Podcasts about Media Molecule

Send us a textWe kick start 2025 with a look ahead to PlayStation potential line-up! 00:00:36 - Welcome/Housekeeping00:06:36 - Our Festive Gaming00:24:17 - The News! 00:24:24 - January's PlayStation Plus Games00:37:00 - Sucker Punch / Ghost of Yotei00:45:29 - Naughty Dog / Intergalactic00:49:51 - Guerrilla Games00:57:28 - Housemarque01:00:32 - Bend Studio01:10:05 - Team Asobi01:14:00 - Polyphony Digital01:16:32 - Firesprite Studios01:21:30 - Media Molecule 01:26:08 - Bluepoint Games01:31:03 - Haven Studios / Fairgame$01:35:33 - Insomniac Games 01:37:37 - Bungie / Marathon01:41:56 - Sony San Diego / MLB The Show01:43:36 - Sony Santa Monica Studio01:47:22 - Arrowhead / Helldivers 201:52:12 - Kojima Productions / Death Stranding 2Want more gaming content?

This episode is supported by Xsolla Austin Wintory chats with composer Kenny Young. Together they discuss his career featuring several collaborations with Media Molecule on the Little Big Planet and Tearaway franchises all the way to his latest project, Team Asobi's galactic trek across PlayStation history, Astro Bot. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Team Asobi dostarczył niesamowitą platformówkę i jedną z najlepszych gier na wyłączność dla Playsation 5 gdzie do utratowania czeka ponad 300 botów. Tytuł ten zaskakuje grywalnością, pomysłami, garfiką, udźwiękowieniem i niesamowitym wykorzystaniem pada Dualsense.Drugi omawiany tytuł to też bardzo dobra gra platformowa od Sumo Digital przejęta od Media Molecule gdzie "Szmaciak również w nietuzinkowy sposób zaskakuje gracza wykonaniem i oryginalną oprawą graficzną. Poza tym omówienie Xbox Parter Preview i dużo newsów.

Honored this week to speak with 7x academy award nominated sound designer/composer Kenneth C.M. Young! Kenny's recent work on Astro Bot got rave reviews this year, and his previous time at MediaMolecule included LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway. Kenny dives into his upbringing with Scottish & Applachian music, his unique path into becoming a game composer, and making audio feel like its own character. Chiptune music this week from Vyryr! LINKS:

This week on The Free Cheese, we're all sackdudes, hey!   We revisit Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet and explore its single player campaign to see how it holds up. We also discuss the loss of the game's internet connectivity and the unfortunate absence of its greatest features. 

In this episode of the "Giant Robots On Tour" podcast, hosts Sami Birnbaum and Rémy Hannequin interview Dan Clark, the Founder and CEO of MindJam, an innovative platform providing emotional and SEN (Special Educational Needs) support for young people through gaming, game design, and digital skills. Sami shares a personal story about how his mother, an educational psychologist, introduced him to MindJam, highlighting its impact and relevance. Dan explains that MindJam was born out of the need to support young people who feel out of place in traditional educational settings, particularly those with ADHD, autism, and other neurodivergent conditions. By leveraging popular games like Minecraft, MindJam builds trust and engages young people in a medium they enjoy, transforming therapeutic support into a more effective and engaging process. Dan discusses the inception and growth of MindJam, which started during the pandemic when traditional in-person support became impossible. This shift to online sessions via gaming platforms provided a new avenue to connect with young people, enabling them to open up and build trust in a familiar and enjoyable environment. Dan emphasizes that gaming offers numerous benefits, such as enhancing cognitive abilities, fostering social connections, and providing a safe space for expression. Despite the negative stigma around gaming, he points out that it can be a powerful tool for personal development and emotional support. MindJam has grown significantly, now with 110 mentors supporting over 2,000 young people globally, showcasing the scalability and effectiveness of this approach. The conversation also touches on the broader implications and challenges of integrating gaming into therapeutic and educational contexts. Dan highlights the need for societal perception shifts to recognize the positive aspects of gaming, counteracting the negative media portrayal. He underscores the importance of educating parents, educators, and social services about the benefits of gaming and how it can be used constructively. Dan shares inspiring success stories from MindJam, illustrating how gaming can lead to real-world achievements and personal growth. MindJam (https://mindjam.org.uk/) Follw MindJam on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MindJamOfficial), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindjam/), or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mindjamofficial/). Follow Dan Clark on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-clark-58533220b/). Follow thoughtbot on X (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Transcript:  SAMI: Right, we are back again. And this is the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots podcast, the Giant Robots on Tour series coming to you from Europe, West Asia, and Africa, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host Sami Birnbaum. RÉMY: And I'm your other host, Rémy Hannequin. SAMI: Let's get into it, Rémy. Joining us today is Dan Clark, the Founder and CEO of MindJam, a platform that provides online one-to-one sessions, providing emotional and SEN support for young people through gaming, game design, and digital skills. Dan, full disclosure on this one: so, about a month ago, right? I get an email from my mom. Now [laughs], this email says, "You've got to check this guy out. Go and take a look at MindJam." And I'm thinking, mom, I don't get these emails from you. This is not the normal sort of thing I'd get from my mom on your average weekday. And I know in the past, like, I've told her that I'm kind of doing this podcast thing, and I'm starting to regret, like, telling her this. Like, what is she throwing my way? But I get into some research...and maybe for some context, actually, which is helpful because my mom isn't just doing research for the podcast, my mom's an educational psychologist. So, she's been doing that ever since I can remember. I remember growing up as a kid, and that was, I mean, she assessed me numerous times. And she works, I guess, similar kind of to the children or people that you're working with, people with ADHD, autism, neurodivergent children, just often who are struggling in school and trying to find where they fit. And I start doing my research. I look into it, hit the website, hit your LinkedIn. And I'll be, like, totally honest with you: We were both just blown away by what you are doing. And this is coming not only from me, and I work in the tech industry, and I've got a history of slight gaming addictions, which we might touch on, but also coming from my mom who works on the other side and works with all the local authorities. She does the kind of tribunals that they have to do to try and get people into the right schools and kids into the right schools. And, literally, we were blown away, and I nearly got lost as well on your website. I found some kind of gaming streams that you do, and I feel almost like we missed a trick here, Rémy, because we could have done this podcast on Minecraft. It's such a nice flow, right, when you're streaming. DAN: Yeah, it makes it easier when you've got that distraction there as well. You can just chat about it. Thank you so much for inviting me on. It's a pleasure being here and, yeah, I'm glad you kind of understand what we're doing here. MindJam itself is four years old now. But I was doing things before in the pandemic, similar. But once the pandemic hit, that was the key moment where everything went online for my support with young people. And, suddenly, the light bulb came on, and I was like, this is a way in. You know, there are so many young people that are struggling, lost, feel they're stupid, and don't fit in. Yet, actually, they're amazing. But, you know, a standard way of sitting in front of them going, "Tell me why you can't go to school. Why can't you do this?" you know, it doesn't work. They don't trust that person. They've got trauma. They've been, you know, battered down by education and by health services. And so, to suddenly have someone who comes in and goes, "Oh, so you love Minecraft. Oh, I love Minecraft, too. Let's join in. Let's go in a world." And then, you can build that trust to then go, "How's your week been then?" Or, you know, and start talking, and you're just on the same wavelength. And, for me, it was something as soon as I sort of realized, it was like, this is...of course, this makes perfect sense. And then, I looked and saw nobody else is doing it [laughs]. So, I started off MindJam just on my own. At first, very quickly, we got working with lots of...in the UK, we have local authorities, which is the councils around, so seeing there is a real, you know, thing that they would work with us. So, that was great, to be recognized as actually a real service, rather than just someone playing games with kids. It's like, no, this is real. This really works. And then, it quickly got bigger than me, and now we are at 110 mentors working for us, and we're supporting over 2,000 young people all over the world. SAMI: That's incredible. DAN: It's a mission of mine, you know, we'll go more into my sort of history, but I've got two neurodivergent children: both autistic, one's ADHD as well. When you see something that you think is going to work for your child, to then suddenly see it's got, like, a two-year waiting list, which most have, it's heartbreaking, and you know it's going to be too late. So, it's always been my mission with MindJam to keep that waiting list as small as I can, but also, obviously, expanding with quality mentors and all that. So, you know, we generally tend to always say about three months before we can sort of get that support for young people. But yeah, it's something very close to my heart that I'm so passionate about and, yeah, it's been a great journey so far. SAMI: You can tell. It's so interesting because, like you say, when you find something that works for your kids. Because when I was younger, I struggled with separation anxiety a lot in school. So, I would have days when I would really struggle to go to school. During my high school period, I went to the Royal Free, which is down in Hampstead, so not too far from where I grew up and not too far from my school. And my parents...I tried to engage with a therapist. But it's almost like, I don't know if I wasn't cognitively or intellectually developed enough to engage in that way, but it didn't work. Ultimately, I did kind of one or two sessions. I remember filling in some questionnaire and thinking, like, I don't get this. This doesn't make sense. And what you're talking about, if I understand correctly, is you're coming to where the child is at. You're coming to a safe space for them, a place where they feel comfortable. It's almost like a world which is predictable. Whereas the outside world is very scary, right? Especially for people who have generalized anxiety disorder, like I said, autism. It's very challenging. And so, you come to their level, and you say, "Right, let's find a place where we all feel comfortable." And then, we can start to engage. And you say, like, you know, the pandemic was a little bit of a light bulb moment. What's been the biggest barrier then? So, you've found yourself kind of going into this and saying, right, this is something which works. It works for my kids. I want to make this available, accessible. What's been your biggest barrier to getting this off the ground and getting it working? DAN: It's the negative thoughts and the way the media portrays and education portrays gaming, basically. That has been the hardest thing is most parents are on board, but they still feel a little bit ashamed of how social media is on gaming and screen time. And they're very worried that they're not doing the right thing. And we come in a way of also educating. We educate the educators. We do training plans for schools, and for social services, and all sorts because there are so many benefits to gaming that aren't recognized. And, you know, gaming is still generally quite new. It's evolved so much in the last even 10 years. It's insane the way the characters have evolved. And the emotional nature of games now is really complex and, you know, young people and older people can get so much from them. But gaming still, in general, people are still like, "Well, get off that. Do something actually worthwhile." It's like, it's so worthwhile. There's so much, you know, strategy game you've got so much from it. And a fast-paced shooting you've got cognitive abilities. The perfect example I've got is, did you hear a couple of months ago a young lad, I think he was 13, he beat Tetris. SAMI: Yes. DAN: He completed Tetris, which is incredible, you know, it's like, oh, wow. And the first thing the newsreader said to them, the media person interviewing him went, "You should get out more." That's the way she portrayed it, rather than going, "What an achievement it is. You should get outside more." I'm literally like, what? What's going on? You know, again, this kid, you know, he's in the Guinness World of Records. What an achievement. He's famous around the world for doing it. It's like, why is that not seen as such a good thing? You know, so yeah, so that was the hard thing was especially schools, you know, they're very frightened of gaming and of change. And so, trying to help them see that, actually, if you meet a young person where they're at in something they love, then you can help inspire them and help find out why they can't deal with the things, why they can't engage with school, and also inspire them for future learning careers. Even healthy gaming comes from having that understanding of how they're gaming. So, if someone's sat up all night gaming, yeah, we all know it's not great for them. But if you just say, "Gaming's evil. Get off it. You're wasting your time. I'm turning that off," they're going to want to rebel against that. Yet if you come in and go, "Oh, wow, I can see why you were sat up all night doing that. But have you noticed that you're not as good at playing when you're really tired or really hungry?" And if you look at the top e-sports players, they're athletes. They exercise; they eat well; they sleep well. So, you know, if you embrace gaming a bit more, you can get that trust and that bond to then help inspire in other ways. RÉMY: I mean, I could talk about it for a long time. It's really refreshing to hear someone talk about video games in such a positive way and talking about the benefits. And you even mentioned strong players like athletes. It's really refreshing. And I'm wondering, how did this knowledge come up to you in the first place? So, I bet you might be someone enjoying playing games yourself. But how did you see all these benefits yourself? Because, unfortunately, it's not something we talk a lot about. As you mentioned, in the press, we hear about all the negativity. Every time there is a strong event, we blame video games, all that. And we forgot all the stories where the video games enhance people, if they have trouble or not. It can be very beneficial to a lot of people. So, how did you see this value yourself? DAN: Yeah, well, yeah, I've always been a gamer, you know, ever since Spectrum 48K, I think you had. I'm showing my age now, but it was mainly when the Sega Megadrive, and from then, PlayStation onwards were my days. And me and my brother used to have great times together on that as well. You know, it was our bonding. But then I think the biggest light bulb to me...before the pandemic, I was a teacher. And I used to teach music and ICT and computers as well, and having my children as well, and both in school connecting with the young people. Because I was a gamer, I could talk about the games that they're playing with them and to see their eyes light up...and you're on a different wavelength with that young person. They suddenly got this trust in you, and they want to tell you all about what they've done on Minecraft, or what the new season of Fortnite's about. And it was having such a beneficial effect on them and same with my family as well. We, you know, both my children are autistic, and we've got, you know, we have a lot of difficulties around that of bonding together as a family, yet our closest moments have been through gaming together. So, Mario 3D World was the first one I remember with my children playing, and we could play at all levels. So, my son was about four and, you know, he was often in a bubble, killed, and floating back onto the screen again. But, you know, we had a great time. And I was suddenly, like, looking, thinking, this is amazing. You know, nobody hears about this side of it that it's bringing us together. And so, from there, I then started doing after-school gaming clubs, so not coding clubs, nothing like that. It was gaming. And the young people they loved it. It was oversubscribed. Masses of kids came to it. We had all sorts of things from Super Smash Bros, if you know that, to, you know, to PlayStation games, Go Simulator, and everything playing. And we just had a whale of a time, and they could really relax and make friends. And, again, it was all coming from the joy of gaming together, basically. And it's, you know, as much as some people might not like it, it's bigger and bigger. It's the biggest entertainment industry now. And, you know, on the other side of it, there are so many careers in it. If your young person has an interest in gaming, see what they're interested, help it, champion it because it's, yeah, you know, there's such a future there. But yeah, that's my story, basically, and where that sort of light bulb came from. And then, I've done a lot of research into the benefits of gaming and how you can use that for connecting with young people. And, you know, so many games now have characters with, you know, emotional things going off, or, you know, you can talk about feelings even in games like Minecraft where the characters don't talk. But you can be like, how must that person be feeling there? And, you know, you can really bring in real-life situations while gaming and also have a lot of fun, which I think is super important as well, which sometimes gets forgotten about. But, you know, real life is really enhanced by having loads of fun, and gaming's fun. SAMI: Yeah. It's so fascinating. As you're speaking, I'm having this internal dilemma, right? Because, in my head, everything you're saying is true and makes sense. And I believe it, and I've seen it. And then, I probably still harbor those feelings that are almost entrenched, like you're saying, in the media with, you know, the person who completed Tetris. And those sorts of feelings are still, like, a little bit entrenched to me in terms of the negative sides of gaming. Like, I guess I grew up probably similar to you, where it was like, "Well, why aren't you outside more?" and the negative aspect of it. I spoke about this in a different podcast, which I've apologized to my parents for mentioning in public. But when I was in university, it's too late now, I also kind of developed, I would call it probably, like, a small gaming addiction. I don't know where it would sit, but I was doing all-nighters Playing Call of Duty, Modern Warfare. And so, there definitely is a negative side. But I like what you say about, well, actually, you can address that in a healthy way. But then, this week, just this week, which is quite uncanny, my seven-year-old comes, and he says, "Daddy, I really want to get an Xbox, you know, my friend's got one." And he's just starting to get to that cusp of gaming. So, in my head, I say, yeah, like that makes total sense, and I imagine the benefits and the fun time me and him could have on an Xbox. But I still struggle with those feelings of...maybe they're my own worries of, well, but what if he neglects his other stuff? What if he goes into like, yeah, with ADHD, he goes into hyperfocus, and that's all he does? How [laughs] can you counsel me out of this concern? DAN: Well, no, I completely understand, and that is where all our fears come from, especially our generation and how it's put through. But I think young people more and more connect through gaming, whereas I think when we were gamers as young, a lot of stuff wasn't online. So, we weren't playing with our friends. We were playing on our own a lot of the time, whereas it's very social now. Platforms like Roblox and Minecraft are the things that are super social, working together as a team, things like that. But also screen time, I can show you that we've got a whole list of benefits of gaming, actually, that I'll share with you because there's studies that even screen time has been proven not to be detrimental the way we're told it is. And I think we must know that through how we work. Most of us work on screens these days, so. SAMI: Yeah, that's such a point of contention in the house because we currently do only on Fridays. So, they get, like, two hours of screen time. I don't know if that's strict. I don't know where I am on that. Do you have, like, with your own kids, or how do you handle that discipline? So, let's say I get the console, right? I bring it into the house to my seven-year-old. Do I limit it with screen time? How would you approach that sort of thing? DAN: Obviously, with a seven-year-old, it's a little bit different from...mine are now 17 and 14. So, we discuss it more, but yeah, definitely, you know, have boundaries. And also, if you're worried about how they're gaming, maybe have the Xbox in the living room, so instead of gaming in their bedroom, they're gaming when you're around, and it's a shared family activity. And then, it's easier to say, "Well, we're going to be having food in a minute. So, finish up on that game." And you can have all that understanding. But I think also, you know, that other side of things of coming from seeing what they're playing. I talk to parents a lot about this, and they get, you know, they see frustrations in their young people when they're trying to get them off. But they don't realize that maybe they're playing something like Fortnite or something that's a bit more online team-based, where if they pulled them off the game in the middle of the match, it could be detrimental to the team they're working with, their rankings. You know, they could even get banned from the game for a few days, you know. So, understanding and them being able to work time management together, being like, "Well, after this game is finished, this is where we're going, you know, we've got to go out. We've got to do this," you know, there is a give and take there. And I'm not saying there isn't negatives to gaming. We need, you know, everybody needs a break as well. But, again, through the understanding of what they're playing, you can have those conversations. If you're not playing them or watching them and don't understand what the game is about, and what the joy is about, there's going to be a gap between you, you know, where the young person is going to be like, "You don't understand me. You don't understand why I want to play this." My kids, you know, we went from the other [inaudible 17:37] because they've had severe problems at school, both of them, through their neurodivergency, and gaming has really helped them both to regulate. And maybe when you're saying about yourself when you had problems, and maybe there was something else going on. And then, the gaming was a way for you to cope, that safe space to go to that was actually working in a way as a little bit of therapy and keeping you grounded, you know, as well. So, you know, there's two sides to see it. But yeah, definitely, I can understand the worries of staying up all night playing it or not doing your homework and playing it, although I have different things to say about homework. But to say it's not actually beneficial is wrong because, you know, you just got to look at something like Minecraft and the amount a young person can learn, everything from biomes, and blocks, and diamonds, or ores to actual mathematics and things. And it naturally leads onto PCs and learning how to code things and who knows where that's going to lead, to creating something completely new. So, I worry for the ones that are heavily restricted on screen time. I worry that they're being held a little bit back. You know, that might sound a bit controversial for some people. But when most jobs are digital and you're not allowed to learn, I mean, the young people I see they're so gifted at such a young age in understanding digital things that they're going to be at the forefront of the new technology. So, it's almost like, yeah, I think it should be embraced with both hands. RÉMY: There's an incredible opportunity to learn new things through video games and to be happy and to share, like you said. And I bet our audience is already quite open to video games, but we never know it. I think it could be interesting if you could provide, like, a very simple, not comprehensive list of famous games and the kind of skills and benefits they provide you. You mentioned Minecraft; you mentioned creativity. But what kind of games and skills benefits you? You could say for our audience to understand more about the opportunity that is out there. DAN: Yeah, I mean, there are so many. But yeah, so, if we look at your normal shooter game like Call of Duty, and Fortnite, and things like that, that is for cognitive ability. You know, getting those dexterity in your hands and learning those [inaudible 20:11] of pressing buttons is more than you think. It's really training that brain and getting that brain working really quick. It's proven to boost your brain power, your gray matter. It's actually proven that gaming, in general, just boosts your gray matter. I mean, we all know about doing brain training games, but all games using that brain, you know, it's much more advanced than sitting watching TV. But then if you go into more things like puzzle games, so things from your Tetris all the way through to more advanced ones like Portal or strategy games like Civilization and things, there is so much you're doing. You're boosting that brainpower, and you're thinking all the time. But then you can get into...yeah, back onto the shooter games as well, they help with spatial recognition. So, it's actually helping to spot things from a distance: dangers or things to collect. You can see them, and it actually enhances eyesight. It is proven to enhance eyesight, which is great. Decision-making and leadership skills, which is a key thing people talk about for business, is all there when you're in your team of shooters. You're playing Overwatch or you're playing, you know, any game like that. You know, there's always somebody leading or, you know, saying what should be best, seeing the best strategies in there. Problem-solving comes into all sorts so, obviously, in shooters and things again, I'd- say, but also your Minecraft. You know, you've got to create a certain thing to defeat the dragon or whatever you're doing. There's always something, or if you're building something. But then, of course, your high-end puzzle games and even things like Mario. I mean, they get so complex in the problem-solving to overcome a level. Again, the brain power, and the brain power seeing these young people that they're way more advanced than we were playing games. The games are so intricate and so hard now. One you never hear about is social skills until...I think the pandemic helped that a bit. People started to see, oh, Animal Crossing, it's a great way to connect with people. And, you know, and Roblox as much as it gets a lot of bad press, for young people to connect and play, and lot of it is almost like playground role playing play, and they're playing together. You know, there's games just based in Ikea, and they're shopping, and [laughs] things like that. It's really good for them to be doing that. And health and fitness surprisingly, of course, is in gaming. So, obviously, a lot of Nintendo Switch games are sort of standing up, you know, playing switch sports and things, but then virtual reality is huge for that. And if you've ever tried Beat Saber, that's a real workout, which is really good. But there's loads of boxing ones. There's one that kids play now called Gorilla Tag, where, oh my God, that is such a workout. I have mentees that I work with, and then we'll be like, "Oh, Gorilla Tag," an hour of that, I am exhausted. Because you're just flinging your arms around like a gorilla trying to move fast. It's amazing. SAMI: I saw a post you did recently about there's, like, a Greek mythology level on Fortnite, like, an educational aspect [laughs]. It's so funny because I remember playing God of War on the PS2, and I learned so much about Greek mythology. Everything I know comes from God of War. And so, there's also that educational aspect. DAN: Yeah, exactly. You get this deep dive into something, and you really find what you're interested in. So, I've got a kid, and he loves this game called War Thunder, which is all about planes, World War planes, and he can tell me everything about every plane and what country it's made. He can spot it a mile off. You know, "Oh, that's a Russian plane from so and so. Its weak points are here. It was built by so and so." And it's like, you're a genius, and it's all come from, you know, this game's sparked this real interest. And, you know, like I said, Fortnite brings it in, God of War, of course. Assassin's Creed is amazing for things like that, history, it goes from Egypt times. And they even now have walkthroughs in the game where...this needs to be used in schools. I don't know if schools embrace it yet, but you don't have any of this story and the killings and stuff. You just are going through history and walking through the towns and things like that, which is brilliant. The latest one for Assassin's Creed was Vikings, wasn't it? And that was brilliant because that brought in the UK and how it was when the Vikings came over. There's so much stuff. I've got a young person, and he loves this game called For Honor, which is all about medieval sword fights. And he got such an interest in weapons that he's then become a blacksmith. He's enrolled onto a college course apprenticeship being a blacksmith. He wants to be making armory and swords for movies. You know, he said like, "Look, Lord of the Rings, that's all made properly, isn't it?" I mean, that's [inaudible 24:50] SAMI: Wow. DAN: Yeah, it's amazing. One other thing that the games bring, which I think is amazing, is mindfulness as well. There's a huge thing of that. Yeah, like I said, going back to maybe yourself when you were gaming at night, and you maybe needed to destress and maybe take your mind off something, you can get into a game and almost...there's a thing called the grind in the game. Minecraft has it a lot, where you've just got to get yourself a hundred diamonds, or whatever [laughs]. So, it's like, you can almost turn your brain off and just do that, you know, and it can be so super relaxing. And you can get into this thing called flow state. A lot of driving games are like that. If you hit every corner perfectly, you're kind of just in this dream-like state where you just...everything's going well. And that brings a euphoria, too. There's so many good things. But now there's loads of games that are actually based around mindfulness. Tetris is one that's been proven for that. But I don't know if you've heard a more recent one called PowerWash Simulator. Now, this game was one of my most favorite for the last couple of years. All you're doing is washing stuff with a power washer. But the way it works, it gives you a little ding when you've cleaned something properly, like a [vocalization]. And it just...you stand back and look at your job. Honestly, it's amazing. But now Oxford University are doing a full study on it because they realize how beneficial it is to relaxing and chilling out, you know, and just making yourself just feeling happy when you need to just de-stress. It's amazing. RÉMY: I can totally relate. I remember a few years ago, I played GTA 5, and GTA 5 is the kind of game famous for arbitrary violence or all this kind of stuff we hear in the media. But I remember me playing and sometimes I wanted to play just to take a bike and to go on the road and to see a sunset. And, of course, we could argue that I can see the sunset out there, but, in a game, it's just a piece of art. At work, recently, we just had a conversation about beautiful games. So, we weren't interested in all the features or how the game would work but just how beautiful it is. And sometimes we just play video games because they're beautiful. And so, they could provide so much on the intellectual level, on the skills, but also, just as piece of art, just beautiful things made by beautiful artists. DAN: Yeah, it is amazing when you see that. And yeah, I get that completely with GTA. It gets a lot of bad reputation, you know, and story-wise, it is very adult. But, you know, it's the biggest game in the world for a reason. And, you know, like you said, you climb the mountain, you look at the view, you know, it is such a lovely thing to do. There was a game, Red Dead Redemption. I had a young lady I was mentoring, and she was situationally mute, which means, you know, she couldn't talk to anybody. She used to type her responses to me. But she loved Red Dead Redemption, loved horses. And she actually created a group from all around the world, where they would all meet her on a Friday in the game, and she would take them on horse trails. And so, this is all in the game, and she would just take them around to beautiful spots, do nice little jumps with the horses, setting up camp, you know, and, I mean, that's [inaudible 28:08]. It's amazing. And yeah, she ended up making a horse game on Roblox, and that doing really well, and her actually working for Roblox themselves. So, yeah, you know, it all inspires them to work on that. And, I think, sorry, I'm going on tangents here, but also, as you say, appreciating art. There are so many different sides to gaming. A lot of people used to think gaming is just coding, and I don't want to be a coder. That's confusing. I don't want to do that. If you look at the credits that roll on a main game, and they go on for, like, about an hour. There are so many different jobs from artists, storyboard writers, level designers, musicians. There's everything there. The coders are just one part of it. So, as I said before, there are so many career opportunities there, either starting up your own business as a self-employed person or getting involved in it. One I love...a lot of the neurodivergent people I work with [inaudible 29:07] is being a games tester. Because the first thing my son ever does is, if he gets a game, he tries to break it. He tries to find where he can walk through a wall, or something like that. So, it's like that job would be ideal for you. It's like, it's amazing. And that's a job. That's a really important job as well. SAMI: Yeah. When you talk about these stories, they are inspirational. Like, I feel like almost, like, a flutter in my heart as you talk about this kid who maybe felt he has kind of no hope or very little opportunities to actually honing in on this Viking game and then being able to go and become a blacksmith, or this other person you mentioned who's now with Roblox. Yeah, I almost wish, like, they had more publicity around them. And maybe we're kind of doing some of that work now. What would you say is your biggest success story? DAN: I guess MindJam in itself I think is just, I mean, it's way bigger than me now. Obviously, it was born from this idea of giving young people the time and the respect. They are doing something that they love to do and is beneficial. That's what I found was everybody...even when I was teaching, we used to have this connection with the kids, and I used to work one-to-one with the, you know, special education needs, young ones. And a great connection talking about gaming, and their eyes would light up. They would talk about their week, and how they were feeling, and what they achieved. But then it would always be, in the back of my mind, we need to get back onto what we're supposed to be doing and, you know, I need to tick these boxes. And there's always something wanted from them. And it's the same if they go and see a health service. There's always something that they want from that young person. Yet if you just approach them and say, "You know, let's do what you want to do." It's child-led. It's low demand, and let's see where that takes us. That's where we got to discovering about the blacksmith thing. And that's why we've got young people making albums and things with MindJam. You know, it goes anywhere. I've got one young person who shows me Tai Chi, you know, that's our MindJam session. It started off from Rocket League. So, it can really go anywhere. But yeah, sorry, going back to the big success, it is every day now I get a message saying how one of my mentors has helped a young person to help the whole family. That is just the best thing in the world. You know, this is something we've created, and we work hard. We work really hard to make sure we've got the best people. You know, and we're well-trained, and informed, and everything. To hear that it's really making such a difference, and, you know, some people say we're saving lives, and, you know, I just have to pinch myself. Me and my wife we were just like, we can't believe it really how amazing it is. But we're just on a mission now to make sure it's accessible for as many people who need it. SAMI: Yeah, I've seen some of the reviews on your website, and they're heartwarming. But, like, it kind of makes sense, right? Like, for some people, this is the only place that they feel safe. They feel comfortable. You imagine all the cortisol that's going through someone when they're in that fight or flight moment, and there's lots of stress and anxiety. And they enter into a gaming world, and they can escape. And all of a sudden, that reduces. You're dealing with a different person. You're dealing with someone who feels happy, who feels content. And then, you're opening up their mind to have other conversations, you know, like you say. I really recommend it to our listeners. Go and check out the stream. You do kind of...I've seen you've done a few episodes of streaming with other mentors. And it's fascinating to see how all of you, whilst you're playing, are in a conversation about, "Oh, how was your week? And how's that been going?" And, you know, something happened over there. And it's like, you're just in a more of a relaxed state to have those conversations. DAN: Yeah, you know, it's been used before, you know, LEGO therapy is kind of like that. You know, that's what MindJam is in a way is play therapy, but there's so much more you can do with the digital platform. And we're at an amazing age as well, where most bits of software are free. I'll click on like, you know, if they want to look into 3D modeling, it's easy to get a copy of Blender. If you want to get into Unity or Unreal Engine, I mean, there's always into...and it's all, you know, what a wonderful time. When we were younger, if I wanted to get into game design, it was so complicated. You didn't know where to start where, you know, so yeah, it's really amazing. And another thing that I love as well is the mentors that work for us. Most of them are really [inaudible 33:28]. I struggled when I was in my early twenties, and I remember seeing a counselor. And it felt like they had no idea what they were...yeah, they're reading from a textbook, you know, and I remember just really patronizing me. And I was just like, you've got no clue. Whereas I think all the mentors we have all said, "I wish MindJam was around when I was a young person." And I thought, that's the key thing for me, their empathy, their understanding. We don't have to solve it straight away. It's just being there and going, "Yeah, that is hard. Yeah, you know, you'll be okay though. And there's, you know, you're not on your own here." And, you know, I think that is...so many people seem to have to try and heal people straight away. And it's like, no, people just need time to talk, and it's the same as adults as well. Yeah, it could just carry on really to all ages really, couldn't it? SAMI: Yeah. And you've also got that buy-in, right? Whereas, you know, I think of myself perhaps going to therapy at that young age. I didn't really buy into it because I was sitting there with an adult who I didn't really know what we were doing. And I was just kind of there for a conversation. And here you've got...you're doing something that they like, and they enjoy. To put my parent and adult hat back on [laughs] because it's something I want to pick your brains on, right? So, working in the tech industry and working in coding, I've read articles about games, which kind of it says that they're more and more...you see it maybe more on the games on the mobile phone. So, they're employing, like, these kind of gambling tactics, so a lot of the stuff where it's treasure chests. And what is it? On Fortnite, it's the packs. On FIFA, it's also, like, you open up the pack and you see what players you get. So, that sort of stuff I also find scary where I feel like you have from the industry...so, whilst you're using the industry in this way, is the industry itself there to promote and perpetuate the benefits that come from games? Or are they looking, I want to get people in; I want to get them hooked; I want to use these gambling techniques, A/B testing, whatever it is? DAN: From all big companies, we get both sides, obviously. So, you got your unscrupulous ones that, oh, go for it. You loot boxes. But I think more and more, especially with young people, they're more and more aware. They're far more savvy than we are in these things. And the good one is EA with, you know, FIFA. They get review bombed because as soon as someone's putting in loot boxes and things, people are just like, you're just after our money. This is a con. It's pay to win. Mobile games are the worst for it, of course. You know, they're quick cash-making things. Again, instead of, like, saying, "All gaming is evil. We should never do it," it's being aware and being aware of what these games are trying to do, which, again, when you're looking at a young child, is having shared gaming experiences. So, you can go, "Ah, can you see what they're doing here? You know, they've hooked us in. We've played this for two minutes, and we've had free play. And now they're asking us to pay five pounds for extra things. That's a bit of a con, isn't it?" And, you know, you can actually bring that awareness, and then they're not going to fall for things like that. But at the other side of it, I see firsthand...I've luckily enough to work closely with Sony. One of their great companies is called Media Molecule. I don't know if you've heard of them. They did LittleBigPlanet, and lately, they had a game called Dreams, which is actually making games on a PlayStation, which is really cool. But they're so accessible. It's all about, you know, making everybody happy, giving people the keys to creativity, and really help making everything accessible. Again, they worked with this wonderful, wonderful artist who created characters, character designs. They'd never met her. She was so socially anxious. She never could leave her house but was actually one of their top artists that they would send the work, send the brief. She'd send this amazing art back, and then they'd pay her. They didn't have to come into the office nine till five for no reason whatsoever. And there's a lovely side, and, of course, there's a business unscrupulous side. And yeah, again, bring that education of that. This is what I think should be in schools. Instead of avoiding the whole issue, is actually talk about being toxic gamers and what that means, and how to deal with toxic gamers, and how not to be a toxic gamer yourself. For those that don't know toxic gamers, it's just people that are really, really mean to everybody, which seems to be a set thing that people do, especially to a new player. It's like, learn how to encourage people in. And there's now games coming out where they ban people straight away if they're being toxic, and it's all about helping that new player feel like part of the team. But again, yeah, let's say if this was actually brought into education, so then we learn about loot boxes and, you know, pay-to-win type games, then young people would be on that same wavelength. They would get it, either that or it would make gaming so lame that no one would play gaming anymore because it's in schools [laughs]. Like, oh, it sucks now [laughs]. SAMI: Yeah, I think that that way that you embrace kind of what gaming is and you say, well, actually, we can see that it's got a benefit. We can see that it's positive. How do we get the absolute most out of this? How can we not hide, stick our heads in the sand to the issues that might be there? And how can we then say, "Let's use this?" And I think, I mean, my mom will be listening to this podcast for sure. But I think it's something which it's quite disruptive what you're doing. I really do feel that way kind of dabbling in gaming, working as a consultant in the coding industry. I actually teach neurodivergent kids as well on the side. And I'm actually mentoring another kid in coding as well. And what you're doing, as I said at the beginning, it's mind-blowing, and we could talk to you for hours. We have a little chat on this podcast, which listeners can't see. And I asked Rémy, like, "Do you have any questions before you want to wrap up?" And Rémy was just like, "I just want to keep listening. I'm loving it." And I'm exactly...I feel like we can listen to...I think me and Rémy game and we dabble here and there as well ourselves. So, it's definitely something which speaks to us so much. But I've got to thank you so much for your time, for taking the time to jump on with us, give us such an insight into the work that you're doing with MindJam. Let's talk about the BAFTA Young Game Designers Award Ceremony Open Day. Give us some info. DAN: Oh yeah. Well, this is a lovely thing. I've luckily enough to be involved with BAFTA on this for a few years. An early success of MindJam was I was nominated as Mentor of The Year and finalist for Mentor of The Year for BAFTA in 2021. And they run this thing called Young Games Designers every year, and it's brilliant because they do...it's two sides to it. One is actually making a game, but then, of course, not all young people are ready to make a game. And, you know, so the other side is a games concept where you could just send in sketches, ideas, things like that. And that's really accessible for lots of young people we work with, of course. But yeah, in July, I don't have the date; it's early July, we have the award ceremony, which is on this Saturday. But then on the Sunday at BAFTA in London, it's an open day for families to come. You have to apply and get a ticket. I'm sure you guys can put the link on here later on. But yeah, MindJam will be there, but there's loads of game places. I think TT Games will be there who make the LEGO games. And there's all sorts of...we have D&D there. We have all sorts and talks on how to get into the industry and things like that. So, it's really a great thing to come to if you're a young person who's interested in gaming. SAMI: That's really cool. So, parents, if you're listening, save up all that screen time so you can use it. A month's worth of screen time [chuckles] at the BAFTA Awards, Young Game Designers Awards Ceremony in the Open Day in London. If people want to get hold of you, Dan, where's the best place? They've heard this. They're inspired. They feel like they've got someone who would benefit from your services. Where's the best place to get in touch? DAN: If you go to our website, it's mindjam.org.uk, and you can email us at hello@mindjam.org.uk. And I think you said this podcast is international, isn't it? So, we do offer sessions all around the world. We have mentors in America, in Australia, in Japan, all over the place basically. MindJam is universal. So, wherever you are, get in touch. And if you're interested in being a mentor as well, get in touch as well, so... SAMI: Definitely, I highly recommend. And I've already got people I can think of that I'm going to be passing your details on to. Listeners, listeners, listeners, our lovely listeners, no one likes missing out on things. Remember that flight you missed? The train that passed you by? Your partner's birthday? I've been there, by the way; I missed one recently. It's a horrible feeling. I cannot deal with you missing out on these things, but I can make sure that this feeling doesn't come about when it comes to our podcast. So, move your thumb. Yes, you, move your thumb. Hit that subscribe button. I can guarantee you, you will never miss one of our podcasts. And you'll hear amazing guests, just like Dan, as we get them in, and we have great chats together on the Giant Robots on Tour podcast. You can find notes and a complete transcript for this episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have questions or comments, you can email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Check her out at mandymoore.tech. Thanks for listening. See you next time. Bye.   AD: Did you know thoughtbot has a referral program? If you introduce us to someone looking for a design or development partner, we will compensate you if they decide to work with us. More info on our website at: tbot.io/referral. Or you can email us at: referrals@thoughtbot.com with any questions.

This week, we're joined by legendary game designer and artist Mark Healey. From his early days with a Commodore 64, working on the classic KGB Super Spy, to his pivotal role in iconic Bullfrog titles like Theme Park and Dungeon Keeper, Mark shares the stories and inspirations behind his work. Hear about his experiences with industry giants like the Darling brothers and Peter Molyneux, his innovative approach to educational games with Fun School, and the creation of his own studio, Media Molecule. Contents: 00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories 40:37 - Mark Healey Interview Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show: Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour Bitmap Books https://www.bitmapbooks.com/ We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://theretrohour.com/support/ https://www.patreon.com/retrohour Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8 Website: http://theretrohour.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour Show notes Mario Maker 64: https://tinyurl.com/mrxyhtrw Cronela's Mansion: https://tinyurl.com/3tv6xaj5 The Glass Staircase PS2 Horror: https://tinyurl.com/t8y32zmb Hack NES Tetris from inside the game: https://tinyurl.com/3svec93w Play with classic Mac OS's in your browser: https://infinitemac.org/

Today we're talking about Xbox's response to studio shutdowns, Media Molecule's game tease, and the next big PlayStation game coming to PC. Check out our other shows! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Super Dungeon Boys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Super Gamer Book Club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WEBSITE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠supergamerboys.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MERCH - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sgbstore.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TWITCH - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitch.tv/TheSuperGamerBoys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YOUTUBE - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/supergamerboys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ DISCORD - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠supergamerboys.com/discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INSTAGRAM - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram.com/supergamerboys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TWITTER - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter.com/supergamerboys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FACEBOOK - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook.com/supergamerboys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode is made possible by our Patreon Supporters: Bumplesmash (Patreon Producer) Cajoma01 (Patreon Producer) Julie Bates (Patreon Sponsor) MuhMuhMer (Patreon Sponsor) Carrie (Patreon Sponsor) Bill Morlang Jr Tobin Dalton David Hendley And SO MANY MORE! Thank you so much for your support! ❤️ Please support us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/Supergamerboys⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Background music provided by Jack Sriracha (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠), Yate (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠), and DJ Trooz (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) Go listen to them on Spotify and Apple Music! Ad Music: "Fairy Fountain" by Jack Sriracha. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Tell your friends about us and share us on social media. It helps get our podcast to the masses! Also don't forget to Rate and Review us on iTunes.

What a week! It seemed like we were just done recording last week when Helldivers 2-related drama broke out, and yet by the time we were ready to record this time around, the situation had mostly settled. How serendipitous for us and our analysis. Now, we're left to reflect and ask some questions, starting with why Sony had to push the first domino in this scenario over at all. Couldn't they just leave well enough alone? And how does this portend the reception of future PC releases from the PlayStation camp? Other news this week includes major layoffs and closures at Fallout and Doom publisher Bethesda (plus what that means for Xbox's uncertain future), percolating rumors of an imminent PlayStation Showcase, confirmation that -- yes indeed! -- Media Molecule is making a game and not a service or toolset, Remedy bailing out of its multiplayer project as Alan Wake 2 still fails to break even, and more. Then: Listener inquiries. How do we choose what game to play next? Was Days Gone 'right-wing'? Are in-game animations getting out of control? Can Colin help revive a long-maligned (but incredibly descriptive) word? Get 10% off your Journey Pack at https://www.tryfum.com/sacred and use code SACRED Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:27:43 - King Radec 0:33:36 - Too long? 0:45:03 - R word uptick 0:56:14 - Derek's Journey 0:59:28 - Colin, the gardener 1:01:01 - Next PS Showcase 1:14:15 - Helldivers 2 Drama 1:45:06 - Xbox/Bethesda studio closures 2:47:55 - Switch 2 incoming 2:54:31 - Media Molecule's next game 2:55:38 - Alan Wake 2 hasn't made a profit 3:02:31 - April's best selling PSN games 3:05:03 - What we've been playing 3:30:15 - How do we decide what to play next? 3:38:22 - Why Sony killed Days Gone 3:42:23 - Returnal turning point 3:44:48 - Too much realism? 3:53:01 - Saved video game item from a natural disaster 3:59:24 - Being watched (playing video games) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Podquisition 488: Bump on the Noggin It's harder than you'd think. Games we played this week include: Hades II (3:45) Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (23:35) Puppet Master (30:45) --- News things talked about in this episode: Microsoft shuts down studios, including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin (44:10) https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-closes-redfall-developer-arkane-austin-hifi-rush-developer-tango-gameworks-and-more-in-devastating-cuts-at-bethesda A drunk Microsoft rep forgot to make their pitch to buy Media Molecule (52:45) https://kotaku.com/xbox-little-big-planet-steal-away-buy-playstation-sony-1851462178 Sony gets slammed, then backpedals, over Helldivers 2 PSN requirement on Steam (57:25) https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-overturns-helldivers-2-psn-requirement-following-backlash --- Buy official Jimquisition merchandise at https://thejimporium.com Find Laura at LauraKBuzz on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Patreon. All her content goes on https://LauraKBuzz.com, and you can catch Access-Ability on YouTube every Friday. Follow Conrad at ConradZimmerman on Twitter/Instagram/BlueSky and check out his Patreon (https://patreon.com/fistshark). You can also peruse his anti-capitalist propaganda at https://mercenarycreative.com.

Support the show Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PSTrophyroom Discord: https://discord.gg/wPNp3kC  Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSTrophyRoom --------------------------- This week on The Trophy Room - A PlayStation Podcast hosts Kyle and Joseph talk about the Helldivers 2 PSN PC Backlash, the guys are skeptical about Media Molecule making a new ip that the former studio co-founder says PlayStation will let them at least finish this game.The guys talk about the industry shattering news surrounding Microsoft layoffs at Bethesda studios Arkane Austin Studio makers of (Dishonored, Prey, and Redfall), Roundhouse Games, Hi-Fi Rush & ghostwire Tokyo developer Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Games. What this move shows for the troubles is that AAA game industry is struggling to produce these high budget blockbuster games and more!

Fred's making progress in Trek to Yomi, finally diving into Chapter 3. Meanwhile, Jake's game update is TBD.No listener questions this time around, but let's jump into the news. Studios like Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, along with others within Bethesda, are facing layoffs. Helldivers 2 faced a review bombing on Steam due to a PSN requirement imposed by Sony, but after retracting the requirement, the game received over 200k positive reviews and even released a cape commemorating the incident. Media Molecule's co-founder hints that their new project is more game-oriented than a tool. Hades 2 is in early access, impressing players with significant improvements over its predecessor. Unfortunately, Warhammer 40K 2's PvP multiplayer hasn't been confirmed yet, but leaks suggest exciting developments. X Defiant, developed by Ubisoft, is set to release this month.In a disappointing turn, Deliver Us Mars developer Keoken Interactive had to lay off their entire team due to a lack of publishing options. PS Plus Essentials games include titles like EA Sports FC 24, Ghostrunner 2, Tunic, and Destiny 2: Lightfall. Plus, Returnal: Fallen Asteria TPB comic is set for release on October 23, 2024.New games hitting the scene include The Prisoner of the Night, Animal Well, Crow Country, Gift, Imagine Earth, Pac-Man Mega Tunnel: Battle Chomp Champs, and Rainbow Cotton.By joining our Patreon community for ONLY $1.00 per month, you'll also enjoy these exclusive benefits:Early Access: Be the first to listen to our episodes as soon as they're ready. Get ahead of the game and dive into the latest news, reviews, and discussions.Personalized Shoutout: As a token of our gratitude for your support, we'll give you a special shout out during one of our podcast episodes, acknowledging your contribution and dedication to our show.Custom Die-Cut Vinyl Sticker: Receive an exclusive custom die-cut vinyl sticker featuring our podcast's unique design. Showcase your support with this limited-edition collectible.Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to create the content you love. It's a simple and direct way to show your appreciation for our podcast.To become a patron and unlock these exciting benefits, visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome today. Your support keeps us going and ensures that we can keep delivering top-notch PlayStation content.Please, if you enjoyed the content or even if you didn't quite enjoy this one, we encourage you to come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Please share with your friends and help us spread the show as we try to build a bigger community here! As always you can support our show at our Patreon Page. Thanks for listening.http://www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome 0:00 - INTRO22:40 - GAMES WE'RE PLAYING29:25 - LAYOFFS HIT MORE STUDIOS37:40 - HELLDIVERS 2 RALLY'S44:04- MEDIA MOLECULE'S NEW PROJECT50:20 - SPACE MARINES 2 IS GETTING PVP57:00 - X DEFIANT COMES OUT THIS MONTH1:00:09 - DELIVER US THE MOON DEVELOPER LAYS OFF THE STUDIO1:02:39 - MAY ESSENTIAL GAMES ANNOUNCED1:05:00 - A RETURNAL COMIC IS COMING1:19:22 - NEW GAMES Support PS This is Awesome! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blessing and Tim talk about Microsoft closing Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin and more Bethesda studios, Nintendo finally speaks up about the Switch 2, and more. Run of Show - - Start - Housekeeping Today after, KFGD, you'll get: GAMESCAST - Featuring Gary Whitta, Parris and Greg talking about the big Xbox news today. Today's stream is more Pokemon Nuzlocke If you're a Kinda Funny Member: Today's Gregway is Barrett sounding off on if this is an end of an era for Star Wars animation, and make sure you don't miss Greg's hour-long Gregway stream from yesterday. The Roper Report  - - Xbox Is Shutting Down Four Bethesda Studios - Ad - Nintendo confirms it will announce its next console ‘this fiscal year' - Media Molecule's next project is ‘more of a game than a creative tool' - Remedy Cancels Mysterious Multiplayer Game Kestrel - Wee News! - SuperChats - You‘re Wrong Tomorrow's Hosts: Tim & ??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rasasegna dal tono funebre: da Supergiant che pubblica a sorpresa l'early access di Hades II a Media Molecule al lavoro su un nuovo progetto, passando per Remedy che ha cancellato il progetto multiplayer in collaborazione con Tencent. In chiusura, invece, due parole sulle parole di Furukawa che ha parlato di Switch 2 in arrivo nel fiscale corrente e sull'annuncio di Microsoft circa la chiusura di Tango Gameworks e Arkane Austin. Puoi ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Abbonarti Qui⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ per supportare il progetto; i contenuti resteranno comunque accessibili a chiunque.

Big show today, folks! Buckle up!  Check the time stamps but we got a bunch: Stellar Blade petition is pretty dumb (but I sorta get it), PSN Data Leak just dropped (a NEW ONE!) and we dive deep to see what it means! Some Marvel Rivals news along with Manor Lords, Makami explaining why he left Tango Gameworks, Media Molecule's new IP, No Rest For The Wicked Chat, and SO MUCH MORE!  Let's talk games, ya basterdz!!! :) JAFFE! 

The world is still obsessing over Fallout and all the Fallout games are seeing some action. Elsewhere in the gaming world, we say goodbye to LittleBigPlanet and Embracer Group splits into three.In Playing and Watching, Dave prepares for a trip and MJC got his hands on the PDP Riffmaster Guitar!The opening song is Deja Vu by Popskyy - https://popskyy.bandcamp.com/If you'd like to donate to us using PayPal, you can do so with this link. https://www.paypal.me/digitaldaysgamingIf you would like to order DDG merchandise click below: https://teespring.com/digital-days-gamingPatreonDiscordTwitter: @DigitalDaysPodDave Twitter: @GoodDaveHuntMichael Twitter: @The1stMJCTwitch: @DigitalDaysGamingFacebook PageFacebook GroupYouTubeTikTok

Embracer splits into three separate companies! Hades II Technical Test Talk Today! Horizon OS (no, not that one, the other one)! LittleBigPlanet pulls the plug! Dynowarz: Destuction of Sponylous on your iPhone? El Paso Elsewhere on the silver screen???? A wild week awaits you on this week's installment of The Jeff Gerstmann Show! Get ad-free podcasts, bonus shows and more over on Patreon!Support the show at https://patreon.com/jeffgerstmann

My guest today is a video game executive and the co-deputy chair of BAFTA. Born in South African to Irish and Australian parents, at the age of four she moved to Campbelltown, New South Wales in Australia. There as a student she became interested in filmmaking and technology. At eighteen she moved to the UK and began working for Perfect Entertainment, the independent game studio behind Terry Pratchett's DiscWorld series of game adaptations.In 1999 she joined Criterion Games and there worked on a string of racing games, including Burnout 3 and 4, then left in 2006 to help set up production within the newly formed Media Molecule. In 2009 she was named studio director, helping to oversee the production of the LittleBigPlanet series, Tearaway, and, most recently, Dreams.In 2013 was named one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by BBC's Woman's Hour and, in 2021, was given the BAFTA Fellowship award for her pioneering work in the games industry. She now serves as BAFTA's deputy chair, helping to oversee the delivery of the academy's mission to empower and spotlight the screen industries and the talented people within them.[Photograph: Sam Hendel/Media Molecule] Be attitude for gains. https://plus.acast.com/s/my-perfect-console. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Marvel reveals an Overwatch clone, Media Molecule continues to make adjustments post-layoffs, and Xbox software sales are beginning to concern publishers. In Playing and Watching, we dive a little deep into X-Men 97' and Destiny 2. The opening song is Deja Vu by Popskyy - https://popskyy.bandcamp.com/If you'd like to donate to us using PayPal, you can do so with this link. https://www.paypal.me/digitaldaysgamingIf you would like to order DDG merchandise click below: https://teespring.com/digital-days-gamingPatreonDiscordTwitter: @DigitalDaysPodDave Twitter: @GoodDaveHuntMichael Twitter: @The1stMJCTwitch: @DigitalDaysGamingFacebook PageFacebook GroupYouTubeTikTok

In this super exciting episode of the Pixel Pizza Podcast, we talk with creative/art director Rex Crowle! He's worked with a number of beloved studios including Lionhead, Media Molecule, Double Fine, and Terrible Toybox (Ron Gilbert's studio). Rex and I discuss working alongside your heroes, developing an art style that represents the ethos of your game, and bringing every team member's creative fingerprints into the project. Music this week comes from Akitakita! LINKS:

Como tem sido comum, a semana foi marcada por mais demissões de grande porte em estúdios de videogames. Dessa vez, a atingida foi a Bungie, que demitiu cerca de 100 pessoas devido a uma queda severa na popularidade de Destiny. Além disso, comentamos o aumento de preço expressivo do Series S no Brasil, a estreia desastrosa de Silent Hill Ascension e outras coisas mais.Participantes:Guilherme JacobsHeitor De PaolaAssuntos abordados:07:00 - Bungie demite cerca de 100 pessoas31:00 - Cerca de 20% da Media Molecule foi demitida34:00 - A estreia de Silent Hill Ascension foi meio desastrosa40:00 - Xbox não vai mais permitir uso de acessórios terceiros não autorizados48:00 - O aumento do preço do Series S no Brasil53:00 - Rápida e curtasVenha fazer parte do Discord do Overloadr! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 300 - This is PSTIA! Salud, We Did It.Welcome to the milestone Episode 300 of "PS THIS IS AWESOME," your favorite PlayStation podcast hosted by Fred Oakman and Jake Peters. Celebrate with us as we delve into the current state of PlayStation!Now, let's dive into gaming. Fred has completed "Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty" and embarked on "Alan Wake 2," while Jake swings into action with "Spider-Man 2."In the news, the massive "MW3" file size sparks our curiousity about separating campaigns and the online components. FromSoftware plans to expand its studio size. Sam Lake of Remedy has his sights set on a dark gothic fantasy game. Explore details of "Alan Wake" expansions, learn about the Marvel Wolverine game's connection to Spider-Man 2, and dive into Shawn Layden's thoughts on video game preservation.Discover more about the "Skull & Bones" delay, PS Plus price increases, Eric Lempel's comments on PSVR2, the upcoming "ARIZONA SUNSHINE 2," downsizing at Media Molecule and Sony's VASG, and the departure of PlayStation's Connie Booth.Get the lowdown on new game releases for the end of October and the start of November. Tune in for an exciting 300th episode and stay updated on all things PlayStation!But that's not all – by joining our Patreon community for ONLY $1.00 per month, you'll also enjoy these exclusive benefits:Early Access: Be the first to listen to our episodes as soon as they're ready. Get ahead of the game and dive into the latest news, reviews, and discussions.Personalized Shoutout: As a token of our gratitude for your support, we'll give you a special shoutout during one of our podcast episodes, acknowledging your contribution and dedication to our show.Custom Die-Cut Vinyl Sticker: Receive an exclusive custom die-cut vinyl sticker featuring our podcast's unique design. Showcase your support with this limited-edition collectible.Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to create the content you love. It's a simple and direct way to show your appreciation for our podcast.To become a patron and unlock these exciting benefits, visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome today. Your support keeps us going and ensures that we can keep delivering top-notch PlayStation content.Please, if you enjoyed the content or even if you didn't quite enjoy this one, we encourage you to come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Please share with your friends and help us spread the show as we try to build a bigger community here! As always you can support our show at our Patreon Page. Thanks for listening.http://www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome  Support PS This is Awesome! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: We talk about last week's Xbox Partner Preview showcase, PlayStation layoffs hitting Media Molecule, Nintendo's new tournament guidelines, Nintendo patents a wild new design, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder has sold at least four copies. Also: Stepping away from gaming, editing attentiveness, roast dinners, farting birds, the ultimate gaming console, and more! Games discussed: Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake II. Contact tcgs.co Contact form Discord Twitter Instagram Facebook Follow @davidturners @CaptainToss @matmurray @jcafarley Watch Twitch YouTube Listen Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Pocket Casts Overcast acast Stitcher Credits Music by Nick Parton Art by Dave Chong

Semana llena de información interesante de todas las plataformas, un remake que deja con la boca abierta y una gran reseña. Estos fueron algunos de los temas más importantes tratados en el programa. Remake de Metal Gear Solid 3 muestra su potencial gráfico. Serie de Fallout en camino. Un gran juego de Capcom en camino. Media Molecule en problemas. Más de Little Nightmares III. Más sobre Otogi Katsugeki Mameda. Radiant Silvergun está de regreso. Nueva beta de Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising en camino. 9 Years of Shadows en camino a Nintendo Switch, La reseña de esta semana es Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

These are undoubtedly strange times in the PlayStation world. As if getting a new CEO next fiscal year wasn't enough of a shakeup, the brand has also lost (in an apparent firing) their long-time Head of Internal Production Connie Booth, someone who has been with Sony since the late '80s and who helped bring to market such titans as Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted, The Last of Us, and more. With fresh layoffs hitting in-house teams like Media Molecule and support hubs like Visual Arts -- and with an increasingly barren upcoming exclusive schedule made even worse by Factions' apparent cancellation -- is it time to panic? Signals are mixed, after all. Spider-Man 2 is PlayStation Studios' fastest-selling title ever and a banger in its own right, and PlayStation 5's console sales are meteoric with or without first and second party offerings. Naturally, we take time to talk about both the big news and the big game in great detail. Plus: Listener inquiries! How're we feeling about Alan Wake 2? What in god's name is going on with the Metal Gear Solid Collection? Should Sony attempt to replicate Nintendo's development continuity in order to extract similar results? Just what is Dustin doing with that figurine in the jar? Build your credit up at https://www.chime.com/sacred Get 20% off your first order and a free gram of flower at https://www.hellomood.com and use code SACRED Get 25% off your first order at https://www.meundies.com/sacred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Der Alan-Wake-Podcast ist da! Neben einer ausführlichen Diskussion rund um Remedys neuen Survival-Horror-Titel gibt es auch News zu Media Molecule, Metal Gear Solid Delta und mehr - viel Spaß! Unterstützt uns auf Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hooked Oder auf Steady: https://steadyhq.com/de/hooked Besucht uns auf YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPysfiuOv4VKBeXFFPhKXyw Oder schaut auf Twitch vorbei: http://www.twitch.tv/hookedlive Tretet unserem Discord bei: https://discord.gg/43s86KM Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 4:07 - Entlassungen bei Media Molecule 10:14 - PlayStation 5 Slim: Laufwerk mit Online-Zwang 16:13 - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Remake / Delta Footage 28:42 - Kurioses Update für Batman: Arkham Knight 32:13 - DLC-Pläne für Alan Wake 2 enthüllt 37:20 - HOLY Sponsoring: Benutzt unsere Codes HOOKED5 & HOOKED auf weareholy.com 41:03 - Alan Wake 2 1:38:20 - Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 1:54:42 - Die Podcast-Produzent*innen

This week, this episode is Ad-Free. Just like on Patreon every single week! HUGE NEWS - You can now access a 7 Day Free Trial to all of our Patreon content. Click here to support - www.patreon.com/latestPS5 This week on Patreon.. Spoiler Free Spider-Man 2 Review - https://youtu.be/gmgXKDYvCko?si=mmW2I_6lyCEtMYuN We've played PlayStation Portal. Here is our hands on early preview…. https://www.patreon.com/posts/88915407?utm_campaign=postshare_creator Become a Patron for just £1 a month, help support the show and receive; - Episodes up to 3 days Early Access - Advertisement free episodes - Extra PlayStation shows every week Click here to support - www.patreon.com/latestPS5 LATEST PS5 YouTube - youtube.com/channel/UC2Mt8luCdO4eRlox

On this week's show, Alan Wake 2 is another game-of-the-year contender, Media Molecule suffers layoffs, and we share our spoiler-filled thoughts on Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for PS5. - Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/controller_club Email ControllerClubPod@gmail.com with your questions, comments, or concerns Subscribe wherever you're listening and leave us a rating and review

Follow The Trophy Room Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BadBit Discord: https://discord.gg/wPNp3kC Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSTrophyRoom ****** This week's episode of The Trophy Room - A PlayStation Podcast hosts joseph and Kyle talk about their non-spoiler Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Review Impressions, Kyle gives his review in progress of Alan Wake 2 for PS5. the controversy of the PS5 Slim needs an online internet connection in order to install the disc drive upon set up, Media Molecule and PlayStation Visual Arts Group both post layoffs along side the mystrious exit of Connie Booth a long time executive at PlayStation and has been with Sony for over 34 years as well as SIE since the PSOne, and so much more of and Remedy provided us a code for Alan Wake fyi.

It's Spider-Man 2 week! Dave and MJC share their thoughts on Insomniac Games' latest release and how successful the game has been for PlayStation. In the news, PlayStation has a surprise for their future Digital Slim users, Xbox had a third party event and more. The opening song is Deja Vu by Popskyy - https://popskyy.bandcamp.com/If you'd like to donate to us using PayPal, you can do so with this link. https://www.paypal.me/digitaldaysgamingIf you would like to order DDG merchandise click below: https://teespring.com/digital-days-gamingPatreonDiscordTwitter: @DigitalDaysPodDave Twitter: @GoodDaveHuntMichael Twitter: @The1stMJCTwitch: @DigitalDaysGamingFacebook PageFacebook GroupYouTubeTikTok

Marta Trivi pone orden y nos habla de la concentración de empresas además de sus impresiones sobre Mario Wonder. Pasamos por el mal trago ya casi diario de los despidos y vemos cómo le va a Microsoft con sus numericos mientras en la casa Sony nos preparan para la llegada de la PlayStation 5 Slim. Todo esto con el Xbox Partner Preview de fondo (lo vemos bien mañana).   Si te gusta lo que escuchas y quieres apoyar esta empresita, ven a ver el programa en directo de lunes a jueves a las 18:00h en Twitch.tv/chiclanafriends

Dive into the gaming world with Brad and Micah on the Dense Pixels podcast. In this episode, Micah shares his spoiler-free review of Spider-Man 2, giving you insights into the highly anticipated game without giving away any key plot details. Brad provides his very initial impressions of Super Mario Wonder, offering a peek into what players can expect from this exciting title. The hosts also discuss the unfortunate layoffs occurring in the video game industry, with a focus on the impact on Dreams developer Media Molecule. They explore the latest developments in the gaming community, such as Twitch's new feature allowing simulcasting to other platforms and the Epic Games Store's enticing offer of 100% revenue for back catalogue games.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5941715/advertisement

EP 98 - Decepciona Metal Gear! Spiderman vs Mario Wonder por el GOTY, despidos en Media Molecule y Tragedia en GameStop --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/losgamevengers/support

Greg and Blessing talk about Media Molecule layoffs, Fallout 76, and problems with Metal Gear Solid Collection on PC. Run of Show - - Start - Housekeeping We're throwing a meet and greet fundraiser for Extra Life, well, actually Square Pie Guys is throwing us a meet and greet fundraiser for Extra Life! Come hang with Kinda Funny on Wednesday, October 25th! We'll be celebrating the launch of the Kinda Funny pizza — a Buffalo chicken pie — and raising money for the big beautiful kids! All proceeds from the tickets goes to our Extra Life fundraising, you'll be entered to win fabulous prizes, and you get to hang out with us! Get your banana ticket — yes, this is a ticketed event — at kindafunny.com/spgparty! Happy anniversary MinnMax! 4 Years! Support on pateron.com/minnmax Thank you to our Patreon Producers: JedimasterDeadpool & Delaney Twining The Roper Report  - - PlayStation layoffs hit Dreams developer Media Molecule - Tom Phillips @ Eurogamer - Bethesda Thought It Was 'Infallible' Before Fallout 76 Launch, Says Former Design Director - Ryan Dinsdale @ IGN - Ad - Metal Gear Solid Collection Is Packed With Problems on PC - Wesley Yin-Poole @ IGN - Microsoft's CEO say it's ‘doubling down' on being a game producer and publisher - Chris Scullion @ VGC - Ransomware Group Responsible for Massive Capcom Leak Arrested - Taylor Lyles @ IGN - Out Today - You‘re Wrong - The Post Show! Tomorrow's Hosts: Bless & Andy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The show is here and it's time to talk about Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Let's also delve into the new Metal Gear Solid collection while discussing the franchise's place in history. We'll also cover some of the layoffs at PlayStation studios, Xbox's next steps, and the different ways in which Discovery feels like an impossible problem to solve in this day and age.

SUBSCRIBE NOW!!!! on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher & Audible. This week on the Press X to Start Gamer's Digest: DJ & Sean talk about Microsoft's huge Microsoft/Activision win, the rumored remaster for The Last Of Us 2, the newly announced Black Panther open-world game and much more! Gaming News - Time code: 2:49 In the wake of Neil Druckmann taking over Naughty Dog, Gustavo Santaolalla allegedly leaks plans for a TLOU2 remaster; EA announces an open world Black Panther game; Microsoft finally wins the war for COD in the US but the CMA is still mulling it over; Sony teams with Ocado for some delicious PlayStation Pasta; Sony putting 2.1 billion into R&D to strengthen their live service capabilities; Sega Of America scores a game changing union vote win; Media Molecule gives Dreams' creations to the people. What We've Been Playing - Time code: 34:54 DJ builds elaborate contraptions in Tears of the Kingdom Sean gets into some violent shenanigans in COD DMZ If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you're using. Every little bit helps!  Want to ask a question, ask us at PressX2start.com/Questions Join/Follow Us: Youtube: Press X To Start TV Twitch: pressxtostarttv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pressx2start Twitter: @PressX2S  Instagram: @PressX2Start TikTok: @pressx2start You can find more info about the Press X and who we are at www.PressX2start.com. If you have any questions or just want to tell us how great (or just slightly okay) we're doing or how we can be better, be a friend and reach out and email us at pressxtostartpodcast@gmail.com End music by @MarcoMavy on Twitter & IG Be good to each other, Peace!

As it comes to grips with the new realities of an ever-consolidating market, Sony has opted to increase its aggressiveness by purchasing Firewalk Studios. Like Haven and Nixxes before it, buying Firewalk is an unusually premature move for a company that typically likes to conduct extensive second party dances before putting a ring on it. But its arch-rival and third party publishers alike have made it clear that the old rules of buying teams no longer apply, and that courtships can no longer span the production of multiple titles. Will this increasing embrace of size benefit PlayStation or hinder it? Only time will tell, but we've obviously much to discuss. Other big news this week includes PlayStation 5's staggering sales figures, the exit of more high-level talent from Media Molecule, and much more, and we round things out -- as always -- with listener inquiries. Is enemy scaling really necessary? Could Ubisoft be readying a low-key banger with XDefiant? Do players rerally 'graduate' from Nintendo to PlayStation? Is Colin developing a hankering for gardening? Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols and get on your way to being your best self Get a 1-year supply of Vitamin D and 5 travel packs for free at https://www.athleticgreens.com/sacred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Termite's Buzz! A weekly solo show running through what games and/or trophies Termite is pursuing, followed up by some gaming industry news and finishing with a retro video game discussion. This week: Done with Hogwarts Legacy Horizon FW DLC Street Fighter 6 Live event https://www.destructoid.com/street-fighter-6-showcase-april-recap-everything-shown/ Halo Franchise Director leaves Microsoft https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-frank-o-connor-halo-franchise-director-has-left-microsoft#close-modal Harry Potter competitive multiplayer Quidditch announced https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/harry-potter-competitive-multiplayer-game-quidditch-champions-announced/ Diablo IV has gone gold/Server Slam beta https://www.gameinformer.com/2023/04/17/diablo-iv-has-gone-gold https://www.polygon.com/23691548/diablo-4-livestream-open-beta-server-slam Media Molecule co founder leaves https://www.ign.com/articles/media-molecule-co-founder-mark-healey-leaves-studio-17-years Retro PS3 games: Call of Duty World at War GTA IV Song: 8-Punk - 8 bit music Licence: The song is permitted for non-commercial use under license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)" http://www.orangefreesounds.com/

The Grind: Jala: Murderous Muses. Dark Side of the Moon. Aperture Desk Job. Dennis: Last Epoch. Call of Duty DMZ. David: No Man's Sky. Kole: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion. The Multiplayer: Name the best duos in gaming. The End Boss: Someone broke Resident Evil 2 and 3. Media Molecule co-founder leaves company. Mario theme added to the Library of Congress

We're fresh off our break, and... where'd all these video games come from?? We dive into Dead Island 2, Horizon's Burning Shores DLC, Minecraft Legends, the new Vampire Survivors expansion, Cyberpunk's path tracing mode, the contents of the noble baseball, and a bunch of other stuff! Advertise on The Nextlander Podcast at Gumball.fm, or support us on Patreon! CHAPTERS (00:00:00) NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.(00:00:10) Intro(00:01:12) Little League is weird(00:09:19) Maybe sports are just weird?(00:10:02) Ok, we know wrestling is weird(00:13:20) Show rundown(00:13:38) Dead Island 2 [PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S] on Apr 21, 2023(00:25:03) Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores [PlayStation 5] on Apr 19, 2023(00:25:17) [POSSIBLE FORBIDDEN WEST SPOILERS] Try my best avoid any.(00:41:11) First Break(00:41:15) Minecraft: Legends [PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5] on Apr 18, 2023(00:53:31) Vampire Survivors: Tides of the Foscari [PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Android, iOS] on Apr 13, 2023(00:57:10) Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood [PC (Microsoft Windows)] on Apr 12, 2023(01:02:53) Cyberpunk 2077 [Google Stadia, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (Microsoft Windows)] on Dec 10, 2020(01:06:12) Portal with RTX [PC (Microsoft Windows)] on Dec 08, 2022(01:10:37) Second Break(01:10:41) News(01:11:04) Sega owns Angry Birds?(01:11:41) Suicide Squad has been delayed into 2023(01:15:57) Some notable departures from 343 Studios(01:22:14) Media Molecule will stop updating Dreams(01:27:48) Emails(01:36:51) Wrapping up and thanks(01:38:24) Mysterious Benefactor Tier Shoutouts(01:40:15) Nextlander content updates(01:41:17) See ya!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Follow The Trophy Room Youtube: https://youtube.com/@PSTrophyRoom  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pstrophyroom Discord: https://discord.gg/wPNp3kC Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSTrophyRoom Merch: https://bit.ly/40mWIZJ  --------------------------------- This week The Trophy Room A PlayStation Podcast host Joseph and Kyle talking about Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores Expansion DLC Review. We talk about the length, graphical quality, performance, whether Guerrilla Games can run the game at 60fps. We talk about some controversy around the game and whether its worth the price? We talk about how Sony is raising the price of PlayStation First Party games. Media Molecule co-Founder leaves the studio after the studio ends support for Dreams. Dead Island 2 solid Metacritic and Open Critic Review Round Up. PS5 sales are now tracking ahead of PS4and so much more!  

Dave and MJC both saw the Super Mario Bros. Movie and played the Xdefiant beta this week! Find out if MJC could tolerate Chris Pratt's voice and if Dave and MJC think XDefiant has what it takes to compete. In the news this week, there was a Nintendo Indie World, some low-key acquisitions took place and there are some shake-ups at Media Molecule. Plus Dave is really pleased with how the Super Mario Bros. movie turned out.  Opening song is Deja Vu by Popskyy - https://popskyy.bandcamp.com/If you'd like to donate to us using PayPal, you can do so with this link. https://www.paypal.me/digitaldaysgamingIf you would like to order DDG merchandise click below: https://teespring.com/digital-days-gamingPatreonDiscordTwitter: @DigitalDaysPodDave Twitter: @GoodDaveHuntMichael Twitter: @The1stMJCTwitch: @DigitalDaysGamingFacebook PageFacebook GroupYouTubeTikTok

Patrick and Rob have set their clocks to island time early, as they've both been checking out Dead Island 2, the long-waited follow-up to the 2011 zombie game. The crew then laments the death of Media Molecule's Dreams, and wonders about the future of Halo, following the departure of 343 leader Frank O'Connor. After the break, Rob and Ren have been checking Wartales, a tactical medieval mercenary game that has you balancing the books and emotions of a band of mercenaries. Then, we dip into the question bucket to wax nostalgic over lost bits of gaming culture, and to learn about the secret rules of hockey fist fights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greg and Tim kick off the week with news of Joseph Staten's next studio, Mario movie's continued success, and Media Molecule losing a co-founder. Time Stamps - 00:00:00 - Start 00:04:16 - Housekeeping The 2nd of 4 episodes for Kinda Anime is now up on YouTube.com/KindaFunny and Screencast podcast services! Barrett's 2nd video essay premieres on YouTube.com/KindaFunnyGames this Wednesday and it's all about why Jedi: Fallen Order is one of his favorite games of all time! We're trying something new with YouTube SuperChats on Kinda Funny Games Daily! ONLY on YouTube and the livestream, there's going to be a 30-minute post-show where SnowBikeMike comes in to talk to US KFGD hosts about YOUR Superchat questions! The Roper Report  - 00:09:10 - Former Bungie Director Joseph Staten Reveals His Next Studio 00:26:34 - The Super Mario Bros Movie is now ‘expected' to hit $1 billion as it continues to beat global estimates 00:37:56 - Ad 00:39:01 - Media Molecule co-founder and Dreams director Mark Healey has left the studio 00:50:13 - Angry Birds Developer “Rovio” is being bought by Sega 00:53:37 - ‘Sonic the Hedgehog' Spin Off Series ‘Knuckles' at Paramount+ Sets its Cast 00:55:50 - Dark and Darker's developer is being sued by Nexon 00:57:55 - Out Today 00:59:49 - You‘re Wrong Tomorrow's Hosts: Tim & Bless Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After witnessing its death in slow motion, Media Molecule is mercifully pulling the plug on its beleaguered project Dreams. And it's sad, no doubt. But here's the reality: Dreams was a bad idea and a waste of time. Sony voluntarily hamstrung its most creative team for the better part of two generations on a dead end, and you can't really blame artists-types for taking all the corporate rope you'll give them. After all, Media Molecule hasn't released a AAA game in more than 12 years, an unfathomable gap. How that's even possible is anyone's guess. Who's responsible for Dreams' abject failure? Why was this idea allowed to go along so staggeringly beyond its expiration date? And what's next for the House of Sackboy? Other news this week includes tacit confirmation of a Persona 3 remake, Sony's aggressive push into cloud gaming, an official delay for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and more. The conversation's rounded out with listener inquiries sent from Patreon, touching on topics like the Redfall 30-frames controversy, the cost of putting Call of Duty on PlayStation Plus, the best order to play the original Final Fantasy games, and a continued ode to a deli that's become a central icon of show lore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Follow The Trophy Room Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pstrophyroom Discord: https://discord.gg/wPNp3kC Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSTrophyRoom Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-trophy-room-a-playstation-podcast/  -------------------------------------------- This week The Trophy Room A PlayStation Podcast host Joseph and Kyle talk about the death of Media Molecule's Dreams on PS4 as Sony begins to close its live service element on the PlayStation Ecosystem. Persona 3 and Jet Set Radio Remakes are leaked by a SEGA internal document. We breakdown the Final Fantasy 16 State of Play Gameplay Presentation! Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League Delayed to 2024 what this means for RockSteady and Horizon Burning Shores is FINALLY revealed in a gameplay teaser trailer, PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium games for April have been revealed as Spider-Man PS4 leaves the service as a PlayStation First Party Title and so much more!

We're back with a new episode and there's plenty of news to talk about including; Sega leaks for Jet Set Radio and Persona, Redfall coming up short in the FPS department and Media Molecule moving on from Dreams. Plus Dave is really pleased with how the Super Mario Bros. movie turned out. Opening song is Deja Vu by Popskyy - https://popskyy.bandcamp.com/If you'd like to donate to us using PayPal, you can do so with this link. https://www.paypal.me/digitaldaysgamingIf you would like to order DDG merchandise click below: https://teespring.com/digital-days-gamingPatreonDiscordTwitter: @DigitalDaysPodDave Twitter: @GoodDaveHuntMichael Twitter: @The1stMJCTwitch: @DigitalDaysGamingFacebook PageFacebook GroupYouTubeTikTok

Tim and Andy talk about Media Molecule ending support for Dreams, Nintendo Live in Seattle, and more! Time Stamps - 00:00:00 - Start 00:01:50 - Housekeeping We partnered with NVIDIA so you can watch Andy show off the absolutely STUNNING Ray Tracing Overdrive Mode in Cyberpunk 2077 LIVE right after this on twitch.tv/kindafunnygames and youtube.com/kindafunnyanmes We're trying something new with YouTube SuperChats on Kinda Funny Games Daily! ONLY on YouTube and the livestream on Twitch, there's going to be a 30-minute post-show where SnowBikeMike comes in to talk to US KFGD hosts about YOUR Superchat questions! Stay tuned after today's handshake to hang out with me, Mike, and Bless before the next Kinda Funny stream starts! There's a new Kinda Funny Podcast up on Youtube.com/KindaFunny. Over on Patreon: Remember there's Gregways going up every single weekday. The Roper Report  - 00:04:54 - Sony ending support for Dreams in September 00:16:05 - Nintendo announced Nintendo Live Seattle 00:27:24 - Ad 00:28:30 - Nintendo Subpoenas Discord for Identity of Tears of the Kingdom Leaker 00:35:02 - PC Game Pass has fully launched in 40 new countries 00:43:05 - Bithell Games is working on more Tron games 00:47:06 - A playable 20-foot Donkey Kong arcade machine is coming to the Museum of Play in New York 00:52:00 - Out Today  Reader mail  - 00:53:23 - “Do you think you'll ever get seduced by a From Soft game?” - Marco Hutchens 01:00:04 - Squad Up: Howard - PlayStation - Owenlars2 01:00:38 - You‘re Wrong Tomorrow's Hosts: Bless & Greg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg and Tim talk about some big ole Sega leaks including Jet Set Radio and Persona 3. Time Stamps - 00:00:00 - Start 00:07:45 - Housekeeping In case you missed it: Tim and Barrett reacted to all of the Star Wars news that dropped last week. That's over on Youtube.com/Kindafunny. Over on Patreon: A new episode of The Shit List where Blessing and Tim react to IGN's list of top ten Super Mario Bros games is up right now. The Roper Report  - 00:11:30 - Footage of Jet Set Radio and Persona 3 remakes has seemingly leaked 00:22:47 - Joseph Staten Is Leaving Xbox, Microsoft Has Confirmed 00:30:04 - The Super Mario Bros. Movie Had the Biggest Global Opening Weekend Ever for an Animated Film 00:37:25 - Ad 00:38:31 - EA's magic FPS Immortals of Aveum will be released in July, it's been claimed 00:42:21 - Tekken 8 will feature crossplay, director Harada confirms 00:46:40 - Out Today 00:48:42 - “What is Media Molecule up to?” - Daniel 00:57:32 - You‘re Wrong Tomorrow's Hosts: Tim & Andy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Word of a third core The Last of Us game emanates from a reliable film industry-based source. If true, The Last of Us: Part III is one of at least two games in-development at Naughty Dog, news that is being met with equal parts excitement and disappointment. With other happenings pointing towards a God of War TV show at Amazon, and with so much of Sony's strategy seemingly relying on PlayStation's existing IP, it makes sense to wonder something very simple: Where are the new could-be franchises? When it comes to AAA fare, we've gotten one from the first and second party in PlayStation 5's entire lifecycle to date in the form of Returnal. Should we be concerned? Or should we put our faith into a brand that -- let's be honest -- has largely treated us very well over the last decade-plus, particularly when it comes to what matters most. Other news this week includes official word of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters' imminent PS4 release, the announcement of Ys X: Nordics, the exit of one of Media Molecule's co-founders from the studio after 16 years, and much more. Listener inquiries wrap things up as always, touching on topics like noisy controllers, the proper way to play Death Stranding, the commercial triumph of Sonic Frontiers, and a compelling suggestion that Chris may in fact be a time traveller with an uncanny predictive flair. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/sacred and get on your way to being your best self Shop Tommy John's end of year sale for up to 70% off at https://www.tommyjohn.com/sacred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices