Annapurna Interactive has its staff quit out of nowhere, so what's going on there?

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• The PlayStation Pro announcement sparked significant discussion among gamers.
• Microsoft's layoffs reflect ongoing challenges in the gaming industry.
• Total War Warhammer 3 continues to be popular among players.
• Space Marine 2 has received positive feedback for its gameplay and design.
• Flappy Bird's return is marred by controversy surrounding its new ownership.
• Assassin's Creed Shadows will be featured at PAX Australia, generating excitement.
• The gaming community is eager for big announcements at upcoming events.
• The hosts emphasize the importance of understanding the context behind gaming news.
• The conversation highlights the evolving landscape of the gaming industry.

Hosts: Dylan Blight: https://twitter.com/vivaladil Ashley Hobley: https://twitter.com/ashleyhobley

Resources

• Annapurna Video-Game Team Resigns, Leaving Partners Scrambling - Bloomberg
• Microsoft lays off further 650 Xbox staff, no games cancelled or studios closed | Eurogamer.net
• Space Marine 2 most successful Steam launch for Warhammer 40K series | Eurogamer.net
• That Flappy Bird Revival Is Not As Wholesome As You Think
• Assassin's Creed Shadows Will Be Playable At PAX Australia Ahead Of Release

Arcade Couch Credits:

• Music by: Dylan Blight
• Art by: Cherie Henriques
• Summary Show Notes: Created by Riverside.FM AI Integration

All Episodes:

• https://explosionnetwork.com/arcade-couch/

Support Us:

• http://www.ko-fi.com/explosion

One video game is released to acclaim, and the other lasts just less than two weeks before it's scrubbed from the timeline.

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• NBA 2K25 features improved gameplay and animations but continues to face criticism for its monetization system.
• The game Concord was poorly marketed and executed, leading to its cancellation just 11 days after release.
• Sony's focus on multiplayer games and lack of support for smaller, single-player experiences like Astro Bot is a cause for concern.
• The Secret Level episode based on Concord will still be released despite the game's cancellation.
• There is a need for better marketing and support for indie games and single-player experiences in the gaming industry. The hosts have mixed opinions on the gaming market, with criticisms of PlayStation and Xbox's performance.
• Astro's Playroom is praised for its nostalgic and joyful elements, and the hosts express excitement for the game.
• The design choices in the Minecraft movie trailer receive criticism, particularly the use of live-action components.
• The hosts discuss the reactions to the Minecraft movie trailer, including right-wing backlash.
• The conversation highlights the importance of creativity and imagination in gaming experiences.

Hosts: Dylan Blight: https://twitter.com/vivaladil Ashley Hobley: https://twitter.com/ashleyhobley Ciaran Marchant: https://twitter.com/YaboyRingo

Resources

• The Minecraft Movie Teaser Looks Like A Nightmarish Fever Dream
• Concord will reportedly remain in Amazon's upcoming Secret Level series despite recent shutdown | Eurogamer.net

Arcade Couch Credits:

• Music by: Dylan Blight
• Art by: Cherie Henriques
• Summary Show Notes: Created by Riverside.FM AI Integration

All Episodes:

• https://explosionnetwork.com/arcade-couch/

Support Us:

• http://www.ko-fi.com/explosion

We discuss Star Wars Outlaws and Deadlock, the newest game from Valve!

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• Deadlock is praised for its MOBA elements and character variety
• Star Wars: Outlaws receives criticism for its lackluster narrative and repetitive missions
• The hosts express disappointment with Star Wars: Outlaws and rate it around 5.5 out of 10 Star Wars: Hunters has frustrating mechanics, including inconsistent enemy AI and confusing level design.
• The Nintendo Direct announcements include a variety of upcoming game releases and updates.
• The new trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 generates excitement and showcases the interplay between Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. The Sonic 2 spoiler cast on What Do Want To Watch was the most donated episode last month.
• The updated Zelda timeline places Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom on separate timelines, which has sparked debate among fans.
• The Nintendo Live event had some logistical issues, but attendees still had a good time.
• Annapurna has acquired the film and TV rights for Control and Alan Wake in a partnership with Remedy Entertainment.
• Emio the Smiling Man is a visual novel game on the Switch that features a creepy villain and engaging gameplay.
• Arco is a pixel art isometric game set in Latin America in the late 1800s, where players control indigenous characters fighting against bandits.

Hosts: Dylan Blight: https://twitter.com/vivaladil Ashley Hobley: https://twitter.com/ashleyhobley Ciaran Marchant: https://twitter.com/YaboyRingo

Resources

• Star Wars Outlaws players told to restart game offered cosmetic ship trinket by Ubisoft as apology | Eurogamer.net
• Everything Announced At The August Double Nintendo Direct
• The First Sonic 3 Movie Trailer Shows Off Keanu Reeves As Shadow And Double The Jim Carrey
• A New Zelda Timeline Confirms That BOTW And TOTK Exist On A Different Timeline To The Rest Of The Games
• Alan Wake and Control film and television rights acquired by Annapurna | Eurogamer.net

Arcade Couch Credits:

• Music by: Dylan Blight
• Art by: Cherie Henriques
• Summary Show Notes: Created by Riverside.FM AI Integration

All Episodes:

• https://explosionnetwork.com/arcade-couch/

Support Us:

• http://www.ko-fi.com/explosion

Conchord is now out but it seems like no one has noticed. Is the new Playstation release already on life support or is it possible to turn around its weak launch? Plus all the games shown during Gamescom Opening Night Live.

Hosts: Ciaran Marchant: https://twitter.com/YaboyRingo Ashley Hobley: https://twitter.com/ashleyhobley

Episode Timecodes

00:00:00 - Hello 00:00:58 - Concord’s First Weekend Thoughts 00:27:26 - Gamescom Opening Night Live Recap 01:01:52 - Valve Offically Reveal Deadlock 01:05:47 - Black Myth: Wukong is a big deal 01:11:14 - Goodbye

Resources

• Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: All the trailers, news and reveals
• Valve's New Game Deadlock Has Finally Been Officially Revealed
• Black Myth: Wukong continues to attract record-breaking numbers of players
• Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Explains Decision to Launch Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5

Arcade Couch Credits:

• Music by: Dylan Blight
• Art by: Cherie Henriques

All Episodes:

• https://explosionnetwork.com/arcade-couch/

Support Us:

• http://www.ko-fi.com/explosion

Dylan and Ashley have played a couple of hours of The Plucky Squire, which finally has a release date, and they discuss what they've played and their thoughts on the game.

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• Dylan's mixed review of 'The Crush House.'
• The release date of Dragon Age: The Veil Guard
• Discussion on the potential release date of the Nintendo Switch 2
• Mention of Valve's unannounced hero shooter, Deadlock, and the large number of players already playing the game. Valve's involvement in Gamescom and Geff Keighley's role are discussed
• Speculation on potential game announcements and reveals at Gamescom
• Dylan shares their thoughts on the Dungeons of Hinterberg

Hosts: Dylan Blight: https://twitter.com/vivaladil Ashley Hobley: https://twitter.com/ashleyhobley Resources

• The Crush House Review - Thirsty shooter dry's up fast - Explosion Network
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Release Date Has Been Officially Confirmed Along With A Character's Exciting Return
• Hopes fade for Switch 2 launch in early 2025 | Eurogamer.net
• Thousands Of People Are Playing Deadlock, Valve's Unannounced New Hero Shooter
• Here Are The Games Confirmed For Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024
• The Plucky Squire Hands-On Preview - Explosion Network

Arcade Couch Credits:

• Music by: Dylan Blight
• Art by: Cherie Henriques
• Summary Show Notes: Created by Riverside.FM AI Integration

All Episodes:

• https://explosionnetwork.com/arcade-couch/

Support Us:

• http://www.ko-fi.com/explosion

Ash has watched the Borderlands movie and says it's as bad as you've heard.

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• Cat Quest 3 is praised for its gameplay mechanics and visual style.
• The Borderlands movie has received negative reviews and criticism, with many considering it disappointing.
• The studio interference and lack of violence in the Borderlands movie have been major points of criticism.
• Metacritic provides a list of the top 10 highest-rated video game film adaptations. Metacritic ratings can be a good indicator of the quality of video game movies.
• Some video game movies, like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Monster Hunter, were ranked higher than expected.
• The conversation highlights the lack of representation of certain video game movies, such as Super Mario Bros.
• The hosts express their personal preferences and excitement for upcoming video game movies. The movie 'Werewolves Within' is a highly-rated video game adaptation directed by Josh Rubin.
• The TV show 'Arcane' had episodes leaked online, which is a setback for the series.
• Accessing the game Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on PC requires signing into Ubisoft Connect, which can be frustrating.
• An 'Until Dawn' movie is in the works, and it will likely rely on the fact that many people haven't played the game.

Hosts: Dylan Blight: https://twitter.com/vivaladil Ashley Hobley: https://twitter.com/ashleyhobley Ciaran Marchant: https://twitter.com/YaboyRingo

Resources

• Cat Quest III Review - Yarrr!!! Meowww!!! - Explosion Network
• Critic reviews of the Borderlands movie are absolutely savage | PC Gamer
• Arcane fans warned to avoid major spoilers, as majority of Season 2 leaks online | Eurogamer.net

Arcade Couch Credits:

• Music by: Dylan Blight
• Art by: Cherie Henriques
• Summary Show Notes: Created by Riverside.FM AI Integration

All Episodes:

• https://explosionnetwork.com/arcade-couch/

Support Us:

• http://www.ko-fi.com/explosion

Dylan talks about how funny Thank Goodness You're Here is, and we discuss the biggest news stories of the week.

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• Game Informer, one of the last gaming magazines, is shutting down after 33 years.
• The closure of Game Informer is part of a trend of layoffs and closures in the gaming journalism industry.
• GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen has emphasized the need to scrutinize expenses and eliminate waste.
• The closure of Game Informer marks the end of an era for gaming magazines and reflects the decline of print media in the gaming industry.
• Digital content creators, such as YouTubers and TikTokers, have become more influential in shaping opinions and preferences in the gaming community.
• Game Informer covers hold nostalgic value for many gamers, evoking memories of browsing through magazines in the past.
• The lack of archiving of Game Informer's content is disappointing, as it prevents access to valuable gaming journalism and historical articles.
• The release of a new episode of the Double Fine Adventure documentary series provides deeper insight into the passion and challenges of video game development.
• EB World Plus, a new paid membership program by EB Games, offers extra trade value and bonus offers, but its value proposition may not be appealing to all gamers.

Hosts: Dylan Blight: https://twitter.com/vivaladil Ashley Hobley: https://twitter.com/ashleyhobley Ciaran Marchant: https://twitter.com/YaboyRingo

Resources

• Avowed Delayed to February 2025 to 'Give Players' Backlogs Some Breathing Room'
• Game Informer is shutting down - The Verge
• Double Fine drops a 90-minute update to its 20+ hour series documenting the development of Psychonauts 2 | Eurogamer.net
• EB World Plus Is A New Paid Membership That Offers Extra Trade Value And Other Bonus Offers

Arcade Couch Credits:

• Music by: Dylan Blight
• Art by: Cherie Henriques
• Summary Show Notes: Created by Riverside.FM AI Integration

All Episodes:

• https://explosionnetwork.com/arcade-couch/

Support Us:

• http://www.ko-fi.com/explosion

We discuss the Marvel Rivals beta, news about a Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver remaster, and upcoming games in August.

Show Dot Points

• The SAG-AFTRA strike highlights the need for clear and enforceable protections for video game performers.
• The staff layoff at Humble Games is a blow to the indie gaming scene.
• The potential remaster of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is exciting for franchise fans.
• The delay of Stalker 2 allows for bug fixes and improvements.
• The announcement of the first Olympic eSports games shows the growing recognition of eSports as a legitimate sport.
• Ete offers a relaxing and immersive painting experience.
• Marvel's Rivals closed beta has a frustrating key distribution system. Star Wars: Outlaws, Concord, and Dustborn are highly anticipated games releasing in August
• The hosts have different levels of excitement and expectations for these games
• Microtransactions and monetization strategies are a concern for some of the games
• The popularity of American football games and the release of Madden NFL 25 and College Football are discussed

Hosts: Dylan Blight: https://twitter.com/vivaladil Ashley Hobley: https://twitter.com/ashleyhobley Ciaran Marchant: https://twitter.com/YaboyRingo

Resources

• It Looks Like Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver Remasters Are Finally Happening
• Video Game Actors In The US Are Striking Over Concerns Around AI
• [Updated] Humble Games Has Laid Off Its Entire Staff With Work Taken Over By A Third Party
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Has Been Delayed Again
• It's official: International Olympic Committee votes to confirm the first Olympic Esports Games will happen in 2025, even if they don't know the games yet | PC Gamer
• The Most Exciting Game Releases In August 2024

Arcade Couch Credits:

• Music by: Dylan Blight
• Art by: Cherie Henriques
• Summary Show Notes: Created by Riverside.FM AI Integration

All Episodes:

• https://explosionnetwork.com/arcade-couch/

Support Us:

• http://www.ko-fi.com/explosion