Video Games 2 The Max

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 06/10/2024 *Well, the Summer Game Fest weekend of showcases has officially come and gone. And they certainly were a mixed bag of goodness.Geoff Keighley kicked things off and delivered some interesting games, but wound up being much more indie-focused than it has been in years past. Did this wind up being a better show because of it? Or is it a big reflection on the industry itself this year? Also, do the encouraging changes give us hope for the Game Awards? Day of the Devs certainly had some really cool games and indie marvels to be excited about. Could Xbox may have possibly had its best showcase ever? What about Ubisoft? Did the guys watch any of the other showcases? We will get into all of that and more on this episode of Video Games 2 the MAX.You can also watch this episode in video form on the W2M Network Youtube Channel, please give us a like, comment on the episode, and gi

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 06/03/2024 *In the calm before the storm week, Sean and Marc discuss the PlayStation State of Play that occurred last Thursday and how it is a mixed bag once again. The big game we discussed in the previous episode was announced in the form of the PlayStation 5 Astro Bot title, but the rest had varying degrees of excitement. Also, PlayStation reiterated some of its strategies right before the State of Play in terms of PS4, Playstation games on PC, and Stellar Blade even topped the charts in April as well. Plus, more news from Take-Two on Private Division, two big game delays, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown finally getting a solid release date, the Summer Game Fest showcase schedule, and much more!You can also watch this episode in video form on the W2M Network Youtube Channel, please give us a like, comment on the episode, and give the channel a subscribe and follow as well: htt

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 05/29/2024 *Hopefully, everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend. This wasn't the biggest news week but at least there are a few things to talk about including Microsoft finally confirming that Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will be coming to Xbox Game Pass. Could this be the spark plug that helps liven up the service? Or is this a huge risk at possibly diminishing the cash cow in the first year of owning it? There are also rumors that a full PS5 Astrobot game will be announced soon and that it is not linked to the PSVR 2 like the first game was to the PlayStation VR. Does this excite the duo at the prospect of getting a longer Astrobot game? Also, some interesting announcements from Sony on their view on the future of gaming including a weird controller. Plus, Nintendo acquires a studio, IGN acquires more gaming websites, Atari acquires Intellivision, Shift Up wants to do more with Ste

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 05/17/2024 *This week is packed with news from all sorts of gaming channels. Let's see if Sean and Marc can even get close to touching most of it. PlayStation made some big moves at the CEO level and announced 59.3 Million PS5's sold. They also might have a surprise Horizon game and even get more Xbox games too. Details have surfaced on the next Assassin's Creed game officially called AC Shadows and it will feature two protagonists. Is Marc excited about this? Or is it not that big a deal with other games having eclipsed an AC Japan game. Plus, Square-Enix reveals its multiplatform strategy, actual word on FF 16 and FF 7 Rebirth sales, a Star Wars Total War game, a release window for Grand Theft Auto 6 and so much more!!!You can also watch this episode in video form on the W2M Network Youtube Channel, please give us a like, comment on the episode, and give the channel a subscribe

This week in gaming showcased a bombshell announcement from one of the big pillars of the industry. Microsoft and Xbox announced the closure of three Bethesda studios and the consolidation of another one. Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog, Tango Gameworks, and Roundhouse are all gone. Although some of the employees will be put into other places or studios, many of these wonderful developers are now out of work. At what point do figureheads start to carry the blame for all of these bad decisions? How does anyone have any trust at all in Xbox moving forward? Should Xbox just rip off the Band-Aid and change lanes with Xbox Game Pass? Is this all beyond Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty? How much blame does the Activision-Blizzard-King purchase carry on this as well? Should other Xbox studios be on notice now too? Sean and Marc try to parse through all of this stuff and the terrible interview by Sarah Bond with Bloomberg as well. Thankfully, there are some positive things from this week, namely Nintendo dropping a

This week saw a quieter period for gaming with everyone still catching up on the deluge of games released in the last few weeks and also some showcases highlighting upcoming games too. Marc has now been playing Stellar Blade and makes up for Sean not getting to make any progress in the game this week. With Marc having more familiarity with the Souls genre how does his opinion differ from Sean's last week? Is Stellar Blade a hit for him too? Also, Square-Enix announced a massive loss due to content abandonment losses totaling $141 Million. What does this mean for the company? And what could be the canceled projects? Should Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest fans be worried? Plus, 7-Eleven and Tetris, the ID @ Xbox showcase, shocking studio closures at Take-Two Interactive, and much more!You can also watch this episode in video form on the W2M Network Youtube Channel, please give us a like, comment on the episode, and give the channel a subscribe and follow as well: https://youtube.com/live/J-_im_s7syc- If you pref

Gaming season has arrived at the end of April and the guys have some games to talk about on this episode of Video Games 2 the MAX. Sean's been playing Stellar Blade Another Crab's Treasure, and Tales of Kenzera Zau, and Marc's been playing No Rest For the Wicked. Quite a bit of Souls on this show. Also, Blizzard announced they will not have Blizzcon in 2024. Is this really a big deal? Or does it say something about not having really anything major to showcase? Plus, Embracer Group spits into three, Xbox financial figures cause a meltdown, some info on potential Switch 2 joycons, and more games are being delisted.You can also watch this episode in video form on the W2M Network Youtube Channel, please give us a like, comment on the episode, and give the channel a subscribe and follow as well: https://youtube.com/live/fNzswJNd_fg- If you prefer podcasts: Listen and give us a review on these platforms... - Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ag/podcast/video-games-2-the-max/id886092740Spotify: https://open.spotify.

As we await the big game releases of next week, there are a few minor ones that have already made their way out to PC and Consoles. Sean's played Stop Motion narrative wonder Harold Halibut and the Final Fantasy XVI Rising Tide DLC. Does the Rising Tide serve as a seemingly fitting finale to FF16's content? Is Harold Halibut another indie darling that everyone should play? There's quite a bit of video game adjacent and actual video game news to discuss, with Nintendo providing a brand new Indie World and Sean has a few favorites to be excited about. The Witcher series gets a final Season 5, Sonic 3's Shadow has its voice actor, Mike Ybarra wonders if we should be able to tip AAA game developers, and are Final Fantasy VII Rebirth sales being overblown? Plus, Sean and Marc discuss more on the Fallout TV Show now that Sean has finished it. PC versions of PlayStation games will soon get trophies, Marc's been playing OuterWorlds and a lot more on this edition of Video Games 2 the MAX.You can also watch this episod

* Apologies for the audio version coming out a little later than usual. Sean had some family matters to attend to. * This week saw the premiere of the Fallout TV Series on Amazon Prime and Marc has binged through it all, while Sean has watched the first few episodes. So the duo discusses their impressions of the series that's already received the greenlight for a second season. Also, this was a week of announcements, trailers, and lost possibilities. As the Star Wars Outlaws Story trailer released to much aplomb and wonder, but does it have the guys excited about what's to come when it releases on August 30? The Triple iii Showcase also took place and both of us have some favorite games coming out of it. Then, there's the whole debacle with EA and if there was going to be a Dead Space 2 Remake or even a new Dead Space game. EA has put an end to that not happening. Is it the best move? Plus, could we see less big-budget $70 games? EA Play goes up in price and more!You can also watch this episode in video form

We are now fully into April and as we wait for the big games coming at the end of the month, there are some demos out for some of them. So, Sean has some Stellar Blade Impressions to share on this episode. Along with that, he's also played two versions of the Saga: Emerald Beyond. As well as a beloved game that was released bout a month ago in Unicorn Overlord impressions too. Marc is also just enjoying more Granblue Fantasy Relink.Some details have dropped on potential games for the June Xbox Showcase including a long-awaited Gears 6 reveal. Likewise, rumors abound that much like last year, Sony may opt to get ahead of the Summer Games Fest brouhaha and have a showcase in May. Xbox is also in the news for some others including making a games preservation team and Hellblade 2 being locked at 30 FPS. Plus, according to an annual report from Newzoo most gamers are playing old games or recurring annual franchises. Does this say anything about the state of gaming? And does this paint a grim picture for how many

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is so massive Sean had to bring in five guests to break down their thoughts on various parts of the game including The Ending and where we go from here into Part 3. So, if you didn't catch the title, there will be SPOILERS for the game on this special edition of Video Games 2 the MAX.Sean is joined by the man who loves Bad Brackets Randy Isbelle and two members of The Outerhaven crew in SithScott and Andrew Agress (also, Andrew reviewed Rebirth for the Outerhaven.) Plus, you have freelance writers Hayes Madsen (he reviewed Rebirth for Inverse) and first-time guest Josh Broadwell (who reviewed Rebirth for Roger Ebert.)So if you also have finished Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, join us in this all-encompassing, (positive and negative) discussion about the second part of the FFVII Remake Project. -------- Guest Links -----Randy's Bad Brackets: https://www.youtube.com/@BadBracketsScott's Stellar Blade Impressions: https://www.theouterhaven.net/2024/04/stellar-blade-demo-impressions/Andrew's

After a week that saw some big releases and exciting announcements, we have a week of interesting announcements, and more layoffs, Gearbox is free from Embracer Group, and Phil Spencer has a big interview talking about Xbox. Sean and Marc discuss it all in this edition of Video Games 2 the MAX. Phil Spencer had an interview with Polygon while at the Game Developer's Conference (links further below in the description) where he speaks about all sorts of things including wanting PC storefronts like Epic Games and Itch.io on Xbox, the cost prohibition of exclusives, a potential Xbox handheld, and more! Could this be a potential lifespring for Xbox? Or is this all essentially wish-listing from Phil? Marvel Rivals was suddenly announced and seems to take a lot of its inspiration from Overwatch. With Overwatch 2 in a bad spot, could a game from a big IP like Marvel overtake it and become the Defacto hero shooter? Also, Gearbox is sold to Take-Two Interactive, Resident Evil 9 could be open-world, layoffs at several S

A huge week in gaming with some major releases all occurring on the same day and also big gaming news with GDC and PAX East happening this week as well. Right before recording Square-Enix had their Final Fantasy XVI: Rising Tide DLC panel and they gave some new info on what we'll be doing in the DLC, an all-important release date and so much more! Sean tries to go through the gist of it, probably much to Marc's chagrin. Although the guys aren't playing any of the big games just yet, Marc did finally get to play Granblue Fantasy Relink and Sean finished the main story of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and also tried out the new Performance Mode Sharp as well. There's a ton of news including the U.S. Dept of Justice Suing Apple over Monopolistic practices which include Cloud gaming. Capcom once again being in hot water of its microtransactions, Helldivers 2 is the best-selling game of February 2024, PSVR 2 halting production amid overstock concerns, Larian dropping Baldur's Gate for something new, and much more!Mar

It's another week in gaming and another week of Video Games 2 the MAX as Sean and Marc are near the end of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, (actually, Marc beat it before we started recording), so the guys have some more thoughts on the game (without spoilers). And something that will help FFVII Rebirth look even better is a PlayStation 5 Pro as more rumors abound about the specs and insides of the future version of the PS5. Could 4K 60 really be a thing for consoles very soon? And will the guys think about maybe getting one? Plus, lots of announcements from Mario Day, including Super Mario Bros 2 Movie is official, Sabre Interactive is officially sold, and well, Helldivers 2 officially has sold extremely well. There are some other things to discuss too!You can also watch this episode in video form on the W2M Network Youtube Channel, please give us a like, comment on the episode, and give the channel a subscribe and follow as well: https://youtube.com/live/_hutkHgeOsA- If you prefer podcasts: Listen and give us a r

Sadly a huge loss was announced to the world late Thursday/Early Friday with the passing of the legendary Akira Toriyama. The creator of Dragon Ball undoubtedly leaves a huge legacy not just in the Manga/Anime world, but also in video games with his character art for Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon among others. Sean is joined by Marc and The Outerhaven's SithScott as they discuss what Akira Toriyama meant to them, their origins with Dragon Ball, and more. Scott also discusses his thoughts on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth as Sean and Marc have progressed to Chapter 9 in the game, along with some other games like Zoria, Skull and Bones, and Cave of Lores. Xbox also had their Partner Preview and there was certainly a varying degree of enjoyment in that, but it did have some cool games to look forward to. Rooster Teeth shut down. Deviation Games closes. Warner Bros looks to fully move into live-service games. Yuzu quickly goes into a settlement with Nintendo over their Switch emulator, and more!You can

This week has been absolutely incredible in showing the duality of the games industry at the moment. Two giants of video games, Sony and EA both have layoffs within a day of each other, closing studios, and echoing the same refrain of needing to reassess their strategies going forward. Embracer Group entered an agreement with Sabre Interactive so they can be owned by private investors. Borderlands studio Gearbox could also be sold off, and Toys for Bob, makers of Crash Bandicoot 4 and the Spyro Reignited Trilogy enter into an agreement to go independent from Activision-Blizzard-King. Oh yeah, and around all of this business stuff was the release of a small little game called Final Fantasy VII Rebirth that so many gamers, including both Sean and Marc, have been eagerly awaiting. Sean and Marc give their thoughts on the game so far, why Queen's Blood might be the best card game, and a whole lot more. Plus, the Pokemon Company announced Pokemon Legends Z-A set in Lumiose City is coming in 2025 for Nintendo Switc

It is nearly upon us, the moment Final Fantasy VII fans have been eagerly anticipating, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is mere days away. Sean is joined by Gaming Trends Writer at Inverse Hayes Madsen. Hayes has reviewed and played the full game already ahead of its official release.In this SPOILER-FREE discussion about the game, Hayes gives his thoughts on the new additions, what's improved from Final Fantasy VII Remake, does going open-world make this everything we've ever dreamed of for FFVII? Hayes' favorite mini-game, what is so awesome about the new card game Queen's Blood, anything that stands out as a negative, and more!You can go read Hayes's review here: https://www.inverse.com/gaming/final-fantasy-7-rebirth-reviewYou can also watch this episode in video form on the W2M Network Youtube Channel, please give us a like, comment on the episode, and give the channel a subscribe and follow as well: https://youtube.com/live/ukmBOegaKGoTimestamps: 00:01:00: START00:02:25: Talking about the state of Gaming and Ga

This was a week of anticipation for the industry focused more so looking forward to two major games that are coming in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Not to mention, Nintendo finally dropped that Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase as well. Sean and Marc discuss all of these things, how reviews are shaping up for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, thoughts on the Elden Ring DLC Trailer, and also on the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase. They've also been playing some games, with Marc having some Helldivers 2 Impressions, and also can discuss the server issues preventing him from playing the game. He's also made it further in Persona 3 Reload and Regency Solitaire 2. Sean has more to say on Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden after spending a significant amount of more time with it. Plus, Sony will make it possible for PSVR 2 to work on PC so that the tech owners can access more games. The latest Circana report for January 2024 has dropped and brings with it some interesting info

Randy Isbelle joins Sean and Marc on this week's big episode, as Microsoft had its business update and wound up announcing four games will be coming to other console platforms. And while they did not announce which ones they are, reports are already out there that namedrop Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, and Pentiment as the four coming over. There's also new console hardware being worked on and even announcements coming in the fall regarding a possible mid-gen thing. Should this be enough to calm the fears? Or is this just the start of a whole new strategy for Xbox? On the other side, a recent earnings report from Sony had their president, CFO, and COO Hiroki Totoki state that no major franchise exclusives are coming in 2024, that they need to be more mindful of business when it comes to developing games, and even mentions being more aggressive about PC. Could Sony also be looking at modifying their strategy a bit? Unfortunately, layoffs and bad news also continue with Embracer Group once again leading

This week has been a whirlwind of rumors, speculation, and reports centered around Microsoft's possible direction for the future of Xbox as a brand, as a console, and what that means for the gaming world in general. Gaming social media imploded so crazily that Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer had to reveal a business summit is occurring next week that will cover this. Sean and Marc discuss this possible major change to gaming, will it really be all that bad? Is it a big deal if Xbox no longer has any "true exclusives?" does this mean that it is now Game Pass or bust? What avenues does Microsoft gaming really have at this point? And is this the death of the Xbox Console? Also, Marc is near the end of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Sean has some thoughts on Persona 3 Reload and speaks generally (without spoilers) about the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo and some things from the State of Play. Plus, Disney invests big money into Epic Games and promises a major Fortnite partnership, Capcom asks which of their f