker fundamentals while delivering addictive gameplay across multiple platforms Innovation Category Play - Developer-focused app enabling interactive SwiftUI prototype creation with seamless cross-device syncing between iPhone and Mac PBJ, the Musical - Quirky Shakespeare adaptation telling Romeo and Juliet with condiments as characters, featuring original soundtracks and creative storytelling Interaction Category Taobao - Pioneering Apple Vision Pro shopping experience with photorealistic 3D models allowing users to visualize furniture and products in their actual spaces DREDGE - Atmospheric horror fishing adventure with seamless gameplay continuity across iPhone, iPad, and Mac platforms Inclusivity Category Speechify - Accessibility-focused text-to-speech app supporting 50+ languages and hundreds of voices, designed for users with dyslexia, ADHD, and low vision Art of Fauna - Beautiful wildlife puzzle game featuring vintage-style artwork with full voiceover support and innovative block-based puzzle mechanics Social Impact Category Watch Duty - Critical wildfire tracking app providing real-time evacuation updates and emergency information faster than traditional services Neva - Emotionally resonant adventure game exploring environmental themes through the relationship between a girl and her wolf companion Visuals and Graphics Category Feather - Intuitive iPad app enabling users to transform 2D designs into stunning 3D models using touch and Apple Pencil interactions Infinity Nikki - Visually spectacular open-world adventure game featuring magical outfits, whimsical creatures, and breathtaking rendering quality Shortcuts Corner New "Use Model" action in Shortcuts enables cloud, local, or ChatGPT model integration for AI-powered automation Apple's Shortcuts Gallery now features dedicated Apple Intelligence examples including leftover recipe generation and PDF summarization App Caps Mikah's Pick: Gigapixel AI-powered photo upscaling app that enhances image resolution and quality using sophisticated machine learning models Features standard and low-res enhancement modes plus specialized face recovery for portrait photographs Particularly useful for printing older photos or enlarging images without quality loss Rosemary's Pick: Dark Noise Premium white noise app enabling custom sound mixing with extensive library of ambient sounds Supports audio layering with other apps, iCloud sync across devices, and Siri Shortcuts integration Includes whimsical features like "unnamed goose mode" and developer-friendly privacy controls These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today/episodes/757 Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard go over Apple's 2025 Design Award winners, exploring groundbreaking apps that showcase the best of Apple's platforms. From AI-powered language learning tools to visually stunning adventure games, these winners represent the pinnacle of mobile innovation and design excellence.Delight and Fun Category CapWords - Revolutionary language learning app that transforms everyday objects into interactive stickers, supporting nine languages with AI-powered photo recognition Balatro - Award-winning poker-inspired deck builder that cleverly teaches poker fundamentals while delivering addictive gameplay across multiple platforms Innovation Category Play - Developer-focused app enabling interactive SwiftUI prototype creation with seamless cross-device syncing between iPhone and Mac PBJ, the Musical - Quirky Shakespeare adaptation telling Romeo and Juliet with condiments as characters, featuring original soundtracks and creative storytelling Interaction Category Taobao - Pioneering Apple Vision Pro shopping experience with photorealistic 3D models allowing users to visualize furniture and products in their actual spaces DREDGE - Atmospheric horror fishing adventure with seamless gameplay continuity across iPhone, iPad, and Mac platforms Inclusivity Category Speechify - Accessibility-focused text-to-speech app supporting 50+ languages and hundreds of voices, designed for users with dyslexia, ADHD, and low vision Art of Fauna - Beautiful wildlife puzzle game featuring vintage-style artwork with full voiceover support and innovative block-based puzzle mechanics Social Impact Category Watch Duty - Critical wildfire tracking app providing real-time evacuation updates and emergency information faster than traditional services Neva - Emotionally resonant adventure game exploring environmental themes through the relationship between a girl and her wolf companion Visuals and Graphics Category Feather - Intuitive iPad app enabling users to transform 2D designs into stunning 3D models using touch and Apple Pencil interactions Infinity Nikki - Visually spectacular open-world adventure game featuring magical outfits, whimsical creatures, and breathtaking rendering quality Shortcuts Corner New "Use Model" action in Shortcuts enables cloud, local, or ChatGPT model integration for AI-powered automation Apple's Shortcuts Gallery now features dedicated Apple Intelligence examples including leftover recipe generation and PDF summarization App Caps Mikah's Pick: Gigapixel AI-powered photo upscaling app that enhances image resolution and quality using sophisticated machine learning models Features standard and low-res enhancement modes plus specialized face recovery for portrait photographs Particularly useful for printing older photos or enlarging images without quality loss Rosemary's Pick: Dark Noise Premium white noise app enabling custom sound mixing with extensive library of ambient sounds Supports audio layering with other apps, iCloud sync across devices, and Siri Shortcuts integration Includes whimsical features like "unnamed goose mode" and developer-friendly privacy controls These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today/episodes/757 Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

La Concejalía de Juventud del Ayuntamiento de Rincón de la Victoria ha anunciado la apertura del plazo de inscripción para una nueva edición de los talleres de programación y creación de videojuegos con ROBLOX STUDIO y UNITY, que se celebrarán durante el mes de julio en el Centro Municipal Juvenil. Esta iniciativa, organizada por tercer año consecutivo, tiene como objetivo ofrecer una formación práctica e innovadora en el ámbito del desarrollo de videojuegos, fomentando el aprendizaje tecnológico y creativo entre los jóvenes del municipio. El concejal de Juventud, Nacho Cuadra (PP), ha señalado que “volvemos a convocar estos talleres que permiten conocer el proceso de creación de un videojuego desde una perspectiva multidisciplinar, de una manera divertida y amena”. Por su parte, el alcalde de Rincón de la Victoria, Francisco Salado (PP), ha destacado “la labor del Área de Juventud por ofrecer alternativas formativas y de ocio adaptadas a los intereses de los jóvenes, fomentando además las competencias digitales desde edades tempranas”. Los talleres serán impartidos por profesionales del sector, que introducirán a los participantes en conceptos fundamentales de programación, animación, diseño gráfico y sonido, entre otros. El taller de ROBLOX STUDIO está orientado a niños y niñas de entre 6 y 11 años. A través de una interfaz intuitiva, aprenderán nociones básicas de programación creando sus propios videojuegos dentro del universo de ROBLOX. El horario será de 17:30 a 18:30 horas, los jueves. El precio mensual es de 39 euros. El taller de UNITY está enfocado a jóvenes de entre 10 y 17 años, se centra en la creación de videojuegos 2D y 3D utilizando códigos de programación. No se requieren conocimientos previos. El horario será de 17:30 a 18:30 horas, los jueves. El precio mensual es de 49 euros. Ambos talleres incluyen materiales y cuentan con un aforo limitado a 15 plazas por grupo. Las inscripciones ya están disponibles de forma online a través del siguiente enlace: https://educagamer.com/curso-verano-rincon/ Los talleres se impartirán en el Centro Municipal Juvenil, situado en los bajos del Pabellón Cubierto Municipal ‘Rubén Ruzafa’ de Torre de Benagalbón.

Support: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠In this Boss Rush Podcast Spotlight interview, Stephanie Klimov interviews Muslih Alzahrani, the Creative Director for Starvania Studio, about their upcoming game, Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree, a 2D adventure game inspired by Arabian and Middle Eastern mythology. ⁠Purchase now on Steam⁠⁠Website for more info⁠Thank you for watching or listening to The Boss Rush Podcast. Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and like and subscribe on YouTube. Your support, whether through Patreon, subscribing on YouTube, or simply tuning in, means so much to us. Thanks for your continued support of our independent endeavor.

On this week's Crewcast, another Summer Game Fest has come and gone, and the crew join up to recap the best events and a ton of games from this endless week of showcases. iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/noclip/id1385062988 RSS Feed: http://noclippodcast.libsyn.com/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5XYk92ubrXpvPVk1lin4VB?si=JRAcPnlvQ0-YJWU9XiW9pg Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/noclippodcast Watch our docs: https://youtube.com/noclipvideo Crewcast channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/noclippodcast Learn About Noclip: https://www.noclip.video Become a Patron and get early access to new episodes: https://www.patreon.com/noclip Follow @noclipvideo on Twitter Chapters: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:02:28 - Thanking our Patreon supporters! 0:03:35 - Summer Game Fest 2025 0:07:24 - MindsEye 0:09:56 - Magic the Gathering x Final Fantasy 0:11:44 - The MIX Highlights (Death Howl, Prison of Husks, The Last Caretaker) 0:13:29 - SGF Play Days 0:15:14 - Pragmata 0:19:53 - Resident Evil Requiem 0:25:41 - Onimusha: Way of the Sword 0:34:21 - LEGO Party 0:35:52 - Lumines Arise 0:37:37 - Ratatan 0:38:37 - Ninja Gaiden Ragebound 0:39:39 - Dosa Divas 0:43:30 - Relooted 0:46:40 - FBC: Firebreak 0:49:36 - Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds 0:52:37 - Stranger Than Heaven 0:55:33 - 007: First Light 1:00:48 - Silent Hill f 1:02:21 - Romeo is a Dead Man & Hotel Barcelona 1:04:00 - Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls 1:06:39 - Scott Pilgrim EX 1:07:55 - The Digimon Corner 1:11:24 - WuTang and Wuchang 1:14:55 - Fractured Blooms 1:18:39 - Sword of the Sea 1:20:22 - ROG x XBOX Handheld 1:22:39 - Big Walk 1:24:37 - Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 1:25:39 - Xbox Showcase Roundup 1:27:37 - The Outer Worlds 2 Developer Showcase 1:34:34 - Grounded 2 1:38:03 - Aniimo 1:40:48 - Danny's Favourite Pokémon 1:44:37 - Jesse's Favourite Digimon 1:49:46 - Persona 4 Revival & Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 1:51:28 - There Are No Ghosts At The Grand 1:53:03 - Splitgate 2 & The Hat Controversy 2:07:29 - Deltarune Chapters 3 + 4 2:09:04 - Thank you to everyone who shared kind words at SGF! 2:13:34 - Practicing Languages with PR/Developers 2:16:17 - Q: Do games lose anything by switching from 2D to 3D? 2:21:50 - Q: What theme tunes take you back to the good old days? 2:26:46 - Noclip Update  

On this week's dive we welcome Jack Breen, solo dev of GIGASWORD - a 2D retro-inspired Metroid-Vania in which you wield a massive sword with massive weight. We talk about Jack's inspirations, how he went from silly idea to full fledge kick ass game, what the BEST Metroid-Vania is - and what Ninja Turtle Andy and Steve are. All this and way way more.    Wishlist GIGASWORD: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1885930/GIGASWORD/  X: https://x.com/Hybrid_Games_  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh1fijKgdW9n0rSUngWkHOw  GIGASWORD DISCORD: https://discord.gg/ZXH6XPUaKh  *** indieRift Links!: https://linktr.ee/indieRift

For this edition of International Feature, we dive into The First Slam Dunk, exploring how the 2022 anime film became the highest-grossing basketball movie of all time with nearly $300 million worldwide. They analyze the revolutionary animation style that blends 2D and 3D techniques while discussing whether it successfully welcomes newcomers to the franchise.• Groundbreaking animation combining traditional 2D with CGI creates an immersive basketball experience• Authentic basketball sound design captures the feel of being on the court• Film's narrative structure alternates between championship game and character flashbacks• Challenges in connecting with multiple characters within the limited runtime• Comparison to other sports anime like Blue Lock and what makes sports stakes compelling• The film's climactic final moments utilize innovative visual techniques• Discussion of whether the film succeeds as an entry point for newcomers• Box office success demonstrates the global appeal of sports animeLetterbox'd Synopsis: Shohoku's “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.

Al and Kev talk about the Wholesome Direct Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:53: Feedback 00:03:18: What Have We Been Up To 00:30:35: Snacko 1.0 00:32:46: Wholesome Direct 01:04:25: Outro Links Snacko 1.0 Wholesome Direct Wholesome Games Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. (0:00:34) Al: My name is Al. (0:00:36) Kev: I’m Kevin. We’re back baby. This is the first episode back, right? (0:00:38) Al: They said they said we couldn’t do it, Kevin. (0:00:41) Al: They said we couldn’t do it. (0:00:43) Al: We said we couldn’t go on a break and come back because no one goes on a break (0:00:46) Kev: The they being you, I think primarily. (0:00:48) Al: and then comes back. (0:00:52) Al: No, everyone. (0:00:53) Al: Nobody believed in me. (0:00:57) Al: But here we are. (0:00:58) Al: back and here we are here today to talk (0:01:00) Al: about so many Cottagecore games like so many that I think some might just be that’s a game (0:01:03) Kev: Oh, a lot like they double. (0:01:06) Kev: It in the last five minutes. (0:01:13) Al: moving on we’ll see we’ll see we are we are here today to talk about the Wholesome Direct (0:01:14) Kev: Yeah, probably a lot of them we’re talking about the wholesome direct everyone (0:01:23) Al: specifically and a bunch of stuff in that not everything because it was an hour long and (0:01:30) Al: talked about everything in an hour long presentation we would probably be here all day and it’s already (0:01:37) Al: half eight at night that’s that’s also that’s also true so we’re going to talk about that we (0:01:37) Kev: and we don’t have enough to talk about it (0:01:40) Kev: ‘cause we don’t care about all of them. (0:01:46) Al: do have one piece of news that I want to cover before that and before that we’re going to talk (0:01:53) Al: about what we’ve been up to but first of all Kevin we’ve got feedback this is being sent in by Katie (0:01:56) Kev: Oh! (0:02:00) Al: of the show I have been listening to the podcast for some time now and it’s a highlight of my week (0:02:02) Kev: Uh-oh. (0:02:06) Al: not last two weeks so sorry I really enjoy hearing your honest and sometimes brutal opinions on games (0:02:06) Kev: When did we ruin it for her? (0:02:14) Al: and I especially enjoy how positive and how much energy Kev has on his solo episodes keep up the (0:02:21) Al: amazing work. There we go Kevin. You got a shout out. (0:02:23) Kev: Okay, I’m going, I’m trying to refrain from, you know, being sarcastic or whatever, putting myself down. But thank you very much. Sincerely, that means a lot. I have a lot of practice talking to myself. I think that’s what it is in my head space. Now, I just put a mic in front of it. (0:02:38) Al: I feel like the brutal opinions on games has to be talking about Shugadu Island, right? (0:02:54) Kev: Oh, I feel like there’s a number of episodes we could point to, including the ones we like. (0:02:58) Al: That is the particularly bad one. Well anyway, thank you Katie for the feedback. If you too (0:03:00) Kev: Yeah. (0:03:05) Al: want to send feedback you can do it on the website harvestseason.club (0:03:08) Al: There’s a feedback from there. Come send us more and you’ll get a mention on the podcast. (0:03:12) Kev: Yeah, all right. (0:03:15) Kev: You’d like right now, yay. (0:03:16) Kev: Thank you, Katie. (0:03:17) Kev: I very much appreciate it. (0:03:19) Al: Next Kevin, what have you been up to? (0:03:22) Kev: Boy, what do I– (0:03:23) Kev: Well, my internet has been out for a week, (0:03:27) Kev: so let’s start with that. (0:03:28) Al: That’s unfortunate. (0:03:29) Kev: Yep, it’s been a headache. (0:03:33) Kev: But here I am using not working internet. (0:03:40) Kev: But that’s kind of– (0:03:42) Kev: affected a lot of my gameplay, because so I didn’t realize just how many of my games are like online only. (0:03:48) Kev: Or have to connect to servers or whatever, like Zendless on Zero has a 2.0 update. I haven’t played that. Marvel Snap, (0:03:55) Kev: I don’t get that many games in this week. My phone’s dying, so it can’t– for whatever reason Snap just crashes on it now. (0:04:01) Kev: So I have to pretty much play on PC these days. (0:04:05) Kev: But Unite is gone, so on and so forth. (0:04:09) Kev: The one game I have been playing though (0:04:12) Kev: Unicorn Overlord, are you familiar with that, Al? (0:04:14) Al: I am. I’m a photo. (0:04:16) Kev: Okay, oh man, it’s… (0:04:20) Kev: So I picked it up on sale, it was like 30 USD, which is pretty cheap for a game of this size. (0:04:24) Kev: Um, it’s for people unfamiliar, it’s a strategy, real-time game. (0:04:32) Kev: I like Fire Emblem, but real-time. (0:04:34) Kev: And Good Heavens, this game does all the things I like in that game. (0:04:40) Kev: Um, okay. (0:04:42) Kev: So, have you ever played a Fire Emblem, Al? (0:04:44) Al: No. (0:04:44) Kev: Okay, but I assume you’re familiar with the concept of super-trust, right? (0:04:47) Al: Yeah. (0:04:48) Al: Yeah. (0:04:48) Kev: Yeah, okay. So, like I said, that’s correct. (0:04:51) Al: They’ve all got swords, that’s what I’m aware of. (0:04:54) Kev: And Unicorn Overlord also has swords. (0:04:56) Kev: Actually, Unicorn Overlord has a lot of Fire Emblem stuff. (0:05:00) Kev: It’s very much like an homage/love letter to a lot of strategy games, Fire Emblem included. (0:05:06) Kev: So, it has a lot of the elements borrowed from that. (0:05:10) Kev: that are like likely it feels (0:05:12) Kev: less like trying to knock them off and more become the wash / love letter anyway (0:05:19) Kev: so unlike Fire Emblem which is grid based this is not grid based it’s real (0:05:24) Kev: time you just send your units point A to point B and they’ll travel as close to (0:05:29) Kev: straight line as they can also they in Fire Emblem each character is a single (0:05:36) Kev: unit in this game you assemble teams of up to five characters in one unit with (0:05:42) Kev: front row and a back row so all of a sudden the complexity is through the (0:05:46) Kev: roof and it’s really enjoyable in my opinion right you got tanks in front (0:05:50) Kev: archers in the back so on and so forth and each character you can load them out (0:05:58) Kev: with different equipment skills and stuff and Fire Emblem is like every (0:06:02) Kev: character gets like two or three items that do almost just that’s basically but (0:06:07) Kev: in this one you can you can change their move sets so there’s (0:06:12) Kev: it like layers and layers and layers of complexity which is (0:06:15) Kev: really, really good. Yeah, I really, really like this game. (0:06:20) Kev: I’m at 60 hours so far. Yeah, good. No internet. So just (0:06:26) Kev: crushing it. But it is. It’s the arts really nice. Very, very (0:06:31) Kev: pretty. But but oh, great, great stuff. Um, yeah, that’s that’s (0:06:38) Kev: kind of the big thing I’ve been up to. (0:06:42) Kev: All right, Al, what about you? (0:06:44) Kev: Tell me– tell the poor pleb about the switch, too. (0:06:46) Al: The Switch 2, what? What are you talking about? Yes, yes, I’ve got the Switch 2 and I’ve been (0:06:52) Al: playing Mario Kart World. I haven’t had a huge amount of time on it yet. As we are talking, (0:06:58) Al: I have been… I was away. I was not at home when the Switch 2 came out on Thursday, and (0:07:06) Al: it was delivered to my home. I didn’t get back till Saturday evening, and so that’s (0:07:11) Al: about 24 hours ago as of now. So, yeah, I’ve not had a huge amount of time. (0:07:16) Al: Especially as obviously I had to set it up, and you know, I have kids and a life, and (0:07:20) Al: I can’t just always play the game. But I have put in a couple hours into it, both myself (0:07:27) Al: and me and my son playing it together, and it’s fun. I enjoy it. What I will say is that (0:07:35) Al: I love a lot of the… It’s a lot more reactive in terms of like, your character does a lot (0:07:44) Al: more while playing, which makes it feel (0:07:46) Al: a lot more real, right? Like there are more reactions to things. And, uh, so it’s really (0:07:54) Al: hard to explain, but there’s just lots of little things that they do that make it feel real. Um, (0:08:00) Al: the animations are all more detailed. Uh, when you, when you hit a car, you don’t now just like (0:08:07) Al: stop in the same way that you do when hit by, uh, uh, you know, a weapon you like get knocked to (0:08:15) Al: the side and you can actually (0:08:17) Al: there was one today where I was like hit it in such a way that I actually just ended up going up on two wheels (0:08:24) Al: and continuing to move. (0:08:26) Kev: What? (0:08:28) Al: Yeah, exactly. So there’s just lots of little things like that. (0:08:30) Al: It’s you don’t, whereas in Mario Kart 8, if you hit a vehicle, no matter how you hit it, (0:08:37) Al: you would just, you would just stop. (0:08:37) Kev: You do the somersault, you know, or whatever, yeah, uh-huh, yeah. (0:08:38) Al: Yeah, exactly. You’d just do the standard. (0:08:40) Al: I’ve been hit by something I have now stopped, whereas that’s not necessary. (0:08:44) Al: If you hit it, like, straight on, you will slow down. (0:08:46) Al: And, you know, spin off to the side. (0:08:49) Al: But if you hit it in certain ways, you can actually just keep going. (0:08:52) Al: It just depends on exactly how you hit it, which makes it a lot more fun, I think. (0:08:59) Al: And, you know, different weapons do different things depending (0:09:03) Al: on where they hit you and how they hit you and stuff like that. (0:09:06) Al: Which it is, it is, it’s really interesting. (0:09:06) Kev: Really, that’s fascinating. (0:09:10) Al: And it just, yeah, just the animations, like, you feel like the character moves (0:09:16) Al: the vehicle. It doesn’t just feel like you are one car, one model, stuff like that. (0:09:20) Kev: Wow, that’s the power of the Switch 2. (0:09:26) Al: Or is it the power of, like, 10 years of developing the next Mario Kart game? (0:09:31) Kev: No, no, this wasn’t possible on the Switch 1. (0:09:34) Kev: Impossible, absolutely. (0:09:38) Al: And I also like how, so one of the things about this game is obviously you’re just choosing (0:09:44) Al: a car rather than like choosing the body. (0:09:46) Al: The wheels and what’s it called, parachute. (0:09:49) Kev: Right. (0:09:53) Al: I quite like that because there’s less for you to have to think about. (0:09:57) Al: But what I do like is that each of the carts looks slightly different depending on the character. (0:10:04) Kev: Wow, that’s impressive. (0:10:06) Al: It’s not just like the base cart, the Mario cart, that if you’re Mario it’s red with the M on it. (0:10:10) Al: If you’re Luigi it’s green with the L on it. (0:10:14) Al: if you’re the cow, it’s grey with the cow. (0:10:16) Al: They put a lot of attention to detail in this game, a lot of effort. (0:10:18) Kev: - That’s all. (0:10:28) Kev: Wow, that’s impressive genuinely, like wow, that’s attention to detail. (0:10:38) Al: It’s really fun. Some things are going to take some getting used to like the controls are (0:10:44) Al: are obviously slightly different. (0:10:46) Al: The thing that’s knocking me off a lot is in eight and before, if you wanted to hold (0:10:54) Al: like a shell or banana behind you, you would have to hold down the fire button. Whereas now (0:10:58) Kev: Mm-hmm. Yeah. (0:11:02) Al: that happens by default. So as soon as you have it in the priority slot, it is behind you. (0:11:06) Kev: Okay, huh, I think. Okay. Sure, sure. I feel like at least one (0:11:09) Al: And then if you press it and hold it, it will just fire it. So I have spent a lot of time (0:11:17) Al: things because I was trying to have them behind me. But that’s just how you get used to it. (0:11:21) Al: And eventually you’ll stop doing that. But yeah. (0:11:25) Kev: other Mario Kart did that. But it’s not as common at the very (0:11:30) Al: possibly. Well, that’s the thing. Like, do I remember how things before 8 actually worked? (0:11:30) Kev: least, or regardless, it’s been what 10 years with our hard part (0:11:34) Kev: eight. (0:11:36) Kev: That’s how - that’s how video game historians - yeah, yeah. Now that’s fair. That’s how (0:11:39) Al: No, I do not. I’m not an idea. I don’t go back and play old Mario Kart all the time, right? (0:11:46) Al: That’s not my life. (0:11:50) Kev: video game historians chronicle things in the BMK8 era or the AMK8 era. But that’s (0:12:00) Kev: good stuff. Okay, how does - how does the free driving world… (0:12:04) Al: I haven’t done any of that yet. I’ve just been playing Grand Prix. I will say… (0:12:08) Kev: Mmm. Well, I mean, but you - you have between the phrases now, right? Like, that’s - you feel a (0:12:14) Al: So yeah, so I think no, is how I’ll say it. It is not like what I think Free Run will be at all. (0:12:15) Kev: taste of it. (0:12:26) Al: You’re not really driving between the courses. How it is, is yes you are driving, like you start (0:12:32) Al: Start on the finish line of the previous course. (0:12:35) Al: And then the first lap is to the starting line of the next course. (0:12:42) Al: And then this, and then you’ve got the second and third laps are on the course. (0:12:46) Al: It depends on what course it is. (0:12:47) Al: Like some of them are shorter, like baby park, and you actually have like then (0:12:51) Al: multiple laps around it, or a lot of them aren’t just like a single loop that you (0:12:56) Al: do a certain number of times. (0:12:57) Al: A lot of them are like the ones where you, you just have one long course that (0:13:01) Al: you do different sections of. (0:13:03) Al: It just depends on what it is. (0:13:05) Al: I am, I don’t really like it. (0:13:09) Al: I personally would just prefer the standard you’ve got your three courses (0:13:13) Al: and you do your three laps or however many laps. (0:13:16) Kev: » Sure, sure. (0:13:16) Al: Um, the driving between it just feels kind of tacked on and it almost feels (0:13:22) Al: like they wanted the open world thing. (0:13:24) Al: And sure, fine. (0:13:25) Al: I don’t, I I’ve not tried it yet, but I, I can imagine it’d be interesting. (0:13:30) Al: Um, but the all you must drive between the courses, the bit that is (0:13:35) Al: between the courses feels pretty either feels pretty generic and boring, or just (0:13:40) Al: feels like the previous course that you just finished and you’re like, I don’t (0:13:44) Al: understand why I’m still doing this course when I’m on the next course. (0:13:49) Al: And it doesn’t, the other, the other thing that I found a bit weird was it (0:13:52) Al: doesn’t start straight away. (0:13:55) Al: Like once you hit the finish line, you go into like, Oh, here’s the rankings. (0:13:59) Al: And then you have to start it again. (0:14:01) Al: And then because you’re starting again, you’re starting on the finish (0:14:04) Al: and it just feels like that’s a weird jarring thing. (0:14:08) Al: It’s like, Oh, you finished that race. (0:14:10) Al: Now let’s start the next race on this point. (0:14:13) Al: Like where you just finished, like it just, it feels like an idea that someone (0:14:17) Al: had, and then they went, yeah, let’s do that. (0:14:20) Al: But they never really did anything with it. (0:14:22) Al: And it almost would have felt more realistic or more interesting. (0:14:28) Al: If it just, the race hadn’t stopped at any point, or maybe if it, if you have. (0:14:35) Al: You have to wait for everyone else to get there, like, if you just like stayed in (0:14:40) Al: position at that point, and waited for everyone to catch up, but the fact that (0:14:41) Kev: Yeah, in that way, kind of– (0:14:46) Al: it goes like, Oh, now we’re going to like cut to this other screen, like they do in (0:14:50) Al: previous Mario carts, where you show the rankings, it almost defeats the purpose (0:14:54) Al: of then, then driving between the two courses. (0:14:57) Kev: Yeah, that’s so weird to me because, yeah, that doesn’t from the way it was described, like, that would have been, you know, what I would have thought, right? Like, you there, you know, you hit the finish line and then you just keep driving and maybe ranking is on the side or something. (0:14:57) Al: It’s like, well, what happened, what happened in that time? (0:15:00) Al: Because now I’m back on the finish line. (0:15:16) Al: 100% why I expected. And I guess the reason they don’t do that is they want everyone to catch up (0:15:19) Kev: That’s wild. (0:15:21) Al: so that you’re all starting at the same time for the next race. Sure, fine. But I feel like you (0:15:25) Kev: But, okay. (0:15:27) Kev: Yeah, but what’s the point? Like, that’s baffling to me. (0:15:28) Al: could have done that transition better, right? I don’t– I understand why they want something (0:15:34) Kev: Um… (0:15:37) Al: like this. It feels like it’s another mode, and I feel like they should have kept Grand Prix (0:15:41) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:15:44) Al: as it was. And then this was like (0:15:45) Kev: Yeah. (0:15:47) Al: a new type of tour. A grand tour instead of a grand prix. I’m not saying this is bad, (0:15:48) Kev: Yeah, that’s what they should have done. Absolutely. Yeah, exactly. There you go. (0:15:56) Al: I’m saying I don’t like that this is instead of what we had before. (0:16:00) Kev: Right, right. I get that. Yeah, from what you’re describing, it doesn’t… (0:16:05) Kev: Yeah, it sounds like they fumbled that execution just a little bit. (0:16:09) Kev: And if you’re not here completely removing the standard Grand Prix for that, like, that’s a problem. That’s rough. (0:16:14) Al: Exactly. (0:16:16) Al: Exactly. (0:16:17) Al: Exactly. (0:16:17) Kev: Well, we’ll see. Like, I mean, I… I mean, I personally think we’re going to get DLCs that are just going to be standard Grand Prix-type modes. (0:16:19) Al: We will see. (0:16:30) Al: Interesting. I can’t see them not doing DLC for this. For two reasons, one, they did two sets of DLC for the previous game, and two… (0:16:31) Kev: Because… (0:16:35) Kev: Right, exactly, right? (0:16:40) Kev: Mm-hmm. And DLC for the remastered version of the game, that DLC. Yeah. (0:16:46) Al: Well, yeah, that was the second one. But anyway, secondly, it doesn’t feel like there’s enough races, because you have, like, eight. (0:16:56) Al: And it doesn’t feel like (0:17:00) Al: enough to me. I’m not regretting buying the game, especially because I got it in (0:17:01) Kev: Not anymore (0:17:05) Kev: Yeah (0:17:06) Al: the bundle, right? But I totally get why people are like, Oh, that feels like a lot (0:17:10) Al: of money for eight, eight grand prix. Especially when like, the preview, like, I don’t, I’m (0:17:18) Al: not expecting it necessarily will be free DLC. And obviously people complain about that, (0:17:23) Al: right? They’re like, Oh, you’re charging us $80 and then you’re also charging us more (0:17:24) Kev: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Sure. Yeah, yeah, that’s what I suspect too. (0:17:27) Al: courses. But I can (0:17:30) Al: see the DLC being reasonably cheap, and it’s just like $10 or whatever, right? (0:17:36) Al: But it just, yeah, eight just feels, eight isn’t even as many as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had. Eight (0:17:42) Al: Deluxe had 10. And so eight had eight, of course. Mario Kart 8 had eight courses, and then they (0:17:44) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:17:48) Kev: Yeah (0:17:51) Al: added on eight grumpries, sorry, and then they added on two, I think, for DLC initially. And then that (0:17:56) Kev: - DLC, that’s correct. (0:17:57) Kev: - Yeah. (0:17:57) Al: That was all bundled together as Mario Kart 8 delivered. (0:18:00) Al: So Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had 10 and then they doubled in the other DLC, yeah. (0:18:00) Kev: - And then they doubled the number. (0:18:05) Al: So it just feels a little bit meh that we’re not even, we’ve not even got as many races as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. (0:18:12) Kev: Yeah. Yeah, that’s fair, right? Like it’s, I think the pain point is just this, the way you’ve described how they fumbled their new Grand Prix version, right? Because like I could, I could live with eight cups or whatever, if it was the standard Grand Prix that, you know, you could just do ad nauseam like, you know, other Mario karts and it’d be fine. (0:18:12) Al: And then this is more expensive. (0:18:15) Al: None of that, none of that feels good. (0:18:43) Kev: But if you’re replacing that and given something that feels a little worse or a little awkward, yeah, it’s going to be rough. (0:18:51) Al: And let me get and let me point out the courses are really good. (0:18:55) Kev: Sure. Yeah. Are there any, any new ones you’re fond of that you’ve seen so far? (0:18:57) Al: And like. (0:19:02) Al: The the one I particularly like, obviously, I’ve not done them all. (0:19:06) Al: And I’ve not done them all yet, but the one that I’m particularly (0:19:10) Al: enjoying is the Donkey Kong one, I can’t remember what it’s called. (0:19:12) Kev: hmm is uh I don’t know which one because there’s obviously been a handful or if it’s a new one but uh okay (0:19:18) Al: Yeah, let me check. (0:19:20) Al: I think it’s a new one. (0:19:21) Al: And that I think is really fun. (0:19:25) Kev: oh yeah they saw they showed that one in the trailer first yeah that one looked cool (0:19:32) Al: You’re essentially it’s one of the ones that’s not like laps. (0:19:35) Al: It’s one specific course and you end at the end. (0:19:39) Al: And what I really like it is you’re essentially going through a Donkey Kong level, right? (0:19:44) Al: Like you’re going up this course and then at the end at the top is a robotic Donkey (0:19:46) Kev: Really? That’s cool. (0:19:51) Al: Kong, throwing barrels down at you. (0:19:53) Kev: Oh, that’s so cool. (0:19:55) Al: So I really like that and there’s like lots of stuff to avoid and there’s bouncy pads (0:20:01) Al: and stuff like that. (0:20:03) Kev: That’s so cool (0:20:06) Kev: And I can’t wait to check that out (0:20:08) Kev: But I mean, obviously we’re nitpicking but still Mario Kart, right? Like it’s still the overall good (0:20:12) Al: Yeah, I don’t regret it. I obviously want the bundle, but if I paid full price for this, (0:20:18) Al: I still wouldn’t be regretting it. It is still really good fun and it’s still going to sell (0:20:20) Kev: Yeah, yeah. Oh, absolutely. And cow is playable. Yep. Wait, really? That’s hilarious. That’s incredible. (0:20:22) Al: like bonkers. But yeah, I mean, and Caro is one of the best characters to actually play (0:20:30) Al: as. It’s one of the meta characters. It is, yeah. So yeah, I’m enjoying it. I get why (0:20:37) Kev: Oh. Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure. Mm-hmm. Well, that’ll be– that’s awesome. (0:20:42) Al: people might be frustrated with it and I haven’t tried everything in it yet, so I guess (0:20:47) Al: we’ll see. (0:20:50) Kev: Can’t wait to hear more people. I haven’t heard much about it, (0:20:54) Kev: but I’m obviously interested in the free roam mode or whatever. But good stuff. (0:21:04) Kev: How was vacation world not– how was touching grass? (0:21:07) Al: Yeah, I wasn’t really on holiday. I was still working. In fact, I was working more than (0:21:12) Kev: Oh, were you? (0:21:13) Al: I normally do. I was just doing it in a different place. But I didn’t have my kids, so it was (0:21:15) Kev: Oh, that was me this week, too. (0:21:21) Al: relaxing in some way. No, I had fun. It was a little bit frustrating on the Thursday at (0:21:21) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:21:27) Al: the end to be like, “Everyone’s getting their Switch too, and mine’s at home. I just can’t (0:21:30) Al: get it.” But it was only two days. It was only two days, yeah. But it wasn’t even (0:21:30) Kev: mmm your squid word and patrick and sponger outside (0:21:37) Al: like it feels worse than the people who just weren’t getting it, I feel, right? Because (0:21:42) Kev: yeah yeah yeah yeah (0:21:42) Al: you’re like, “Oh yeah, that’s annoying, and I don’t have it, and I feel like I’m missing (0:21:46) Al: out.” But I was like, “I have paid money, and I have had one delivered to me. It’s just (0:21:51) Kev: I shouldn’t be missing out (0:21:52) Al: I am not where it is.” (0:21:55) Kev: oh there yeah I can see that that’s funny yeah obviously I haven’t gotten my (0:22:00) Kev: i’ll probably have or well not mine i’m getting one for calvin next week is a little late birthday (0:22:05) Kev: present um so i’ll be able to join the ranks of people driving his cow and talking about it (0:22:16) Kev: 24 racers that’s insane (0:22:16) Al: um it is and it does it does mean that you like especially the there’s a lot of kind of I think (0:22:24) Al: they might need to do some rebalancing in terms of how things work especially like the rubber (0:22:28) Al: banding and stuff like that because like if you don’t if you if you don’t get up to first place (0:22:30) Kev: Oh, yeah (0:22:33) Al: quickly you’re probably not going to stay there uh um the the middle just feels absolutely insane (0:22:36) Kev: Oh, that’s good. Oh, that’s good stuff. I (0:22:41) Al: just now. So, yeah. (0:22:43) Kev: Can’t you know back in back in the old days there are eight racers (0:22:55) Kev: It’s crazy to think like there are some chunks with that many characters (0:22:59) Al: You have to have two whole pages to view everyone. (0:23:00) Kev: in a race (0:23:03) Kev: The rankings, oh my goodness. Oh, that’s incredible. Oh (0:23:10) Kev: Good time (0:23:12) Al: The other thing I’ve tried out on my Switch 2 is Pokemon Violet, and let me tell you, (0:23:18) Al: obviously if you didn’t like the game before, you’re not going to like the game suddenly (0:23:20) Kev: Right, it doesn’t fix a lot of the core design issues, but yeah. (0:23:21) Al: now that it’s running at a decent speed. (0:23:24) Al: Exactly, it’s still the same game, but my word is incredible. (0:23:29) Al: If you like the game, it is an incredible upgrade, just so good. (0:23:36) Kev: - Mm-hmm, but yeah, yeah, I’ll sit. (0:23:41) Al: It drives me insane whenever I see anyone talking about this and people will reply and (0:23:45) Al: be like, “Oh, it’s $500 to get the game how it should have been.” (0:23:49) Al: I don’t shut up. (0:23:50) Al: I don’t care. (0:23:51) Al: It doesn’t matter. (0:23:52) Al: Yeah, you don’t like it. (0:23:53) Al: Don’t play it. (0:23:54) Al: Don’t buy this. (0:23:55) Al: Shut up, right? (0:23:56) Al: Let me enjoy the fact that this game now runs incredibly. (0:23:59) Al: And you know what I’m most excited for with this is how well I think the new game’s going (0:24:05) Al: to run. (0:24:06) Al: Because there’s no way it will run worse than this, right? (0:24:10) Kev: Well, well. (0:24:10) Al: Because well, no, no, no, let me, let me, let me. (0:24:13) Al: So my point is, right, like it is a clearly a much more small and focused world, right? (0:24:19) Al: And one of the big issues of this game was the fact that the world is like all loaded (0:24:23) Al: at once. (0:24:24) Kev: Oh, oh you’re talking about ZA. I thought you meant yeah. Okay. Oh no. Yeah. Yes (0:24:25) Al: Yeah, yeah. Oh, no, I’m not even thinking about that. (0:24:29) Al: just now. Not even thinking about that just now. (0:24:30) Kev: Yeah, ZA is gonna be great. Yeah. Sure sure sure. Yeah, that’s fine (0:24:34) Al: And so if this game runs this well, like surely that game will run just as well. And (0:24:40) Al: it’s going to be so good. And I think it looks, it looks better, right? Like a lot of the (0:24:45) Al: thing about this game is that it just looks bland and meh. And yeah, the character models (0:24:46) Kev: Mm-hmm. Yeah, absolutely. (0:24:51) Al: don’t look amazing in the new game, but I don’t really care about that, right? Like everything (0:24:55) Al: else in my opinion looks a lot nicer, kind of like the, you know, the (0:24:59) Al: bright colours in the night. I think the night time in particular is going to look really good in that game, especially on (0:25:04) Kev: I agree. Yeah, that is nice, right? Because, like, okay, obviously, we all know I’m unknown, (0:25:12) Kev: Scarlet Violet, Disparage or Dissenter, whatever you want to call it, right? I’m critical. (0:25:16) Al: For fair reasons, I’ve like, I’ve not, I’ve never, I’ve never said that your reasons are not the totally fair reasons. (0:25:18) Kev: Just a little bit critical. Like you said, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, like, you know, there’s a lot of design choices. (0:25:30) Kev: Design Choices. (0:25:32) Kev: I don’t like other people who I like. (0:25:34) Kev: It’s not fixing those issues, but like I think just how poorly it ran. (0:25:44) Kev: You know that like I’m an Nintendo fan. (0:25:46) Kev: I’m a Pokemon fan. (0:25:48) Kev: I don’t care about technical stuff, generally speaking, right? (0:25:52) Kev: But like it was just so bad that even even someone like me, it felt embarrassing. (0:25:58) Kev: Like it was rough. (0:26:00) Kev: So it’s nice to have at least that improved. (0:26:01) Al: No one, no one defends it. Right? Like with, with other, with other games, like Legends, (0:26:08) Al: like some of us are like, actually, I like how it looks, right? Like I, you know, I don’t, (0:26:10) Kev: Yeah (0:26:12) Al: I think that a lot of that is down to taste, but with, with the performance issues in this (0:26:14) Kev: Sure (0:26:17) Al: game, it was just embarrassing. Nobody justified it. And if anybody even tried to, you’d be (0:26:19) Kev: It would nope, yeah, yeah (0:26:22) Al: like, come on, like let’s be real here. You can like the game and still admit how terrible (0:26:28) Al: the performances. Whereas now, it’s just… (0:26:29) Kev: Yep (0:26:33) Kev: Yeah, it’s crazy I’ve seen clips online it’s wild the difference (0:26:38) Kev: I genuinely did. (0:26:42) Kev: I did not think it would upgrade that much. (0:26:44) Al: Yeah. And that’s handheld as well, not even docked. In handheld, it feels incredible. (0:26:47) Kev: That’s crazy. (0:26:52) Kev: Important question. (0:26:55) Kev: Have you tried the raids? (0:26:57) Kev: Because that was the… (0:26:57) Al: I have not. Yeah, I’m not convinced it’s going to make a massive difference to raids, because (0:26:59) Kev: Okay, ‘cause that’s… (0:27:00) Kev: I mean, it’s great the world runs right now, (0:27:02) Kev: but the raids, like… (0:27:05) Kev: Oh. (0:27:08) Al: I think a lot of the issue with raids was the internet communication. But I don’t tend (0:27:12) Kev: Yeah, probably, but I was curious it’s like (0:27:17) Al: to do raids a huge amount. I do them when there’s a seven star out, if possible. If (0:27:20) Kev: Yeah (0:27:21) Al: possible I do them as a solo build, so I don’t have to deal with other people. (0:27:23) Kev: Mm-hmm, I yeah. No, that’s fair (0:27:28) Kev: But yeah, that’s uh (0:27:30) Kev: Because if raids were good like I genuinely might be tempted (0:27:35) Kev: Consider another playthrough to give it a second chance on switch do but anyways, not that I’ll have one for a while, but (0:27:42) Al: Well, we’ll see, we’ll see. (0:27:42) Kev: Anyways, that’s good stuff (0:27:46) Kev: that (0:27:47) Kev: that’s nice and (0:27:49) Kev: Yeah, good on you Pokemon team for putting the effort to make that happen (0:27:54) Al: Yeah, I clearly, like, I wonder whether they’d been working on this before the game came (0:28:00) Al: out or whether this is in reaction to the game coming out and being terrible. Because (0:28:04) Kev: Yeah. (0:28:05) Al: they did tell us, like, oh, we hear you and we understand. And the question is, was that (0:28:11) Al: the point where they go, oh, we can’t just, like, let this go. Like, this is something (0:28:16) Al: we actually need to deal with. And then, obviously, they’ve gone, like, decision made. Do we try (0:28:21) Al: Try it our best to make it work as well on the switch, or do we just… (0:28:24) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:28:24) Al: take all of the nonsense that we’re going to get for the next two and a half years, (0:28:28) Al: and then throw it all on the switch too, and hope that we gain back the positives for that. (0:28:35) Al: I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case, right? That is a decent… That timeline works, (0:28:38) Kev: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. (0:28:43) Al: that’s more than two years. I could absolutely see that they hadn’t even considered this (0:28:45) Kev: Mm hmm. (0:28:48) Al: until the reception was so bad, and then they’ve gone, “You know what? We do need to deal with (0:28:52) Kev: Yeah, also (0:28:52) Al: this and they had a small team dealing (0:28:54) Al: with that for the last couple of years. (0:28:56) Kev: Sure, I’ll I’ll you know, I’ll say that they probably (0:29:02) Kev: Whenever they found out switch to upgrades we’re gonna have which I imagined was relatively early, you know, I (0:29:08) Kev: Imagine they were planning one for scarlet violent (0:29:10) Kev: I don’t see a version where they weren’t gonna do that (0:29:12) Kev: What I don’t think is I don’t think they were gonna put in the effort they did for this because that I think was reactionary (0:29:20) Kev: Because I think they wanted to (0:29:22) Kev: You know try to clean up their act if you know if it had come out (0:29:27) Kev: Not as good or you know if the original game might come out better (0:29:32) Kev: I don’t think it would have been this huge of a jump because they probably just (0:29:32) Al: Well, yeah, yeah. I mean, because it wouldn’t be better. I don’t know. Yeah. I do feel like (0:29:37) Kev: You know, then yeah. Well, yeah. Well, that’s true, but they wouldn’t put the effort, you know what I mean (0:29:43) Al: I do think a lot of this is like, we need to make sure people actually buy our next (0:29:47) Al: game. Let’s show them that we can actually make a good game or a smooth enough. Okay. (0:29:47) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:29:52) Kev: Yeah (0:29:53) Al: A well performing game. And, and I think that’s probably has done a lot to improve people’s (0:29:59) Kev: Yeah (0:30:00) Al: view on things, right? (0:30:02) Kev: Yeah (0:30:02) Al: People who were, you were probably worried about the next game, right? (0:30:05) Kev: Yeah, well hey, you know like I make all the jokes about you know, we could the you know, then Gen 10 could fail (0:30:12) Kev: or you know or whatever, you know, but (0:30:15) Kev: But maybe this is actually a sign that they’re actually trying to (0:30:19) Kev: They’re gonna try to double down or you know (0:30:23) Kev: put in the effort to make sure it really comes out. (0:30:25) Kev: Um yeah but okay good stuff that’s that’s really nice to know the power of the switch too. (0:30:33) Al: it’s good fun. All right, we have one piece of news I want to talk about before we just (0:30:40) Al: go through the wholesome direct stuff that we want to talk about. Snacko, Snacko decided (0:30:42) Kev: All right, what is it? (0:30:43) Kev: What is it? (0:30:46) Kev: That’s the cat game. (0:30:46) Al: that just after we released our last episode two weeks ago, they decided they were going (0:30:54) Al: going to release their 1.0, just shadow drop it. (0:30:56) Kev: That’s correct. That’s how this works in this gig, podcast world. Things happen as soon as (0:31:07) Kev: you take a break. That’s good. (0:31:08) Al: And I’m not even joking. This was a legitimate shadow drop. Like I saw the Steam news about (0:31:16) Al: Snacko 1.0 and I’m like, hold up, wait a minute. Did I miss something? And then I looked through (0:31:19) Kev: Tempting you. (0:31:21) Al: everything and nope, I did not miss anything. This was just surprise. Here you go. Here’s (0:31:27) Al: the new, here’s 1.0. So there we go. Snacko 1.0. It’s probably finally time for me to (0:31:35) Kev: Probably. I’m just looking at it, it looks nice. Yeah, that’s a, they’re little like pixely, (0:31:45) Kev: 2D, 3D thing, it looks nice, and the cat’s very cute. Yeah, good for you, Snaggo. You made it to (0:31:52) Kev: 1.0, like, that’s always a genuine cause for celebration, assuming it’s a real 1.0, (0:31:58) Kev: and not one of those 1.0s, yeah, it’s kind of 1.0, but not really, because we still have a whole (0:32:02) Kev: a whole bunch of other stuff that didn’t make it in yet. (0:32:04) Al: Yeah, I think they’ve got more updates coming, but it feels like it looks like it’s extra stuff. (0:32:09) Al: But having said that, I haven’t played through it, so I don’t know. (0:32:11) Kev: Yeah. (0:32:12) Kev: Sure, sure, yeah, yeah, I know. (0:32:14) Kev: But I’m just saying, we all know those games out there (0:32:17) Kev: that at 1.0 really should not have been at 1.0. (0:32:18) Al: Yep. Yep, yep, yep, yep, we do, we do. (0:32:23) Kev: But– but– yeah. (0:32:24) Al: It doesn’t feel, from what I know about the game and the developers, (0:32:28) Al: it doesn’t feel like something they would do. (0:32:30) Al: I don’t feel like they would just go, “Here we go.” (0:32:30) Kev: Yeah, from what– yeah, like, I also agree. (0:32:34) Kev: - Yeah, I agree. (0:32:35) Kev: Very cute game, always has been cute, still cute. (0:32:40) Kev: I might be interested in, oh, there’s a demo. (0:32:42) Kev: I might, I’ll download that demo at the very least. (0:32:44) Kev: Good for you, Snacko. (0:32:46) Al: All right, let’s talk about the Wholesome Direct then. (0:32:49) Kev: Okay, okay. (0:32:51) Kev: Before we get into, because obviously we got our list, (0:32:54) Kev: I want to comment on the presentation, (0:32:56) Kev: ‘cause man, an hour straight of wholesome and cozy, (0:33:03) Kev: Oh, it’s a little it’s. (0:33:05) Kev: A little much and you know, obviously that’s the nature of the beast, but you know, I’m just look, I don’t know how big wholesome games their operation is right and and and they’re they’re trying right like they highlight so many streamers or you know, content creators or whatever and oh good for you, you know, little spotlight on these guys, but you know, maybe, maybe just just put a little more into that, right? (0:33:06) Al: - Yeah. (0:33:32) Kev: Every, I can’t just, I’m not. (0:33:35) Kev: I’m not blaming any one streamer because they, but they all just happened to have the same, you know, just palette color palette swap backgrounds of a shelf with plushies and some plants. (0:33:46) Al: Yeah, yeah, I definitely found that as well. The other thing that I found was like everybody (0:33:50) Al: talks in this calm voice. Yeah, exactly. It’s like cosy games, right? First of all, it’s (0:33:54) Kev: - ASMR? (0:33:55) Kev: - Yup. (0:34:00) Al: not cosy games. It’s wholesome direct, right? The whole point was it’s like we want a place (0:34:03) Kev: - Yeah, huh? (0:34:05) Al: to show a bunch of games that are not just shooting zombies, right? And that is a totally (0:34:10) Kev: Yeah, yeah. (0:34:11) Al: fair thing and that’s why I like it and it doesn’t that doesn’t (0:34:14) Kev: Yeah. (0:34:16) Al: have to mean calm and quiet and trying to send you to sleep which is I definitely felt like it was I don’t know whether it’s always been like this and I’m just getting annoyed with it or whether it’s getting more like this but yeah I was absolutely the same every streamer was the exact same voice and background and I also think that there was a little bit weird and like having a different streamer to introduce every single game felt a bit weird (0:34:33) Kev: » Yeah. (0:34:46) Al: in the every time there was a streamer on they were like here’s my name here’s my channel here’s what I do and it was all the same as well it’s like oh we do everything cozy and you’re like oh my word like yes you are just the exact same as all the other ones we’ve just seen like I don’t it was yeah I agree I’m glad you felt the same because it was just too much for me (0:34:52) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. And again, and yeah, and again, I’m not blaming any individual (0:35:09) Kev: streamer because I’m sure they got their prompt and they do their thing and that’s why. But (0:35:13) Kev: when, you know, the wholesome gang people, when they were putting, cutting, pasting all (0:35:16) Kev: this together, somebody should have said, you know what, this might be a little much. (0:35:20) Al: You get, it’s the same, it’s the same with everything, right? Like it’s when, when you (0:35:23) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. (0:35:24) Al: watch a Nintendo direct and you have the two hosts who make the same terrible jokes after (0:35:30) Al: every single game, you get annoyed about that. And when you have the Xbox showcase and like (0:35:35) Al: half of them are shooting zombies in the face, it’s the same thing again. It’s just like, (0:35:38) Kev: - Mm-hmm. (0:35:39) Al: why are all these games the same? And, and why is the presentation so long? And so like, (0:35:46) Al: I think maybe we need to spread these things out a little bit more in the year, right? Like (0:35:51) Al: June, for releasing game information, do we really need to? (0:35:55) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:35:59) Kev: Yeah, I agree or or you know what I’m trying to look up a year (0:36:06) Al: It’s 2025. (0:36:08) Kev: Yeah, not our year I’m I’m trying to look to the the highest (0:36:13) Kev: The high bar of video game presentations at 2014. That’s what it was the Nintendo (0:36:20) Kev: 2014 e3 presentation. That’s the one where we had a (0:36:25) Kev: and Reggie fighting (0:36:27) Kev: With their DBZ fight with the amiibo humor that that one (0:36:27) Al: Mm hmm. Yeah. (0:36:32) Kev: Obviously not every company is gonna be able to produce goofy bits like that or whatever (0:36:36) Kev: But you know that the point is they tried right? They they put a little a little effort into the presentation (0:36:44) Kev: And so, you know, it’d be nice right? What’s crazy to me is some of these bits were like the streamers introducing game (0:36:49) Kev: Didn’t even mention the game (0:36:51) Kev: They just said he was a world premiere (0:36:52) Al: yeah yeah well there is that I i don’t know I also think like the live ones are really (0:36:55) Kev: But anyways, I digress (0:36:59) Al: annoying as well right did you watch the friday’s summer game fest it was just really it was really (0:37:01) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:37:03) Kev: No, I haven’t watched any other I’ve just seen the the bids oh (0:37:08) Al: awkward I didn’t like it and like there’s something about jeff keeley that like i’m not saying he (0:37:10) Kev: Yeah (0:37:14) Al: doesn’t like games i’m sure he does i’m sure he does like games but the way he presents himself (0:37:20) Al: is corporate students. (0:37:21) Kev: Uh-huh, yep, that’s correct. (0:37:22) Al: And I can’t take him seriously and it’s like when there was a point where he was like oh (0:37:29) Al: something some game was shown and he was like wow looks great and he moved on to the next thing (0:37:34) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. I think that’s kind of underlying the point, right? You want to get somebody (0:37:35) Al: and I’m like you did not sound sincere there, what are you on about? (0:37:43) Kev: who’s sincere about the presentation or whatever is being presented, right? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. (0:37:46) Al: Which Reggie did well. That was his thing. Like, he was a corporate guy and we all knew that, (0:37:52) Al: and we all knew that he would probably sell us if he could. But you also got that he cared, (0:37:55) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. (0:37:58) Al: and I don’t know whether that was real or not, but you definitely believed that he cared. (0:38:04) Kev: I mean, I think he cared, but maybe that’s just part of the whole thing he did. I don’t (0:38:09) Kev: know, but he, like the important thing is he made us believe he cared, right? He could (0:38:13) Kev: talk about his games. Like it sounded like someone who played the game or knew of the (0:38:17) Kev: game to whatever degree. And yeah, you’re right. Like that’s what we need. We just need (0:38:23) Kev: people who know, who care, who are sincere. Like they’ll, even if it’s, you know, just (0:38:29) Kev: some of a blurb, you can feel that, right? So the point to one. (0:38:34) Kev: Well, long story short, wild. I forget what the new one is. Wildflowers people call me. (0:38:40) Kev: I’ll do the blurb for your next one. I’ll do it. All right. Let’s get into it. (0:38:42) Al: Alright, let’s talk about some games then. I don’t know if you’ve got anything else that (0:38:49) Al: you want to talk about other than the stuff that’s in this list, because I think, but (0:38:52) Kev: OK, there’s– here, let me see if I can find a– (0:38:53) Al: I think this is all the Cottagecore related stuff in my list. Let’s go, let’s go with (0:39:01) Kev: just go to– I’ll be looking up another list. (0:39:04) Al: it. So we started off with Story of Seasons Grand Bazaar. No new real information, but (0:39:10) Al: There was a new trailer with some. (0:39:12) Al: Uh, bits and pieces and, uh, I’m going to be honest. (0:39:15) Al: I’m really excited about this game. (0:39:16) Al: I think I’m, I’ve, I never played the original obviously. (0:39:19) Al: Um, and it does things a bit differently. (0:39:20) Kev: Yeah, it looks it looks good. I’ll say that. It looks like it has that, you know, Nintendo (0:39:21) Al: Um, so I’m excited to play it. (0:39:32) Kev: C.Lo quality story of seasons quality that they do. It looks good. I’ll say that. Yeah. (0:39:32) Al: Next one that I wanted to talk about was gourdlets together. So it’s a new gourdlets game. It’s (0:39:44) Al: a multiplayer gourdlets game. Which I feel like is a fun thing to add into a gourdlets (0:39:50) Al: game. I guess the question is, does this feel like it should have been a separate game or (0:39:55) Al: should it have been an update to gourdlets? I don’t know, but it is what it is. I guess (0:39:57) Kev: another mode. I don’t either. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s true. Well, I could have seen that even (0:40:02) Al: it’s cheap. It feels a bit selfish to ask for anything more. (0:40:16) Kev: more paid DLC by that point with the difference. But yeah, I guess so. I don’t know. It’s not (0:40:22) Kev: appealing to me, like, I don’t know, I’m just not feeling it, but it’s cool. (0:40:27) Kev: It’s cool to see them, you know, wanting to do this. (0:40:30) Al: Yeah, it also feels, I think it feels much, it looks like it’s much more character-based (0:40:36) Al: rather than obviously the girdlets was design-based, like management style, whereas this, I think, (0:40:43) Al: looks like you’re controlling a character because it’s the multiplayer aspect. So I’m (0:40:49) Al: thinking that might vibe with me more than the previous one. (0:40:52) Kev: Yeah. No, I can see that. That’s fair. (0:40:56) Al: we got something that you’ll be interested in, Luma Island, the (0:41:00) Kev: Well, you know what I do like pirates you’re right about that (0:41:06) Al: Well you played. Did you not play Luma Island? Am I misremembering? (0:41:06) Kev: It looks I didn’t play them island. No, that wasn’t me (0:41:10) Al: Oh, I know Johnny did, but I thought you had done as well. Oh well. (0:41:13) Kev: No, I don’t think no that was me but I do like pirates (0:41:15) Al: Well the Luma Island pirate update is coming out on the 20th of June. So we had, (0:41:19) Al: we already knew about the pirate update, but now we know that it’s coming out next week. (0:41:26) Kev: you go. It’s pretty looking, I guess. I like pirates, I don’t know. Okay, like, you know, (0:41:32) Al: We got a new trailer for tales of the shire as well. (0:41:38) Kev: in the past week, I actually watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And like, dang, man, (0:41:44) Kev: what a what a legacy you have to live up to. Okay, first off, did we have a date? Because (0:41:54) Kev: We finally got a date. (0:41:55) Al: We did. We did have a date when when they delayed it from March, they gave us a date of that point. So yeah, this is this is still what we were expecting. (0:41:56) Kev: I’m kidding. Okay. Okay. Well, that’s soon. It looks kind of like where it was at. I don’t (0:42:07) Kev: know what to say. I’m pretty sure the game is clear what it’s going to be. And as I watched (0:42:16) Kev: The Lord of the Rings and looking at this trailer, I’m thinking, “I don’t know if this (0:42:21) Kev: is the one for me. I’m not the one who wants to live in a hobbit. I want to hang out with (0:42:26) Kev: you.” That’s what I want to do in Middle Earth. (0:42:28) Al: Yeah. I’m a bit the same. I just, I don’t know what it is about this game that’s not (0:42:36) Al: grabbing me because A Lord of the Rings, Shire based culture game should be something that (0:42:42) Al: I would love, but I just, I don’t know. There’s just, it’s not grabbed me in anything other (0:42:48) Al: than the concept since it was announced. (0:42:48) Kev: yeah yeah that’s the hard part right is the concept gonna be better than the game maybe (0:42:57) Kev: uh that’s that’s you know that’s tough it like I said it’s when you put the lord of the rings (0:43:03) Kev: name on the box you have made things so much harder for yourself because that’s a lot of (0:43:08) Kev: expectations on now um but we’ll see maybe when it comes on it’s actually incredible I don’t know (0:43:16) Kev: Gandalf looked very kawaii, I’ll give him that. (0:43:18) Kev: They give us little ubu Gandalf. (0:43:21) Al: “I think it’s the character models that really confuse me. It’s not that I hate how they look, (0:43:27) Kev: Yeah, they do feel a little weird. (0:43:28) Al: I just… I don’t know. It’s so hard to explain.” (0:43:33) Kev: Yeah, no, I know exactly what you mean. (0:43:35) Kev: It’s something– it’s just a little je ne sais quoi. (0:43:40) Kev: I agree. (0:43:42) Al: Not normally used in a positive frame, not a negative frame, but fair enough. (0:43:42) Kev: But yeah. (0:43:49) Kev: But we’ll see. (0:43:50) Kev: It’s coming out soon. (0:43:51) Kev: And maybe it’ll surprise us still. (0:43:56) Al: Next, we had a new game, Linked Banner of the Spark. Build a bright new world alongside (0:44:01) Kev: oh my goodness this game (0:44:05) Al: a band of rescued robot buddies in this colourful action RPG, battle waves of enemies in solo (0:44:10) Al: or co-op, then return home and use your parts to craft a thriving town, assemble your crew, (0:44:15) Al: and grow stronger with each new adventure. I mean, this is basically like robot cult (0:44:19) Al: of the lamb, right? Go out and get stuff, and then save some creatures, and then come (0:44:24) Al: back and build a town. (0:44:27) Al: Kotlin did it really well, so if it implements it well, I think this could be really good. (0:44:32) Kev: It looks so good to me. (0:44:34) Kev: Like, oh man, ‘cause I’ve never called credit (0:44:40) Kev: within the trailer show. (0:44:41) Kev: There’s still like some gardening (0:44:42) Kev: or something like that, I think. (0:44:43) Al: There’s definitely farming, I’m seeing a farming plot. (0:44:43) Kev: But either, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:44:47) Al: It doesn’t look like it’s a big thing, it looks like it’s relatively small, but it is (0:44:53) Kev: But like, it does it great. (0:44:56) Kev: ‘Cause you have that and you have, you know, (0:44:57) Kev: you’re throwing robots in there. (0:44:58) Kev: Well, you know, that can be a different number of ways, (0:45:01) Kev: but the robot portion of it. (0:45:02) Kev: It looks sick, like you have a lot of knife hands like there’s some that look kind of threatening or genuinely actiony. (0:45:09) Kev: Um, there’s robot fish. That’s kind of fun. Um, I’m excited about this one. This one is high up on my list. It looks great. Um, the gameplay looks like what I want to the world’s colorful. I can’t wait. I’m so excited for this one. (0:45:26) Al: Yeah, I agree. Looks really fun. (0:45:28) Kev: All right, what’s next that’s not linked and thusly not as high on my list. (0:45:32) Kev: Oh well that blew up in my face because I forgot no this one is high up on my list too. (0:45:32) Al: Milano Milano’s odd collection or job collection. (0:45:43) Al: This one is, I think, PlayStation style is what they’re going. (0:45:48) Al: They’re calling it PlayStation one style. (0:45:48) Kev: Is (0:45:53) Al: It’s. (0:45:55) Kev: You okay, you g

Marty, Eric, Dave, and Daniel talk about today's announcements at WWDC regarding new additions to VisionOS 26 Vision OS 26 – Headline FeaturesvisionOS 26 announced with spatial widgets, all-new Personas, morehttps://9to5mac.com/2025/06/09/visionos-26-announced-with-spatial-widgets-all-new-personas-more/ visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Prohttps://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/06/visionos-26-introduces-powerful-new-spatial-experiences-for-apple-vision-pro/ Spatial Photos on Vision Pro Are Getting a Volumetric Uparade for Greater Immersionhttps://techcrunch.com/2025/06/09/from-spatial-widgets-to-realistic-personas-all-the-visionos-updates-apple-announced-at-wwdc/ Apple Officially Announced visionOS 26 With Eye Scrolling, Spatial Widgets, Expanded Shared Spatial Experiences, and Morehttps://www.macobserver.com/tips/round-ups/apple-officially-announced-visionos-26-with-eye-scrolling-spatial-widgets-expanded-shared-spatial-experiences-and-more/ Spatial Widgets: Persistent and customizable in 3D space; weather, clock, music, and third-party support.Vision Pro's Next Big Update Will Add Anchored Widgets That Live Around Your Househttps://www.roadtovr.com/visionos-26-anchored-widgets-spatial-vision-pro/ Spatial Scenes in Photos: Create immersive 3D depth from 2D photos using AI.https://www.roadtovr.com/apple-vision-pro-volumetric-spatial-photos-visionos-26/ Spatial Browsing: Stripped-down articles + lifelike embedded photos; 3D objects in websites.Personas 2.0: Dramatically improved realism—hair, lashes, skin; still private/on-device.Apple overhauls Vision Pro Personas feature, now with much higher-quality 3D avatarshttps://9to5mac.com/2025/06/09/apple-vision-pro-3d-spatial-personas-upgraded/ Vision Pro is Getting a Major Visual Upgrade to Its 'Persona' Avatarshttps://www.roadtovr.com/vision-pro-persona-avatar-upgrade-visionos-26/ Shared Spatial Experiences: Two people can interact with the same Vision Pro app/content (e.g., watch a movie or collaborate).Enterprise Enhancements:Vision Pro Update to Finally Let Developers Make Co-located AR Experienceshttps://www.roadtovr.com/vision-pro-visionos-26-co-located-ar/ Guest Mode with saved settings from iPhoneProtected Content API: “For your eyes only” securityInput & Accessories:Logitech MX Stylus for 3D drawing - coming later this year through Apple and LogitechLogitech Muse VR stylus for Apple Vision Pro allows designers to measure preciselyhttps://appleinsider.com/articles/25/06/09/logitech-muse-vr-stylus-for-apple-vision-pro-allows-designers-to-measure-precisely-in-3d INTRODUCING LOGITECH MUSE FOR APPLE VISION PROhttps://ir.logitech.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2025/Introducing-Logitech-Muse-for-Apple-Vision-Pro/default.aspx PlayStation VR2 controller supportPlayStation VR2 controller support comes to Apple Vision Pro with visionOS 26https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/06/09/playstation-vr2-controller-support-comes-to-apple-vision-pro-with-visionos-26Vision Pro is Getting Official Support for PSVR 2 Motion Controllers and New Logitech Stylushttps://www.roadtovr.com/vision-pro-psvr-2-controller-logitech-muse-visionos-26/ Apple's visionOS 26 brings eye-scrolling and support for PS VR2 controllershttps://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/apples-visionos-26-brings-eye-scrolling-and-support-for-ps-vr2-controllers-180651833.html Immersive Video:New Adobe app for editing spatial videoPlayback support for GoPro, Insta360, Canon 180°/360° videosJupiter Environment: New space scene you can explore with realistic time simulation.APPS WORTH MENTIONINGStarship SE V3https://apps.apple.com/us/app/starship-se-corps/id1602759745?platform=visionMacStockMacstockconferenceandexpo.com  50$ off with code “PODTALK50”ThePodTalk.Net

Rand Fishkin joins Ross Hudgens to unpack the latest acronym craze—GEO, AEO, LEO—and why none may be necessary. They explore the origins of SEO, the rise (and fall) of inbound marketing, and how marketers can avoid falling into the trap of trend-chasing. From naming conventions to the real value of brand clarity, this is a conversation for anyone navigating search in the age of AI. Rand also shares a bold bet on AI's impact on jobs, reflects on his early days in the “promised land of SEO”—and discusses why “SEO for AI” might be the clearest path forward. Plus: Cooking games, Snack Bar Studios, and whether creating a new marketing category is ever worth the effort. Show Notes 0:08 – Why SEO has too many new acronyms 0:44 – The wild origin of SEO in Bend, Oregon 1:29 – Danny Sullivan, Circuit City, and the OG SEO crowd 2:54 – Who coined “zero-click search”? 3:29 – Why naming trends like GEO can hurt clarity 5:00 – Is GEO catching on because A16z backed it? 5:59 – Should we name this shift at all? 6:37 – Why "SEO for AI" is clearer than new acronyms 8:09 – Organic digital vs SEO vs paid—don't confuse your client 9:33 – Naming things doesn't always benefit the person who coined it 10:13 – Why SEO isn't in decline (despite the narrative) 11:07 – Google is still orders of magnitude bigger than any AI tool 12:34 – Rand bets $100K AI won't take half of all jobs 13:39 – “SEO for AI” has 100% clarity, unlike GEO or AEO 14:58 – GEO and AEO should be considered tags under SEO 16:07 – Simplifying your services for buyers: SEO still works 17:11 – SEO can carry baggage—but it's still foundational 18:20 – Organic growth as the category; SEO as the tactic 19:03 – The Snickers bar analogy for misaligned category tags 20:01 – Why HubSpot had the power to rebrand with inbound marketing 20:54 – Applying lessons from game tagging at Snack Bar Studios 22:16 – Final thoughts: ride the wave if you're Mars; otherwise, keep it clear 23:07 – Rand's AI/job displacement bet explained 24:53 – Revisiting his blockchain bet with Dharmesh from 2016 25:21 – What worries Rand more than AI? Government decisions 26:14 – Elon, politics, and the future of tech influence 26:22 – Snack Bar Studios: magical boars and carbonara 26:56 – Sparktoro and “Search Everywhere Optimization” 27:03 – Tagging the cooking game: chill action, story rich, 2D action 27:51 – Geraldine's writing brings it to life Show Link It's Still SEO (SparkToro Blog): (https://sparktoro.com/blog/its-still-seo-search-everywhere-optimization/](https://sparktoro.com/blog/its-still-seo-search-everywhere-optimization/) a16z: GEO Rewrites the Rules of Search: (https://a16z.com/geo-over-seo/) Rand's Game Studio: (https://snackbarstudio.com/](https://snackbarstudio.com/) Subscribe today for weekly tips: (https://bit.ly/3dBM61f](https://bit.ly/3dBM61f) Listen on iTunes: (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174) Listen on Spotify: (https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM](https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM) Listen on Google: (https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA) Follow Siege on Twitter: (http://twitter.com/siegemedia](http://twitter.com/siegemedia) Follow Ross on Twitter: (http://twitter.com/rosshudgens](http://twitter.com/rosshudgens) Directed by Cara Brown: (https://twitter.com/cararbrown](https://twitter.com/cararbrown) Email Ross: (ross@siegemedia.com](mailto:ross@siegemedia.com) #seo | #contentmarketing Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

I Dream Of Jeannie was a show that meant, for us, that it was time to stop watching shows. It was late night syndication TV and that meant the cartoons were over. They try to tempt you in with colorful cartoon intros but then it goes to real life people? Lame? 2D is all need!… Read more S9:E15 – I Dream of Jeannie Opening

Sir Vanity kicked off 2025 with a stellar entry in the repertoire with the EP "Latitude".Did you enjoy this episode? Consider ranking this podcast or leaving a review on your preferred podcast streaming platform!

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Doug Howarth about hypernomics and improving our understanding of markets and decision-making processes. At fourteen, Doug Howarth was faced with a problem that would pursue him for decades. He had just been exposed to the 2D and 3D coordinate systems of René Descartes. While they offered a framework for many problems, he wondered: What other plotting systems exist that we haven't seen? Shortly after, Doug found out that his kidneys were failing and that clouded his thinking. Persevering through this challenge, he majored in economics at Washington State University, graduating top of his class. In 2002, Doug's best friend, Tim Schreiner, gave him a kidney. When he came to after the operation, his brain was clear for the first time in thirty years, and he was determined to make maximal use of his improved mental capacity. Not long after that, when he and his wife went shopping for a new washing machine, as she weighed her options aloud, he realized she had solved a multidimensional problem in her head. He instantly recognized that people throughout the store were subconsciously doing similar evaluations for all their considered purchases. In that moment, Doug Howarth discovered Hypernomics, the study of market actions across four or more dimensions, the plotting systems he had been wondering about for three decades. He founded Hypernomics Inc. on his ideas, which has worked for NASA, Virgin Galactic, and Lockheed Martin. Along with two others, he's been awarded US Patent 10,402,838 for the world's first 4D analytic software. Wiley will publish his book, Hypernomics: Using Hidden Dimensions to Solve Unseen Problems, in January 2024. Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network!

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We often chase engine and tuning upgrades first, but could a front splitter and rear wing be a smarter starting point for our race cars?We caught up with Kyle Forster from JKF Aero to break down how aerodynamics work in practice and how to make effective improvements at every level of motorsport. From the priorities of downforce vs drag, to choosing the right aero balance for your car's drivetrain layout, this conversation covers everything from tuft testing a club racer to CFD and F1-style development cycles, noting Kyle was an aerodynamicist for the Mercedes Formula 1 team during their hybrid era peak.Use ‘PODCAST75' for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inKyle explains key tuning strategies using splitters, wings, rake, and gurney flaps, plus the difference between 2D and 3D wing profiles and how things like swan neck mounts and dual elements can drastically improve efficiency and downforce. He also clarifies some common misconceptions about turbulent flow, stalling, and the practical implications of end plate design, big and small.Practical advice is given for grassroots racers, including the use of tufts or strong coast-down testing, and why stopwatch and driver feedback still matter. At the professional level, Kyle explains how CFD, wind tunnel testing, and track validation work together in a continuous development loop for professional motorsport including Formula 1 car development.So, where are the biggest gains to be had for a club racer? As you might have guessed, front splitters and rear wings. Get them on the car and develop over time from there, forgetting about flat floors and rear diffusers until further down the line is Kyles advice.Whether you're trying to gain lap time at your local time attack event or you're part of a pro-level development team, this video gives valuable insight into how to build aero that works. To see more of Kyle's work, check out JKF Aero at jkfaero.com or his YouTube channel ‪@KYLEENGINEERS‬.

Auto encoders are neural networks that compress data into a smaller "code," enabling dimensionality reduction, data cleaning, and lossy compression by reconstructing original inputs from this code. Advanced auto encoder types, such as denoising, sparse, and variational auto encoders, extend these concepts for applications in generative modeling, interpretability, and synthetic data generation. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/36 Try a walking desk - stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Build the future of multi-agent software with AGNTCY. Thanks to T.J. Wilder from intrep.io for recording this episode! Fundamentals of Autoencoders Autoencoders are neural networks designed to reconstruct their input data by passing data through a compressed intermediate representation called a “code.” The architecture typically follows an hourglass shape: a wide input and output separated by a narrower bottleneck layer that enforces information compression. The encoder compresses input data into the code, while the decoder reconstructs the original input from this code. Comparison with Supervised Learning Unlike traditional supervised learning, where the output differs from the input (e.g., image classification), autoencoders use the same vector for both input and output. Use Cases: Dimensionality Reduction and Representation Autoencoders perform dimensionality reduction by learning compressed forms of high-dimensional data, making it easier to visualize and process data with many features. The compressed code can be used for clustering, visualization in 2D or 3D graphs, and input into subsequent machine learning models, saving computational resources and improving scalability. Feature Learning and Embeddings Autoencoders enable feature learning by extracting abstract representations from the input data, similar in concept to learned embeddings in large language models (LLMs). While effective for many data types, autoencoder-based encodings are less suited for variable-length text compared to LLM embeddings. Data Search, Clustering, and Compression By reducing dimensionality, autoencoders facilitate vector searches, efficient clustering, and similarity retrieval. The compressed codes enable lossy compression analogous to audio codecs like MP3, with the difference that autoencoders lack domain-specific optimizations for preserving perceptually important data. Reconstruction Fidelity and Loss Types Loss functions in autoencoders are defined to compare reconstructed outputs to original inputs, often using different loss types depending on input variable types (e.g., Boolean vs. continuous). Compression via autoencoders is typically lossy, meaning some information from the input is lost during reconstruction, and the areas of information lost may not be easily controlled. Outlier Detection and Noise Reduction Since reconstruction errors tend to move data toward the mean, autoencoders can be used to reduce noise and identify data outliers. Large reconstruction errors can signal atypical or outlier samples in the dataset. Denoising Autoencoders Denoising autoencoders are trained to reconstruct clean data from noisy inputs, making them valuable for applications in image and audio de-noising as well as signal smoothing. Iterative denoising as a principle forms the basis for diffusion models, where repeated application of a denoising autoencoder can gradually turn random noise into structured output. Data Imputation Autoencoders can aid in data imputation by filling in missing values: training on complete records and reconstructing missing entries for incomplete records using learned code representations. This approach leverages the model's propensity to output ‘plausible' values learned from overall data structure. Cryptographic Analogy The separation of encoding and decoding can draw parallels to encryption and decryption, though autoencoders are not intended or suitable for secure communication due to their inherent lossiness. Advanced Architectures: Sparse and Overcomplete Autoencoders Sparse autoencoders use constraints to encourage code representations with only a few active values, increasing interpretability and explainability. Overcomplete autoencoders have a code size larger than the input, often in applications that require extraction of distinct, interpretable features from complex model states. Interpretability and Research Example Research such as Anthropic's “Towards Monosemanticity” applies sparse autoencoders to the internal activations of language models to identify interpretable features correlated with concrete linguistic or semantic concepts. These models can be used to monitor and potentially control model behaviors (e.g., detecting specific language usage or enforcing safety constraints) by manipulating feature activations. Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) VAEs extend autoencoder architecture by encoding inputs as distributions (means and standard deviations) instead of point values, enforcing a continuous, normalized code space. Decoding from sampled points within this space enables synthetic data generation, as any point near the center of the code space corresponds to plausible data according to the model. VAEs for Synthetic Data and Rare Event Amplification VAEs are powerful in domains with sparse data or rare events (e.g., healthcare), allowing generation of synthetic samples representing underrepresented cases. They can increase model performance by augmenting datasets without requiring changes to existing model pipelines. Conditional Generative Techniques Conditional autoencoders extend VAEs by allowing controlled generation based on specified conditions (e.g., generating a house with a pool), through additional decoder inputs and conditional loss terms. Practical Considerations and Limitations Training autoencoders and their variants requires computational resources, and their stochastic training can produce differing code representations across runs. Lossy reconstruction, lack of domain-specific optimizations, and limited code interpretability restrict some use cases, particularly where exact data preservation or meaningful decompositions are required.

In this episode of Weird Things, Andrew Mayne, Brian Brushwood, and Justin Robert Young explore the fascinating pace of AI development, demonstrating with a live example how a 2D image can be transformed into a 3D model. They discuss the potential of AI in creating new entertainment and gaming experiences, and the implications of job […]

The constructor of today's crossword, John Kugelman, is mostly known for his Sunday crosswords: but somehow he managed to squeeze all that ken into a 15x15 grid, and the result is this fine Thursday oeuvre. Some particularly noteworthy clues include 2D, Anarchist Sacco, NICOLA (yes, it's Wikipedia time

In this episode of Monday Meeting, host Kendall Hotchkiss speaks with Kaho Yoshida, an award-winning director and animator with a special passion for stop motion and mixed media animation, based in Vancouver and represented by Jelly.This episode includes:* Kaho's experience working with representation through Jelly, including how the relationship formed and the benefits of having agency support as a woman of color in the industry* The creation of her acclaimed personal short film "Tongue," inspired by her experience as an immigrant Asian woman in Canada and her complicated relationship with language and identity* Her approach to mixed media animation, combining stop motion elements (like plasticine tongues and resin saliva) with 2D cell animation for both creative and practical reasons* The challenge of self-funding personal projects while balancing commercial work, and how "Tongue" led to festival recognition including 25+ festival selections* Her recent work on a YouTube Doodle featuring origami animation, and how personal projects help artists get noticed for commercial opportunities* Insights into client education around stop motion production, the importance of detailed pre-production, and managing expectations around revisions* Her talk at Playground Festival about overcoming imposter syndrome by exploring the question "Why me?" with curiosity rather than self-doubt* The value of finding supportive communities like Panimation for underrepresented voices in animation* Advice for aspiring animators: "Make something that you want to get paid to make, because people don't know that you can make that thing unless you make it"HEADS UP! Monday Meetings will be taking a hiatus for the month of June and returning in July. We'll see you when we get back for SEASON 10! Visit MondayMeeting.org for this episode and other insightful conversations from the motion design community!SHOW NOTES:⁠⁠Monday Meeting Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠Monday Meeting Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠MondayMeeting Newsletter⁠Kaho's "Tongue" shortKaho's "Yoodle"Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie

For this week's main podcast review, Ema Sasic, Katie Johnson, and Joselyn Safadi are reviewing and discussing "Lilo & Stitch," starring Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance & Zach Galifianakis. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp ("Marcel The Shell With Shoes On"), this is yet another Disney live-action remake of a beloved 2D animated film. Is it as good or better than the original, or is it just as many of these cash-grab remakes tend to go (pretty poorly)? Please tune in as we touch upon the story, the performances, humor, visual effects, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Humane Marketing Show, I'm joined by Jen Freeman to explore how your Human Design centers — both defined and open — reveal your natural marketing superpowers. We unpack what these centers are, how they shape the energy you radiate or absorb, and why knowing them helps you release the pressure to market like someone you're not. Jen clears up common myths and shows how understanding your centers can gently guide you to choose marketing strategies and business models that feel authentic and easeful. If you're a heart-centered entrepreneur or Changemaker ready to market from who you truly are, not from hustle or hype, this conversation will inspire and ground you. Previous Episode with Jen here. Here's what we discussed in this episode: What centers are in Human Design and their origins. Defined centers as areas of consistent, radiating energy. Open centers as areas where we receive and are influenced by others' energy. The importance of knowing your defined and open centers for self-understanding. Common misconceptions and the value of open centers for gaining wisdom. How understanding your centers can guide decisions and reduce pressure to be someone you're not. How your open centers can reveal what you are naturally drawn to offer or “sell” in your business or marketing. Using your Human Design to choose marketing strategies and business models that fit your authentic self. Watch this episode on YouTube Join our Workshop on June 4th -- Transcript   1 00:00:01.190 --> 00:00:07.499 Sarah Santacroce: Jen Freeman, welcome back to the humane marketing podcast it's good to hang out with you as always. 2 00:00:07.500 --> 00:00:09.810 jen freeman: Oh, it's great to be here. Thanks for having me, Sarah. 3 00:00:09.810 --> 00:00:28.310 Sarah Santacroce: Thank you. You've been on the show before. And we talked about human design. And if people want to go back to that episode, it's episode 194. So humane dot marketing forward. Slash. 194. 4 00:00:28.460 --> 00:00:56.510 Sarah Santacroce: This way, we take it a bit farther and further and deeper into, you know not so much about the different types, but more about the centers specifically defined and undefined centers. So again, if this is all kind of like complete, weird language to you. It's probably best that you 1st listen to episode 1, 94, so that you understand a little bit of the basics of human design. 5 00:00:56.710 --> 00:01:08.530 Sarah Santacroce: So, Jen, why don't you explain? For people who are relatively new to human design what the centers are like that we're going to be talking about today. 6 00:01:08.830 --> 00:01:19.320 jen freeman: So the centers in human design. They're a synthesis of many different systems. So they are. They do reflect the Chakras. They do reflect the Kabbalah tree of life. 7 00:01:19.460 --> 00:01:48.089 jen freeman: They go all the way down to genetic code and organs. So so when you look at a human design chart, it's a 2D representation of a 3D. Lived experience. And so the the centers themselves probably the simplest way to say it. They're they're portals for one, because where they're when they're open. It's where you're receiving information from the world, and then where they're fixed. It's where you're putting it out. I like to think of it as a radio station. So 101 Sarah 8 00:01:48.420 --> 00:02:01.600 jen freeman: going out, and that, you know, never ending, would be where your centers are fixed, where your energy is consistent, and you're radiating that energy into your environment where they're open is where you're receiving other people's. You're receiving my 1, 0 1 gin, you know. 9 00:02:02.170 --> 00:02:05.749 jen freeman: into yours. So so being with that constant interplay 10 00:02:05.980 --> 00:02:19.960 jen freeman: that's always happening. But this is why it's so important to know your centers, which one are defined because that's consistent. That's you. That's your radio station and which ones are open that are receiving because you're being conditioned there, which we'll talk more about. I'm sure. 11 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:38.109 Sarah Santacroce: I'm just gonna hold up for people who are watching on Youtube. I'm holding up this. Yeah, this, this chart, that kind of shows the the centers. So you mentioned the Chakras? So yes, there's the Chakras, but there's a few more right. What? What's in addition to the Chakra. 12 00:02:38.110 --> 00:02:53.609 jen freeman: Because that's part of like the Kabbalah tree of life. For example, if people are familiar with what that looks like, so it's a similar recognition that there are these portals of energy that are coming through us and to us. 13 00:02:53.760 --> 00:02:59.280 jen freeman: Right? So. And that's where the G center is unique. And that's that heart you just showed them. 14 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:00.280 Sarah Santacroce: In the center. 15 00:03:00.598 --> 00:03:06.640 jen freeman: That that is what's called the magnetic monopole. And it's basically what creates the illusion of a separate self 16 00:03:06.910 --> 00:03:11.089 jen freeman: and sets direction so that there's the apparent sense of sereness 17 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:32.619 jen freeman: right? Right? So and and again, human design is very deep. So I'm very aware with your listeners that probably every sentence we say could create more questions in their mind. And I just want them to know you're right on track. This is the nature of this. It's a very deep subject, a life, a lifelong inquiry. Really, you know, Sarah and I both have 18 00:03:32.730 --> 00:03:37.019 jen freeman: caught the bug. I've had the bug for 23 years. So I think you've had it 19 00:03:37.140 --> 00:03:38.460 jen freeman: 10, maybe. Yeah, yeah. 20 00:03:38.460 --> 00:03:41.200 Sarah Santacroce: Yeah, but not as deep as you, you know. 21 00:03:41.200 --> 00:03:55.919 jen freeman: Yeah, yeah, so, but just just knowing that if it does raise questions, it's okay, it's great. Actually, it'll take you into wonderful places. But so we're gonna both do our best to keep it as simple, so you can apply it right away as possible. 22 00:03:56.390 --> 00:04:04.390 Sarah Santacroce: So you talked a little bit already about centers, one of them being the ones where 23 00:04:04.650 --> 00:04:25.470 Sarah Santacroce: you know who you are and the other ones being the ones where you receive energy. So the open centers are the ones where you receive other people's message and energy and the defined, or the would you call them closed centers? The defined centers are the ones where you 24 00:04:25.700 --> 00:04:31.650 Sarah Santacroce: you know you can tap into, because that's where you know who you are. Is that correct? 25 00:04:31.650 --> 00:04:32.210 jen freeman: Yeah. 26 00:04:32.520 --> 00:04:50.990 jen freeman: yes. So so something called the neutrino stream, which is an infinitesimally small particle of mass traveling just under the speed of light. So the defined centers. So basically, we are all being inundated with these tiny, tiny particles all the time, millions of them per second. 27 00:04:51.110 --> 00:05:04.549 jen freeman: So what? Where the centers are defined. It's where you have consistent conditioning by the planets of neutrinos. Okay? So it's you're still being conditioned. But it's all the time consistent. Your entire life. That's what's happening. 28 00:05:04.940 --> 00:05:15.480 jen freeman: Whereas where it's white is where you're both being conditioned by planets, by people, by animals, by plants, by like, it's like, it's it's really the felt sense of it 29 00:05:15.770 --> 00:05:27.839 jen freeman: is that basically, it's like the the where the centers are fixed. It's like the furniture. You never really think about it. You know, it's just there. It's consistent for you all the time, whereas where they're open, it's much more like the television 30 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:35.449 jen freeman: like flashy images, colors, lights, and our attention is very naturally drawn to the TV over the furniture, you know, unless you're a very, I guess. 31 00:05:35.610 --> 00:05:42.609 jen freeman: meditative person who likes to stare at your couch? That most of us are going to be drawn to those open centers. So 32 00:05:42.770 --> 00:05:48.849 jen freeman: so, part of how we learn about ourselves is, we see our defined centers. 33 00:05:48.990 --> 00:06:00.179 jen freeman: So let's say that, I have a defined emotional center which is the center of authority. It means that I need at least 24 h to make decisions. It means my emotions move on a wave 34 00:06:00.950 --> 00:06:03.309 jen freeman: meaning. I have a lot of feelings. They're data points. 35 00:06:03.590 --> 00:06:07.419 jen freeman: So if I don't understand that about myself. 36 00:06:07.750 --> 00:06:17.059 jen freeman: and I don't understand that someone with an open emotional center would be experiencing my emotions. They'd be. I would be. I would be conditioning them with my 37 00:06:17.060 --> 00:06:17.890 jen freeman: promotion. 38 00:06:18.040 --> 00:06:21.770 Sarah Santacroce: So I actually have an undefined solar plexus. 39 00:06:22.170 --> 00:06:25.599 jen freeman: So so that would be where my emotions 40 00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:29.749 jen freeman: you would be feeling them. And this is so. Wherever you're open. 41 00:06:30.030 --> 00:06:42.450 jen freeman: you will be feeling somewhat the conditioning twice as big. Basically, so often we think we're the opposite of what we are. So like, someone with an open emotional center can feel like, oh, I'm so emotional! 42 00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:46.500 jen freeman: But really they're feeling all of the emotions around them. 43 00:06:47.380 --> 00:07:00.259 jen freeman: Right, and it doesn't mean that they don't have their own. But it's it's not the same thing. It's it's a much cooler experience than the emotions are very hot. So if you have it fixed, you just naturally have a lot of heat going through your system. 44 00:07:00.420 --> 00:07:06.539 jen freeman: So so the essence of this. And again, Noah is always with you and design. The challenge is to 45 00:07:06.690 --> 00:07:13.380 jen freeman: essentialize it for people to apply is that if you look at your chart. You get a reading, you start to understand. 46 00:07:13.540 --> 00:07:24.809 jen freeman: You have incredible. You're incredibly empowered to understand who you are in any environment, how you influence people, how you affect them, and also how you're influenced and affected. 47 00:07:25.370 --> 00:07:28.250 jen freeman: It changes everything, everything 48 00:07:28.550 --> 00:07:35.719 jen freeman: so. And that's something just a very quick, anecdotal evidence. I have a totally open heart ego will center. 49 00:07:36.170 --> 00:07:41.769 jen freeman: So part of what that means is that I really need to do things at the right time. I'm basically 50 00:07:42.030 --> 00:07:56.620 jen freeman: it's not. I'm not here to to will things right? Where if somebody, 30% of the population has that fixed, they are, it's healthy for their heart, because it's about the heart center, but when it's open it actually hurts your heart to try to will things into being. 51 00:07:57.100 --> 00:07:57.800 Sarah Santacroce: Hmm. 52 00:07:57.960 --> 00:08:09.690 jen freeman: And so I was in the financial industry years ago, which was a hundred percent commission. I was in this in the States, in the mortgage business in California, and a very, very competitive market with the broker's license, which is like 53 00:08:09.790 --> 00:08:17.120 jen freeman: and it my God! It was so painful! It was so painful, and I I finally used this tool to understand it was 54 00:08:17.490 --> 00:08:19.269 jen freeman: I was totally in the wrong place. 55 00:08:19.450 --> 00:08:38.956 Sarah Santacroce: Right? Yeah, yeah, that's exactly how understanding who we are and how we're wired helps us. Then, you know, choose the the right career path, but also the right business plan and the right business module and and marketing tools, etc, etc. Yeah, 56 00:08:40.260 --> 00:08:52.009 Sarah Santacroce: So would you say that, like, I think there's some kind of misconception, maybe, about open centers, like people think they're kind of 57 00:08:52.160 --> 00:09:00.350 Sarah Santacroce: scared about open centers. Maybe. Because yeah. Tell us, tell us why, what's the fear behind these open centers? 58 00:09:00.530 --> 00:09:08.459 jen freeman: Yeah, so so the thing about the open centers, is it? Well, if we basically just go with it, all human beings seem to tend to want to be in control. 59 00:09:08.630 --> 00:09:12.180 Sarah Santacroce: And so the open centers are where they are not in control. 60 00:09:12.180 --> 00:09:12.550 Sarah Santacroce: Right? 61 00:09:12.550 --> 00:09:29.789 jen freeman: By definition. It's like they're not in control. Right? It's like, this is where, if different influences, different information. But the positive side of this is. It's where you're you're here to be wise in those centers. It's like you're constantly having wine tasting of all these different possibilities. So 62 00:09:30.280 --> 00:09:35.460 jen freeman: when you are defined. You. You're just it. You're not actually wise about it. You just are. It. 63 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:36.300 Sarah Santacroce: Right. 64 00:09:36.300 --> 00:09:48.169 jen freeman: But where you're open is where you get to taste all these different people's fields and energies. And so like again going back to the open heart example. So I'm here to be wise about what is truly a value. 65 00:09:48.990 --> 00:09:54.049 jen freeman: and that is a very big difference versus trying to prove I am valuable. 66 00:09:54.240 --> 00:10:07.609 jen freeman: which is where the people have it fixed, are trying to prove that they're valuable. And again, it's correct for them, right? They're supposed to get out there and be like woo, you know, especially in the States. We're so very sales oriented. So you know they they succeed very well in those environments. 67 00:10:07.770 --> 00:10:09.159 jen freeman: But if you don't. 68 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:18.630 jen freeman: if you understand so like, even right now, sitting with you, I feel completely grounded and confident that what we're talking about has great wisdom and great application. 69 00:10:19.940 --> 00:10:21.540 jen freeman: but it has nothing to do with me. 70 00:10:22.040 --> 00:10:29.299 jen freeman: It's I'm I'm just. I'm just expressing what I've taste, tested and learned, and then I that ideally, I want them to go apply it 71 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:29.970 jen freeman: right. 72 00:10:29.970 --> 00:10:30.790 Sarah Santacroce: Hmm. 73 00:10:30.980 --> 00:10:33.696 jen freeman: I've tasted. Yeah, go ahead. 74 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:37.860 Sarah Santacroce: Yeah, yeah, this is good. So I have this 75 00:10:38.628 --> 00:10:42.040 Sarah Santacroce: spreadsheet in front of me, where 76 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:45.220 Sarah Santacroce: I basically looked at my undefined centers. 77 00:10:45.520 --> 00:10:46.990 Sarah Santacroce: And then I 78 00:10:47.820 --> 00:10:59.619 Sarah Santacroce: given your like, we we did a class together that you taught and given that information. I basically sat down and said, Here's what I'm selling. 79 00:11:00.210 --> 00:11:12.570 Sarah Santacroce: because it's placed in the undefined centers. Right? So, for example, I have an undefined heart and ego. And so what I'm selling is worthiness 80 00:11:13.100 --> 00:11:19.409 Sarah Santacroce: or belonging to community or adaptation in times of shock 81 00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:25.009 Sarah Santacroce: or ethics. So these kind of things. 82 00:11:25.300 --> 00:11:36.809 Sarah Santacroce: because that's what I'm constantly learning because of my undefined heart and ego. That's exactly what I'm here to, you know, give and share and sell. 83 00:11:36.930 --> 00:11:43.529 Sarah Santacroce: So that's would you say, that's an applied example of of how we can? 84 00:11:43.640 --> 00:11:46.029 Sarah Santacroce: Yeah, tap into these open centers. 85 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:49.559 jen freeman: Yes, and really harness their power. 86 00:11:49.980 --> 00:12:13.219 jen freeman: It's like, in a way, realizing what, Major, you're in in university. You're like, oh, biologist, right? This whole time. I was trying to, you know, be a Wall Street, and now you know or do business analysis. But I'm actually meant to be over here, and the sense of relief, the sense of oh, it all makes sense and the sense of not putting pressure on yourself anymore. To be something that you're not 87 00:12:13.340 --> 00:12:18.809 jen freeman: is so big, so like I have a chart of an entrepreneur. As an example. 88 00:12:19.310 --> 00:12:23.300 jen freeman: so much of my design. I'm designed to get out there do stuff. 89 00:12:24.020 --> 00:12:36.089 jen freeman: but I know I know that's my chart. I know that's my design. But I'm I'm here. So I have a lot of energy, basically. And I have the gate of power connected to my throat, so I know, when I speak that it will be heard 90 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:41.050 jen freeman: right one way or the other. You know I can't say if they're gonna like what they're hearing, but what it's gonna be heard. 91 00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:44.530 jen freeman: whereas if someone does not have a fixed throat center. 92 00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:50.410 jen freeman: then what that means is, they don't have consistent access to their voice 93 00:12:50.640 --> 00:13:04.030 jen freeman: being heard, so they often will have lots of stories like self-talk stories right about oh, people don't love me, or they don't like me, or they're not listening to me, but really on a mechanics level, they just don't have a fixed 94 00:13:04.130 --> 00:13:10.029 jen freeman: throat. So in that case they could learn. If they have something important to communicate, maybe write an email, write a letter 95 00:13:10.210 --> 00:13:14.090 jen freeman: that written communication could be received much better than spoken. 96 00:13:14.260 --> 00:13:16.579 Sarah Santacroce: Right, yeah. 97 00:13:16.580 --> 00:13:31.360 jen freeman: Sometimes people with open voices are so wise about the nature of speech that they become like incredible speakers. So it's it. But it depends on how how they're what they're telling themselves about it, right? Like, oh, no one listens. 98 00:13:31.740 --> 00:13:38.060 jen freeman: It's it's really it's so. It's so literal and physical and mechanical. That's the other thing. It's 99 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.429 jen freeman: yeah. The throat is a big, big topic, a big topic. 100 00:13:41.430 --> 00:13:52.340 Sarah Santacroce: And it's a big topic in marketing as well, because you know the throat is your voice, and how you are going to be heard, and so, understanding 101 00:13:52.650 --> 00:14:20.139 Sarah Santacroce: what your role is in this lifetime, and how you're supposed to be sharing that voice. Well, that's that's kind of a big deal right. And if you're forcing yourself to do one thing like you know, speaking on stage. But then you find out after a reading. Well, that's not exactly what's going to be easy for you. It's still doable, probably, but it's not going to be easy for you. 102 00:14:20.510 --> 00:14:25.166 jen freeman: Exactly well, and and to your point, I'm I'm in the process like we chatted about it. 103 00:14:25.680 --> 00:14:37.099 jen freeman: This in inspiration came to me. I mean, it's I'm workshopping. But I'm my current note. Name is the current current Newsletter. So I have the. My. One of my main gates is the basically the now 104 00:14:37.250 --> 00:14:50.540 jen freeman: I'm literally the voice of the now. So this is part of me using my voice of like, I'm just so aware of the now. And you know I have a background with astrology and cosmologies, and and I've very drawn to create a newsletter 105 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:52.910 jen freeman: to help people in real time 106 00:14:53.020 --> 00:15:02.489 jen freeman: be with, especially as things are changing so radically that there's an underlying support that they can lean into the quality of time. There's a consistency in the quality of time. 107 00:15:02.990 --> 00:15:11.550 jen freeman: and it's straight up. It's it's part of me being like I am the voice of the now, that's all I ever talk about to anyone all the time. Right. 108 00:15:11.550 --> 00:15:12.230 Sarah Santacroce: Yeah. 109 00:15:12.270 --> 00:15:20.410 jen freeman: So it's cool, because I just feel like, all right, just try it. You've been doing it for years, anyway. Why not just do it, and so it gives it so I feel a sense of confidence. 110 00:15:20.410 --> 00:15:23.059 Sarah Santacroce: It gives you these insights. Right? The. 111 00:15:23.140 --> 00:15:24.379 jen freeman: It really does. 112 00:15:24.380 --> 00:15:34.330 Sarah Santacroce: Yes, I want to take another example from from my what I written down. Oh, as you know, I have a undefined head. 113 00:15:34.590 --> 00:15:49.730 Sarah Santacroce: and so a big thing of what I'm selling is inspiration. Right? Is change, inspiration to do things differently. So yeah, understanding that. And just saying. 114 00:15:50.800 --> 00:16:10.839 Sarah Santacroce: because people kind of wonder sometimes, you know, family members like, what are you doing like? You're writing books like, how does that make any money? Or I'm like, well, that's that's my role in this lifetime is to inspire and bring about change and talk about change. And so just. 115 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:32.549 Sarah Santacroce: And it's not always easy to accept that either. To say, you know, is this like what I'm doing like? Shouldn't I be going back to, you know, selling Linkedin profile reviews and things like that? But I was not happy in that role, right? And I'm also a 5 1, as you know. And so it's all about. 116 00:16:32.630 --> 00:16:51.410 Sarah Santacroce: you know, spreading the message to a large audience. And so understanding that and going, okay, so yeah, I'll just accept that role. And this is what I do is, yeah, it's kind of like this big relief and big understanding as well. 117 00:16:51.780 --> 00:17:13.130 jen freeman: Oh, that's so beautiful. And and just I wanna point out to your listeners that part of what Sarah's talking about right now is that over the years we've known each other. Is that so? Being a 5, 1 means part of her role is one to many. She's here to amplify messages to larger groups of people, where, when she was selling the Linkedin profile that was one to one essentially. 118 00:17:13.130 --> 00:17:14.099 Sarah Santacroce: Right, yeah. 119 00:17:14.109 --> 00:17:16.119 jen freeman: And so it was not the right 120 00:17:16.469 --> 00:17:31.719 jen freeman: use where you can feel, and it just is off. It's like you're wearing like shoes a size too small, with a pebble in it. You know it just feels wrong. So it's in. And that's the thing. Also, like Sarah just expressed that accepting your design does not mean 121 00:17:32.309 --> 00:17:34.539 jen freeman: oh, no, I guess I just have to like 122 00:17:34.919 --> 00:17:51.059 jen freeman: oh, it's right. It's not like you're settling like you're like, oh, I had these dreams, and then, you know, and now I'm just going to settle for my design. It's like No, no, your design. The more you align with it, then totally unexpected synchronicities and possibilities open up things you could never have imagined. 123 00:17:51.500 --> 00:17:52.060 Sarah Santacroce: It's. 124 00:17:52.060 --> 00:17:55.499 jen freeman: And that's part of the mystery of all of this, you know. 125 00:17:55.850 --> 00:18:11.800 jen freeman: and as Sarah knows, I have a 20 plus years of Qigong background which is working with Chi for those who don't know it, working with energy. And this just completely maps to Qigong as well. You have to know your piece of the puzzle, as my teacher would say. If you know your piece of the puzzle. 126 00:18:11.900 --> 00:18:14.400 jen freeman: then you can fall into the hole effortlessly. 127 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:30.289 jen freeman: But if you're fighting your piece of the puzzle, and you're and you're like struggling to be something else. You can't actually connect into all the resources clients. It's it's it's it's so paradoxical, but it's like the more you can accept the limitation, the more you can thrive. 128 00:18:30.540 --> 00:18:39.099 Sarah Santacroce: Hmm, yeah, it's beautiful. There's there's another thing that I wrote down here is that I'm selling to twos. 129 00:18:39.260 --> 00:18:39.790 Sarah Santacroce: So. 130 00:18:39.790 --> 00:18:40.700 jen freeman: Yeah. 131 00:18:40.950 --> 00:18:41.850 Sarah Santacroce: That. 132 00:18:42.620 --> 00:18:50.200 Sarah Santacroce: How does that have to do? What does that have to do with the with the centers? Or is that something else? I can't remember how we got to that. 133 00:18:50.520 --> 00:19:01.199 jen freeman: Yeah, yeah, me, neither. Actually, the lines that's in lines and profile stuff. And that's styles of learning. That's so. It's not. It's not actually, it's not the centers. It's. 134 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:02.329 Sarah Santacroce: That's about the centers. Okay. 135 00:19:02.330 --> 00:19:02.949 jen freeman: Sounded like. 136 00:19:02.950 --> 00:19:04.649 Sarah Santacroce: Action from the centers. Okay. 137 00:19:04.650 --> 00:19:07.359 jen freeman: Yeah, it's more like a well 138 00:19:07.450 --> 00:19:31.910 jen freeman: to be just for those whose minds might be like, huh? So there's Gates, and those gates are fixed in a hexagram from the I Ching. The I Ching has 6 lines, so so part of what Sarah is saying is that like? So let's say she has 53, and 54 is her son and earth right? So if it's 0 point 2, it means the second line of the Hexagram. So it's incredibly precise and specific 139 00:19:31.910 --> 00:19:53.120 jen freeman: and very helpful. But but in the twos just also complete. They're they are projecting outward. But they don't actually understand. Other people can see them. They're kind of very mysterious, the twos, you know. And so in a lot of ways, Sarah, with the 5 of like she's holding up the flag of like, Hey, I've got answers over here. 140 00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:55.430 jen freeman: Opportunities to be like. 141 00:19:55.730 --> 00:20:02.869 jen freeman: can someone actually help me, you know, and of course many of us will be going towards the 5, but also 2 and 5 142 00:20:03.020 --> 00:20:14.029 jen freeman: are related in the lower Hexagram and the upper hexagram. It goes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, so 2 and 5 are are both projected on as well. 143 00:20:14.030 --> 00:20:14.940 Sarah Santacroce: Hmm, so. 144 00:20:14.940 --> 00:20:18.619 jen freeman: So. So there's a deep relationship between the fives and the twos. 145 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:23.649 Sarah Santacroce: So okay, let's bring it back to the the centers. What? What? 146 00:20:24.470 --> 00:20:29.620 Sarah Santacroce: you know? What else can you tell us about these centers? I think they like a 147 00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:38.230 Sarah Santacroce: I feel like they come with a lot of vulnerability and and conditioning, as you have mentioned before. Right? So there's a big 148 00:20:38.540 --> 00:20:41.260 Sarah Santacroce: opportunity for healing, I guess. 149 00:20:41.700 --> 00:20:57.110 jen freeman: Such a big opportunity. And so and this is where, understanding that we are all conditioned. It's the nature of being a human being that from the moment we're born we're being conditioned. We call it culture. We call it family, right? So no one gets out of conditioning. So this is not 150 00:20:57.250 --> 00:21:07.760 jen freeman: this, is it? This is part of being human being. So then, from that place you can then go. Okay. How do I be wise about my conditioning. So I I have a totally open Asna of the thinking mind. 151 00:21:08.090 --> 00:21:23.740 jen freeman: And so and again, this is never ending. You're constantly refining this. It's not like you learn it once, and then you move on. It's like it's constant. So I've been in this past couple of months, and a very deep understanding of how deeply my mind is stimulated. 152 00:21:24.340 --> 00:21:50.990 jen freeman: and how important it is for me to be very aware and careful of what I put into my mind, especially as we're in all of these changes all over the world, right? As we're in this great moment of emergency emergence. There's a lot of people pouring a lot of fear and panic into the field where it's not good for my mind at all. Not that it's good for any mind, right, but if you have a fixed mind. It's not going to hit you the same. So I had to have a really deep process of being with. 153 00:21:51.310 --> 00:22:07.500 jen freeman: Who am I gonna look to for information. How am I gonna interact, you know, especially being in the States right enough, said the States. Quite a place right now. So and it was very pivotal to me to be like. Look, your mind is incredibly sensitive. 154 00:22:08.060 --> 00:22:14.509 jen freeman: You don't help anyone or anything by flooding your mind with all of this toxicity. 155 00:22:14.690 --> 00:22:18.770 jen freeman: I'm not designed for it, you know, someone with a fixed mind 156 00:22:19.020 --> 00:22:25.020 jen freeman: in a lot of ways. They're they're meant to be out there like hitting people with their thoughts. Basically, it's like they can like, do this. 157 00:22:25.020 --> 00:22:28.710 Sarah Santacroce: They're the ones invading you with their stories. Right? 158 00:22:28.710 --> 00:22:49.379 jen freeman: You know. And so and that's something where I've been. I really had to come to peace with and really, deeply be like, okay, if I feel drawn, I will go. Listen to a person, you know an article, a podcast. But other than that, I'm going to trust spirits going to bring me what I need to know, to play my part hopefully for the the benefit of all beings. Right? The sense of but it's part of that. 159 00:22:50.140 --> 00:23:00.760 jen freeman: I got to be real about the vulnerability, and both my parents had fixed minds so also to bring in again family. So in this journey of learning, how deeply their minds 160 00:23:01.180 --> 00:23:02.790 jen freeman: impacted me. 161 00:23:03.020 --> 00:23:13.289 jen freeman: So really, bit by bit, over time, unpacking like, Oh, wait! That's Mom's fears. Oh, that's oh, wait! That's how Dad approaches it right, and they're both fives. 162 00:23:13.520 --> 00:23:25.909 jen freeman: So they have a very different gig. I'm a i'm a 1 3. So I'm much more my own test tube. I get to come out and share my research right. But I got conditioned to think I was supposed to be 163 00:23:26.040 --> 00:23:38.809 jen freeman: something else, and that was very painful. So again, the more you can recognize your conditioning. And so the great place for your listeners to start very simply, I mean, complexly, but simply. Look at your family origin. 164 00:23:39.390 --> 00:23:52.699 jen freeman: What was held as values? Right? Was it money? Was it education? Was it family? Were they very open-minded and international? Were they very closed-minded like like, and not from a judgment place. Just true observation. 165 00:23:53.070 --> 00:24:03.289 jen freeman: and then look at your own centers. Look, where are you? Open, where were you being conditioned? If you have the capacity, you can run free charts all over the place. You could look at your mom and dad's chart if you knew the birth info. 166 00:24:03.740 --> 00:24:08.070 jen freeman: and you can. Just that is profound, profound. 167 00:24:08.070 --> 00:24:09.670 Sarah Santacroce: Hmm, hmm. 168 00:24:10.180 --> 00:24:16.300 jen freeman: So that's a great place to start right. And then, if we want to go straight to marketing business application. 169 00:24:16.600 --> 00:24:36.210 jen freeman: look at your business model. Look at your design right? And and so let's again take me because I know my design. When I was in 100 commission, financial huge egos everywhere. It was not my strength at all. But once I let go. I've had this coaching and consulting business for 12 years. 170 00:24:36.940 --> 00:24:49.879 jen freeman: I'm just being me bringing forward my research. That's all about spirit embodiment. These are my gates. How do you bring spirit into matter? How do you truly be aligned with the now in a powerful way and speak powerfully. 171 00:24:50.030 --> 00:24:53.279 jen freeman: so I just let go into it, and I'm very happy. 172 00:24:53.889 --> 00:24:54.500 Sarah Santacroce: Happy. 173 00:24:54.500 --> 00:24:57.870 jen freeman: Don't feel like I'm swimming upstream. People just find me. 174 00:24:58.440 --> 00:25:13.920 jen freeman: I just it's great. So that's what I would love for them to hear as well is just. If you feel like you're stuck, or suffering, or difficult man, there is a way, and it's not far or hard. It's actually right in front of you and these centers. 175 00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:19.130 Sarah Santacroce: Yeah. And what I, what I like about this is that we're not trying to. 176 00:25:19.910 --> 00:25:25.059 Sarah Santacroce: you know, use human design as some kind of tactic that we're now going to 177 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:43.200 Sarah Santacroce: go into psycho mode, and, you know, try to get because we don't have access to our clients. Human design, usually, at least not our prospects. Human design. It's all about finding out more who you are. 178 00:25:43.450 --> 00:25:43.880 jen freeman: Yes. 179 00:25:43.880 --> 00:26:06.409 Sarah Santacroce: Using that to your advantage, and being more authentic, being the real, you right that that's what this is all about, and and for people listening. I think they probably understand by now that this is complex, you know, like this is very complex. There's all these different layers. 180 00:26:06.970 --> 00:26:26.749 Sarah Santacroce: And yeah, if if you're interested in finding out more and going a bit deeper. Well, Jen is coming back to us to the Humane marketing circle to do another workshop on June 4, th Jen, tell us a little bit what we're going to be doing on June 4.th 181 00:26:26.970 --> 00:26:55.399 jen freeman: Great. So one of my favorite things to do with coaching groups, such as Sarah's, is that we'll have an introduction looking at the main thing. But then we're going to have 5 people that will have their charts in advance that are essentially on the hot seat. So we get to talk for 5 to 10 min with each person, and look at the application so that you in real time can learn. You can see. And it's just fascinating how different each person is right. And then you hear their stories of how they've been applying it, or what they're doing in their business. And it's 182 00:26:55.490 --> 00:27:18.800 jen freeman: it's it is so inspiring. Speaking of, you know, inspiration right? So hopefully, you would leave that workshop both with an idea of how your own charts working, looking at like, where? Where are the strengths like? Where? Where? You're already playing to your strengths? And so you're like great. Just more of that, and be able to go. Oh, right, I'm trying to do this over here, you know. Maybe I should not do that. And so I think you we learn so much from each other 183 00:27:19.820 --> 00:27:23.559 jen freeman: to see multiple people, especially in this back to back way. 184 00:27:23.910 --> 00:27:26.559 jen freeman: It's like magic. It really is like magic. 185 00:27:26.560 --> 00:27:31.930 Sarah Santacroce: Exactly. Even if your chart doesn't get picked. It's like, Oh, wow! I have this one, too. So 186 00:27:31.930 --> 00:27:32.969 Sarah Santacroce: yeah, no wonder 187 00:27:32.970 --> 00:27:56.720 Sarah Santacroce: I'm doing this. And I like this marketing tactic. Or no wonder I don't like that one. So yeah, so much wisdom coming out of that. So I can't wait to. Yeah, to have you talk to us about open and or defined and undefined centers. But for people who can't make it to the workshop, please tell 188 00:27:56.980 --> 00:28:02.410 Sarah Santacroce: tell listeners where they can find you and your newsletter that you're going to be. 189 00:28:02.410 --> 00:28:31.209 jen freeman: Yeah, that's right. Yeah. So my website's Jen Freemanco, JENF. REEM, a, n.co. And I offer one of the things is I call them the Decode, your design sessions. And I've actually created my own method includes human design, astrology, numerology, and something called the personality system because I really love Meta context. I love looking at the real big picture and then helping give people a strategy of how to, because to me how to live a happy life. 190 00:28:31.300 --> 00:28:47.649 jen freeman: It's like really loving, understanding your vehicle understanding like what who you are, what you're here to do. And so so. And I also do ongoing coaching with people based on this kind of stuff as well. And one thing I want to say just to really. 191 00:28:47.860 --> 00:29:01.239 jen freeman: I really hope from my heart to your heart. Whoever's listening as much as there's complexity, and there is. There is a simplicity here that if you, if you only heard this. Just understand, there's a way that you are 192 00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:19.799 jen freeman: a radio station that's putting out, and there's a way that you are receiving. If you want to call it Yin and Yang. There's a fundamental dynamic going, and the more you can be curious about that, the more you're going to free yourself up from so much, so just even that alone could take you so far. 193 00:29:19.800 --> 00:29:35.750 Sarah Santacroce: What I'll never forget from our reading is is where you showed me. You know the push against and the resistance that creates. And yeah, that image keeps coming back. I'm like, don't push, don't push, it's not. It's not going to be easier. So just. 194 00:29:36.231 --> 00:29:42.970 jen freeman: I'm good. I'm so glad. And I really it's a great joy. This 195 00:29:43.110 --> 00:29:59.169 jen freeman: this whole thing Sarah and I are talking about, and we both share this as a value, I feel confident in it. We want to see a world that's happier and healthier, where people are more engaged. They're not stuck in their conditioning. They're bringing forward their unique gifts. They're able to. Really. 196 00:29:59.330 --> 00:30:10.749 jen freeman: it is going to be through business. It's gonna be through how we connect with each other. It's just, and that's part of both our passion. We want people to really know who they are and succeed and thrive everywhere in our lives. 197 00:30:11.570 --> 00:30:20.709 Sarah Santacroce: Beautiful. So yeah, please join us humane dot marketing forward slash workshop. And it's taking place on June 4.th 198 00:30:21.110 --> 00:30:29.710 Sarah Santacroce: Thanks so much for doing this little preview for our listeners here on the podcast and I can't wait to see you. Thanks, Jen. 199 00:30:29.850 --> 00:30:31.130 jen freeman: I look forward to it.  

In Part 2, we pick up where we left off in Part 1, with Misstencil at a new school half a world away from her home in China. Her time in Switzerland started off in business school, a topic that she admits she's not the best at today. Aside from school, she visited other parts of Europe. She got a job in Switzerland, but called her family back home as much as she could afford to. One call she had with them around the new year one year had her feeling like family members were passing the phone and no one wanted to talk with her. She then learned that her grandfather, the one who had raised her, had passed away days before this call. The family had kept the news of his illness from Misstencil, ostensibly to protect her. Her grandfather's death took her about a decade to get over. She was left with a sense of aimlessness and lack of purpose. Going back home felt out of the question, and she liked Switzerland. But her school there had a joint program with a school in the US, and so she applied for a visa. That school was in South Carolina. When her time in South Carolina came to an end, she had a choice—New York or San Francisco. She (correctly) chose The City. Misstencil had friends in SF already, and they let her stay with her. Those friends told her about a website, then only in the Bay Area, that she could use to find her own place. That site was Craigslist, and they were right. She soon found a place of her own. The year was 2000, and little did she know that she was beginning what would be a decades-long stay here. Her first job in The City was for a big company, one that had a dress code that put her in high heels. Looking back, Misstencil is so far removed from that corporate world that she cannot imagine wearing those shoes, or painting her nails, or other things that go along with corporate culture. But we'll get to that. She found herself meeting and befriending older hippies who encouraged her to pursue her art. She was broke, and they put her up. They helped her get art supplies. She had previously set aside any artistic ambitions while going to school and beginning what she thought would be a career. But summoning inspiration from the art her dad used to do and accepting the help of her friends in her new city, she decided to go for it. Misstencil (not known by that name just yet) began to show her art. She recounts the first time she sold a piece, and how that felt. She walked by the gallery and saw that red dot and knew she had to tell everybody about it. She says that art and San Francisco and those early friends she made here saved her. Looking back on her life and the emotional struggles she had endured, Misstencil came to realize that, as an adult and survivor of depression, she wanted to help kids going through that. She lived with roommates in a rent-controlled spot, thus allowing her to do side work of that nature. The person who today is Misstencil of course wasn't always known by that name. That started in 2022. She shares the origin story of her pseudonym. It all began with her simply wanting to beautify parts of The City that had lost their luster, so to speak—boarded-up storefronts and the like. She found herself all over town, talking to people, hearing their stories, hearing how much neighborhoods meant to people. This led Misstencil to conceive of her “San Francisco Lonely Hearts” project, which is how my life intersected with hers. It's a way for her to show her deep love for and appreciation of San Francisco. She shares how she settled on stencil art for her method lately. She never had any formal training or went to art school. She says that because she didn't have a very happy childhood, she wanted her art to help her feel like a kid again. Misstencil goes on a side story about the time she connected with SF icon Frank Chu and invited him to do Bay to Breakers with her. We also talk about the day we met, when she showed her SF Lonely Hearts work-in-progress canvas outside of Vesuvio. In addition to the 2D art that day in Jack Kerouac Alley, she had Frank Chu on a Roomba holding his infamous “12 Galaxies” sign, and a Golden Gate Bridge bench placed in front of the canvas. Before we wrap, I ask Misstencil about upcoming shows she has, and she humors me by plugging our “Keep It Local” show, which she's in. We end the episode with Misstencil's thoughts about our theme this season and the theme of the show this week: Keep it local. Photography by Nate Oliveira

Originally we were going to make this episode about everything Star Wars other than the movies, but it turns out we spent WAY too much time on the video games. There are SO MANY video games. And we only covered a fraction of them! We'll dive into 2D platformers, 1st and 3rd person action, racing, grand strategy, real time strategy, Virtual reality, flight simulator, and probably more that I'm forgetting! What's your favorite Star Wars video game? Come join us in the future! The show is live on Thursdays around 8pm(ish) Eastern time on Twitch Become a Lifeguard on Patreon! – www.patreon.com/themanapool Podcast RSS Feed: https://themanapool.libsyn.com/rss YouTube: www.youtube.com/TheManaPool The Deep End: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDeepEndTMP Twitch: www.twitch.tv/themanapool Discord: discord.gg/7da7T6s BlueSky: themanapool.bsky.social Instagram: TheManaPool Threads: @TheManaPool Email: dorks@themanapool.com Intro & Outro Music: Diamond by Swift – https://open.spotify.com/artist/0vAs5HIBkUPbuoN5b5GWTE

Sarah Beth Morgan, illustrator and School of Motion instructor, joins Joey to dish about the real stuff: moving across the country, having a baby, and navigating the ever-changing animation industry. See the corresponding blog post here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/sarah-beth-morgan Since her last appearance on the SOM Podcast, she's moved across the country, had a baby (a delightful two-year-old egg enthusiast named Arty), and launched a narrative podcast called Ghost Frame while navigating what she describes as a "career crisis" in today's evolving animation landscape.In this conversation with Joey, Sarah Beth opens up about how parenthood has surprisingly benefited her creative work, her experiments with murals and local art, taking social media breaks, and her thoughts on the current "malaise" affecting the 2D animation industry. -- Check out Sarah Beth's SOM course, Illustration for Motion https://www.schoolofmotion.com/courses/illustration-for-motion In Illustration for Motion you'll learn the foundations of modern illustration from Sarah Beth Morgan. You'll discover a range of illustrative styles through mock client briefs meant to mimic jobs found in the real world. By the end of the course, you'll be equipped to create incredible illustrated works of art that you can use in your animation projects right away.

The FiltrateJoel TopfAC GomezSophia AmbrusoNayan AroraSpecial Guest Charles Edelstein, MD, PhD Professor, Medicine-Renal Med Diseases/HypertensionExtra-Special GuestMichelle Rheault, MD Professor of Pediatrics, University of MinnesotaEditing bySimon and Joel TopfThe Kidney Connection written and performed by by Tim YauShow NotesKDIGO ADPKD Guidelines:WebsiteGuideline PDFExecutive Summary PDFNephJC coverageConsortium for Radiologic Imaging Studies of Polycystic Kidney Disease (CRISP)Hy's Law (Wikipedia) has three components:ALT or AST by 3-fold or greater above the upper limit of normalAnd total serum bilirubin of greater than 2× the upper limit of normal, without findings of cholestasis (defined as serum alkaline phosphatase activity less than 2× the upper limit of normal)And no other reason can be found to explain the combination of increased aminotransferase and serum total bilirubin, such as viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse, ischemia, preexisting liver disease, or another drug capable of causing the observed injuryMeeting this definition yields a very high risk of fulminant kidney failure (76% in one series)Clinical Pattern of Tolvaptan-Associated Liver Injury in Subjects with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Analysis of Clinical Trials Database (PubMed) Two of 957 patients on tolvaptan met Hy's law criteria. None had fulminant kidney failure.Effects of Hydrochlorothiazide and Metformin on Aquaresis and Nephroprotection by a Vasopressin V2 Receptor Antagonist in ADPKD: A Randomized Crossover Trial (PubMed) Patients had a baseline urine volume on tolvaptan of 6.9 L/24 h. Urine volume decreased to 5.1 L/24 h with hydrochlorothiazide and to 5.4 L/24 h on metformin.TEMPO 3:4 Tolvaptan in Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (NEJM)Reprise Trial Tolvaptan in Later-Stage Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease ( NEJM | NephJC )Unified ultrasonographic diagnostic criteria for polycystic kidney disease by Edelstein in JASN (PubMed)Tolvaptan and Kidney Function Decline in Older Individuals With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: A Pooled Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials and Observational Studies (PubMed)Charles' draft choice Recommendation 4.1.1.1: We recommend initiating tolvaptan treatment in adults with ADPKD with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ‡25 ml/min per 1.73 m2 who are at risk for rapidly progressive disease (1B).Sophia's draft choice Recommendation 1.4.2.1: We recommend employing the Mayo Imaging Classi cation (MIC) to predict future decline in kidney function and the timing of kidney failure (1B).Progression to kidney failure in ADPKD: the PROPKD score underestimates the risk assessed by the Mayo imaging classification (Frontiers of Science)AC's draft choice Recommendation 9.2.1: We recommend targeting BP to ≤ 50th percentile for age, sex, and height or ≤ 110/70 mm Hg in adolescents in the setting of ADPKD and high BP (1D).HALT-PKD Blood Pressure in Early Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (NEJM)Nayan's draft choice Recommendation 6.1.2: We recommend screening for ICA in people with ADPKD and a personal history of SAH or a positive family history of ICA, SAH, or unexplained sudden death in those eligible for treatment and who have a reasonable life expectancy (1D).Screening for Intracranial Aneurysms in Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (CJASN)Surgical Clipping Versus Endovascular Coiling in the Management of Intracranial Aneurysms (PubMed) Clipping is associated with a higher rate of occlusion of the aneurysm and lower rates of residual and recurrent aneurysms, whereas coiling is associated with lower morbidity and mortality and a better postoperative course.Joel's editorial pick Recommendation 6.1.1: We recommend informing adults with ADPKD about the increased risk for intracranial aneurysms (ICAs) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (1C).Joel's first draft pick The bring out your dead pick:Recommendation 4.3.1: We recommend not using mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors to slow kidney disease progression in people with ADPKD (1C).Recommendation 4.4.1: We suggest not using statins specfiically to slow kidney disease progression in people with ADPKD (2D).Recommendation 4.5.1: We recommend not using metformin specifically to slow the rate of disease progression in people with ADPKD who do not have diabetes (1B).Recommendation 4.6.1: We suggest that somatostatin analogues should not be prescribed for the sole purpose of decreasing eGFR decline in people with ADPKD (2B).Perfect match: mTOR inhibitors and tuberous sclerosis complex (Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases)Navitor Pharmaceuticals Announces Janssen Has Acquired Anakuria Therapeutics, Inc. (BioSpace) This is press release about acquiring the mTor1 inhibitor.Joel's second draft pick Recommendation 4.2.1.1: We suggest adapting water intake, spread throughout the day, to achieve at least 2–3 liters of water intake per day in people with ADPKD and an eGFR ≥ 30 ml/min per 1.73 m2 without contraindications to excreting a solute load (2D).Nayan's bonus draft Practice Point 4.7.1: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) should not be used to slow eGFR decline in people with ADPKD.Open-Label, Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Trial on the Effect of Dapagliflozin in Patients With ADPKD Receiving Tolvaptan (KIReports)SMART Trial of GLP-1ra in non-diabetics: Semaglutide in patients with overweight or obesity and chronic kidney disease without diabetes: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial (PubMed)Tubular SecretionsNayan: Landman on Paramount Plus (IMDB)Sophia: PassNayan: steps in with The Pitt on HBO (Wikipedia)Charles: The White Lotus, Yellowstone 1923, Poirot (IMDB)AC: The PittMichael Crichton's Estate Sends The Pitt to the Courtroom (Vulture)Joel: I Must Betray you by Ruta Sepetys (Amazon)

From Zero Reviews to $4K Clients: How Danielle Steman Broke Into Freelance Fashion With Just 8 PitchesEver wondered how to stand out on Upwork without a single rating, review, or testimonial? Danielle Steman did just that—and banked $4,000 from her first two freelance clients.In this episode, you'll meet Danielle, a former engineer from The Netherlands who left behind a stable tech career to carve out a bold new path in fashion. Specializing in made-to-measure and latex pattern making, she built a niche business from scratch—landing high-paying clients with just eight targeted pitches and zero experience on her profile.You'll hear how her technical background gave her an edge, how she uses mobile scanning and CAD to wow clients, and why saying no to non-niche work helped her grow faster. She also shares the mindset shifts that helped her go all-in, and the exact steps she took to start attracting international clients (hint: it's simpler than you think!).If you're new to freelancing or have been at it a while, click play now to learn how confidence, clarity, and a super-specific niche can unlock your freelance fashion career.About Danielle:Danielle Steman is a freelance patternmaker for liberated brands committed to sustainable practices and inclusivity.She specializes in designs that fit like a glove, focusing on made-to-measure and latex garments. A fashion tech aficionado, she thrives on technical challenges and is a strong advocate for Made to Measure and Made to Order as the future of fashion. Over the past two years, she has been deeply engaged in exploring the integration of 2D, 3D, and scanning technologies to craft perfectly fitting patterns at the touch of a button.Connect with Danielle:Visit her website: https://daniellesteman.nl/Email her at info@daniellesteman.nlFollow on InstagramConnect on LinkedIn Download my Freelance Price List just for fashion (it's free!): sewheidi.com/price

4️⃣ What would it look like to be trapped in a 4D world?