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YoVideogames!

A commentary on gaming lifestyle: its history, its news, and all things hype!

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Avg 1 hr 13 min
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Episodes 26

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Yesterday · 1 hr 9 min
YoVG # 553 Xbox Sundowning Continues
Technically the term is "sunsetting" but sundowning seems more appropriate given the confusion, anxiety, and madness of Xbox's behavior. In this week's episode we talk Capcom, PS5 cultural relevance and the biggest topic is Xbox's recent layoffs and consolidations. Consolidations that seem to point at Microsoft gearing up to sell or close Xbox game studios. As an aside, in the episode we are talking about Onimusha and I mention that I am doing the issikai maneuver (spelling?). I played some more after recording - and that is definitely not what I am doing the most of. Mostly I dodge - but for whatever reason: I pull off that move more reliably than the parry. My confusing adventures into being sh*t at action games continues lmao
#552
September 16 · 1 hr 19 min
YoVG # 552 Irresponsible Hype (Blizzcon 2026)
For the third week in a row, I have been caught unawares. As with every Blizzcon - I have to acknowledge most of this is not for me. WoW, Overwatch, even Diablo are all games I enjoy here and there, but I am by no means a major fan. So, maybe it's not a surprise that I didn't see a StarCraft FPS coming. The trailer was HYPE. And then it shows the release... 2030? And probably late 2030... So, 4 years from now? Why do companies do this? Announcing something so early is a surefire way to wear out the audience's enthusiasm by release time. Is it job security? A way to keep the execs off their back and the finger off the layoff button?
#551
September 10 · 1 hr 8 min
YoVG # 551 Nintendo Is a Solid B!
We got a two-parter Nintendo Direct for the first time ever. One part dedicated entirely to Zelda 40 year anniversary and a second more traditional direct the very next day. Put together, we feel it's a solid direct. A couple surprises in Metroid Revenant and Kirby Forgotten World and a whole load of anticipated ports.
#550
September 4 · 1 hr 28 min
YoVG # 550 Sony Gets A D!
Playstation's State of Play Fall 2026 is in the books. Sony has been a bit mired in consumer hate lately and really needed a big win here. Did they get it? Matt says no. For him this is a D minus show that it's hard to even care about. Personally, I thought there were a couple fun, dare I say, even exciting updates. But I'd still probably give this show a C, C-. One thing that the show did solidify for me is that Japanese developers have something their western kindred sorely lack right now: whimsy. How do we get more whimsy in western games? I think gritty, realistic, apocalyptic and piss filter are all cool too, but we have too much of that right now. What did you doods think? Anything in this show make you overlook Sony's recent screw ups?
#549
August 26 · 1 hr 21 min
YoVG # 549: Gamescom 2026
We are rolling toward the holiday shopping season and that means Gamescom is here with one last pop of surprises (hopefully). Every year, Gamescom takes me by surprise. I have no idea why, but for some reason the end of summer sneaks up on me and the show catches me off guard. This year is no different. We had updates on exciting games I had forgotten about, and surprises for a beloved game of the past. In this episode we talk about our personal highlights, confusions and disappointments. Also, I learn maybe the most shocking, downright disgusting, out right insane detail about Matt. He pronounces a legendary French actor's name in such a way that I almost had to disown him. Then... To make it worse... It turns out that's how most people in the US pronounce the name. Also, there's plenty of tangents in this one. I left them in, but if you'd like me to cut more out - let me know.
#548
August 22 · 1 hr 11 min
YoVG # 548 Rockstar Hactivism
Rockstar got hacked again, and GTA6 gameplay got leaked. But this time? The hacker has an activist agenda. They want to punish Rockstar for not having a physical release. Will it work? Will this change the way the industry is moving? No. Probably not. Will we see more hactivism like this? Is there any type of activism that will change industry behavior? Maybe.
#547
August 12 · 1 hr 11 min
YoVG # 547 How To Avoid Brand Rot
Have you thought about Halo lately? About where it started and where it's at now? Is it indicative of a brand that has been left to rot, or worse, beaten to death and then propped up to rot while shambling onward? How do we avoid brand rot? Is it expanding the media, like with a TV show, or books, or theme parks? Maybe. But then, those things have to be GOOD to avoid the rot. Is there a secret? Or do we just need people with savoir faire? Maybe this is a "you can't necessarily learn it, but you gotta know it" kinda thing. What's a brand you wish hadn't been left to rot, but clearly IS rotting? (And why is it Final Fantasy?)
#546
August 7 · 1 hr 14 min
YoVG # 546 Gaming Industry 2026: Future Private
Did I make the title a joke about a game from 2005? Yes. Will anyone get it/see it/care? No. But you gotta do what brings you joy. Sometimes that's about making a little joke for you. Sometimes it's about rippin' lines in a grungy club bathroom while kids in bad fashion call you chopped. You do you. I'm not here to judge. I am here to tell you that the industry continues its march through rough times. In this week's episode we talk about EA going private. We wonder if that will lead to a bigger trend of publishers taking themselves private, or perhaps new publishers staying private. Matt seems to think so. I'm not so sure. The temptations and benefits of going public are too great for the corporate stooge. What does it mean for gamers if there are more private publishers? Smaller games. Less triple A hyper realism. Maybe cheaper games. Definitely more digital releases and less physical releases moving forward (and that is a good thing for smaller companies). A future populated with private companies also means more competition, and thus more effort to grab our attention and dollars. Hell, we could even see a return of E3 or similar events. Though likely smaller in scale.
July 30 · 1 hr 25 min
YoVG # 545 What Will Convince You To Buy Next Gen?
For me? Nothing, honestly. Well, okay... A launch line up of epic proportions would be hard to deny, but I can't honestly tell you what that would be at this point. Sony specifically? Is there any one franchise that makes it a lock? Any three? Hard to say. Given that this generation has been underwhelming (in terms of hardware performance), would we feel the upgrade to a new console anyway? Why would Nintendo be the safest bet in that world? Will Xbox continue to exist as we know it by then?
#543
July 1 · 1 hr 19 min
YoVG # 543 Evo 2026 & Future Fighting Games
This episode is mostly about EVO, and what we expect coming for fighting games. There is a furry/waifu subplot though and you should be prepared for it. So, we didn't hit EVO this year and it sounds like we weren't alone. Do we think this is linked to there being multiple EVOs on multiple continents now? And... Wait... Are they already walking back how many countries that will have tournaments? And wait, did they already drop Invincible VS from future events? We got questions!
#542
June 24 · 1 hr 8 min
YoVG # 542 The Next Gen Trap
This episode is a discussion inspired by Mystic on Youtube. He recently made a video about why Sony can't/won't delay the release of the PS6. You can watch that video, here. What's it boil down to? Sunk cost. They already spent all the time and money to bring it to market, stopping now won't actually save them anything and can only cost them more. Personally, I think that's a fallacy, but Matt sees the logic of the argument. Additionally, we talk the steam machine, Xbox next gen, and more!
#541
June 17 · 1 hr 3 min
YoVG # 541 No One Is Safe
More layoffs. The pendulum always swings. We just had maybe the best not-E3 in close to a decade. Excitement is in the air for anyone that is a fan of games. So, naturally, Microsoft would go ahead and try to scuttle any good will by closing multiple studios. Including one that had a game announced at their event. So, who's getting the axe? Why? And what does it mean for the industry at large? Because while we had an incredible summer announcement season, the industry itself is still contracting. Not because it isn't profitable. It very much still is.
#540
June 12 · 1 hr 20 min
YoVG # 540 The Best (NOT) E3 in a Decade!?
Ok. Maybe that's hyperbolic, but this really was a solid gaming Christmas. Is anyone mad? Of course, there are people who didn't get the exact thing they wanted, and so they are mad as hell. But this might be the first year in a decade or close to where there's not only something for everyone, but there's MULTIPLE big somethings for most people. I am already thinking about what I will pick up in September, and what I'll budget for over the following months. And really, that might be the only mark against this... So many things are coming out in September that I have to wonder how the rest of the next year will feel. What about you guys? How do you grade summer announcement season?
#539
June 3 · 1 hr 19 min
YoVG # 539 Sony Delivers (Great) Safe Bets!
Sony kicked off gaming summer with an hour long State of Play. Naturally, expectations were high. Did they deliver? I'd argue, yes. They bookended the SoP by opening with extended Wolverine gameplay and then ended with 20 minutes of God of War: Laufey cinematic gameplay. In between was a mix of promising titles, and a couple small surprises, like Kemuri. It felt very safe. Even the release dates: all of them pointedly avoiding GTA6 release. That's not really a mark against Sony in my opinion, but it does mean nothing will absolutely melt your face or blow your mind. Still, this was a solid State of Play!
#538
May 27 · 1 hr 11 min
YoVG # 538 James Bond First Light: Who's it for?
I love James Bond movies. I grew up with them. I just talked about having gone through every Bond film a few weeks ago (there's 28, if you include The Rock, and you should!). When I watched the marketing for First Light, it looked like a Hitman game. A very well done, excellently made, Hitman game. And that meant I was out. I'm not hating on Hitman. Blood Money is a classic, and as far as I'm concerned the peak of the series because after that I never got into it again. World of Assassination is supposed to be incredible - if you love Hitman and haven't played it - get after it. This is by no means trying to talk you out of anything Hitman. But... Is James Bond right for a Hitman game? It didn't land for me. For whatever reason, James Bond means car chases, fast action, gun fights. In game form, that screams shooter to us. First or Third person, but shooter. Not stealth, not sandbox, not puzzles. None of those things are bad, and judging by the reviews IO interactive did a fantastic job. So, why is the game tracking low sales? Well, who is this game for? Hitman fans? James Bond fans? Uhhh... Uncharted fans??
#537
May 21 · 1 hr 19 min
YoVG # 537 Sony Announces a SoP Weeks in Advance?!
Sony is making a bit of an event out of their summer State of Play - coming June 2nd. Summer Games Fest is coming just three days later; so I guess we know Sony isn't making any big announcements there. If they are giving so much of a heads up , they must expect this to be big, right? What do we think/hope this is? Well, we know Wolverine will take up a big chunk of the hour long show - they've said so. It's been a long time since we saw anything from Naughty Dog's Intergalactic - so I'm betting we get something. Matt has a big brain idea about something else Naughty Dog might tease. There's high hopes that this will be a Single Player focused State of Play.
May 13 · 1 hr 16 min
YoVG # 536 Catching Up on This Week in Gaming
There's no snappy title for this. My internet was a mess last week and naturally that means a lot happened in the industry. This is our catch up episode! We talk Game Pass price drop, Nintendo price increase (and how they seem to be trying to soften that blow as much as possible). We talk Saros, and StarFox. Plus, we talk RE9 now that it's settled for us and Leon Must Die Forever has been released.
#535
April 29 · 1 hr 8 min
YoVG # 535 Too Damn Old For Us
This week's episode comes from Patron Scott M. He asked: what's a console that is too primitive or old for us to go back and play? Now, I am young. A baby even. Just a forever young, some might say devilishly handsome - I won't stop them - man. So, while I played an Atari 2600, and have seen a couple other gen one and two consoles, really things started with gen three and the NES, or even Gen four and the Sega Genesis. That being said, everyone has memories of playing the oldest consoles from the 70's because there are pizza shops all over that have the arcade versions. Given that we talked about a new Neo Geo being made, and who might want that... Does anyone want newly manufactured RCA Studio 2? No. But do we want a modern version of the Coleco Telstar Arcade from 1977? Uh, yeah I'd be down for a modern upgrade to that for sure. Also, we talk about how I plan to spend my eighties. In a few words? Drug fueled spiral unto death.
#534
April 22 · 1 hr 13 min
YoVG # 534 Fired For Being Right
This is an eclectic episode where we catch up on some of the news floating around. First, we talk about the new Neo Geo being released along with 10 games. The console itself will be 250 USD, and the games $90 each. Or you can get a bundle of the console, and all ten games for 1k even. Seems steep until you compare it to the price of the original Neo Geo: 1k for the console, 200 bucks per game in 1990 money. Personally, I have to ask: who wants this? In this day and age, is this anything beyond a collectors item? And then it hits me: that's exactly what they said about the original Neo Geo. Maybe the universe is healing. Then, we talk about the new, lower, Game Pass price, and finally we talk about Shuhei Yoshida's comments about Jim Ryan. They should shock people because comments like this just don't really happen in the game industry, and especially not from the Japanese side. Makes you wonder how poorly Jim's tenure is viewed if Yoshida casually dropped these comments.
#533
April 15 · 1 hr 5 min
YoVG # 533 Waste of Money
I'm alive! I spent last week fighting a sinus infection - sorry for the missed episode but as you'll hear in the beginning of this episode: it was gross as hell and unavoidable. There's a few topics going this episode, but the theme seems to be companies having too much money to be doing the layoffs they claim are necessary. We also talk Crimson Desert, Pixar, Disney Layoffs, and the Rockstar financial leak.

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