Podcasts about isli

This week we cover the little bits of news before SGF, then we have a big discussion about The Last of Us season 2 and Isli gives his thoughts on Clair Obscur.Here are the timestamps:Intro News Bits- 01:45 EA Cancels Black Panther Game- 07:42 Switch 2 N64 Specific Features- 08:54 Death Stranding Anime In The Works- 09:44 Witcher 3 Adding Mod Support To Console- 15:11 The Last Of Us Season 2 Spoiler DiscussionWhat We're Playing- 58:40 Isli's Clair Obscur Thoughts (Full Spoilers)- 1:18:35 Final Fantasy XIV- 1:20:55 Post Trauma - 1:25:18 Gray Zone Warfare 0.3 Update

Kojima wants to leave his team a video game idea will, it's an interesting idea but Isli doesn't agree. Then the majority of the episode is all about Clair Obscur, issues with scaling, and major Act 3 spoiler discussions.Here are the timestamps:Intro News Bits- 00:54 Space Marine 2 Official Mod Support- 03:43 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends Of The Zone Trilogy- 07:26 Hideo Kojima's Video Game Idea Will- 19:17 Jade Raymond Leaves Haven Studios- 20:55 Nintendo Releases List Of Free Switch 1 Upgrades On Switch 2What We're Playing- 23:30 Major Act 3 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Spoilers 

This week we cover a few bits of news before Isli dives into Oblivion Remastered, and then Xya and I talk Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.Here are the timestamps:Intro News Bits- 00:21 Switch 2 Third Party Situation- 09:04 Sony Dropping Resistance 1 & 2 From PS+ Premium- 09:35 FBC: Firebreak Release Date- 10:24 Frostpunk 1886- 11:18 Clair Obscur Initial Sales NumbersWhat We're Playing- 13:30 Oblivion Remastered- 23:15 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

After covering a few news bits, Isli and I get into some spoiler talk about Blue Prince and our experience with the game overall.Here are the timestamps:Intro News Bits- 00:28 Marathon- 02:59 Star Wars Outlaws DLC and Switch 2 Release Date- 03:35 Chronos: The New Dawn Gameplay- 07:00 Sony Raises PS5 Prices Across The GlobeWhat We're Playing- 12:10 Blue Prince Spoiler Discussion

It's our 200th episode and this week we recap the Switch 2 announcement, since we didn't get to cover it last week, and then in the back half Isli and I discuss our thoughts on Blue Prince.Here are the timestamps:Intro News Bits- 00:45 Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8- 04:38 Xbox Confirms June Showcase- 05:12 Recapping Some Switch 2 AnnouncementsWhat We're Playing- 23:25 Monster Hunter Wilds- 28:44 Balatro- 32:40 Blue Prince

We've got another space crew game, another No Man's Sky update, Game Informer is back, and Ubisoft makes some moves. Then in the back half Xya talks Monster Hunter, Isli talks No Man's Sky, and I give my thoughts on a week with Atomfall.Here are the timestamps:Intro News Bits- 00:15 Wildgate- 03:11 Game Informer Is Back- 15:01 No Man's Sky Relics Update- 16:18 Quite A Ride- 19:55 Ubisoft Forms Subsidiary For Major IPsWhat We're Playing- 33:15 Monster Hunter- 36:20 Wanderstop And No Man's Sky- 40:36 Balatro- 46:15 Atomfall

It's a light news week so after covering the few news bits we get into Xya's experience with Monster Hunter followed by mine and Isli's co-op experience with Split Fiction.Here are the timestamps:Intro News Bits- 00:45 Boardgames Based On Video Games- 06:00 Atomfall Previews Have Me ExcitedWhat We're Playing- 13:50 Monster Hunter Wilds- 45:20 Balatro- 49:18 Gray Zone Mission Issues- 54:25 Split Fiction

We've got some new details about the second season of The Last of Us, the surprise Onimusha 2 Remaster announcement, and EA talks about Battlefield and Apex Legends.Then in the backend Isli talks more about the difficulty of Nine Sols, Xya talks the Monster Hunter Rise beta, and I tell some war stories from Gray Zone Warfare.Here are the timestamps:Intro News Bits- 00:15 EA Investor Call- 04:24 Onimusha 2 Remaster Announced - 06:56 Nintendo Direct Announced For April 2nd- 07:39 The Last Of Us Season 2 Details  - 08:00 TLoU 2 Massive Spoilers Start  - 15:40 TLoU 2 Spoilers EndWhat We're Playing- 19:00 Hokai Star Rail, Everdream Valley, Monster Hunter Rise Beta- 25:30 Nine Sols- 33:45 Warhammer Rogue Trader And Gray Zone Warfare

In this episode we cover devs that don't want PC versions to avoid lewd mods, Xbox's disappointing investor call, and much more.Then in the back half we talk about Nine Sols, Ender Magnolia, Echoes of Wisdom, and then Isli and I give our final thoughts on Lorelei and the Laser Eyes.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Bits- 00:17 Dev Doesn't Want Lewd Mods In Their Game- 03:12 No Man's Sky Worlds Part 2 Update- 06:06 Xbox Investor Call- 22:18 Sony Removes PSN PC Requirement For Some Games- 28:13 DMC Anime Gets Release Date- 28:45 Sony Issues DMCA Takedown Of Bloodborne 60 FPS Mod- 30:34 OBEX Video Game MovieWhat We're Playing- 32:22 Nine Sols And Ender Magnolia- 41:30 The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom And HSR- 45:08 Lorelei And The Laser Eyes- 01:02:07 Incursion: Red River- 01:07:32 Gray Zone: Warfare

We've finally got the Switch 2 reveal from Nintendo, the Until Dawn movie already has a trailer, Sony cancels two live service games, and more on this episode.Then in the back half Isli and I talk more about Lorelei and the Laser Eyes.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Bits- 00:09 Until Dawn Movie Already Has A Trailer- 05:44 Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Goes Offline Only- 06:48 PS+ Extra/Premium January Games- 10:34 Sony Cancels Two Unannounced Live Service Games- 15:53 Nintendo Switch 2What We're Playing- 50:55 Astro Bot- 53:02 Lorelei And The Laser Eyes

Sony announced some film updates at CES, Microsoft announced a Developer Direct, and what a third Deus Ex prequel might have been. In the back half Isli and I discuss our initial thoughts on Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, I give my final thoughts on Space Marine 2, and then you get more adventures in Icarus.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Bits- 00:24 Xbox Game Pass January Lineup- 01:04 The Until Dawn Film- 05:54 Horizon Zero Dawn Movie Announced- 07:40 PUBG To Get AI Companions- 13:16 The Last Of Us Season 2 In April- 13:26 Ghost Of Tsushima Anime Announced- 15:04 Microsoft Developer Direct Announced- 15:44 What Another Deus Ex Game Might Have BeenWhat We're Playing- 23:23 Astro Bot- 31:56 Lorelei And The Laser Eyes- 01:01:45 Space Marine 2- 01:07:25 Icarus

It's light news during the holidays but that allows for some longer discussions around Prince of Persia, Secret Level, and Isli's new laptop.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Bits- 00:30 FF7 Rebirth Director's PC Mod Request- 01:23 Borderlands 4 Narrative Director Agrees About BL3 'Toilet Humor'What We're Playing- 05:32 Core Keeper & Astro Bot- 07:30 Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown- 22:10 Secret Level- 52:11 YouTube's AI Feature- 55:38 Isli's New Laptop- 01:05:05 Hitting A Bench Press PR

This episode is all about recapping The Game Awards, from the winners to the announcements. Then in the backend Isli talks about Core Keeper, Xya is still playing Fantasian, and I'm still really enjoying Icarus.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Bits- 01:26 The Game Awards Winners- 26:35 TGA Announcements What We're Playing- 1:18:18 Core Keeper- 1:23:00 Fantasian- 1:28:45 Icarus- 1:36:46 Xya Beats A Boss Live

It's a light news week but Xya gets to give her impressions of the Echoes of Vana'diel, Isli talks the Dredge DLC, and I give my final thoughts on Tunic.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Bits- 01:05 Silly Phil Spencer Comments- 03:22 Warcraft 1 & 2 Remasters- 04:06 Half-Life 2 Update And Documentary- 06:48 Atomfall Release Date- 07:38 Forever Skies 1.0 Delayed To 2025What We're Playing- 13:10 FFXIV Echoes Of Vana'diel- 39:08 Dredge DLC- 55:30 Tunic- 1:14:40 Embarrassing Twitch Raid- 1:19:18 Reaction Channel Annoyances 

We've got a grab bag of news this episode covering things from Star Wars Outlaws updates, Switch 2 details, Death Stranding on Xbox, PS5 Pro updates, and the unfortunate passing of Tony Todd.In the backend, Isli gives his thoughts on the Separate Ways DLC then I talk Dredge, Mouthwashing, and Tunic. Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Bits- 00:33 Game Pass November Wave 1- 02:38 Star Wars Outlaws Updates- 06:31 Switch 2 Update- 07:50 Death Stranding On Xbox- 11:50 No Man's Sky PS5 Pro Update And Cross-Save- 15:15 Dino Crisis Anime That Never Was- 16:18 Baldur's Gate 3 PS5 Pro Update- 16:57 Sony's Comments On Releases And Concord- 22:42 Tony Todd Passes AwayWhat We're Playing- 25:58 FFXIV- 30:40 Separate Ways DLC- 40:08 Dredge- 42:20 Mouthwashing- 45:03 Tunic

This episode we talk about the unfortunately closure of Firewalk Studios, the curious Marathon update, and Isli is back to give his thoughts after getting the Silent Hill 2 platinum.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Bits- 01:04 Firewalk Studios Officially Closed- 05:44 Marathon Is "On Track"- 14:56 FF14 7.1 Update NotesWhat We've Been Playing- 24:30 FF14- 26:00 Silent Hill 2- 46:18 Carrion- 50:28 Dredge

We're back and jumping right into the news we missed and ending with a recap of Sony's State of Play. Then in the back half Isli talks about beating Lies of P, I beat Sons of the Forest, and then I get into Frostpunk 2.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlight- 00:34 Next Battlefield Game Will Be In A Modern Setting- 01:25 Netflix Confirms New Cyberpunk Animated Project- 01:55 Meta Quest 3S Announced- 03:14 Blizzard Rumored To Be Working On A StarCraft FPS- 05:48 Fntastic Announces New Scam, I mean, Kickstarter- 07:00 Sony State Of Play RecapWhat We're Playing- 34:36 Lies Of P- 44:52 Sons Of The Forest- 01:02:45 Frostpunk 2- 01:08:59 OBS Test Stream Cam Issue- 01:10:33 Twitch To Work On Viewer Encoding- 01:15:40 Isli's Horror Movies Short Reviews- 01:21:30 So Many Movies On My Watchlist

Is there a deeper story behind the handbags you adore? We have the privilege of talking with Karima Bidar of Isli Studio, the dual-homed handbag designer from France and Morocco, in this episode. Her tale weaves together a tapestry of skilled craftsmanship in Morocco and the intricate artistry of handbag design. Karima reveals how her unique dual-identity influences her work and the significance of her personal relationships with the artisans she collaborates with. Prepare to navigate the triumphs and trials she encountered as an industry pioneer, her dedicated investment in Moroccan craftsmanship, and her unwavering commitment to her home country.Our exploration doesn't stop there. We uncover the highs and lows of producing handbags in Morocco and grasp the importance of clear vision and understanding the production process in working with international factories. We also dive into the challenges many designers face due to a lack of proper guidance and resources. Finally, we delve into Morocco's leather production industry, as Karima shares her vision to bring about significant changes. If you're an aspiring designer or a curious handbag enthusiast, this engaging conversation is a treasure trove of valuable insights. Tune in and get ready to view your beloved handbag in a whole new light.Follow Karima:https://www.instagram.com/isli.studio/ Shop Handbag Designer 101 Merch: https://www.emilyblumenthal.com/category/all-products Register for the Handbag Designer 101 Masterclass: https://www.emilyblumenthal.com/challenge-page/Masterclass Book a handbag session with Emily: https://www.emilyblumenthal.com/ Hire Emily to be a guest speaker at your event: https://www.emilyblumenthal.com/speaking Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HandbagDesigner101-IHDA Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handbagdesigner/ Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@handbagdesigner Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/handbagdesigner

It's been a weird week of news with the lukewarm PS5 Pro announcement, the stealth PS5 controller price hike, more Microsoft layoffs, and Annapurna's gaming team quitting. However, in the backend Isli gives his final impressions of Astro Bot and I talk about my 11 hours with Forever Skies early access.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlight- 00:26 PS5 Pro- 13:45 PS5 Controller Price Hike- 19:13 PS+ September Additions - 20:05 Destiny 2 To Change Content Strategy- 22:00 Star Wars Outlaws First Big Patch- 26:50 Xbox Game Pass Standard Tier - 30:22 More Xbox Layoffs- 32:34 Annapurna's Gaming Team Quits- 34:54 4A Games To Remain With EmbracerWhat We're Playing- 36:25 Astro Bot- 41:00 Forever Skies- 01:18:50 Star Wars Outlaws- 01:26:00 Tight Secure Code Windows

The big news this episode is Sony suddenly taking Concord offline and refunding all purchases. Then, during what we've been playing, Isli talks about Astro Bot, I give updated impressions of Star Wars Outlaws, and then I talk about Chants of Sennaar after finishing it. Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlight- 00:33 Concord Goes Offline- 20:51 Star Wars Outlaws- 22:19 Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 7 What We're Playing- 24:30 Astro Bot- 27:50 Star Wars Outlaws- 42:03 Chants of Sennaar- 55:53 YouTube's Interesting AI Chat Summary- 01:00:12 PS5 Pro Rumors

While light on news we did have the announcement that Bethesda has officially unionized, though they need to work out the details with Microsoft. It'll be interesting to see what kind of waves this sends through the industry at large.Then, after the short news section, Isli finally starts Alan Wake 2 and I finally get into Shadow of the Erdtree.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlight- 00:15 Bethesda Unionizes- 03:40 Nintendo Releases Official Joy-Con Charging Stand- 05:40 Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 7 Details- 08:40 Baldur's Gate 3 Hidden MiniquestWhat We're Playing- 13:50 Alan Wake 2- 29:57 FFXIV Dawntrail / Shadow Of The Erdtree- 34:00 No Man's Sky- 46:00 Elden Ring / Shadow Of The ErdtreeMisc.- 59:38 Air Fryer- 01:05:48 Legendary Protein Pop Tarts- 01:10:58 Elgato Wave 3 Mic- 01:12:47 Rants

In our first episode back from a busy schedule we cover the Frostpunk 2 delay, the announced Assassin's Creed remakes, Isli completed Signalis, and I have a lot of hotel annoyances to talk about. Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlight- 02:00 Minecraft Getting Native PS5 Version- 02:46 Frostpunk 2 Delayed- 05:20 PS+ July Games- 09:21 Assassin's Creed RemakesWhat We're Playing- 18:14 Signalis- 24:55 Airplane Mode For Mobile Games- 41:56 Hotel Annoyances

This week we've got some sales numbers for both Helldivers 2 and the PS5 before we jump into the Assassin's Creed Shadow reveal. Then in the back end Isli gives his impression of Alan Wake after playing it for the first time.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlight- 00:12 Sony's New SIE CEOs- 03:44 Helldivers 2 Sales- 09:00 PS5 Sales Figures- 16:07 More PS+ Games For May- 16:50 The Division Heartland Cancelled- 23:27 Assassin's Creed Shadows- 49:29 Tomb Raider TV Series ConfirmedWhat We're Playing- 58:40 Animal Well- 01:05:07 Alan Wake- 01:14:42 Lies Of P

Sony went back on their PSN requirement for Helldivers 2 on PC, right before the last episode went live, and then Xbox decided to shut down a few studios this week to everyone's surprise. After a lengthy discussion on the closures Isli gives his impressions of Animal Well and then I talk about how much I enjoy Lies of P.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlight- 00:22 Sony Reverse PSN Requirement For Helldivers 2- 04:05 Nintendo Confirms June Showcase And Switch Successor- 06:04 Microsoft Studio ClosuresWhat We've Been Playing- 54:45 Animal Well- 01:06:18 Honkai Star Rail- 01:13:20 Lies Of P- 01:34:47 FireTV Rant- 01:37:14 Tripping Over Cables- 01:39:37 Monitor Rant

This week we get into the crazy Helldivers 2 drama before jumping into Xya's time with the R36S Retro Handheld and Isli talks about his time with Ori and the Blind Forest. Then I get into my return to Fallout 76, my thoughts on Viewfinder, and my adventures into Lies of P.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlight- 00:14 Xbox Games Showcase Announced- 01:23 Returnal Graphic Novel & Art Book- 03:47 Gamepass For May- 04:29 Fallout 76 Patch- 08:41 PS5 Invite Update- 09:30 Silly Skyrim Mod- 11:16 Helldiver's 2 DramaWhat We're Playing- 22:03 Ori And The Blind Forest- 27:30 R36S Retro Handheld Console- 35:16 Fallout 76- 50:21 Viewfinder- 58:20 Lies Of P

This episode we speculate about the announced Ubisoft Forward event, go over the Bugsnax card game, and talk about the interesting release strategy for Content Warning.Then later Xya gives final impressions after finishing Rebirth, Isli updates his Death Stranding playthrough, and I talk about Last Train Home before going over the process of buying a new keyboard.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlight- 00:21 Immortals Of Aveum Getting FSR 3 Support On Console- 01:12 Bugsnax Card Game- 04:00 Star Wars Outlaws To Get New Story Trailer- 04:20 Speculating The Ubisoft Forward- 10:00 Sea Of Thieves PS5 Progress And Item Transfer- 11:11 Jump Ship- 12:45 Content WarningWhat We're Playing- 21:00 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth- 37:00 Death Stranding (With Spoilers)- 49:30 Last Train Home- 56:27 Buying A New Keyboard- 1:17:36 Back To FF7 Rebirth

This isn't your regularly scheduled episode but we wanted to get one in since we'll be unable to record this coming weekend. This one is all about Isli updating his thoughts on Death Stranding.Enjoy!

This episode we do some quick news highlights before jumping into the recap of the Xbox Partner showcase. Then in the backend Xya gives updated impressions of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Isli talks Death Stranding.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlight- 00:12 Deviation Games Shuts Down- 04:44 Watch Dogs Movie In The Works- 09:07 Xbox Partner Showcase Recap- 20:45 Peter Moore InterviewWhat We're Playing- 23:12 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth- 39:41 Death Stranding

Isli is in London so unfortunately he won't be able to speak to performance improvements in BG3 since patch 5 released but there is plenty they added that we can cover. We also talk about the promising Fallout trailer from Amazon and how Bungie will really need to nail The Final Shape.Here are the timestamps:IntroNews Highlights - 00:13 Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 5 - 15:50 RE4 PSVR2 Release Date - 16:02 Xbox Game Pass Games For December - 18:57 TLOU Season 2 Will Feature Lost Levels - 20:05 Destiny 2 The Final Shape Delayed - 23:28 Free Radical Design Facing Closer - 31:18 Amazon's Fallout Teaser TrailerWhat We're Playing - 38:13 Palia - 42:17 Far Cry New Dawn

This episode was recorded over Thanksgiving weekend so there wasn't a lot to talk about, but that gives us plenty of time for Isli to give us his Baldur's Gate 3 updates and how PS5 performance is fairing in Act 3.Here are the timestamps:00:00 Intro00:18 News Highlights - 00:18 Rockstar's Agent - 05:34 Cult Of The Lamb: Sins Of The Flesh - 06:25 Subnautica Sequel In 2025?22:35 What We're Playing - 22:35 Moonstone Island - 28:39 Baldur's Gate 3

The nominees for The Game Awards were announced last week and we go over the bulk of the categories in this episode. The in the back half Isli talks about Baldur's Gate 3 on PS5 having terrible performance in Act 3 due to Patch 4, and I talk about being disappointed in Alan Wake 2's ending. Here are the timestamps:00:00 Intro002:00 News Highlights - 02:00 Fortnite Voice Reporting Feature - 13:33 Lords Of The Fallen Patch - 19:27 The Game Awards Nominations1:14:25 What We're Playing - 1:15:00 Super Mario RPG - 1:17:15 Baldur's Gate 3 - 1:32:10 FFXIV - 1:35:40 Alan Wake 21:44:10 The Last Of Us Part II Remaster

It's a short news recap this episode before jumping into what we've been playing. Xya gives her final impressions of Assassin's Creed Mirage, Isli talks more through Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3, and I talk about Alan Wake 2.Here are the timestamps:00:00 Intro00:17 News Highlights - 00:17 Lies Of P To Get Sequel And DLC - 14:07 The Day Before Drama Continues - 19:50 COD: Modern Warfare 3 Has No Platinum?23:12 What We're Playing - 23:12 Assassin's Creed Mirage - 36:32 Baldur's Gate 3 (Act 1 & 2 Spoilers) - 1:14:30 Alan Wake 2

Sony has official revealed the PS5 Slim, Best Buy is dropping physical movies in 2024, and Isli gets into Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3. Here are the timestamps:00:00 Intro00:21 News Highlights - 00:21 Castlevania Nocture Renewed  - 00:32 PS5 Slim - 13:12 Cloud Streaming For PS5 Games - 14:28 Dead Island 2 Story DLC - 15:10 Best Buy Discontinuing Sales Of DVDs And Blu-ray - 30:32 Microsoft Finalizes Activision Blizzard Acquisition - 34:35 Omni-Man MK1 Trailer38:56 What We're Playing - 38:56 Baldur's Gate Act 1 Discussion (Spoiler Warning) - 1:06:25 Assassin's Creed Mirage1:20:15 Great Wolf Lodge Scavenger Hunt 

We go deep on Final Fantasy Remake/Rebirth, the Microsoft/FTC leaks, and then we have a ton of Baldur's Gate 3 on the backend.Here are the timestamps:00:00 Intro00:30 News Highlights - 00:30 Studio Departures - 06:03 The Division 3 Announced - 08:00 Tomb Raider Trilogy Remastered - 12:32 Sony State Of Play - 31:27 Ascendant Studios Hit With Layoffs - 46:40 The FTC Microsoft Leakp1:01:28 What We're Playing - 1:01:28 Baldur's Gate 3 (Isli) - 1:09:25 Sea Of Stars / Moonstone Island - 1:16:42 Baldur's Gate 3 (Jcm) - 1:34:55 More Baldur's Gate 3 With Isli

We do a quick recap for Gamescom, even though there wasn't too much new from it, and then later we get into Isli's impressions of Armored Core 6. Here are the timestamps:00:00 Intro00:10 News Highlights - 00:10 Gamescom - 06:00 Baldur's Gate 3 News - 12:45 No Man's Sky Echoes Update - 16:05 Mortal Kombat Fatality Narration - 18:40 PlayStation Portal 26:50 What We're Playing - 26:50 Armored Core 6 - 30:53 Core Keeper - 47:35 Baldur's Gate 357:55 New PC Annoyances

We've got a verdict for the FTC vs. Microsoft, but that was the biggest news this week so after a quick highlight of some of the smaller bits of news we get into more of Isli's impressions of FF16. We do get into spoilers up through the Garuda fight so just be aware.Here are the timestamps for this episode:00:00 Intro00:15 News Highlights - 00:15 Microsoft Wins Against The FTC - 12:42 PlayStation Accessibility Controller Launches In December - 13:00 Release Date Shuffle - 14:13 Larry Hryb Steps Away From Xbox - 15:50 Assassin's Creed Gaming SuitWhat We're Playing - Final Fantasy 16 Spoilers Up To Defeating Garuda01:03:14 Trying The XP Flavored LoL Coca-Cola01:07:45 Elgato Steam Deck +

This week we cover some quick news highlights before jumping into the recap from the Xbox and Ubisoft showcases. Then in the backend Isli and I talk more about our time with Diablo IV.Here are the timestamps:00:00 Intro00:45 News Highlights - 00:45 Dominic Robilliard Joins Skydance New Media - 02:47 Dead Cells Getting Animated Series - 03:44 Dead Space To Get Scripted Podcast - 04:42 The Callisto Protocol DLC - 05:34 Microsoft Not Making Xbox One Games Anymore - 08:50 People Can Fly Working On A Microsoft IP10:36 Xbox Showcase36:49 Ubisoft Forward54:00 What We're Playing

This episode is all about recapping what was shown at Summer Game Fest and then later Isli and I go deep on what we think about Diablo IV.Here are the timestamps for this episode:00:00 Intro00:35 News Highlights - 00:35 Diablo IV To Get Two Expansions - 01:00 No Man's Sky Singularity Update - 02:35 Summer Game Fest33:22 What We're Playing

Processed food industries are thriving in developing countries, despite government commitment to eradicating non-communicable diseases, prevention programs aim at reducing obesity, type two diabetes, and sugary beverage consumption. What's more, political leaders in some countries are reluctant to regulate the marketing and sale of these products, particularly among vulnerable groups, like children and the poor. Like me, you might be asking yourself: why? Our guest today is the author of a new book, "Junk Food Politics: How Beverage and Fast Food Industries Are Reshaping Emerging Economics." His name is Professor Eduardo Gomez, Director of the Institute of Health Policy and Politics, at Lehigh University. Interview Summary   Let's begin with a basic question, what prompted you to write the book?   Great question. It really started, I remember almost the day, when I came across this article written by the New York Times in 2016. This article started to talk about the rise in influence of the sugar industry in the US, and how they were shaping evidence about the connection between the consumption of sugar and heart disease. For many years in the past, that connection was never emphasized when it came to national dietary recommendations. This New York Times article really revealed how powerful and influential these industries were in shaping the evidence and policies on the linkages between sugar and heart disease, and our consumption of these products.   At the same time, I was doing research on obesity policy in Brazil, comparing Brazil to the US, and why Brazil was doing better in the areas of nutritional information, prevention, and awareness about childhood obesity. I also saw that obesity cases were still increasing in Brazil despite these prevention efforts. At the time, I was also starting to work in Mexico and saw similar policies in Mexico being implemented on prevention and awareness, and national dietary guidelines. But still, we saw a rise in obesity, a rise in adolescent diabetes. So those two things - the evidence about how industries manipulate data and dietary guidelines - and then how luncheon programs are really not achieving their goal of reducing childhood obesity in adolescent diabetes. Those puzzles really motivated me in writing this book to really delve deeper into this question. That really required not a journal article, but a book that would do an in-depth historical case study analysis of several countries, and to document and do interviews on how these industries are working with government. And, how government also works with industries in this area of trying to address childhood obesity, and type two adolescent diabetes.   So how did you go about collecting data for the book?   I did a qualitative comparative method, which is a bit different, as you know, from most people working in public health and epidemiological studies about childhood obesity and diabetes. That entailed a comparative historical analysis of several similar case studies. I chose cases in the emerging economies that, I think, reflected the biggest problems with obesity and diabetes in their region. But the goal of the comparison, was really to accentuate similarities between cases, and, also, the vast differences and uniqueness of the cases. I then went about doing the research through document analysis of several different sources, books, articles, policy reports, media news, talking about the issue, both in the English language, and also in the countries of Brazil and Mexico, the Spanish and Portuguese language. I did interviews with activists and researchers in several of these countries, although not all of them. I think bringing together all the different qualitative evidence was very effective in trying to thoroughly address this issue. It's a topic that has not been discussed that much. Bringing together the multiple evidence pieces took a long time.   It produced a wonderfully rich book with lots of interesting information from different sources around the world. I, for one, really appreciate what you've done. So in the book, you have very detailed case studies, as you mentioned, of a number of countries, in particular countries such as Mexico and Brazil, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa. Let's talk about a few of these countries, and then, perhaps, we can return to something that you alluded to a moment ago. That there are quite striking similarities across the countries. So what did you learn about Mexico?   I had lived in Mexico for several years doing research there, and the fast food culture and industry, and the consumption of soda, is extremely high. Compared to the US, Mexico's per capita daily consumption of soda is highest, arguably, in the world. Coca-Cola played a major role in that. Coca-Cola was in Mexico for many, many years, and the NAFTA Free Trade Agreement facilitated the arrival of Coca-Cola, and of many other kinds of ultra-processed foods and industries, into Mexico. Mexico is one of the world leaders in childhood obesity and type two diabetes. The government did, for many years, a good job of raising awareness to this issue. The National Institute of Public Health in Cuernavaca, for example, did fantastic work elevating the issue, convincing the government that something needed to be done about this ongoing health problems, especially among children and the poor.   But what I found is while there was legislation being implemented, it was, a lot of times, delayed, and those policies that were created, such as limiting the presence of sodas within schools, were not really effectively enforced. A lot of parents reporting to schools that their children were still consuming soda products. Of course, everyone knows about the soda tax that was implemented in 2014 in Mexico, becoming the first in the world to have a national soda tax. That's been a very effective effort. But there are several years in which this was debated and delayed, and for many years industries resisted improvements to the food label, which was, eventually, recently accomplished. But all of this started to point to the power and influence of major industries and their interest group.   One thing that I learned in this case is that industries also engage in several partnerships with government to try and take away the focus from regulations and improving food labels, for example. And one partnership is working with government to introduce the importance of exercise in schools. And it's something that we'll see, also, in the case of China. And so that has taken attention away, in addition to the lobbying efforts, and funding science and research sort of questions, from the efficacy of a soda tax. But one thing that was very important is that presidents also matter, and their relationships with industry. One president that really stood out was President Vincente Fox, who was a former Coca-Cola executive for the region. And that relationship facilitated industry's influence within government, and in connecting with politicians in influencing policy over years. But then later, subsequent presidents, like President Enrique Pena Nieto, worked with Nestle to address hunger eradication programs in Mexico.   So these partnerships with industry, while they are admirable in trying to eradicate hunger, they also, at the same time, bring legitimacy to these industries. This facilitates their ability to influence policy. Those was some of the key lessons that I found in Mexico.   So moving to a different part of the world, and, of course, to a different political system, what did you learn about China?   China has seen a burgeoning growth in consumption of soda, and also fast food chain establishments. We've also seen a huge increase in childhood obesity, and adolescent type two diabetes. But was really striking about this case, is that the government has done a great job, not only of increasing awareness about the challenge, but emphasizing the importance of exercise as a primary way to try and address the issue and why this particular approach. Instead of regulation limiting sales and access to foods for children and the poor, in trying to emphasize this idea of exercise. Now I found that through the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), Coca-Cola, and other industry, had an influence. The ILSI found partners within the Ministry of Health, who created the ISLI of China, and through these partnerships, in these connections between I-S-L-I and major health officials, the idea of emphasizing exercise as a solution started to infiltrate, and really shaped government legislation. I cite the excellent work by Susan Greenhalgh at Harvard, who documented a lot of how this was happening. At the same time, we saw industries partnering with government, and government officials emphasizing sports and exercise as an approach. But surprisingly, there was really no effort to introduce regulations on advertising and marketing. Similar to what we've seen in the US, no effective food regulations or mandates on quality of sugar and products. That really was startling, given the huge problem that China's having with childhood obesity. But again, government partnerships with industry on eradicating poverty and achieving economic growth, certainly doesn't help, and overlooks the need to introduce regulations, and sees industry as a partner in trying to achieve China's broader efforts on poverty reduction and economic development.   We're certainly starting to see some themes emerge in the stories that you're telling. So let's go to the third continent. What did you find in South Africa?   South Africa is a very interesting case, where, again, like these other countries, you've seen a rise in obesity and type two diabetes. It's been very challenging because culturally, being overweight has been seen as a sign of health for some. Being thin, being associated with diseases, such as HIV, AIDS, or tuberculosis. So, one of the major hurdles that governments, and activists, have also been trying to address, is information about the health implications of being overweight. And then also the increasing public's knowledge about type two diabetes. Similar to the other cases, you saw government efforts, beginning in 2015, to address the national obesity issue. But there are very, very few effective policies introduced, such as regulations on advertising and marketing. These have basically been introduced as plans and ideas, with no concrete efforts yet. The government relied on self-regulation, where industries pledge not to market their products to children, and to be more responsible in that. Also, there have been no regulations on sales of these foods in and around schools, and no improvements in labels. Why has that been the case? Again, industry has been very involved through policy partnerships, working with government to emphasize, again, exercise. Companies, like Nestle, have done a very good job in providing nutritional education and training to schools. While admirable, these partnerships have distracted the government from pursuing needed regulations, and trying to address these issues, seeing that these industries are partners, and seeing no real need to introduce these regulations. But again, at the same time, presidents matter. You've had presidents with very strong connections to industries. The current president, for example, having been in consulting profession, direct ties to fast food industry. And they've seen these industries as a critical partner in addressing economic development, but especially job security, and job growth, and seeing them as a need to be there in prospering. But, at the same time, you've also seen a civil society that is starting to emerge, but has been challenged by industry's relationship with other nutrition researchers and activists, and not being able to work and create a broader mobilization effort to address this issue. %he activist community is just now starting to emerge. They don't have as many allies in society that they can work with. As we saw in China, that civic activist movement has been just very slowly emerging. That's been limiting as well.   These comments, so far, are consistent across countries. Focusing on physical activity, for example, diverting attention away from industry influences and regulations that might affect them, weakening regulations, and things like that. What do you see as the main themes that are weaving through this picture?   There are several themes. One is policy partnerships - industries partnering with government, and how this helps industry convince policy makers that regulations are not necessary. Those studying commercial determinants of health and nutrition, we all know this, but this has been especially prominent in the emerging economies. Another, is corporate social responsibility activities. There have been so many cases, wonderful efforts, that major soda and food industries are doing to increase education, nutritional awareness and training, even food regulation, and quality of food For example, with street vendors. But again, these CSR activities are taking away, and distracting from the need for regulations, while, at the same time bringing legitimacy, and social legitimacy, community legitimacy, to their product. Another major theme is that these corporate social responsibility activities, for example, sponsoring or providing support to NGOs, that contributes to dividing society. So, when industries partner with certain activists, or NGOs, that question the importance of particular policies, or libertarian principles, of having the right to eat whatever food that you want, whenever industries partners with these researchers and activists, it takes away from the number of activists, real activists, working on the issue can partner with. There are many cases where I interviewed activists are saying that, they don't have as many allies that they can work with, because of these other people. These nutrition researchers working with industry. So that was a major issue that came across. Another was institutions. Institutions matter very much, specifically, their ability to include civil societal interest in ideas. In the case of Brazil, I talk about Consell, a national council that was within the office of the presidency. And under the previous Lula administration, civil society had access to the office of the presidency in providing nutritional information, and recommendations for policy. Under the Bolsonaro administration, the Consell Institution was no longer present. But now it has reemerged again. That was the one case where institutions really mattered in guaranteeing access to activists. In all the other countries, these kinds of institutions were not present. A final theme is that presidential politics and policy matters considerably. We often point the finger to industries, you know, blaming them for everything, but this book really shows that we also need to blame presidents for not being more careful in the kinds of partnerships they engage in with industries. Even though their intentions may be admirable in trying to eradicate hunger, eradicate poverty, achieve economic job growth, by partnering with soda and food industries, they're also providing legitimacy to them, and providing excuses, not really to pursue regulations that may harm their prosperity. Those were the main themes that came out in the book.   So a number of things have been tried around the world to counter industries influence. What do you think are some of the most promising?   The most promising are effective regulations on advertising and sales of products. And there are very, very, very few great examples, but one, Chile, has seen amazing progress in introducing restrictions on the advertising of foods, by law, eliminating the usage of cartoons on cereal boxes, something that, of course, we haven't achieved yet in the US. That's been very effective in addressing this issue. I think that these sales and advertising regulations are just the most difficult to achieve, but can really get to the root of the problem, which is decreasing children's awareness, and interest, in food products. Another is incorporating civil society within institutions. The more the governments can provide a venue for activists to have presence within the Ministry of Health, and to actually introduce policy ideas, that can be very effective. I think that that's been, with the exception of Brazil for several years, absent in all of the countries that I looked at in my book. I think that's something that needs to really be taken more seriously. And then another, is investing in civil society, providing more funding for nutrition researchers, activists, and NGOs, that are trying to raise this issue about childhood obesity, but also the commercial determinants of health. That is still much needed area. The Bloomberg Foundation has done great work in Mexico, but we need a lot more in other emerging economies, and lot more support for these activists. These are efforts that can really help to address this issue.   I'm happy you mentioned the Bloomberg Foundation, because, thanks to them, a number of these things have been evaluated, which really helps other countries be informed about what might be effective, and on what might not be. Are there things that are not being done that you would think might be considered?   I do think that it's time that presidents around the world, and other health officials leaders, question their partnerships with industry. Question if it's really effective. I believe that there should be more of an effort to not have industry involved in nutrition policies, non-communicable disease policies, and, especially, policies that focus on childhood obesity. I think the case of China really showed that that can be a major problem. I think that one, political leaders need to take more leadership in reevaluating the effectiveness of these partnerships, and if they're appropriate. Another is that laws on regulations of conflict of interest need to be well established. Really, in none of the cases that I looked at are there federal laws and regulations on if industries can contribute money to nutrition conferences, sponsoring of nutrition conferences. In Brazil, they are now starting to address this, but in other countries, this has not really been addressed yet. This is unacceptable when there are industries that have conflict of interest, and are supporting nutrition scientists and researchers. One of the things that really needs to be done is increasing government, or foundation, support for nutrition scientists in these emerging economies, so they are not interested in working with industry. Finally, there just needs to be a lot more of a government commitment to civic inclusion in these kinds of policies. We all know the civil society matters. Of course, government officials will always say, of course, you know, we're listening to civil society. But the evidence on to what extent activists have access to national institutions and policy, is very, very scarce. I'm just not convinced that governments are doing enough to include activists into their national policy discussions in these emerging economies. With the exception, I think, of Mexico, now, hopefully, with Brazil, the other emerging economies that I talk about in the book really have not achieved, and I think that needs to be addressed. These are the issues that really need to be addressed going forward.   Bio   Dr. Eduardo J. Gómez is an Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Health Policy and Politics at Lehigh University. A political scientist by training, his research focuses on the politics of global health policy, with a focus on emerging middle-income countries. He is the author of three books, the latest being Geopolitics in Health: Confronting Obesity, AIDS, and Tuberculosis in the Emerging BRICS Economies (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018). Dr. Gómez has published his research in a myriad of peer-reviewed journals, as well as policy journals and major news outlets. His new book, Junk Food Politics (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2023), critically examines the rise and political influence of soda and ultra-processed food industries in developing nations, with a focus on NCDs among children and the poor. He is also leading several other major research projects focusing on the politics of NCDs, such as type-2 diabetes and obesity, in Mexico, Brazil, and Indonesia. Dr. Gómez is also a Commissioner for the Rockefeller Foundation and Boston University Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. His research has received external funding support from the Rockefeller Foundation, Oxfam, George Soros, and Tinker Foundations. Prior to his arrival at Lehigh, Dr. Gómez was an Associate Professor (UK Senior Lecturer) at King's College London, Assistant Professor at Rutgers University, and pre-doctoral visiting scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health. He has also previously worked for the RAND Corporation, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Dialogue. Dr. Gómez is also a veteran of the United States Air Force and is a former Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He received his PhD political science from Brown University, MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago, and BA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.   

It's a light week of news but we get into some long discussions about the Resident Evil 4 Remake as well as Isli's journey to get the platinum.Here are the timestamps for this episode:00:00 Intro01:02 News Highlights - 01:02 God Of War: Ragnarok Gets NG+ - 03:50 Joseph Staten Leaves Microsoft - 05:50 Resident Evil 4 Remake Sales Figures37:00 What We've Been Playing

We're back after missing a week and we quickly highlight some of the news that we would have covered. Then we get into a highlight of current news as well as recap the DICE awards.In the backend Isli gives his updated thoughts on Hogwarts Legacy and I give my initial impressions of Sons of the Forest. Here are the timestamps for this episode:00:00 Intro00:21 News - 00:21 Quickly Highlighting News From The Week We Missed - 02:55 Assassin's Creed Syndicate To Get PS5 Patch - 03:48 Valve Tricks DOTA 2 Cheaters - 04:58 Shinji Mikami Leaving Tango Gameworks - 07:42 Mortal Kombat 12 - 09:28 Baldur's Gate 3 Confirmed For PS5 At Launch - 12:00 Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League - 15:25 Sony's State Of Play - 20:24 PS+ Games For March - 21:58 Sons Of The Forest Sales Figures - 23:02 Recapping The DICE Awards31:00 What We've Been Playing

It's a scattershot of news with some release dates, new studios, remakes, next-gen upgrades, and a story about how Isli cost me $36.Here are the timestamps for this episode:00:00 Intro00:27 News Highlights - 00:27 New Release Dates - 01:12 Fallout 4 To Get Xbox Series / PS5 Update - 02:45 Sony's New Studio - 03:49 Canis Majoris Is A Witcher 1 Remake - 06:30 PS Plus And Games With Gold For November - 07:14 Callisto Protocol Cancelled In Japan - 09:12 PlayStation London Studio's New Game Details - 10:42 Game Pass Will Get An Increase At Some Point  - 11:10 Diablo III's Auction House Debacle19:06 What We're Playing- 25:10 How Isli Cost Me $3631:06 Back To What We're Playing49:09 Big Game Sales51:43 Ranting About Kid's Snacks58:35 Ranting About ‘Creamy' Cheese1:01:44 How 3g Of Fiber Has A Big Taste Impact

We don't have much this week but we do have a nice chunk about how silly Pokemon is nowadays, I speculate on why I never made it beyond Pokemon Red when I was a kid, Isli live reacts to an Amazon Prime Truck problem, and I make a final choice on potatoes. Here are the timestamps for this episode:00:00 Intro00:29 News Highlights - 00:29 Xbox Testing Game Pass Sharing - 05:04 Tactics Ogre: Reborn Remaster  - 07:29 Steam Deck 3.3 Update      - 08:45 The Amazon Prime Truck Part 1/2 - 12:13 Meet Your Maker  - 16:10 Pokemon       - 32:39 The Amazon Prime Truck Part 2/237:16 What We're Playing59:40 The Potato Dilemma Finale

Elden Ring got a major patch this week, it's also selling really well and doing huge numbers in Europe. We also got a small look at the Dead Space remake and a big look at Hogwarts Legacy.Here are the timestamps for this episode:00:00 Intro01:00 News Bits - 00:33 Elden Ring Gets A Major Patch - 02:22 Elden Ring Is Europe's Biggest New IP Since The Division - 03:37 The Initiative Studio Issues - 05:37 Hogwarts Legacy - 19:28 Dead Space Remake Audio System   - 22:02 Game Releases - 30:45 What We're Playing     - 33:23 Horizon Forbidden West Spoilers           - 54:50 End Horizon Spoilers

Isli is back this week though he hasn't been playing much over the holidays. We've also got Sony announcing more details about PlayStation VR2 at CES, Dying Light 2 has a ton of content, and the details matter in the Days Gone sales drama. Episode timestamps:00:00 Intro00:50 Quick News Bits02:56 Dying Light 2 Has A Ton Of Content10:40 Days Gone Sales Drama15:52 PlayStation VR229:00 What We've Been Playing

“Pardon My French” edhe këtë herë erdhi shumë ndryshe! Pyetjet “pikante” të këtij emisioni këtë javë i bëri gazetarja e njohur, Elona Duro. Të ftuar në studio ishin Xhemi Shehu, Jonida Maliqi, Kelvi Kadilli dhe Isli Islami, të cilët zbuluan pak më shumë rreth pjesëmarrjes së tyre si prezantues në Festivalin e Këngës që do të zhvillohet këtë vit

We lost the episode we recorded last week so we do a small recap at the start of the episode, though we quickly pivot to recent news. It also seems like everyone got access to the Elden Ring network test and have been posting like crazy, though we're pretty much going on a blackout until the game releases. I also give my final thoughts on Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of the show.Here are some timestamps for things discussed on this episode:00:00 Intro01:32 Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep03:20 Unity buys Weta Digital04:10 Speculating The Game Awards09:00 Steam Deck Delayed10:50 Going Off Track About Cars14:37 Xbox Exclusive The Gunk Gets A Release Date15:10 Rainbow Six Extraction Gets New Date And Price16:45 Better Control For Xbox Players On PC17:25 Sony Has More Than 25 Games In Development22:35 What We're Playing30:45 Elden Ring38:00 Back To What We're Playing51:38 Isli's Second Injury 

This week we talk about Sony trying out game trials for PS5, a shake up at Gearbox, Destiny 2 vaulting more content again, and why some players might be disappointed in Pokemon Legends: Arceus' 'open world' maps. Plus in the back half I talk about my impressions from the Battlefield 2042 beta, my thoughts on Far Cry 6, and what the franchise could potentially do to shake up future installments for the people that think it's getting a little stale.00:00 Intro00:14 Quick News Recap16:14 What We've Been Playing54:35 Isli's Hip Injury

Isli and I get into our final thoughts on Deathloop at the backend of this episode, there are only minor spoiler bits which we note ahead of time, but now that all is said and done and with some time passed after finishing the game we get into the highs and lows of the game.Here are the timestamps for things we talked about this episode:00:00 Intro05:07 Game Deals08:16 New Releases13:00 News Recap33:55 What We're Playing39:10 Our Thoughts On Deathloop

We got a good look at the Dead Space Remake this past week, some release dates, a PlayStation Showcase announced, and more.I also mull around the idea of playing all of the Destiny 2 content that I never played leading up to the new content next year, though Isli has some thoughts on that.Here are the timestamps for some of the things we discuss:00:00 Intro00:10 Dead Space Remake Footage05:18 Brendan Greene Leaves Krafton06:25 New Game Release Dates08:00 PlayStation Showcase Announced18:00 Destiny 2 Patches In Cross-Play VOIP18:30 Gameboy Games On Nintendo Online?20:51 What We're Playing39:46 Thinking About Catching Up On Destiny 2 Content