Almost Gamers
Join us in a casual conversation with friends about gaming. It's a humorous journey into what we are currently playing, sometimes poorly and not usually on trend. We also talk new and upcoming releases, gaming news, best of lists, and are never afraid to go off on crazy tangents.
Almost Gamers
Episode Seven: Tutorial Part 2
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We start off with a trip to the Emporium and talk about gaming headsets and their evolution over the years. Andrew clarifies some Max Richter music from an earlier episode. Also, bass clarinets and minimaps. We discuss the horrors of $80 games and the state of the industry. More Doom, less gloom. See if you can follow along as we go from medieval guns to Metallica earthquakes. We love them tangents.
Welcome back to the next part of the episode. Be sure to check out part one if you haven't already.
Matt's Equipment Emporium
SPEAKER_02Welcome to Matthew's Equipment Emporium.
SPEAKER_01Well, welcome back to the shop. Yes. And I know you're looking at my wares right here. Emporium. I'm at my Emporium. Right. So let's talk today about gaming headsets. I mean, that's gamers tend to use gaming headsets.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Do you I do. What is uh like did you ever use them? Do you remember like your first experience? Like, did you ever use them back in the day? Did you ever have to game? Like, did people ever use them in the like the 80s and 90s? I'm trying to even remember.
SPEAKER_02Not even close.
SPEAKER_01I know I had my Turtle Beach one that hooked up to my PC. Is that your first one? I think so. PC was a thing, so you could like chat and stuff. Oh yeah, true. But I didn't do that. I don't even remember why I had one. Yeah, I don't I don't even remember. Oh wait, no, no, I I yes, I think I got one. Okay, yes. I got one specifically so it was compatible for the PC to try to play with you guys on um Left for Dead. I don't know if you remember. Yes. And then I would uh Borderlands 1. I remember trying playing with Carl. Ooh. Um Carl Carl and um uh Bill, dollar dollar Bill, my uh financial advisor back in the day. Yeah, I remember Bill. Yeah, Bill, great guy. Uh Carl, also a crazy guy, but a great guy. Is he still around? I haven't talked to him in years. Uh, he'd be fun to have on here again. He was part of that yell house we're talking about. Yeah, where does he live? Uh he usually lived near the studio in the in the South Hills. Oh, so he's he's in. I don't know if he's still there. It's it's been all so I've talked to him. Wow, talk about random. Anyways, so Carl Okay, Carl. I tried playing Borderlands with him, but I didn't have any sort of gaming headset whatever. So I'm like, what do we do? So we tried doing Borderlands, and he like they're all connected, and I just was texting Carl. That sounds tech. And it's sometimes because he just he just abbreviates shit, and I'm like, I don't know what you mean, Carl. It was it was it was not easy, right? Um, so actually, right after that's right, no, right after that, I got the the PlayStation had like a Bluetooth, looked like your stereotypical Bluetooth 2000s like earpiece thing, you know, look in there, yeah, and it worked, you know, terribly. Yeah. As good as you expect. And I think that's where I got where I got the Turtle Beach thing. And then that started my long history of terrible headsets.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, you saying that reminding me, I think, for most of the gaming we did with Xbox 360 or whatever beyond, uh up until maybe more recent, was I think they came with headsets. I think they had like oh, the real cheap boards before you're plugging in the controller. Yeah, yes. Like looking back on it, those actually worked fine.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like and that's why I never really thought about it. It was just the chat. You didn't have the the game on the You're right. When we did the expo like an old school, almost looked like you know, an 80s. Had one ear.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And then a little like uh, you know, microphone. Uh that's funny, but yeah, that's something. And that's all I used basically for the majority for our gaming until we got more sophisticated. Like I almost kind of want that now.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I I live alone, not like you. Yeah, like you have to worry about neighbors. Yeah, yeah. So I can just play the the game music out and I just have the one ear just to check to think about that. That would actually be great.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think up until yeah, I don't even know when, but that's pretty much all I used. Wow. With Xbox and then PlayStation, we switched over.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I so my PlayStation, I got, I remember I went through like three pairs of PlayStation headset, official headsets. I had the gold, which broke, then I got the new gold, which was supposed to be a sturdier, yeah, it broke. And they'd always break in like the headband, and I would try to like duct tape them and like try the problem was we couldn't keep the pressure. Yeah, you know, because the head pressure broke, yeah. Yeah, and I'm like there's a terrible design because they were all plastic. Yeah. And until I got, I think the platinum one was actually metal. And that one lasted me a while. Um, and then that one broke, and then I got tired. They were all wireless and whatnot. And then you told me about how much you loved your uh not cheap, but not super expensive. Yeah. Um Hyper X. HyperX. HyperX.
SPEAKER_02They changed everything for me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Did you start? So I know right now you have the cloud stinger. Yeah. Is that the one you've had for a while, or is that a newer one?
SPEAKER_02That's a newer one. I don't know the uh version I had before, but what made me and I'll and then I'll tell this story, and this is uh you know, a true story. Yeah, we're not no no no again, we're not getting paid for anything.
SPEAKER_01Right, yeah. I wish. Although I feel like PlayStation might deduct money from my account. We're gonna charge you double for your plus premium plus. I try to renew my PlayStation Plus twice as much. It's fair PlayStation. Because you guys suck.
SPEAKER_02Um but yeah, uh with HyperX, and I I think I'll always, unless something happens, or you know, you know, obviously I can't predict the future. But what made me a huge fan was whatever headset I own before, the the microphone itself detaches. Used to detach. And you could plug it in or take it off, which is nice because if you're like just using it for normal headphones, you don't necessarily need a microphone, so get rid of it. I somehow lost that microphone because I pulled it out, set it somewhere, maybe knocked it off my desk and it fell in my trash can. I don't know. Drinking might been vulnerable. Drinking, you know, maybe Matt put it in a bonfire somewhere. But who knows? Uh but anyway, I just texted them, or not text them. This probably texting wasn't part of reality back then. Uh, I just sent them an email and I just said, uh, hey, I lost the microphone to this headset. Can I pay for a new one? I just I don't want a new headset, I just won't need a microphone. And the next thing I know is they said, Don't worry about it. And they literally sent me a new one. Yeah, I remember that. And that was free. They didn't even ask, they didn't care. And I was like, forever or more, yeah, I'm gonna be buying your headsets if I need them. And that that was cool, you know, and that's all the difference it takes, is just being a little bit nice. They didn't ask me no second questions, no, so yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and that kind of turned me on to them. And then when I when I got frustrated with my wireless ones, I'm like, you know what? I don't need a wireless headset, especially if it plugs into my wireless um controller. Controller, that's good. I'm good. So I so I have the cloud alpha. Yeah, and uh you can see I have it right here. Oh man, it's gonna show too because every once in a while I actually have the hardware with us, yeah. But you can see it is metal, the metal, it's metal on the headband. Yeah. Um, other ones I've had, it it looked metal, yeah, but you couldn't tell what was under there until it broke and I took it apart. It was just it was thick plastic, but yeah, this is that's a pressure point. You're constantly bending it there. So and the wired is nice. I mean, you've you've said that like I sound clearer now than I ever have before. Some of the best. So, I mean, and that's what really matters. Yeah, as for the like how they sound, they're fine. They're not. I mean, we me and you both are audiophiles, so we have great surround sound setups. Yeah, I mean, I would prefer these, you know, 7.1 headphones are I I get it, you know, it's a virtual surround, okay, but it just doesn't beat the actual let me ask you though, uh, how comfortable? Like actually extremely those are the most comfortable headphones I've ever watched. Yeah, and that's what I mean like gaming at least, yeah. Outside of the studio.
SPEAKER_02I feel like my headphones are always been comfortable from them, too. I just was curious.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, those those one play sorry, PlayStation. Uh those platinum ones I had would give me a headache after a while. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember easy. Yeah, I couldn't wear them for very long.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I feel like, yeah, they win almost on every avenue. I mean, I'm sure they could charge a lot more and maybe give you better, like you said, audiophile stuff. But I think at the end of the day, you're just looking for if you're looking for really working man kind of headphones.
SPEAKER_01It's just funny, like me and you know about, you know, crazy frequency and you know, uh bitrate and all that stuff, and yet we don't actually care. We just care about the overall results. Yeah, yeah, in the in the end.
SPEAKER_02And I I've never heard a bad thing about them.
SPEAKER_01No, I it's funny, uh like they make my favorite mouse pad, and I think it's like a six dollar thing. I bought it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I bought their keyboard and I love their keyboard. Uh I don't know the name of it, but their keyboard comes with a g you can replace their WD. Oh, the WASD? Yeah, WASD. Oh, different caps. Yeah, different caps. So uh yeah, and their keyboard worked great. Everything. Uh and I always try to buy their stuff if I can.
SPEAKER_01Thanks everybody for uh stuff. That's the tech shop tonight. Again, HyperX. Uh we love you uh for free. Yeah. But if you we'll talk about you all the time. We can marry you for money. R
Respawn
SPEAKER_01respawn. Respawn. So this is where we uh make uh corrections in in the ever case that we are we're never wrong, insanely wrong. Like we need to do this or it's gonna create a world war. That's true. Yes. Or uh just you know, we're gonna revisit some facts or things that we talked about in the past. Yep. Uh episodes. Uh, because we actually listen to our own shit.
SPEAKER_02Well, I do. I don't know about Matt anymore. That's Matt's getting kind of he's getting that big head.
SPEAKER_01No, I'm already looking for the spin-offs and like the licensing deals. Matt's already moving on. He's starting to do it. Someone offers me a milli for tell all about Andrew. Fuck, dude. I don't know. He's in all.
SPEAKER_02He's a loyal friend, folks. That's why we did this podcast. All right, revisit it. All right, Matt, do you have anything? No. Segment over. Moon. Luckily, I do some shit. Well, that's because I listen to it. Right. Uh-huh. Uh you take comprehensive notes. Yeah, these these are pretty bad. But it's gonna be a short segment, everybody. Hopefully. Uh Matt, you talked about you were listening to us music the other day in the arrival or arrival. Oh, yeah, yeah, with um Max Richter. Max Richter, yes. I just wanted to highlight, and I couldn't think of the goddamn song. Uh, and I just wanted, in case people wanted to know, the name of the song was On the Nature of Daylight. Yes, that sounds familiar. And uh, that's the Max Richter song. That's good. That's good. Um, it's on arrival, which is kind of funny because I looked at arrival and I was kind of like, Am I getting it right, or maybe we misremembered or you misremembered? But it's actually not he Max Richter is not listed on the soundtrack, soundtrack. Uh, I forget who it was. It's another kind of a Max Richter type personality. Yeah, he didn't do the soundtrack, they just used the song, they used its song, which was crazy because they don't even really credit him anywhere. Really? Yeah, like I had to look it up, and people and it said on Google AI or whatever it is. I recognize it immediately. I mean, yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's funny because I just didn't look it up. I assumed he got credit.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, I'm sure somewhere deep down, maybe, but it was funny. Hopefully, he got paid at least. Yeah, I'm sure he's got that song, it's so famous. And speaking of that, and and this is kind of a spin-off on that, and that song, and the first place I have ever heard that song, which is a fantastic movie, which I think some people have you know reviewed it as not great, but it's uh Martin Scorsese, I think, film, Shutter Island. Um that was in Shudder Island, yeah. And he did do the soundtrack to that. Well, no, well, I don't know if he did or not. I'm sorry. I I'm not saying no to that. The the way I heard it from Shutter Island was somebody did a remix of the song on Nature of Daylight, and it's fantastic. Um, if you're gonna look that's in the movie, it's in the movie. They did a remix, and what they did was they did like what you did with um, and this is a little maybe like uh like hey, we'll go listen to uh Endangering Minds kind of a thing. But remember um what's the first track off of our sneaky sneaky? Yeah they did a sneaky, um which is kind of sneaky in their own brain. Uh they did Dinah Washington, which is an old jazz singer, I think jazz is but anyway. Her song, um I wish I would have looked up it. I didn't look up the name of the song, but they blended her vocals from a song she did with On the Nature of Daylight, and it works really creepily and depressingly well. Well, I'll be checking that out. You should. And that's what hooked me onto Max Richter, and that was the first time I ever heard it. And I it's so epically creepy, not creepy, but it's just depressing. And it and like I said, I I like things that emotionally strike you, and uh yeah, uh Shutter Island, if you and I actually bought the soundtrack, and most of the soundtrack is creepy, just weird sounds, and I was like, oh, this isn't what I expected. But yeah, Dino Washington blended with On the Nature of Daylight. I don't know who did it, but and I probably should have looked this all up before I talked about it, but I didn't. But uh it's really well done and it works really well because the actual song is kind of actually happy, but over the background of his music, it's very depressing. Uh and then Blue Prince. We talked about this post um the actual Yes, once the microphones turned off. Yeah, once the microphones off. I remember you were like kind of like we should do like an after hours. Yeah, we should after the episode. Yeah, and you were kind of like, dude, that's not right. And you kind of made me feel like I guess I wasn't. And I I listened to the episode, and I was like, I guess I didn't make it clear. I didn't really officially know, but I talked about the soundtrack of Blue Prince, and I said I thought maybe it was a saxophone. Um and it's not a saxophone, and you were right, but you thought it was an oboe, which is wrong. Okay, it is a bass clarinet. We both agreed eventually on it was a clarinet, but it's a bass clarinet.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I kind of remember that now.
SPEAKER_02And it's and the album's actually on bandcamp, and that's my wife looked it up on bandcamp. I think I maybe thought bassoon. Maybe you thought bassoon.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because that's closer, that's in the same range as a bass clarinet.
SPEAKER_02But anyway, it's not a sex phone, it's a bass clarinet. Okay, not that that matters to most people.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's a read instrument. I did not recognize a single reedness of it. I apologize. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So that was uh revisited. Uh I don't think this works in revisited. Or what do we call this? Respawn. Respawn. Uh, sorry, folks. Respawn. This is a brand new segment. That's right. Read new. We're like, fuck it. This let all the mistakes be there. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01We hate you. It's funny because now you're saying yeah, you're basically doing music corrections. Yeah. And I'm already thinking of the music corrections I'm gonna make on the next episode. Uh again, you can tell what the only thing we actually care about in these episodes.
SPEAKER_02This isn't a music correction, but I do like to get the music right because for the people who are making the music, because guess what? They have to work. Yeah. And Spotify doesn't pay them anything, and I'm aware of it.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_02Uh we were talking about BL4 or Borderlands 4. Uh and I just was curious about your attitude towards this. So I don't know where this fits. But uh I didn't realize it, but there's no mini map. And everybody was talking about it, and then I guess our buddy uh the the the owner, he's not our buddy. What's his name? Pitchford. Randy Pitchford, yeah. Uh he said, you know, just kind of play it to see what you think. You know, we talked at length last episode.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I don't even remember that's weird.
SPEAKER_02I think I would have noticed that. Yeah, but yeah, there's no mini map, and I think did a thing where like you could highlight your route to the next area.
SPEAKER_01I'm actually all for it. Because I lost semi-open world, right? Yeah. I'm for it. I'm I'm for it now.
SPEAKER_02I kinda hate mini maps.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, uh Assassin's Creed Shadows does not. Again, it's it it's very yeah, a lot of games are now being like, hey, the some back's interesting because sometimes you can just turn that that function off. They have like an exploration mode and whatnot. And I get it, some people need that. Some people literally do need that for accessibility reasons. But um Yeah, you're right. I you we talk about this a lot of things. Like a lot of times in games when there's like a an uh uh like detective mode in Batman, yeah, you spend the whole fucking game in that mode. That's why my issues with it like uh Horizon Zero Dawn had a similar thing, but you walk so slowly in it you couldn't use it. That's how they and that was on purpose, so you didn't do it. And uh you're right, I'm all for it. Like, I don't want to stare at my top left top right screen my entire time.
SPEAKER_02I find myself doing that with Diablo S. And I don't like it that much. I want to enjoy the environment.
SPEAKER_01There, I don't think I really yeah.
SPEAKER_02If they took it away, and like you said, I think most games will give you the option to turn it off, but if they don't even have it, I think I prefer it. Like The Witcher was that's one of my reasons. I don't think I like Witcher more than as much as most people would say Witcher is the better game than Skyrim. And it on a lot of levels it is, but I always find myself with the way Bethesda does their compass, it makes me want to explore more. I don't like seeing random things pop up, question mark, and then you just constantly just find question marks on the map.
SPEAKER_01Enjoying the root, yeah, there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. No, I yeah, I wholeheartedly agree. Yeah, like mini maps always as much as I kind of like it for the fact that you don't have to like you should be able to design your game to not require it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Which made exploration yeah fun rewarding and part of it.
SPEAKER_02I'm interested to see how that works out. So that's it. I'm done. Good. That was respawn. All right, you ready, Matt?
News
SPEAKER_02Now it is time for the news. Yeah, do you have any news, Matt?
SPEAKER_01I just nothing. I have I have the the one little thing that goes into another little thing. Uh, do you want me to start? Yeah, you might as well come. So we were always talking about Randy Pitchford and Yeah, I mean we both we both love hate the guy. Like he's yeah, he he's a character. I kind of want to believe he's okay. Yeah, I think he's just he's just out there. He's just he's eccentric. Yeah, possibly on a spectrum. Um but there's been some talk about whether or not Borderlands 4 is gonna be an $80 game. And his response was essentially, I don't really know, but it doesn't matter, and true fans of the series will find a way to come up with the money. Um let's just not get into that. I just wanna Yeah, I I don't because I mean in a way, yeah, I will.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean obviously, I will. But not everybody's in our position.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, not yeah, not everyone can, and let's just not get into that. But let's get into the whole fact that I mean, it's only been a few years that we're getting. Used to $70 games. Now we're bumping them up. Now we're bumping up to $80. Nintendo was the first uh They said we're doing it. Yeah, they said they don't even give a shot. They're doing it. Now I have been on the opinion that it is crazy how long games have been $60. That's true. They've been $60 for 20 years. Yeah, we're so used to it. It's been a long time. They've been it it's inflation has just not it's not it hasn't fallen inflation. Also, games are just so much more to make. Yes. Now I will agree. Uh Scott pointed this out. Pen Scott. Um Scott makes pens. Yes. Well he's pens.
SPEAKER_02Can we we we uh plug his pens? Does he make them still? I don't think. He doesn't make them anymore. He's like one of those old sword makers and RPGs.
SPEAKER_01Retired. Well, maybe you guys offer enough money, he'll make a fantastic pen for you. Um he did point out that marketing and distribution has also greatly changed, i.e., no one there's very, very little physical copies. Yeah, and digital distribution costs you nothing.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_01Um and a lot of marketing is done by streamers and let's players. So I'll I'll kind of concede to that, but I still think price has not coupled up with development cost.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_01Although there is a said thing, thing to be said about like should games not need to be raining a little bit, you know, you shouldn't spend 900 million dollars to develop a game.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, kind of like uh shows and movies. Like some people like Paul Tassey always talks about how Star Wars spent whatever amount on um I don't know, whatever. Uh uh Andor. Andor worth every fucking penny. Well, and or but what was the one that they canceled? What was the cancelled one? Oh the Jedi one. Oh which I love, and that's a hot take, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_01Uh the uh the acolyte. Acolyte, which is fine. I didn't, but you're right, it cost too much money. It just cost too much money.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he said the numbers, and I was like, that didn't add up, but it must have been cast. And I guess it was mostly cast because they got what's her name from the Matrix, as we said. Kriya Moss. Oh, man.
SPEAKER_01Development costs should probably be reined in a little bit. Yeah, right. Um, but you you you like do have to make up for because uh a lot of games have now given up on microtransactions and that uh you know um live service games are just not appealing anymore.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they're terrible.
SPEAKER_01If you're not getting that money, that was another way they used to make up the money was have people, you know, pay for extra shit. I kind of get it. I mean, if it's not sustainable, it's not sustainable. Right. End of story. Like if the alternative to having an $80 game is we don't have games anymore, then okay.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I guess that's my hot take on that.
SPEAKER_02Matt says, no more games, everybody. Go back to Baccarat with your fucking grandma.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, join a bridge club and just you know go fuck yourself. So what I mean, what were your thoughts on it then?
SPEAKER_02I mean Mr. Drew. I I I mean, I I agree. You then you gotta pay, right? Yeah. We're going to you have to. And then but you know, but you know what? Also, you don't have to.
SPEAKER_01So no, and they're always there are gonna be these double and single-A games that cost less. Yeah, so keep supporting that.
SPEAKER_02I mean, hell, I you know, we could maybe this might go somewhere else, but I'm I want to play Doom, but it's it's fucking expensive. I don't want to pay all that money, even though it's like within the standards of what we accept. I don't want to pay all that. I'm probably gonna wait until it's at least 10% off or 20% off. I don't give a shit. I don't need to play this game this minute. There's a couple games I might say, yeah, I'm willing to pay that.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, AC Shadows was one of the only $70 games I've ever paid. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I mean, I I'm all for it as long as people keep their jobs. I'll pay more for a goddamn game if people keep their jobs, but nobody's keeping their jobs, so who knows? Yeah, I mean, like it's it's it's you know, I mean, we can get into the whole union union thing, but I feel bad for all these poor game makers, and it's not always you know the high-end, they're not the ones seeing the money. No, yeah, and I just I don't think they're ever gonna see that money, and they're gonna probably lose their job. So that's the part I I hate is people losing their job, and then uh then they go on and make podcasts with dickheads like us. Yeah. So we're not making any money. We're fucking idiot. All right, wait. I'm sorry. I have a thorough thesaurus.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, is that what that was?
SPEAKER_02Yes. Sorry, we're idiots, but I wonder I I I realized I've listened to myself a lot and I use idiot a lot. So we're all simpletons.
SPEAKER_01So there you go. All right, that's uh thesaurandy. Yeah, that's more you know. Um, so yeah.
SPEAKER_02What news do you have? Oh, uh, we're still on news. Yes, we're still on news. I feel like we've been at this for a while. Uh let's see, where should we go? Um well, we'll go with the biggest news first. Oh, yes.
SPEAKER_01The the well in certain circles, this is the only news that people care about. Yeah. GTA has been delayed, everybody.
SPEAKER_00Six.
SPEAKER_02GTA six, is that right? Yeah. We're on six. We're on six. Um, you probably, if you've listened to our previous podcast, where neither of us are like, ooh, we're excited that much. But I did you watch the they did drop a trailer just to make everybody happy.
SPEAKER_01I honestly can't remember I even bothered to watch it.
SPEAKER_02And I'll give him credit, and I reminded me how amazing GTA is.
SPEAKER_01And I was a little harsh. I'll play the game.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I was a little harsh, and I get a little harsh when I drink. Uh but I do realize like I have loved every GTA game. But I'm I don't know, there's just something about like with like Kingdom Come Deliverance, it's so cool to live through history, a place you haven't been, and you'll never experience again because it's part of history. GTA at this age doesn't entice me because it's mostly modern day environment. Like, I don't know, there's just nothing like it's cool, it's neat, it's neat to see a real city that you could probably identify with Miami or whatever in this case.
SPEAKER_01I don't know. Yeah, you can you can probably drive my down Miami and slam a couple cars and we'll probably think too twice.
SPEAKER_02Right. Definitely if you're in Florida for sure. They probably want to think anything of it. I don't know. Just GTA. I guess as I get older, being living out my fantasies of running people over doesn't entice me as much as as I was when I was 22, 23. Right, right. Um, but it's been delayed. What do you think? Are you care? Do you care? Doesn't matter, it's next. I expected it would. Yeah, I think most people kind of expected that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And anything, I'm glad they just finally set a date because now all the other companies can calm down and pick their release dates.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think that was a big thing. Yeah. Uh but yeah, if you watch, I mean, obviously they're cutting edge. I mean, everybody was blown away because I think they said everything was done in PlayStation 5. So, like the the the trailer, like it was all PS5 rendered. Not pro.
SPEAKER_01Not pro.
SPEAKER_02I think that's what they said. RPC. RPC. It was all and it looks top-notch. Which I think they have like the most people employed out of all the so I mean, if they're if anybody's gonna do it right, they're gonna do it right. But it's delayed, everybody, till next year.
SPEAKER_01So, um, womp.
SPEAKER_02Uh that was one of my newses, newsies. Uh Baldur's Gate. Did you hear about this, Matt? Uh I don't think. Uh Baldur's Gate miniature fail.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I didn't see I did see some screenshots. And uh, you saw it looked uh WizKids.
SPEAKER_02The WizKids makes miniatures, actual, like I guess, sanctioned miniatures uh of D D. And I guess because Baldur's Gate belongs to uh Wizards of the Coast. Wizards of the Coast, so they have their own and WizKids. Oh, okay. So uh, but they're all getting refunds.
SPEAKER_01So what what was their excuse? I don't know. Like, I'm sorry I don't know much about it. We just thought they stroke while we were making these. Yeah, because they looked like you know, like when you were in grade school and you would make like a ceramic for like your parents, that's kind of what they looked like.
SPEAKER_02They really did. I mean, some of them were bad, but I'll tell you what the one of Shadow Heart was just god-awful. I don't think I saw that. I was like, how did that even make past you know inspections? So uh that was kind of funny.
SPEAKER_01Good thing there's uh refunds.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02And at least they honored it, although some people, as obviously cynical weapons are like, the only reason they did that because they were caught. And what's also nice, I guess somebody else said I saw in comments, and I agree with it, is if people have those ones, they're gonna be worth a lot of fucking money.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah, there's that. That's interesting.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they're probably never gonna be made again. So you got some collectibles. Uh other news, uh, Echo. I don't remember the hard gas games I played. The Dolphin? Yeah. Okay. So Echo is getting remakes. Really? I didn't know there was more than one. Oh, no. Yeah, they're gonna do redo the original at least. And there's a new one coming out. That's what they said.
SPEAKER_01Um, oh, that's random. Did we do this?
SPEAKER_02They listened to this podcast. They were like, we have to reinvigorate this franchise. We brought back the Echo franchise.
SPEAKER_01So, everybody, you're part of this. All right, so listen very closely. Yeah. Burnout for the love of God. Yeah. Burn out, burn out, criterion. What are you doing over there? Yeah. Just fucking make burnout.
SPEAKER_02Just do it. Uh so that's I think that's pretty much it. I was gonna maybe talk a little bit like Doom came out. We've been talking a lot about Doom. Um I actually got great reviews. Umly controversy, obviously, soundtrack. And I just wanted to mention the soundtrack, which was my finishing move.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yes.
SPEAKER_02And I actually listened to the soundtrack exclusively, uh, even though it's like two hours long. So I I have been listening to just maybe randomly while I'm working out or I'm cutting grass or something, but um sounds fantastic, but I kind of always feel bad because everybody will always say it's not McGordon and give them shit. And I listen to and I wanted to listen to Doom Eternal, which is like this is kind of a trilogy so far. Yeah, there's Doom 2016, Doom Eternal, and now Doom New Age, I think, or Dark Age. Um so everybody's gonna compare it to Eternal, and uh and I listened a little bit, and and I agree, Mick Gordon is the father of everything new Doom, like soundtrack wise. And I but I listened to like two thousand like and Doom Eternal will never be on Spotify because I guess there was all that complication, yeah. So you can't really listen to it. But I did listen to 2016 and I made a mix of the newest one in that, and I'm telling you, finishing move does an admirable job. I mean, whether but it's just funny because people are online always saying Mick Gordon's better, why don't why and I just feel bad for finishing move because they do a really good job, and and you could split hairs, yeah. And I I I'm a little bit sad that people are like trying to make them out to be the bad guys, they're soulless, like some people said their music's soulless. I'm like, that's not soulless. You're making this up because you were mad about you know, a big you know corporation that shit on a poor musician. I I just feel like you know, don't take it out on the poor musicians, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, not their fault.
SPEAKER_02It's not their fault, and they're just trying, and they do a great job, but anyway, still a good soundtrack, still worth a listen. Yeah, so doom, check it out. I don't know. I'm I'm looking forward to maybe playing it.
SPEAKER_01I might I might actually myself too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and you said you kind of would get into it. And then from what I've what I've heard, the drag like I did hear the dragon sequences are a little uh. But overall the game is awesome. So I'm excited.
SPEAKER_01Well, that leads us right into uh
Future Quests
SPEAKER_01future quests.
SPEAKER_02Does this need a song, Matt? Uh I mean, I think they should all have a song or like a little media. What are you picturing for this, Matt? Is there anything you're picturing? Like, obviously future, so it's gotta be mass effecty.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, I like that. Yeah, think about the uh you know, the Jack Wall like kind of, you know, um suicide mission. But you know, don't I mean Jack Wall gives us permission to do that? Use his amusing. Then we're done. Then we're good. Um there's a couple games I'm looking forward to, which is crazy, like in the near future. Um near future. Near future. Yeah, I have nothing. Nothing. Yeah, nothing. Not in money. One of the one I've been wanting, I I think we may have talked personally about this, but never on air. Uh Kingmakers. It's basically midieval fighting, but with guns and hanks. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Is that coming out? Uh yes. I don't think it has release date yet. Oh, okay. Um, it probably does at the time we actually aired this podcast. So it'll probably be out on like oblivion. Yeah. But like it's one of those games where everyone like it's just it shows screenshots and gameplay, and everyone's like, yeah, I mean, yeah, but it it could be terrible. Like, I'm on the side of I I think it's gonna be terrible.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'm not gonna lie. I don't know why. I just don't think it's gonna be no substance to it.
SPEAKER_01There's just a silly, sh shooty, gamey I don't know.
SPEAKER_02It seems sticky. It's like, yeah. Alright, I can blow up a night with a shot gun. It seems fun for a minute. About 20 minutes and you're probably done.
SPEAKER_01Man, I never didn't think about that. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02Right. There's gotta be a little more to it. It's like I guess that you do you remember the game? And I just still think I want to play it. Is that squirrel? Squirrel with a gun. And the reviews came out, and it was like, yeah, it's funny for a minute.
SPEAKER_01The trailer's funny.
unknownI don't know.
SPEAKER_01It could be fun.
SPEAKER_02I don't know.
SPEAKER_01I don't know. I kind of thought that the way about it. I kind of thought the way about Goat Simulator, too, but apparently people love the shit out of the goat.
SPEAKER_02Who's loving that?
SPEAKER_01Kurt's son. Yeah, Alex.
SPEAKER_02Alex. Hey Alex. Hey our first shout out to Kurt's son, Alex. He doesn't listen to this. He's cool.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Don't ruin your coolness. Don't listen to it.
SPEAKER_02He goes to VT, Virginia Tech. And they caused a small earthquake. Did you hear about that? No, what? Did you hear about it?
SPEAKER_01Tech caused a small earthquake. You didn't hear about this, man. Did it all jump at the same time? Wait, what? For not knowing the story. Yeah, well, you nailed it. I was kidding. I thought maybe like there's some like here's my mind. So here we go, folks. My mind, alright, think like Marty McFly. Yeah. And you know, the provider. Why did you go here? They're like in the in the basement and they're like do this crazy experiment with like plutonium and like certs. They like mix them together and it causes a gravitational wave. Okay. And like a lot of people die in Australia.
SPEAKER_02In my mind, that's that makes sense in your mind, but it's very re it's very uh more more simple than what you were saying. Okay. Um so Virginia Tech, and Alex will be glad to tell you all about this, but Virginia Tech, the football team always comes out to Inner Sandman. Um if you remember the song Inner Sandman by Metallica.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I you know that.
SPEAKER_01As a side note, yeah, I've always wondered, why is that like their biggest song?
SPEAKER_02I will never understand that. Well, Matt, as a hater, yeah, I guess you'll never understand it. Oh, fuck you. You know you don't like that song. Well, as far as Metallica songs, it's not my favorite. Yes.
SPEAKER_01Sorry, that was that was a tangent in a tangent in a tangent.
SPEAKER_02All right, we're getting on a tangent, folks. This is tangent.
SPEAKER_01Bring it home, man.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Bring it tech. Still Metallica, still pretty fucking cool. Yeah. So basically, for the last I think, well, Alec, Alex will probably kill me if I get it wrong, but I think the last 20 years, their team has come out to that song.
SPEAKER_01Wait, why?
SPEAKER_02I guess they picked it and now that was their there's no actual connection, like they're all sleepy. Well, maybe, maybe they have bad dreams. I don't know. I you know what little baby. And maybe they don't cry. Um, so you know, they come out to that song, and it's like their football anthem.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_02And uh, they've done it for 20 some years. Oh, that's fine. So Metallica played uh Virginia area, and I guess they played at their stadium. Oh. And uh, I guess it was this big thing, like they kind of came out to the song instead. I guess like they always come out with um, you know, more sense. Yeah, ecstasy of gold, but I guess they kind of came out to that riff, and then it stopped, and then they didn't obviously do anything, and then I guess they did a little mini encore where you're like, oh, by the way, and then they broke into the song, which everybody was waiting for in Virginia Tech, and then like everybody just went nuts, and then like I guess from bouncing and just coordinated jump and they just went nuts for it, and then it caused a small earthquake that registered on you know, size of McGraths or whatever they're called.
SPEAKER_01Huh?
SPEAKER_02And so uh it was pretty cool. So, and he was all excited about it, and uh like even him, like he he I don't think he Alex, by the way, he doesn't really like metal, but he I guess once you're at Virginia Tech, you have to love that song requirement, yeah. It was just cool, it's fun, it's fun to be part of something, right? Right, right. Yeah, like that's matter, it's awesome, you know, and it's cool too because it's an old ass band that's in their 60s now, so and so uh cool, yeah. So uh um so they made an earthquake.
SPEAKER_00Where did that spawn from?
SPEAKER_02I have no fucking clue. You're talking about earthquakes, I think. I no, I was talking about the game Kingmakers, and I have no idea where we even how do I come back from that, folks?
SPEAKER_01Like, we don't have rewind capability right now.
SPEAKER_02Well, Kingmaker was that a game? Yeah, do you like it?
SPEAKER_01No, that was that's the game of the guns whirl in the gun. Oh, because we mentioned um Goat Simulator.
SPEAKER_02Is that where we went with this?
SPEAKER_01For the three of you still listening this episode. Steve Miller and my sister. I'm gonna move on to um this has been a crazy year for all. Alright, everyone's like game of the year, game of the year, game of the year. Yeah, I wanted to talk about it. Whether or not you agree with it, apparently there's been some great games. I mean, and what's funny is so many of them are on Game Pass. Like I've again we said it before, we're both PlayStation fans. Yes. And yet it's hard to not argue Game Pass is fucking killing at this time. Yeah, well they're better, yeah. I mean, between um well, actually, um Blueprints was both on Game Pass and on um PS Plus. Oh really? Yes, and you still paid for it. I did. Which again is cool. Support them. That's fine. Yeah, I'm happy to support. Um, but like Adam Fall, which is another game on my one of the no, I haven't yet. Is that on Game Pass? It is that's also on Game Pass. Um, so obviously was South of Midnight. Yeah. Which I played and gave raving reviews. Mass is a 10. But another one on Game Pass is uh Expedition 33. Yeah, did you play that? I know I haven't. Um I kind of want to wait. I mean as a wet dream, you just gotta wait for. I know, like like Paul Tossi, like he really I didn't realize he hated turn-based games. Oh, absolutely. I I didn't re because I I know he liked um well he liked bull balls gates, but only like it for gruntingly the combat. He hated the combat.
unknownWow.
SPEAKER_01So I don't know. It's funny, I don't know anything about this game. I've been trying to I've been trying to oh you uh been trying to avoid just because it just seems amazing. I just kind of I kind of want to play it. Yeah. So you know no thoughts.
SPEAKER_02I mean I really, really like part of me wants to really play that game, but I just feel like those JRPG classic type games are just a hundred plus hours, and that's not I don't think this one is though.
SPEAKER_01Really? No. Alright. Well I guess Well, I guess I'll I'll take one from the team and play it. You know what? You're part of the team. You gotta do it. I got before the next podcast, I should I kind of have to. You're saying I legally have to play that game.
SPEAKER_02Man. If I knew somebody who's a J RPG, all right, all right, you know, man, it's you. All right, so I will You you have to do it for our fans.
SPEAKER_01I will all right. I will take one for the team and unfortunately play what's touted as one of the best games of all time by certain people. That's right, man. Well, folks, I guess that's it for the week. I have been Maddie Flames. Andrew Wilts. We're gonna go get slimed and crawl up the aggro crag. We will see you next time.