Games Were Better When They Were Bold

What if the best gaming experiences aren’t the biggest, but the most focused? We kick off with Resistance 2 and talk through how creepier enemies, smarter encounters, and a tighter campaign deliver more satisfaction than bloated epics. It’s a reminder that balance matters, and 12–15 hour games still hit a sweet spot when your schedule doesn’t.

That idea comes alive when we return to Liberty City. Replaying Grand Theft Auto IV feels like opening a time capsule and finding it sharper than you remember. We compare its mood, story, and grounded city to GTA V’s technical fireworks and multi-protagonist ambition. IV still stands tall: cab rides, heat haze, and side characters that linger. V dazzles, but can feel like a bridge to online systems. When art direction and cohesive narrative lead, the experience endures.

We also dig into the magic of quick-run design with Ball X Pit on Switch: a roguelike that fuses twin-stick control, breakout chaos, and a hub-world that’s a game of its own. Seven-minute sessions add up, choices evolve, and progress feels constant—perfect for real life. From there, we zoom out to the industry: a rumor about Sony scaling back PC ports, the arrival of the Steam Machine, and whether a Series S–ish box at a friendly price is a smart way to bring console players into the Steam library. Great for indies and AA hits? Probably. Future-proof for the next wave of blockbusters? That’s trickier.

Finally, a small win sparks a bigger wish. Red Dead Redemption’s free upgrade on Switch 2 (and other platforms) is welcome, but it raises the question: where is the GTA IV remaster? With its enduring reputation and complete editions waiting in the wings, it feels like the perfect bridge to GTA 6. Until then, we’re choosing escapism over exhaustion—games that respect our time, stories that stick, and worlds that feel crafted rather than monetized.

If this resonates, tap follow, share with a friend who loves thoughtful game talk, and drop a review. What short, focused game would you champion right now?

Chapters

• 0:18 Cold Open And Banter
• 4:03 Health Kick And Life Burnout
• 8:15 What We’re Playing: Resistance 2
• 17:31 Difficulty, Balance, And Old-School Campaigns
• 28:38 GTA 4 Replay: Style, Choices, And Nostalgia
• 44:52 Vampire Survivors, Hades, And Ball X Pit
• 1:00:20 Roguelike Design And Hub-World Progression
• 1:07:47 Pick-Up-And-Play Versus Big Epics
• 1:14:22 The State Of Games: Escapism Over Issues
• 1:28:04 GTA 5 Story Vs GTA 4 World
• 1:47:04 News: Sony PC Ports Rumor
• 2:00:23 Steam Machine Reactions And Positioning

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:18

Hello and welcome to the Fisher Control Podcast, your weekly game and podcast episode number 294, by the reckoning of the sort of keepers of time here at the UCP. This week with me, George, obviously, joined by RGT. He is Predator. To my alien. How's it going, RGT?

SPEAKER_02: 0:43

Very good. Bit worried about the uh introduction there, but no, I'm very good, thank you. How are you?

SPEAKER_01: 0:50

Um I'm feeling a little bit cheeky. Um, but one imagines that's probably gonna probably turn into one of the most boring episodes you've ever heard in your life. When someone comes in saying they're feeling, you know, a little bit spicy. Uh normally end up probably asleep within two minutes of uttering the word spicy. RGT. I don't know what it is about you this morning, but normally you're you're a clean-looking gentleman, always been a very clean-looking gentleman, at least. Um normally styled your hair, normally put a little bit of effort into your personal upkeep, and generally your demeanor. Very um courteous young man. And I look at you today, and I'll be honest, RGT, you you've got a bit of what I would call looking at you, I think I think people would normally call it 11 o'clock shadow, but you seem to be supporting uh I don't know, like a 745 shadow. Uh and you look a little bit, I would say worse for where. You've been on a bit of a health kick lately. You your skin's normally blowing. You normally, you know, you look like the living beating heart of the show when the rest of us turn up looking like grey zombies. RGT, what's gone on?

SPEAKER_02: 2:27

I think I'm the grey zombie this week. What what what's happened to you? Um nothing's happened to me other than doing too much stuff, I think, and not having enough time to do it. That's what happens. Was that cocaine or uh no, but uh no, definitely not. Um just just work really and and stuff outside of work. Really, really busy. And now I look like Bobin's sleeping rough.

SPEAKER_01: 2:57

You look like the guy who was a bit too late to the Betty Ford clinic and just had the door shut in his face and now is just really basically weighing up his life decisions. Have you been on the have you been on the what we would refer to here as the pop, aka uh booze, aka alcoholic beverages?

SPEAKER_02: 3:15

Um I had a couple last night, but nothing. No, I was out for a meal, so nothing too too serious, just a couple of pints, nice meal, come home. Couple of pints of screen wash, or no, well, uh I obviously knew I was looking rough because the guy chucked a quid at me and said, Go and get yourself a Greg Sausage roll, mate. So I knew I was obviously looking rough, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 3:34

So you were you were sort of you were rough, but you weren't actually getting for free because of read through the bins, kind of rough. That's uh there's a bit of a distinct line between those two levels of roughness, and I'll be honest, you look like a bin raider to me.

SPEAKER_02: 3:52

Yeah, I feel like one at the moment.

SPEAKER_00: 3:54

Um awesome. Okay, well tell me, what is the bin raider like? What's what's a bin raider bin play?

SPEAKER_02: 4:05

This is gonna be a long show. Um pretty much the same as last week. Um had another couple of hours on resistance two. Um been really enjoying that.

SPEAKER_01: 4:22

What's the what's your takeaway of that? Because I think I went around last time, but I I think I heard you waffling on about it, and you said, oh well, yeah, George said, oh, you need a bit of a palette cleanser because straight into two can be I didn't stick to the landing because it was just a bit more the same. Graphically, I agreed with what you said, it had improved. Not in the leaps and bounds, I'll be honest, I expected when I transitioned from one to two. Seeing some of the rapiness that was in one PS3 launch title, admittedly, in Europe, I was like, well, it's acceptable. But resistance to I kind of wanted my eyes out and stalks, and they they weren't necessarily. Are you still enjoying it? Did you stick the land in? Are you just like, give me more resistance? I want it tubed into my veins. You're sort of a gun. I I literally am a chin mirror. Where are you at?

SPEAKER_02: 5:16

Um, yeah, I'm really enjoying it because um I thought I was a bit different to you. I I think every time I turn it on, I just think, yeah, they've taken it up to the next level. You there's there's little bits you can see ofin the game that you could see that when they made the first game, they had a board meeting, sat down and went, right, what do we need to do on the second game? Well, let's make that let's make the home screen a bit better, let's make have a bit of a you know, bit of graphics in the background, share a bit of story while they're waiting to start the game up. Let's do that, let's bring in some new enemies, let's gloss it up, let's make some new terrain they've got to go on, and it's all these little bits, and I think when it comes together, that's a follow-on of the story, but I'm finding it really good. It's a couple of the enemies that I've actually find quite creepy, they always make me jump, and that's those I forgive me, I can't remember the name of them, but that's the the enemies which are like the predator, funnily enough, um which are invisible and you hear them coming, and you have to take it if you don't hit them first time with a shotgun or get them early with with your laser gun, yeah, you're you're you're one hit dead. Do you know what I mean? So you have to watch out for them, and that's quite tricky at times. I do find this has jumped up a level, this is a lot harder than the original. I found the original a bit of a breeze to stroll through a couple of times. You died, but you can't get a lot harder.

SPEAKER_01: 6:31

To interject, I think when I first played resistance, what I liked most about it, and it it seems a bit strange to say this, but I I believe it to be true. It never to use your words, like it never screamed crazy difficult. There are a few times where you're like, oh but the rest of the time, and not to say it was a cake walk either, it's not as though you just walk through an interactive level, but it posed enough of a threat where you were enthralled, but it never posed enough of a threat where you were frustrated. Yeah, yeah. Which I think is probably the joy of the balance of one.

SPEAKER_02: 7:08

Yeah, that's a that's a good term, definitely balanced. Um this one is this one's still balanced, but it's just I think it's got new enemies, and sometimes I think because they'd learnt the system more to develop, there's there's levels where there's more involved. So you're not only you're getting shot from above, like you're in a gully on one of the levels, and they're shooting you from above, they're coming out of the woods, you know, you've got more going on, which makes it feel more difficult, I suppose.

SPEAKER_01: 7:35

But yeah, it kind of went through an asymmetrical threat, so all of a sudden you didn't know where to be. I had a similar situation yesterday.

SPEAKER_02: 7:45

But I do find with a um I'm liking the old style of games now. 12, 15 hours, get through your levels, enjoy the story, have a bit of fun while you do it, bang done, game out of the window. Do you know what I mean? Nowadays, it's you don't seem to get that nowadays. That's either if you do a 12-15 hour game, you get slated because it's not worth the money and it's too short. If you do a 150-hour game, it's over bloated. People are trying to get, you know, has to look good, tends to be more nowadays rather than the actual content itself. I just liked it back then when that was you you almost had a rule book to follow when you made a game, and and it just seems to work more in my lifestyle now, I think.

SPEAKER_01: 8:29

I I'll be honest with you, I I don't think I flock towards the scale or lack of scale in terms of what's making a game appeal to me at the moment. As you know, I've been spending a lot of time on the PSP. A little bit of research, I've lashed back a little bit just how I find myself at the moment. Uh and I've also taken to um playing Grand Theft Auto 4 again. And it's probably not short by any stretch of the imagination, but um What a game. Dude, I can't believe I'm playing that game again. Sorry to into I don't know how we've got into what I've been playing, but we'll we'll come back to you in a sec. I don't know how I don't know how I'd play a game again. Relatively soon after having finished it once or once, well, twice, three times, four times already. I think, you know, in the history of the show, I think it was probably within the last actually time flies by. Three years ago, four years ago, maybe about four or five years ago I played this through for the god knows how many times and loved it. Playing it through again I shouldn't be feeling like I'm playing it for the first time, but I do. Uh graphically, I'm seeing things like I've never seen before. What the hell is wrong with me? Where I how do I forget all this detail? How do I forget all these little bits? Like I'm purposely going through this time, and I think I normally always make certain decisions about who I'm gonna keep alive and who I'm gonna kill. And historically, he's kind of always gone the same way because I've been oh well, I don't just see the point in that, and like I just why would anyone ever keep that character alive? Like, why would you do that? And then I've like I'm gonna purposely play it completely different now. I'm gonna go through and make all the alternate decisions that I never made before. Even though I don't agree with any of them, I'm doing it because I I want to see the full I want to see the everything you can show me.

SPEAKER_02: 10:41

Yeah, and I think with what you were saying about being impressed again, I think there's certain games where we also always we look back in rose tinted glasses, we always look back, you know, and you remember Halo 1, for instance, being 4K and super smooth. You go back and play it and think, oh, yeah, it's not quite what I remember. But there's there's there's very occasionally the odd game where you downplay it in your mind, where you think when you go to play it, you think, Oh, this is gonna look rough now. I'm going back to it. But there's certain games that are so overachieved. I mean, Grand Theft Auto 4 and that generation 7th gen consoles had no right to look as good as it did. It had no right, you know, there was there was car racing games that had car models that looked like a resed up PS2, but on the P on GTA 4, the car models looked sensational.

SPEAKER_01: 11:32

There's something about GTA 4 where I know if someone had five running next to it on in ray tracing mode, full hit PC version, all singing or dancing, no mods, admittedly, but just giving it the full beans, the ray tracing, everything. The the the fully fledged beasts five has become. And you put them side by side, and I'm sure I would even agree, like, yeah, admittedly, five's got the graphics, but four's got the look, four's got the charm. It's very stylised. Yeah, the style like I was I did my usual thing, right? Got in a taxi and took a trip across town. Uh it's a great way to hear the extra dialogue between the characters. Like, I had a conversation, and this is the crazy thing, had a conversation with a taxi driver last night that I could swear blind I've never had a taxi driver before. And I'm looking out the window and I'm looking at the heat haze coming up like that autumnal glow. And during the era that Grand Theft Auto 5 4 was made, I actually went to New York. So, in a way, I had this perfect snapshot within the sort of developer time of being in New York in that moment. And I tell you what, dude, I know history fades memories. They've got that so ripe. You can tell they were living there when they made it because it is so ripe. Um, anyway, I will come back to that. What else have you been playing?

SPEAKER_02: 13:07

Um finally, just the game that's overtaken any well, the very little spare time I have at the moment is taken up with this game, which um is, as everyone knows, is Ball X Pit on the Switch 2.

SPEAKER_01: 13:20

Now, yes, now this was mentioned last week, and obviously he's like said pulled his indie trousers on, got up and got his megaphone out, and was like, read all about it, Titanic Things, read all about it.

SPEAKER_02: 13:35

Yeah, it's um I first saw this. A lot I said on the show. Um I was watching Dreamcast guy on YouTube, and uh um no, sorry, I watched him on YouTube, but this is on his Instagram and on one of you I was just flicking through stories as you do, and he said, Oh, mate, was that Dreamcast guy? Yeah. I thought you watched him through his bedroom window. Oh, occasionally, if I can get over there in time. Um with a Polaroid. Um poor dude.

SPEAKER_01: 14:01

It's me again, Doc Dog. Um with a Polaroid, knowing that you're gonna take a photo that you probably know would be a little bit shady to get to be developed. Oh, yeah. So a rule.

SPEAKER_02: 14:13

Um and so oddly stories, you say, I can't put ball X Pit down, and there was just a little bit of gameplay. And I thought, God, fancy a bit of that, and then because obviously ended up getting it like£13.50, I think, 15 bucks. Um, and uh it's it's one of them games I've I've probably had this game 10 days, maybe a fortnight. No, I'm thinking to myself at the moment, because of how busy I've been, I've hardly done any gaming. But then yesterday I thought I'm just gonna see how many hours I've put in on this. It's probably about four or five hours on Bull X Pit. No, it's 20. It's 20 hours. I'm like, where have I found 20 hours? I think because this game is each run, it's not Hades. You can you could do a run in seven, eight minutes, you know, sometimes less if you die earlier. So you're you're jumping on because you could just quickly, especially with a switch, out of sleep mode, have a couple of runs and out, and this all adds up. Well, you think you're not gaming much, but because you can, you know, if if you're on Horizon Forbidden West, you're not going to click it on and do ten minutes, are you? You know, you need two or three hours session. So, but yeah, it's it's very addictive, and that's that home menu mini game, which I just think is genius. I think rather than just having a home world where you go and spend your coins and upgrade, it's a game in itself. So you extend your your home world.

SPEAKER_01: 15:33

I think what I liked to hear and great to hear Scotty back, um, and really nice to to hear the three of you last week. Uh, everyone needs to go check that episode out. If anyone was under any doubt that we're worldwide mega show, if we just stumbled across the greatest show in video game podcasting, um yeah, welcome to the team. Uh you were talking about this last week, and and Scott said God rest his uh God rest his soul, God bless his soul. He's not dead, don't worry, he he is not dead. God bless his soul, likened that sort of hub world um to another one of Devolver's greats was the um call to the lamp. And this obviously ball expit to me is new, but when you were both describing it and you went into that detail and described that hub world, I was like, Do I do I need ball expit or or no?

SPEAKER_02: 16:34

It's if if you're like a roguelike and you want one just in the background on on your switch, it is really good. It would suit you down to the T because with your travelling and you know, work-wise, having that on there, if you're in a hotel, sh a couple of runs, bed. Do you know what I mean? You ain't gotta have this big, massive game you're playing. And tell me about this hub world. Well, this hub world, you have you start off with just like a that's like an overview, you have like a little square which is like dugout near your your um um your lift, which goes down into the world, which you do. Um and you have a little square, you can extend that and keep buying bigger areas, but also you upgrade that world by when you're getting enough coins like wheat and wood, you can then buy houses, and then a house, when you construct it, will be you gain an extra ball when you start, you have a choice of this when you start, you gain an extra character, you get extra and then what you do is you set them around the place, and you have a wheat field of say a forest which you'll get wood off, rocks which you'll mine to you know to upgrade, and then you have a little team of workers and you set them off like a pinball machine, you fire them and they go round, and as they hit the buildings, they construct it, as they hit the wheat field, you then gain wheat, blah blah blah. And I've now just built this huge hub world where I send off like 20 of these and they've gone ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, and you're gaining all these fats and big things.

SPEAKER_01: 17:56

Is that part of the game as well? Are you ball breaking to keep yeah? I know that sounds a bit of a weird term, but are you are you literally paddling them? No, you just things like a strange.

SPEAKER_02: 18:06

You aim them, you aim them, you have like your your your predicted line of where they're gonna go. Yeah, you aim them and then you just fire them off and then off they go.

SPEAKER_01: 18:14

So you don't keep them in play during that section.

SPEAKER_02: 18:16

No, the walls of the area you've got to. Um but you you'll have like you start off with three seconds when you start, and they just give you a bit of wheat, bit of wood. Now I'm not on 20 seconds, and I've got like loads of workers, and you fire them off and they go, and then that'll after a while they've hit a certain amount of houses, you've unlocked a new character, you've unlocked a um a new like fission to start with, and you're it's really good, and it's added in, and I've got all my houses around the outside, and wheat fields and woods and all this in between, yeah, which isn't even the game itself, so you can really stack yourself up amongst these characters. It's very clever and a nice a nice a nice way of playing a roguelike. And I mean a lot, I I um said last week this reminds me of I went back a bit, and a lot of people probably don't know this game, but it reminds me of Game Ground on the Mega Drive.

SPEAKER_00: 19:08

Now you mentioned this, and I thought Breakout.

SPEAKER_01: 19:11

And Game Ground is what that sort of top-down scrolling shooter game. Um you're like blue and red soldier guy or something like that, and the box art was a bit I don't know, look classic mega drive. It like it looked a bit extra, didn't it? But the game was a bit like medium.

SPEAKER_02: 19:33

Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's that premise though of top-down auto scrolling, which you've got, and you're a character like Game Ground, but then it's got that breakout, so you're bouncing your weapons in there.

SPEAKER_01: 19:44

It's great, is Game Ground's first level in like a I might be wrong. Is it like in a desert or something, like a sandy ground, or I think you might be right, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 19:53

Yeah, game ground. A sort of a brown, sort of sandy area.

SPEAKER_01: 19:59

No one never had a bit, everyone kind of played it, or it was on the shelf. It was like, yeah, so and so got me that. Uh let's play Sonic. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_02: 20:08

Yeah, it was it was it was a strange game, but it's the it plays similar to that. And then obviously you've got your vampire survivor side of it. So you collect your gems and then pause. Which weapon do you want? Right, I'll click that one. Now you've got an extra weapon, you can up the grade that weapon or get another one, and then after a while, you'll have these sort of rainbow-coloured spirals will appear. When you get them, that'll either automatically upgrade a load of weapons at once, or you can evolve two weapons together. Um, and then after a while, um, you can do an evolution or like a fishing where they you put two together, and evolution makes a uh two together makes a separate weapon. But you can on the fishings, you could you that'll give you ones that can be put together, and you just pick which ones and see what weapon you get out of that when they've been put together. But then after a while of playing it, and you get this sort of knack, sometimes you can get two that you've already moulded together and then put them together and make a super weapon, and that'll really get you through. And it's it's very addictive, runs very well. Um, great premise for a game, very different for a roguelike, but yeah, very addictive. And you I can't see me putting it down anytime soon. Um I think I've unlocked I don't know, about ten characters now. I think um I've nearly unlocked nearly all the houses and stuff, so it's just now like each level you do. So your first level that'll say, for instance, complete the level with two character, two separate characters. So the two runs through with different characters, you'll unlock the next level, and it gets more each time. So then now I've unlocked new characters, they're only level zero, so you start from the beginning, but they're a bit better than that level so you can quickly get through, upgrade them, yes, and then they're better enough to get that last level you're on unlocked to then move on to the next level so you can work your way through, and it's it's very addictive, but yeah, very, very good. I would recommend getting it, and I think you'd like that, George. If you liked Hades and Vampire Survivors, then that's a no-brainer.

SPEAKER_01: 22:05

I think I preferred the Vampire Survivors only because it was a little bit more anonymous. It it like Hades had the characters and all that, which I kind of cared about, but not really. And Vampire Survivors like it really nicks the story completely, and it felt very much just like a like an early Windows game that you threw in. It did had that feel, yeah. Yeah, in the it you could run it in a window in the back of your computer. It was a bit like a it'd be a bit like a sexy version of Minesweeper, like, oh you play Mindsweap, no, I play that vampire survivors, but I can't work it out, and you'd be like, Oh, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_02: 22:46

Yeah, and I think with Hades is a lot more involved, you know. You've got four different buttons for four different weapons and how you use them and dodge and and power up. So it was a lot more, it's really in-depth, very well-made game. There's Vampire Survivors, you've got two sticks, way you go. Do you know what I mean? Just walk around, kill everything.

SPEAKER_01: 23:03

And to me, that pick up and play, and and yeah, you know, some of the unlocks that you get on the way through, the characters as you talk of with ball expedient, and it I don't know, there was something a little bit more because of its anonymity, it kind of got away with a bit more. Hades turns up and it's like I'm a full-fledged game. So I'm like, oh okay, I'll judge you like that. As I say, Vampire Survivor turns up looking and running a bit like a hard drive cleaner on your on your laptop. And it I don't know why, for that reason, it felt less intimidating to me.

SPEAKER_02: 23:36

So it was a bit like I'd probably say Ball X Pit is in between the two. You've got characters, but you're not really in embedded with them characters. You know, you know, there's a mummy one, there's a night one, and they all just start with a different weapon, which you gain anyway when you play. Yes, it's it's not just a single stick game, but then again, there's no buttons to be used, it is just a twin-stick shooter. So you move your character and your right stick, you aim where you want the balls to go, like pinball. So you're just firing them around. So it's it's balanced in between, but it's very, it's very pick up and play. It's very you ain't gotta think too much, just turn your switch on, have a couple of runs and and turn off. So, yeah, it's it's it's very good fun.

SPEAKER_01: 24:17

Do you know the sad thing about this game, and it means I won't be playing it for at least four or five years. I know what you're gonna say. Is numerous people have recommended it to me, not just you. Therefore, it is almost the plague. Yeah. Um, I can't go into it now. Yeah, five years' time, I'll be telling you what a great game.

SPEAKER_02: 24:38

Best game ever. So we roll. Uh, is that all you've been playing? Yes, unfortunately, yeah, just those two.

SPEAKER_01: 24:46

But okay, well, let me ball you with the best game ever. It's Grand Left 204. I think I waffled probably enough about that at the start, interrupted the your what you've been playing. Apologies to everyone and you for that. I just got excited. But Flashback's got me, and if to anyone who's not sure, flashbacks are a new fledgling show that we've got, uh, episode one coming when RGT, because I'm a bit confused because obviously.

SPEAKER_02: 25:10

We were hoping for, as of recording this and this being released, we were hoping it'd be out today, but we're still we're still waiting to be approved on certain platforms, so I do not want to release episode one until we're on all platforms and what frustrates me about that is that we've got uh coming up for 300 shows on every single podcasting platform you can think of.

SPEAKER_01: 25:32

Uh their audit process for someone who for probably 80% of their catalogue has stuck to and hasn't really veered away from a PG only acceptable um content. Even when we push the yardstick, we're not we're not like out there on the ragged edge of uh indecency. It's quite frustrating.

SPEAKER_02: 25:56

Just thinking waiting to be approved, waiting to be approved. You're like, oh please, please, can we just get it done?

SPEAKER_01: 26:01

When the show first launched, it that process did take a while, which is why, if you everything is starting doing a podcast, I'd recommend you do it a pilot or a or an episode zero to basically grind through this element of setting up a show.

SPEAKER_02: 26:19

Um which is which is why I mean we we released the pilot on here first on UCP, um, which is why we re-released it on flashback to get that all embedded and done, settle down, then episode one can come out. So it's it's definitely the way to do it, I think. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 26:37

Okay, well, we wait if uh as you wait, and we will inform you on every social platform with insult. Um should probably be text message by the time you hear the show. Um, so we'll individually text every single one of you when Fischback goes live. Uh RG to you write that down. Uh it's a commitment I've made that you need to follow through on.

SPEAKER_02: 26:56

That's funny because you don't normally do that. You don't normally make commitments that I have to then go off and do. I think I do. Yeah, you do every day.

SPEAKER_01: 27:05

Yeah, well, stop being kind. Um tell it how it is. Uh so get get on board with that. It's uh obviously as the show's grown and broadened, uh uh some of the topics don't fit on the main show anymore, or we can't really dedicate that. So we've given you flashbacks, so that's one of our that's gonna be our sort of almost stuff like documentary style that you love. Uh, if you want to get an example of that, get in the main feed and get back and listen to the history of the mega drive or something like that as an example. Um, and you'll see exactly what we're trying to do. Flashbacks are literal date and time, so 31st of March 2006. What were the news? What was going on? Um, great show. Love to see you there, and vice versa. If you're listening to this because you've heard the flashback pilot. Welcome to the team. Uh, lots of you, lots for you to check out, but we'll get back to that. We will. Um so GTA 4, I think I don't know where I started on that ramble, but I'm here now. GTA 4, that's it, yes, been playing lots of these games, and I've been realising.

SPEAKER_00: 28:08

Uh I think gaming was better.

SPEAKER_01: 28:13

I think the unfulfilled reality of the 100% the sort of the dream of it, the stories you built in your head about the game before we even launched from the magazine scratchings and little clicks you'd picked up. I mean Yeah, sometimes I ended up getting a game that I built into something it could never be because the screenshots and the previews got a bit carried away. But then there was also the time where the game hit and completely blew me away, and I'd I just feel and we will never have these times again, which is one of the reasons why flashback is so great. We had the magazines, we had the demos, we had the games, we had the naivety. The industry had a naivety about it, it had an innocence, it had a youth. It it was about crafting a piece of art that was worth your money rather than a piece of art that's worth some space on your hard drive while we prove it's worth the money and then co-opt you with a later shady business practices, the the kind of purity and the kind of gaudiness and the what's the word I'm looking for, sort of Yeah. Hero experience. Um they're not really around anymore. You want that sort of hero fantasy, you don't want to be tied down to the reality of your character's sexuality. Yeah, they're important conversations, but if I want to sit down and press X button to literally shoot someone to death, I don't really want to be concerned about their backstory in terms of their sexual proclivity. I just want to kill some dude. Um leave all that behind. You know, video games seem to be at their best when they're impersonating 1980s action movies. Yeah. Um I'll be honest with you. It feels right. I know that's very derivative. We've had lots of games that have questioned us and made us think about things. And as an art form, yeah, absolutely. I want to explore interesting topics like sexual proclivity and all that sort of stuff. I do, but it's not the main reason why I'm playing the game. The main reason why I'm playing the game is escapism. I want to get away from my everyday problems, problems of murder sexual bits and bobs. I want to get away from all of that. I want to wake up in a reality where I'm a testosterone-fueled, steroid-addicted, absolute dude who's got an addiction to bullets, RGT, and nothing much else. And justice, injustice. That's what I want.

SPEAKER_02: 30:43

I think you're so right as well. I mean, I think people who aren't gamers and look in, for instance, my parents, for example, they just think you buy the next game console and you play games on. They don't realise how different that is now. Back in that 7th gen, you know, a lot of the games did look similar because a lot of the devs did know how to get those machines running. Yeah, the odd stinker, but they knew to get the machines running. So at the end of the day, your game sold because it was good. It wasn't smelling because you could see your reflection in the mirror and it looked just like you. The time has been, for me, nowadays, time is put into the wrong side of games. Alright, you know, that's massive budgets on games that look good in 4K, that have ray trace and that have good draw distance. We didn't have that back then, but why were the games, in my opinion, why are the games better from that generation to what they are now?

SPEAKER_01: 31:39

I I've been playing Liberty City, Liberty City stories on the PSP. By any stretch of the imagination, this game looks it barely looks like a game by Bond standards. It probably looks like dog sick, where if you squint long enough, it arranges into the form of Liberty City that you kind of recognise. Jackson Pollock.

SPEAKER_00: 31:58

It really is a bit like that.

SPEAKER_01: 32:01

Um but you know what? It holds it together. It's got that spirit of the early 2000s, mid-2000s about it, maybe. And yeah, it's got that raw kind of edge to it that I don't see in games. They have to be so safe now. There's a lot of sort of boxes you need to tick. And and again, let me just put this out there. I'm all for that in life, but in my video game, I want the hero fantasy again. Stop this now. Let me live like a 2000. Let me be an eco bellot without any without me having to sit down and ponder the deeper meanings of life. He's got enough going on. He's an eagle immigrant. The game very much of the moment is due to the score, I have to admit.

SPEAKER_02: 32:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 32:46

Um, I mean, I'm I've probably committed a few sins when I when I got off the boat, admittedly. Uh, not to typecast anyone, but yeah, I I mean the game compelled me. So I suppose I just generally played the game RGT, you know what it's like. It's a crime simulator. Yeah. Uh in which I'm an illegal immigrant from uh questionable Eastern European uh country that's never really mentioned. Um and that, I'll be honest with you, RGT, I think that's generally all I've played. The PS5's not been turned on in a while. The PS3, obviously the Slim, it's had the SSD in it. Not that it's really making that much difference, but GTA 4 feels solid. So solid as a result, I think, of the SSD. Um and just to touch on Liberty City on the PSP very quickly. I think last time I was on with Seb, I said, oh, you know, you can't have a car. Maybe it was you, you can't have a car that you like because you you're always trashing it and it's they're hard to drive, and the nubs not that great, and blah blah blah. I've always kind of struggled with third-person driving games. Um, I don't know why. Obviously, I drive in real life, not to any great standard, but I drive in real life, and I feel like the turning points are different feel different when you're in third person view, and I've never really been able to tie it up in my head. Uh, I remember when me and my friends finished Need for Speed Under Yeah, Need for Speed Underground 2. I finished that in first person view, you know. I think you end with the most extreme race you could possibly imagine. And he was trying to do it in third person and failing, and I was like, give it here. I was like, just change, let me change the view. Oh mate, I can't believe we play it like this. And I was just like, This is how you play this game. Everything was like I became at one with the game, but we did it, and I found when I picked up uh I picked up on the PSP after recording was said, and I I was looking around, I changed the view, got to the in-car view, all of a sudden, not scratch on my car, and I have to say, about the controls and the handling, this thing goes where I wanted to go pixel perfect now. So, you know, it's it's about finding the camera that works for you, but it takes away some of the um sensitivity of the car move movement in a way. Um and it also removes a lot of the rear swing. I don't know why or how, maybe it's to make the camera playable in that mode, but a lot of the rear swing that used to get carried away and exaggerated in the third person view is completely mixed down in the first person views.

SPEAKER_02: 35:21

Right.

SPEAKER_01: 35:22

So it's a lot more yeah, it's a lot easier to control. You can and the width of your car, I find this even on GTA 4 when I played it. If you want to be precise and you want to get around that city and in and out of the traffic like an absolute boss, go first person be a for me anyway. I know boss go first person be a this thing's just whizzing through there. But playing Liberty City stories of four so close to each other, I have to admit, you although four is like graphically so much more advanced and it it looks amazing, it feels like a proper living breathing world. You can feel the threads of the evolution of the product from like vanilla GT3, GTA 3 through to Liberty City Stories version of it, then obviously through, but some of the pools for the characters, the way they're written, the way they interact with you, you can definitely see that slow increment incremental sort of treatment of the product. Yeah. I'm particularly sort of spending time around the GTA franchise only because obviously the new ones due out anytime soon. And I just wanted to see how these run across all these different platforms. Because we're gonna end up with six for what, maybe 20 years. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 36:44

Yeah. That'll be it now, that'll just be six and an evolution every time, and more online and bigger scope. And do you know what? This is probably gonna be controversial and going off pieced a little bit, but no, I want it. I'm not I'm not really that hyped for six. I want to be, I make out I am, but I'm not that hyped for six.

SPEAKER_01: 37:05

I'm hyped for it, but I think the problem with something like GTA 6 is it feels like until that sat in your and I think I felt this with every GTA you see the shots of them in the previews, you see the trailers, and there's part of your brain, there's part of your gamer brain for sure going this in this impossible This in they're gonna be like this, there's no way it can have all of this in it, temper down your expectations. This there's you want to be hyped because you're like, I want to believe all of this. It's like when Red Dead was coming out, they're doing the they did the video, the whole video dedicated to the size of your horses testes depending on the cold. And it was like, I don't know why. This is intro genuinely, this is interesting to me that they're at this level of detail, and I'm sure we'll get these from GT GTA 6 eventually. But like it felt so beyond the realms of a gamer's understanding of the sort of level of detail that should be in the game that it was just the 30-second video wasted on me, if that makes sense. It was kind of like I'm watching a horse sort of bookaroo kick around in a mountain, and I'm meant to be looking at its testicles, but I'll be honest, I'm not. Now we see a horse kicking around in like a lush-free-filled area, and hey, yeah, its testicles are bigger. And it's one of those like I've been seeing a load of clips recently where GTA 6 is half confirmed it's going to have tides in it, so the water is going to go up and down during the day. Wow. Beyond my ability to comprehend. And if I'm turning on GTA 4 and still being blown away by the details, 5 to me feels a bit barren.

SPEAKER_02: 38:54

Yeah, I mean, I really, really, really enjoyed Five's story. I played for it two or three times to see the different endings. Um I love the almost driver sentence, this girl where you zoom out and go into your character, and every time you'd you'd zoom back to Trevor, he was doing something ridiculously murderous, and but it was funny, you know, and that sort of funny. Um, I loved all that. I loved the story, but I for me, the online side wasn't for me. I tried it a few times, it just wasn't for me. And where that then went with these ridiculous car race tracks in the sky, you know. All right, people love that. It wasn't for me, and I don't really like where that went, and that's a why I think I'm a bit worried about six. It's it's got a hell of a game to follow. I mean, GTA 5 has been a juggernaut over three generations.

SPEAKER_01: 39:46

Are they gonna I think they've always been quite proud of their craft in terms of storytelling? I think that's something that they're gonna struggle to let go of from a one-player game point of view, and which you rave about GTA 5 story. I think it probably in my humble opinion, and you know, this is my take on it, I find it a weaker story only because even when I did the last mission of the game, it felt like I'd just played the last tutorial for the online section. And to me, that pulled away from the one-player element of it, because every single thing felt like it was introducing you to an online mechanic. And it and okay, if that's the medium you're gonna tell me the story through, fair play, relatively advanced uh level storytelling and tutorial-ish tutorialisms. But I felt a bit robbed. The other ones have told like a unique human story. This one felt like it was telling a human story through the medium of the online tutorial, and and to me that's what really pulled it down. Like four of them, Rachel said, You're still in a tutorial, really, aren't you? If it's teaching you this like this. And I was like, I think we are, but that'll end shortly, and it's just gonna give us all these tools to let's play the toolbox. GTA 5 felt like it was introducing tools right up until the last mission, and the last mission, by the way, I completely cheesed. Only because of the game's design, I ended up with like a rocket launcher and loads of rockets, and I just rocked up outside the guy's house, flopped his driveway, literally bazooked every living thing in his drive, moved on to the next location. All the time in the world, the radio playing, I'm looking at the view, I arrive, block the road, do the same thing. This is the last level, it's meant to be hard. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. I mean, no one goes at it as a badass as me. I mean, people the same thing on the last level when I first played it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 41:47

And then pull up to the next one, block the road, boom, boom, boom, boom. Diddle, did, doom, you're done. And it's like the credits roll. I'm like, hang on. Are you telling me this game ends really blocking people's drives like an angry neighbour protesting about a new picket fence? I obliterate them with an RPG three times, and we're done.

SPEAKER_01: 42:13

Yeah. And I didn't even get a bullet whizz past my ear.

SPEAKER_02: 42:17

Yeah, I think as well with GTA 5, I think it was very ambitious because you you it's a single-player story, but you've got to tell it through the medium of three people. So you've got three people's stories that need to be interwoven, which in this decade it's made it weaker because it's it's hard to get you engrossed because you've got to try and get engrossed in three characters.

SPEAKER_01: 42:38

And I felt for one of the characters, well, two of the characters. Um obviously the main guy with the family, I forget his name, that's how we're called Michael, and then the the black dude, the driver guy. Um, I didn't care for Matey Boy, the crazy guy. Trevor. Trevor, I didn't care for Trevor. Um, and look at me, I don't know the names yet. I know intimately some of the most bizarre characters in GTA 4. By first name, I'd recognise them if they walk past me in the street. Yeah. I shouldn't know random crazy guy that appears near Romans that's a bit sort of nuts and gives you hundred dollars, that mysterious stranger. I shouldn't know who he is. Show me a picture of my face that I'll be like um there's matey.

SPEAKER_02: 43:25

You know, I'll be there he is. Um, but you were always right with that, because I I always used to say GTA 5 was you know a technical marvel. Like I say, with playing three characters at once, and you always felt like when you you know you'd zoom back into them, they're sitting in a calf, and then you take over them and carry on. I always thought that was a technical marvel and really good, but you always said to me four's the better game, RGT, and then going back and playing it recently and playing through, I was like, Do you know what? He is right with that. The thing is, mate, he is right with that.

SPEAKER_01: 43:56

Five was built to be an online playground for people to enjoy. When you're not online, it's dead. Four feels like a living, breathing city contained within the disc. No question. It had to be a game. The online, as all games in 2000 or whatever it was, every game had to come with an online, and it was one of those things in the menu you went to maybe when you'd finished the one player. Yeah, yeah. Now the online's a thing you go to when you maybe play the one player when you got a bit bored of the online. Like, no, guys, play. Are you like traditionally you're gonna do the one player? Which is why Size was built like an online tutorial. Yeah, we get distracted, and there's some rock star news that I want to get to within the news. So I would say if you've uh spent any time around the show at all, you know it's time for me to say it's time for the news. We've scattered in darkest regions of the internet to bring you the latest stories. First up in what's becoming the almost religious like embrace of the Holy Trinity, push square. It's the it's the show's favoured son. I bounced him on my knee when he was a small boy, not in I'm not gonna say in what way, but a very innocent, very sort of parental way. Sammy Barker um put pen to paper yesterday. Uh it came up with this. Very vague rumour. Claims Sony may scale back PC ports for PS5 games. So what's a young what's a young cherub like Sammy got to say for himself? Well, he's pulled this together. He says it's a complicated time for PlayStation fans this week. Saw the announcement of Ratchet and Clank Ranger Rumble and Horizon Steel Frontiers to flagshop flagshop. That's where you go, you get your Union flag. Uh, but no, he's two flagship first-party sales titles that won't be available on PS5. What's this? I hear you cry. Well, there's context, it's getting lost in the social media overreaction. Overreaction. Barely saw even a reaction to this news. PlayStation has wanted to explore mobile for ages and ultimately aim with these projects to expand the brands. Does no one forget in uh Uncharted Temple Run? Uh, you could say the same about the decision to release flagship first-party games like Ghosts of Toshima and Last of Us Part 2 on PC, but fresh speculation. I tell you what, Jess Corden finds himself a little bit out of work as Xbox goes a little bit quiet. So now he's weighing in on everything. He claims the company may be scaling. Hey, listen, RGT. 300 shows under a belt. I think I could tell Jess Corden exactly how it seems. Uh, he may be scaling back that strategy. No, now, while in the original quote spotted by Reddit after a podcast appearance, the commentator says he's got word from a very good source. He's since clarified on X that the rumors are very vague. Watch that get watered down. Jesus. Right, Jez. Uh Samak of that what you will. Uh, and here's the tweet. So here's the English section. Just want to add these very vague rumors, he says. So that's giving me his his credit. Great looking beard. Uh, and just podcast discussion and speculation is not a superior serious report or leak. It's my personal opinion. It'd be good for Sony from day to day, purely mathematically, but a few people uh let's give his tweet the full uh credence it deserves. Let's wait for that to uh to is it gonna load? Who knows? I blame Elon Musk, to be fair.

SPEAKER_02: 47:36

Yeah. Um and you're on a Commodore 64, that don't help.

SPEAKER_01: 47:40

Yeah, and a few people saw me say that and told me that they'd heard otherwise. I don't do PlayStation reporting and shouldn't be used as a source of info for it beyond basic venue speculations unless it's uh okay. So I don't quite know what uh Jez was on about there, but uh they said you're pulling back from PC, is uh is as a ledge from PlayStation. This is all in the aftermath of discoveries made on the PlayStation 5 operating system last week where fans data mined a cross by icon potentially pointing to some kind of launcher for PlayStation games on PC. James Corner's uh Jez. He's just not he's not the car full karaoke guy, although I think they both prey off each other's fame. Uh Cordoner since clarified it's not a serious report or leak, and the insinuation is it would only apply to single-player games should be actually true anyway. We do know that Sony recently removed game revenue from Beyond Console from its list of strategic indicators, suggesting releasing its software outside of the PlayStation ecosystem is a big isn't a big priority anymore. But we already know if console sales are effectively a footnote for the PlayStation business. In the most recent quarterly report, multi-format games account accounted for approximately 2% of the division's overall income. And that includes over a month of Helltivers 2 on Xbox as well. Uh Sammy says he doesn't think there's much of this story really. I'm uh inclined to agree, but as always with the UCP, you'll see why I brought this uh stinking pile of dog doo-doo here. We imagine Sony will continue on its path. Uh, it's been on for a while, porting the title here and there and supporting its live service events where they make sense. RGT, the reason this is here. We keep talking about this everything, everywhere, all at once strategy. The Xbox seems to be quite gainfully uh going down, and it seems to be uh a novel strategy and one that certainly needs exploring, especially if you are the third wheel, unfortunately, at the console Lovetress. Yes. I didn't know what else to say. Um we kept it relatively clean, don't panic, although we've been a little bit edgy this show. You're on your third verbal warning. Uh 16 more of those, and you'll be out the door. So can't say I'm not fair. Um PlayStation, we've talked a few times. Obviously, we've also got a bit of news about the newly announced Steam machine. The internet's flipping and flopping, it doesn't really quite know what to do. But with Xbox pulling back and the exclusives becoming available everywhere, I wondered if PlayStation might go, oh, this could be a mistake. Maybe we need to reverse course hard, get behind our library of characters, and do a Nintendo. And although even Jess's own words, it sounds like just something he made up on a podcast when he felt he needed to say something that would keep people interested and didn't quite realise that that little footnote of his would be listened to, explored, and extrapolated upon. But Jess, when you get a name in the industry, you can't just say whatever you like one afternoon, uh, because someone's gonna probably report it on Twitter as if it's legitimate news. Now, ramping back on these uh PC movements, I want to know your opinion on that, RGT, but I also want to frame it up as though with this little extra bit of information. If these PC ports had been an absolute wall-crushing, genre-defining platform-boosting sales extravaganza, the like of which Sony probably predicted would happen when people who had been waiting who hadn't been bothered to buy a PlayStation platform of any kind finally got their hands on The Last of Us Part 2, for example. Uh they've probably already watched it play through on YouTube, but don't give two brats asses about the game, hence it's selling about four copies uh on the afternoon of launch. Two of which to shoo yeah yeah, she did. Where's all this going, basically? I think I'm asking you.

SPEAKER_02: 51:57

I think this whether this very vague rumour um has any substance to it, I don't know. I mean, this is actually cropped up before recording on my YouTube algorithm of people saying Sony hates PC. Calm down. Someone's just had a little comment on a show, just chill.

SPEAKER_01: 52:17

Um Windows Central and Xbox sort of, I don't know, uh pariah. Uh uh says something about PlayStation, one loses its mind, thinks it's real.

SPEAKER_02: 52:30

Um I mean I'd I'd be surprised because they've put a lot of money in recently to trying to get um onto PC and releasing games on PC. Yes, by data mines cross by, but exactly. But also I think this just says where the hobby, where the industry, where gaming is at the moment is very unstable. I mean, I look at it now and I'm just thinking, what is the future? Xbox is on this crazy weird thing where they're just changing their mind every two minutes. One minute there, we're only moving four games over to our competitors, and now it's been like 15, and then they're building this super PC and they're not going to build a console, but they are building a console, but that's gonna be 1500 bucks, and you know, you've got Nintendo and Nintendo, you don't even need to comment on them. They just do their thing, their RIPs, we're we're we're not interested in any of this, and then you've got PlayStation, which has just sort of been left on its own sitting in the corner thinking, well, hang on, whoa, hold on. So are we the only ones left here, or do we do we do hang on, it's a steam machine coming out. Are they gonna be playing our titles on a steam machine? Do we do we now what do we do we make money by selling them on Steam Machine, or do we say, Oh, hold on, we're like you said, we're Nintendo.

SPEAKER_01: 53:46

If ever there was a war to be won, Nintendo declared Switzerland day one and went, I I I I you you you did you you we thought Sony before you do what you do, and uh we don't want to be involved in this. Uh and not that Sony ever really won or lost, it was a bit of a stalemate for Nintendo, but obviously versus Xbox, and Xbox drew the lines in the sand just as much as anybody in terms of like they're our competitor, they're who we're facing, they're the people that you've got to choose between us or them on. Um, you know, it was that generational long toxic console war that kind of produces column inches, hours of content on YouTube that's forgotten next week, and back in the day would have been half a magazine's worth of speculation and drivel. Now you could argue in some way, shape, or form, the modern iteration of the console war has been fought between Sony and Microsoft, and one could argue maybe now there's a line in the sand that says the Xbox War is over. You know, if there's a winner of any of this, you could argue it's Sony. But as always, at the end of any sort of global conflict or long drawn-out war, what does a winner actually get? Because in this in this war, they have fought on and burnt every single strategic battlefield that a gamer could ever exist on. Online fought scrapped over, monetised, destroyed. One player games fought scrapped over, monetised, destroyed. Indies fought scrapped over, monetised, destroyed. Uh, gaming consoles in general fought scrapped over, monetized, destroyed. I know some of these have always been monetized because you need to buy in to get there, but now they are never-ending cash cows, whereas historically it was a one-off hit and you were done. Yeah. And there are now purveyors over this now absolutely butchered. Uh, and one could argue kind of uh burnt earth policy style environment that's left. The goodwill's pretty much gone from the gamer. I think the goodwill's pretty much gone from the developer. I think the goodwill even from the console manufacturers is gone. Look at Microsoft from the example, like they took the ball, basically screamed with tears in their eyes, and this is not uh this is not uh this is not a console war comment, but it is it's painful to see a brand that's tried so hard to innovate in the console experience, literally picking their ball up with tears in their eyes, screaming fuck you to everybody on the field, and doing that sort of solo stomp walk home with the ball, wondering what story they're gonna tell mummy about how they got bullied down at the field but had spent the first 30 minutes of the game acting like a prick. That's my ball, you can't touch it sort of scenario. Uh big Joey gets a bit bored of him, chess chess checks in, he goes down on the floor, roars. Um, because he was in halfway through Ronaldo trick, or probably let let's get it irrecorrect, John Barnes, right? Best football player to ever exist. John Barnes did him, but didn't get to John Barnes in, and he's gone in crying.

SPEAKER_00: 57:04

This is where we're at, RGT, but what's it left us? It's left as a muddy field of disappointed people with no football. We're gonna end up playing Bulldog.

SPEAKER_02: 57:12

The two things for me from this is we all suffer if you know I'm not I'm not a believer in console wars, but when you've got a when you've got two competitors, Xbox 360, PS3, which we said was the best generation, because they were neck and neck and going at it and releasing great games to keep taking each other on. We benefited.

SPEAKER_01: 57:34

Sony had to get classy to survive that, and it was that classiness that kind of provides prove over that era, the end of the PS series. The first half half of the PS3 was garbage. The second half, with the help of like IG and Beyond and support of the wider gaming community, fed into what made the PS4 so bloody good.

SPEAKER_02: 57:57

Yeah, and when you're at that level next to each other, you you know, like I say, we win because we're getting we're getting the games that they're trying to get the best games out there. You take one of them away and you're on your own, who suffers? We suffer. We suffer. Not only that, you've got video games are the biggest entertainment industry in the world, bar none, and not even close. Billions and billions and billions every year, yet we're in probably one of the worst positions we've ever been in. How does that work? There's billions and billions of pounds made on gaming every year, yet as a consumer, we've hardly got any choice left. We've got a Steam machine coming that we don't really know about. Xbox is probably gonna make a console that you can play on the moon because God knows what they're doing, and then Sony are just like, well, do we go on PC going back to the state? Sorry.

SPEAKER_01: 58:48

Where are we? Sorry to bring the UCP's famous for not bringing politics into it, but uh broadly speaking, and I don't think this just applies to Sony, and this is why I'm gonna bring it out, or the gaming industry in general. Does the world find itself in a place where tax revenue, more than it's ever been, billions of dollars coming in, billions of dollars, pounds coming in across the world, whatever, euros, whatever you like, more revenue than there's ever been pulled in from a glow from a population, a global population in the history of whatever. And there's no money left, there's nothing, everyone's broke, the countries are broke, they can't give you anything. You'd barely know if your bin's gonna get emptied, especially if you're in the sort of area of Birmingham. What's going on? Well, it's money made, yet nothing can be given, and and it's across you look at the car industry, same. You look at the food industry on its arse, you look at the gaming industry, on its arse might be a strong term, but confused? So confused.

SPEAKER_02: 59:48

Well, I think you know, sorry, this is going off topic a bit, but I think Tesco's are announced billions of extra profit, yet we're in a l cost of living crisis. That tells you everything, and it's similar in the games industry, if you remember. Remember, games had to sell. They were on a respectable budget. They had to be made the best they could and get them out of the door and sell. And we we got a good product at the end of it. Then the money men come in. Just remember Cyberpunk 2077. Why was that released? Because the money men wanted to make the money. When all these, like um, what was that called? The the big company that was buying up all the studios. Uh were they from Sweden? What were they called? I can't remember now. Oh, Tencent. No, not Tencent, the other one. Uh I can't remember. But they were buying all these companies up, and they've had to now, they're now you don't hear about them now because they've been selling companies off because they bought so many, they were actually competing against themselves because they had so many studios with games that are actually competing against their own market, and then they started folding in. But it's because these big billionaires, these big companies are investing in something they think, oh, that's where all the money's being made. We need to get in it. The consumer suffers. Whenever that happens, the consumer suffers. And unfortunately, I've said the big game crash is coming, we're now on, we're we're now in it because it is just a wasteland at the moment.

SPEAKER_01: 1:01:10

Well, the game, I suppose, games, even in the sort of PS3, this is the beginning of the end, sadly, for the gaming industry that we kind of talk of fondly, is that um they started to become, as you say, sort of acquisitional properties for expanding uh financial investment portfolios. They've stopped being a means of funding an artistic endeavour. Games have always needed to make money because the artist wants to probably cut his ear off and get wasted on the on high on his own supply. Uh, that's artists for you. But then you add in a money man to that mix, and the artist can't What do you normally do on a Wednesday? Oh, I I normally drink absinthe, self-harm, and uh do my best work. Yeah, um that won't be happening anymore. That artistic indulgence that you wanted? Yeah. No. This afternoon I want you sober as a judge drawing at pixel level this guy's hairdo. Oh, no problems. You pay my wages, but there's gonna be no passion in that at all. I don't care for passion, Sebastian. I just want to see a game out on Tuesday, and I don't even really care if it works. Just do it, Sebastian. Okay. And so when you got these troubled artistic types being forced to live in a corporate hellhole, uh you can see why we've had some of the strikes that we've had. Uh rock star employees walking out recently, apparently over sharing secrets, but then there's also an element of unionization going on there. Obviously, you got one of the Hauser brothers left, that foundation, that that software house. You can't think the artistic muse of the safe space of the gaming artiste is gone, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02: 1:03:08

Well, like we say, Gen 7, when you made a game, for instance, GTA 4, going back to it again. Sorry, listeners, but they wanted to make their game, they wanted to make it as best they could, they wanted to have a game of the year, they wanted to make the next generation of GTA.

SPEAKER_01: 1:03:24

I let me give you a prime example of that generation, and someone who embodifies the artiste, but also the gamer, and where the hell is he now? Cliffy B.

SPEAKER_02: 1:03:37

Yeah. And the problem is nowadays, when they sit down for a new title, the first thing they say is, How can we make three billion off this game? How can we this online game make us so the the the shit game is successful? Oh yeah, what shit is gone. That's gone.

SPEAKER_01: 1:03:56

I think the the money man sits in the room and says, This game over here, Fortnite's made billions. You need to make us a version of that, and the artists just their face are just colour drains. Like well, look at Rocksteady. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02: 1:04:09

There you go, that happened to them, you know, and then that driver lake comes because you know they were famed for making their rock star uh the Batman games, and then suddenly we we need something like Fortnite, and they're like, We don't want to make that, we just want to make a really good game. But no, we need to make money because Fortnite's making all this money, you make this, and the end of the day, the devs they're making something they don't want to, the artistic talent's being dragged away, and the consumer suffers, you know, and this we will move to your news in one second, but just to finish that, I I have PlayStation Premium, uh, and I was using the portal to try out my own owned games, the PS5 games, sadly, they won't let you stream PS4 games.

SPEAKER_01: 1:04:50

It was a small little asterisk in the terms and conditions. It's stream your games, and I've got in there and thought, well, I'll play that. Where is that? Where's all my older games? PS5 games only.

SPEAKER_02: 1:05:04

Oh. Didn't know that.

SPEAKER_01: 1:05:06

That's fine. It's fine. It's it's on the standboard, makes sense, I guess. Uh you're not gonna start bringing over a little big workshop, are you? Uh there's there's probably no point. No point in holding that on a server somewhere, isn't it? So like one jerk off can play it one Sunday afternoon. Who would that be then?

SPEAKER_02: 1:05:28

Some loser. Some dweeb. Yeah. Uh yeah, someone would put hundreds of hours in it. Who would do that?

SPEAKER_01: 1:05:37

Who would do that? Yeah. Um I forget where this was going. Um, I had a really solid point, uh, and now it's gone, it's dead. Oh, that was it. Played Suicide Squad as a result of having it available to me as a game that PlayStation gave you. So obviously, I had the police PlayStation 5 version added to my library, therefore I could stream it. I thought, do you know what? Now all the Furalls died down. Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick with this. Maybe it's actually a great little Rocksteady game underneath that you can enjoy, and not even 10 minutes from there, after having jumped across the level for the first time as a said character, it was immediately ambitiously exited from because I felt so cheap. It was unbelievable. RGT. Some amazing news to come from the gaming industry this week. It's not to hail a new uh gaming console, especially as we kind of we're at the wake for Xbox that Xbox is still alive at its own wake.

SPEAKER_00: 1:06:50

I don't know what the hell world we're living in, but uh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:06:55

Let's sit down and have this next bit.

SPEAKER_02: 1:07:03

Yeah, this is over on Pure Xbox, and as usual, us by the awesome phrase of Gilbert. Um, and he writes. Did you bounce him on your knee? Many a time. Um former Xbox executive on Steam Machine. Choice is good. Not everything needs a winner or loser.

unknown: 1:07:22

Oh.

SPEAKER_02: 1:07:23

Where you find your fun is all that matters. Following the announcement. Yeah, following the announcement of Valve's new console like Steam Machine the other day, there's an inevitably being uh been a lot of talk about how it might affect the future of Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo if it ends up proving a popular system. However, former Xbox executive and all-round Xbox legend, Major Nelson, has been getting attention on social media for his comments on how not everything needs a winner or loser, insisting that choice is always good for playing games. Here's a look at the tweet he posted. Um, it's been an interesting 24 hours in gaming as I read the previews and debate how the new Steam hardware. Um, about the new Steam hardware. Remember, not everything needs a winner or loser. Choice is always good. Game, where, how, and when you like, where you find your fun is all that matters. And he even put three little hearts in the. Or among these. Yeah. Uh he's put a green, a blue, a red, and a black one. Current Xbox boss Phil Spencer basically said the same thing the other day. Oh, nice to hear from Big Phil again. In response to Valve's announcement. Yeah. Uh Val's announcement, he is advised that a future built on choice reflects core values that have guided Xbox's vision from the start. From a business perspective, though, Microsoft obviously still needs to ensure it doesn't fall prey to the Steam machine, with Phil noting that as the company welcomes new options for players to access games everywhere, it does so as one of the largest publishers on Steam. That's a very important footnote. Now, to me, this is probably said through gritted teeth. This is the yeah, no, we love it. We embrace the Steam Machine, we think it's a great idea. And then Ned literally turned around to the board members saying, hang on, this is dangerous for us here.

SPEAKER_01: 1:09:36

Seriously, we could actually no, it's not, it's actually super beneficial for them because it will strengthen their all for gamers, everything everywhere, all at once strategy. And in some ways, now in the classic console war way of like, oh, Steam Dex here, now we've got a direct competitor from the PC space, one could argue, that can be used as a metric of measure against us, equally so we can use it a metric of measure against them. But Xbox versus Steam Console sales charts never gonna set the world on fire. To me, this is the timing with Xbox stepping back a little bit, and let's just say officially they say they're not stepping back as another console, blah blah blah, but they are putting their games everywhere as part of a worldwide embracing strategy. One could argue it it might be the best and earliest most but best play a gaming company has ever made. Um, or it could be a bit of a false start where you end up devaluing your brand to a point where no one cares to play your games on anything everywhere all at once. But the Steam Machine coming along is another platform you would think, which they would embrace with their new strategy because all of a sudden this is this is further proof that everything all at once is a good idea. They're unlocking they're giving gamers choice uh RGT, and that they say is a good thing because it plays into their business strategy right now. Um and the Steam Machine now not everything needs a winner and a loser, and not everything needs to be the most powerful thing ever. But when this Steam machine is being compared closest to an Xbox Series S halfway through or in the death nails of this current generation, you would have to imagine that's a bit silly. But it's a foot in the door, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02: 1:11:34

Well, I don't know, RGT, it's a foot in the door. But if you can if you can get a console out of the door for 300-350 bucks, and someone like me and you who don't PC game or don't have Steam, that's at that sort of market value where you think I could dip my toes in Steam here. Now, if you're doing like Xbox are doing a 1500 quid PC hybrid console, that's pretty much ruled us out. We're probably not going to touch that, but this is very alluring to the the console gamer that maybe wants to dip into Steam, wants to dip into all them indies and early games and the 16,000 game library.

SPEAKER_01: 1:12:08

I get all of that, and at$300, it's almost disposable money, I guess, in this day and age. Anyway, I thought that was playable. That's that's that sounds like that.

SPEAKER_02: 1:12:17

And also, I think these days, gamers are coming round, that's not all about 8k, 120 frames per second, ray tracing. We just want good games, and I think people have cottoned onto that.

SPEAKER_01: 1:12:28

We just want games, but I feel let's face it, coming with the most powerful machine on planet Earth was a strategy that had seen other people try and didn't work. Coming at it with a with a machine that's at the back end of the power generation almost halfway through this gen, even at disposable money, it feels a bit of a stretch. I get what you're saying about look at the library and all the things that you can play, and it's more than capable of playing everything in this library, totally is. But come the next wave of mega PCs, which is happening either now or around the corner, come the next wave of gaming console, which is happening now or just round the corner, this thing starts to look a bit like a switch dude. And it's not and it's not even out yet.

SPEAKER_02: 1:13:18

Yeah, but you're comparing it to a PC. I don't think you need to compare it to a PC, it's just gonna be.

SPEAKER_01: 1:13:24

I'm comparing it to this gen of consoles that's nearly over.

SPEAKER_02: 1:13:29

Yeah, but Steam aren't in no generations, they're not in no, they're not they're they're just launching something completely, you know.

SPEAKER_01: 1:13:35

They're not intergenerations RGT, I completely agree, but for some reason, game developers are.

SPEAKER_02: 1:13:40

Yeah, yeah, I can see that. But I I think this is it's a bit like the Steam Deck, it's a test bed. Let's launch it's cheap, a hybrid console. Let's see how many people join Steam. Let's see if the Steam figures go up. Like I say, 16,000 games and they're all ready to play, let alone what's coming out. And I think with the cost of living crisis, uh you know, and the price of consoles going up, I mean the price of the PS5 Pro and all these consoles, 700, 800, pushing on a thousand for the top rogue X ally Xbox, whatever it is. If you can get okay, slightly down red's graphics, but if you can get Steam on your TV in a small box with all those games on for 350 bucks, I think they're playing into a social market at the minute and where people are sitting, and I think it could be it could be a winner, is I really do.

SPEAKER_01: 1:14:36

I mate, you'd be telling me next to Steam Deck's a winner, and although it's a great piece of technology, in terms of moving the needle financially for Steam, it's done nothing.

SPEAKER_02: 1:14:46

Really? They've sold, you know, for what that I think they've oversold what they expected. They never went out to sell 50 million of them, but I think they've done it's enough, they've obviously done enough to warrant, right, let's try something else now, let's push on to a home home system. Yes, it may not be for everyone, but I think I think they're not you say, they're trying to sit in that middle ground between console gamers, PC gamers, you know, draw them console gamers over, but also the PC gamers that don't want to go and spend three grand on a new graphics card and would like to display their Steam on the TV. There's that there is a gap there. Whether that gap works or not, I don't know. I think it's quite a good idea. I can see a lot of maybe X, you know, um Xbox fans that have now gone up, you know, gone a bit, I don't know, we're not really that interested in Xbox anymore. They've gone a bit off piece to what we'd like. Maybe they'd try it rather than go all full PC.

SPEAKER_01: 1:15:46

I was trying to well, you know, rather than go full PC. I think the Xbox existed as a space for the gamer that probably thought about being a PC gamer but knew he wasn't and wanted a console. Very true. Yeah, yeah, yeah, very true. Steam Machine kind of fills that space. It does feel the next to me. Steam Machine feels like the safest, most familiar landing zone for a frustrated OG Xbox supporter. Someone who's been there remembers the iconic days of the rumours of the Silver X and the Xbox and Microsoft to come into the gaming market and it's the most powerful machine and blah, blah, blah. This isn't that, but it's that kind of foot in the door. I think that if you've been with Microsoft since the original Xbox and you are feeling a little bit burnt by their current decisions not reflecting maybe how you thought this would go, maybe Steam Machine's a perfect landing place. But I wouldn't be getting rid of your Series X anytime soon. No, um it's three times the machine in terms of capability that the Steam Machine is. And I think just for this gen, it's an interesting experiment that we watch play out. Um and I'm intrigued by it, and I think I agree with you about the proposition that I won't be buying this steam machine. If I was to buy any steam machine, it would be whatever the next iteration of that steam machine is. And I pray that when the next one comes out, and this is just a small dalliance or will be seen as like the cheaper entry-level model that they will almost continuously do, that we get a steam machine V2 or a Steam Machine Plus. Because my frustration here is I would quite like to get on board with the Steam Machine RGT, but I feel like my legs would be stretched so far apart that I would split down the middle. In regards to, I would want to get behind this machine, but then I would also want to use this machine to play all the latest and greatest PC games, but would be frustrated that the fidelity was less than the console I technically was leaving. I know I don't have to technically leave it, but let's say I'm a I'm more of a budget person. Oh, I see what you mean, yeah. And I can only have one machine at a time. My frustration at moving to the all singing, all dancing, all things to all men's thing machine, leaving behind my ecosystem that I built would feel I would feel a bit cheated.

SPEAKER_02: 1:18:12

That's a good point. Yeah, that's a bit that's a bit switch to PS5 of me at the moment because certain games that I want to have on the Switch 2 and make it my primary console, but the PS5 version is better. So you tend to buy yeah, I know what it means.

SPEAKER_01: 1:18:25

And that's from the guns. I'm not I know that power doesn't matter, I know that some of these people, you know, they don't want to play the latest games, but one would imagine there's quite a large subsection of people that do and probably want to capitalise on making this their one box under the TV. And if it had a little bit more guts, if it had been comparable to a Series X or a PS5 vanilla, I think I would be like, this seems more familiar to me, but to peg it to the placeholder of the Series S, a very capable machine, I'm not here to to poo-poo it at all. I think it without the Series S this gen would be even worse for Xbox, in my opinion. Um but in terms of a brand new machine coming out today, you you barely you've barely got the legs on Switch 2. And even it's on a ever-thinning wedge of diminishing returns in terms of its ability to keep up with the current generation. I think that the minute Switch 2's getting away with it, we've talked about this, it's just about getting away with it. Get to some of those PS5, Xbox Series X only games, which are starting to knock on the door and bear down on us, start getting towards the PS6 launch tiles, and this thing's your version of it that you're playing the your version of that game you're playing on the Steam machine. It's gonna look awful.

SPEAKER_02: 1:19:50

It is, but for for people that are wanting it as uh their main console, yes, I agree with that, but I think this is gonna lure a lot of people to dip their toe into steam, just the the the interface, the system itself, what is on there. I think people are gonna be a bit tempted with that, not necessarily have it as their main console, but have Steam as well. Just have that Steam option under your telly. People have been giving up Games Pass and their droves, PS Plus and Premium. I mean, I have that. Do I use it? Very rarely. Is there any point in me having it? Not really. Um, so this just adds that little that you know, that draw you away a little bit. I mean, on a funnier note, have you seen? I know we both watch Mighty Keith on YouTube. Did you see his video for this? No. The launch of the Steam Machine. Oh, he's if you don't watch Mighty Keith, find him on YouTube. He did his little skits when games news come out, and he is hilarious. And he done he done the when the Steam Machine was coming out, and he was going around to different companies saying in Xbox all panicking, saying, Oh god, we need to you know get this sorted. And I can't believe they're releasing a machine. They go phone Nintendo up and Nintendo go, no, we don't care. No, you've got to do something against no no, we do our own thing, we're not interested. They go, Well, that's in the shape of a cube. You go, right, get my lawyers.

SPEAKER_01: 1:21:08

That's true. I mean, it's the four factor is is quite appealing. Um the the Steam Cube, call it what you like. I mean, you know, it was always going to draw comparisons. I I think as a unoffensive box that goes into your hardware set into your sort of display of technical equipment underneath your TV, this thing is so anonymous that it's just perfect. Actually, from a form factor point of view as well, it kind of has that sort of technological heft about it. I'm not talking about the inside, I'm just talking about the general perception of the outside of it. Yeah, it has that kind of like technical heft to it that makes it feel like more than it is. It's it's an interesting design. And like I say, I want this to work, but I feel that it's never gonna escape the sort of sticky, sloppy mud that people like me are gonna throw at it saying, I want to get behind this, and possibly, you know, I could have got behind this if it had been an all-in, I go all in on this type machine. Um I just want to see it. I guess I'm I suppose you really can boil my argument down to I just wanted to see a little bit more future-proofing because it feels to me like yeah, if someone buys this, great, it lets us know what we can get away with, but fool on you for buying shame on you for buying this, because even the Steam uh official stats with this latest game, you've been all excited about playing Georgie, it's not gonna run it. And I just don't want that. I don't want that. Because one of the things about PlayStation is you get it, you see the latest game, you buy it, you put it in, it works. Steam, you see the latest game, you think, oh great, you get in that night, you get on your Steam Cube, you go to the store, and it's like unsupported by this, it's not enough spec. Now what?

SPEAKER_00: 1:23:02

I can't think I can't happen, I can't get a new Steam Cube, so now I'm gonna have to buy PC. Oh fucking hell.

SPEAKER_02: 1:23:10

Yeah, if that if if if that is the case, that is gonna be a big stumbling block. Uh you know, you'd like to think that isn't gonna happen too many times, but like you say, with generations around the corner, we'll see. But it's it's interesting. Um I know it's it's very different from what we used to, these sort of hybrid PCs. I know technically PS5s and the Series X are sort of PCs in a way, but I like this sort of in the middle ground, you know, a bit like switched under hybrid, you know, take anywhere game, but also on your TV, this is that sort of you've got a PC, but you ain't got a PC, you've got a console, but it's not a console, it's a PC, you know, you've got that and this thing really in in the grand scheme of things, isn't much further up the evolutionary evolutionary tree from a Steam Deck OLED.

SPEAKER_01: 1:24:01

Really, why not just why not just do one of those with a dock?

SPEAKER_02: 1:24:08

Yeah, I think I mean I read somewhere that was like six times more powerful than a Steam Deck, which isn't a lot actually, when you think how much more powerful a PS5 Pro is to a PS5, yet some of the games is hard to see where the increase is. You you need you need hundreds of times more, really, to get so it's not that much more six times sounds loads, but as we get more Steam Deck will run your horizon with slightly compromised specs, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:24:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 1:24:41

I think I'm just excited because of something new, you know. It it seems as a dragon.

SPEAKER_01: 1:24:46

I'm excited because of something new, RGT. I just want to see them like extinguish every hurdle for complaint, and it'd be like, I need this machine, and it's flawless, and it's more powerful, and therefore it's future-proofed. And yeah, I I just wanted a little bit more of a good news story. It's a good news story, but I just wanted I wanted to slam dunk for Steam, I suppose.

SPEAKER_03: 1:25:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:25:08

Um, last bit of news. Uh over on Nintendo Life, in case you missed it, Liam Doolin, he was uh he's not sort of bounced on the knee, he was uh sort of on the bottom step of the stairs, to be honest, taking a time out was young Liam. Uh he still read very early as a kid. You know, one of those ones, and he never knew you'd end up in a bit of a ruckus with him, young Liam. But he was one of those people that you can you'd beat him, you'd get him down on the floor, and then you'd be like, okay, this is over, and then he'd jump up and try and fight you again. And it was at that moment that you realised that the only way that you were gonna beat Liam in a childlike scrap was to kill him. Huh? Yeah. Um, but you know, age, maturity, and and sure, no doubt, failed attempts of fights on the football field proved to Liam that he was a reporter for a software uh house. Uh and that's of Nintendo. So he's obviously the uh he's learnt his lessons. Uh, in case you missed it, he says Red DevRedemption Switch 2 release is a free upgrade upgrade for Switch owners. Now, this appeals to me because I have this on the original Switch, and to be fair, I've played a big chunk of it and it plays perfectly fine. Uh, but guess what? Red Dev Redemption and Undead Nightmare fans will soon be back in the saddle with Rockstar Games recently announced and it's reviving John Marston's journey on Switch 2 and multiple other platforms this December. So this is news for everybody, but biggest news is for Switch 2 owners because I think they got left a little bit behind. Um, while the announcement already had many cowboys jumping for joy, in case you missed it, Rockstar Games has also confirmed this would be a completely free upgrade for existing owners. This applies to current owners of Red Dead Redemption on the Switch and existing PlayStation and Xbox owners. You'll be able to pick up where you left off, and here's the official details from Rockstar. Current owners on PS4 Nintendo Switch or digital backward compatible version on Xbox One will be available to upgrade digitally for free. Anyone who owns a PS4 version can utilize the previous PS4 save data to pick up exactly where they left off, and Switch 2 players can continue with their previous save data from the previous Switch console. So if you've already got the Switch release, you can update your copy when this rolls out on the 2nd of December. So just around the corner. The Switch 2 version will come packed with the single-player experience of both games and also include bonus content from the game of the year edition. Additionally, it features support for DLSS, HDR mouse controls.

SPEAKER_00: 1:27:41

You never ridden a horse with a mouse, boy.

SPEAKER_01: 1:27:44

You never lived. And the same fluid 60 frames per second gameplay at high resolutions. In other news, Reb Dead 2 potentially coming to Switch 2 also resurfaced this week following an announcement from the podcaster. Him and Jess Gordon must be fighting tooth and now for space on there. Nate, the hate claiming it's still happening. RGT, the upgrade for the Switch 2. News that no one really needed. Um the fact that they're they're bothering to upgrade it on PS5 and Series X has me a little bit intrigued because the game really probably looked as it was ever gonna look and ran as well as it was ever gonna run.

SPEAKER_02: 1:28:24

But uh I think there's a theory behind this. Um, I think this was gonna be a little paid upgrade, this game, and then when they announced that GTA 6 was being delayed, and people were quite annoyed. And why is it delayed? And why is this oh hang on, don't worry, we've got a little freebie for you. Here you go. You have this upgraded for now. This will keep you happy while we just push away the news that GTA 6 is being delayed. That's what I think, anyway. I think they wouldn't have gone to all this trouble.

SPEAKER_01: 1:28:55

One thing I want to know is this is your biggest game that generation Red Dead 1? I think not. I think your biddish biggest generation game that generation, apart from GTA 5, was GTA 4. A game much like Red Dead that was kind of abandoned, left struggling on the desert island that was last gen platforms. Bringing Red Dead 2, Red Dead 1 up to a platform that you could play Red Dead 1 all the way through and then watch through the credits and seamlessly pick up Red Dead 2, and it'd be an almost seamless transition. Fair play. Uh I thought they utilised the map that they made for two to remake one by now, but that's obviously beyond them. Far too much money involved. Uh, and I guess the money investment versus money out uh formula didn't produce anything where near that we'd like. So it's just a game as wet dream. But uh if you're doing all this with a game that's running on an engine that's powering GTA four. And the Switch is lacking any form of Grand Theft Auto at all, apart from the uh remastered OG trilogy. It seems like it would be a slam dunk to re-release a game that is your most successfully reviewed game of all time. It would make sense to give players the chance to experience the HD universe for the first time all over again. And I'm thinking it'd be Game of the Year edition, Lost and the Damned, Balladigatoni. Oh man, that's a package that you could put out on PS5 and Switch 2, Xbox Series X, PC, even. Or singing or dancing, even if it's not a remaster, but just get the modern consoles using all of their grunt to do all of the features that the upper end of the PC version and a bit more. Why leave that there to die the way they have?

SPEAKER_02: 1:31:01

I for me off you're so right with this, and this makes so much sense now because they could have had a remastered GTA 4, PS5 edition, Series X edition, with, like you say, Game of the Year edition or complete edition with Lost and Damn, Ballad of Gay Tony, all chucked in, have the like they did with the trilogy they've done, have the three games up on your home screen, pick which one you're gonna play. Yep, it would look stun and it'd be brilliant. And also you've got to remember there's a lot of people, there's a lot of younger people, their main game is GTA 5, they just play online all the time. They've never played Red Dead, they've probably never heard of it. So to give them a stop gap between this and GTA 6, release GTA 4, you know, so they can go play GTA 4.

SPEAKER_01: 1:31:50

I would argue the one that most modern GTA players have not played because they've not been able to.

SPEAKER_02: 1:31:56

Exactly. And I think I think it's a no-brainer. Release a remastered GTA 4 and to keep people going until GTA 6 comes out, I think it'd sell really well. We'd buy it, wouldn't we? We'd buy it.

SPEAKER_01: 1:32:09

Well, you've got the PC version, right, which wouldn't take much more than a button remapping and uploading the button prompts of that said console to the engine. Yeah, is me being very simple here. Yeah. The PC version would technically then run on Xbox, PS2, and Switch 2. A little bit of a finickling, change this, change that, change the other. Let them go as much as they can on those systems, house performance. This is a bit brope on switch two, but if we pull it back 10%, it's perfect. Do that. PS5, no sweat, Xbox Series X. Barely knows it's turned on, boss. Perfect. Get it published.

SPEAKER_02: 1:32:44

Yeah, it makes me wonder why they haven't done this. They're very quiet on GTA 4. There's always these constant rumours about this rebate. This never happened. I don't know if it's a licensing problem or what for a couple of the songs? Well, no, not in the sacrifice them then, right? I don't know why they wouldn't have done it. It seems really strange. I've done everything else. Why not this? I just find it strange at this.

SPEAKER_01: 1:33:07

Well, one thing that I would this switch to upgrade or the next gen upgrade, PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch 2, or Red Dead 1. It it I would argue it was unnecessary. The game was already working on Switch 2 via Switch 1 backwards compatibility on PS5 with PS4 backwards compatibility. It was working on Series X even better thanks to the backwards compatibility of that console. It was performing better there than anywhere else. It's fine. What would have seriously made the needle even if it wasn't announced to be released this month, Christmas, even middle of next year, is the Red Dead saga. Have two and one flawlessly working as best as you can on in one package that looks nice.

SPEAKER_02: 1:33:58

Undead Nightmare.

SPEAKER_01: 1:33:59

Add in Undead Nightmare, add in the bonus of the OG Red Dead uh revolver. Just as a cure just as a curio, just as a curio, running as it is, looking as gross as it is, being exactly what it is, then have the other two, call it the Red Dead saga, smash it out there, no announcements, no upgrades, nothing. It sells gangbusters. Yeah. A switch two free upgrade, as nice as it is, seems like a waste of effort and time.

SPEAKER_02: 1:34:33

It's it's I think it was a quick they knew that GJ Sips was going to be delayed. I mean, does Red Dead look that much different to you know the Switch 2 port to the Switch? It's a quick, a few-month job, skin over the top, let's release it for free, let's all keep people tickling along. You know, I think that's what it was more like. Something that we can keep people happy, that's a quick job, get it out of there, free upgrade. We love you gamers. By the way, GTA 6 is delayed. I think that's probably more what that was probably about.

SPEAKER_01: 1:35:04

I mean, I have I just don't think Rockstar has fans enough in its ecosystem and enough games in its ecosystem where I'm like, oh, GTA 6 is delayed. Saying that RGT, I was about to say, oh, GTA 6 is delayed. Oh, don't worry, I'll go play GTA 4 again. Guess what I'm doing? GTA 4 again.

SPEAKER_02: 1:35:26

And I've recently come off the back and playing for it again.

SPEAKER_01: 1:35:29

GTA 6 is delayed, fine, I'll play Liberty Cities on PSP. Yeah, yeah, that'll keep me going. Uh I mean I I say we're not that, and we're not that. I think I just get spiked by gaming ephemera and curios. Like if I know the new game's coming out, I might play the originals, you know. I'm that sort of person that would do that.

SPEAKER_02: 1:35:50

Uh but yeah, I'd just it's interesting because I think I'd love to Rockstar are quite well known for not really saying a lot, they don't really say a lot, social media, anything, they keep everything sort of quite in-house, but I'd love to sit down with them to say, tell us why you haven't done GTA 4. What is the reason you haven't done that? And I don't know whether they're worried that the remaster will bring the score down or because it's their highest you know, scored game. I don't know. I don't know, I'm clutching at straws, but there must be a reasonable scored game.

SPEAKER_01: 1:36:23

You change the name significantly enough where you call it you call it the GTA Liberty City Story trilogy. Take a different name, yeah. Therefore, gets reviewed under merit. And and with these remasters, they normally the main game normally gets a free pass because there's nothing you can do. So that was heralded as a 10 out of 10 piece of real work of art. Brilliant. 10 out of 10 means that you can never improve this game, it's as good as it could ever be, by the way. I mean, to me, that's what and and you could argue possibly there is this game is one of the best games ever made, and there is no improvement for this whatsoever. That's why it's getting 10. Um yeah, I think they got a bit carried away back in the day. But that to me is is safe and protected, and it'll be reviewed on the merits of its remaster. Uh you know, does the remaster break the game? Does the remaster add any quality? What's the image fidelity like now? Um, so I I think I I do get your concern, RGT, but I do think if you frame it up right, it's a completely different metric and measure.

SPEAKER_02: 1:37:32

Um just I'd just love to know. There's obviously a reason they haven't. I'd love to know what that reason is. They've stayed stayed stayed well away from doing GTA 4.

SPEAKER_01: 1:37:41

Why? Why? Because because the uh because the online keeps that in bumper month after bumper month. Is that are we are we desperate enough where we need to do four yet? We've got it ready to go, boss, but I'll be honest with you. We did over two billion on shark cards last month.

SPEAKER_02: 1:37:58

Put it back in the drawer, son, back in the drawer.

SPEAKER_01: 1:38:01

Spice it. Uh GTA 4's not going to get a remaster for its well, we're past its 10th anniversary. Yeah. And and and not even a card. I think that probably shows you where Rockstar's like. I think that draws a line under the news of RGT. Thanks for that gameful and rather interesting news scenario. As always, the stories aren't always here for their base values, they're normally here to expose, underline, and discuss a more deeper wound or talking point within the industry. And I think we well, you know, if you're allowed to review your own uh mess, I'd say we did quite well there. Um, but if you've got an opinion or take on the news that we missed, uh you think you can get in touch with us how RGT.

SPEAKER_02: 1:38:49

Well, you've got questions at unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com. Um, let us know your opinions, or if you want a Discord link, or if you want to let us know any show ideas, anything, just jump on there. You've got Instagram, you got X, which I mean, is anyone on Instagram and X anymore? But I suppose people still are, but or you can contact me on Twitch and Thomas.

SPEAKER_01: 1:39:10

But don't touch scenario, those two platforms now, I think. Yeah, we're we're there in spirit. Um we're there to doom scroll, look at everyone else's content but our own, and and and actually look at no one we care about's content, just literally doom scroll shit.

SPEAKER_02: 1:39:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:39:26

Uh and that's really what Instagram's become.

SPEAKER_02: 1:39:29

Yeah, unfortunately. But yes, you can still contact us on there or DM us, um, yeah, and let us know your opinions and you know, if from anything from what you thought of the news. Are we blabbling too much? Do we know anything about games, or whether you just like your Discord link, just let us know and message us on any of those.

SPEAKER_01: 1:39:46

So yeah, so we'll see you on the Discord where the conversation continues. I am thinking about bringing back uh listener letters, queries, questions, or whatever. I think first of all, let's do that through because I know the Discord is available to everyone, it's free all of the time, everywhere all at once, and you've all got everything on there to discuss from what you ate for dinner yesterday or to the last bodily movement of your pet. I love it. I see it all. But uh to some people, me included, Discord is a bit of a weird environment. Um I I as you know, I'm a bit technically limited. So I'm gonna throw it open to people to say I think the the method to which I want to explore bringing back leader, listener, feedback, questions, comments, or whatnot, I want to do through the medium of the email address, so questions at unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com. Send us any inquiries, so you don't need to be part of the Discord. Uh, I'm opening this up to the wider audience. Uh, many of you who listen in your thousands, week in, week out, who aren't on the Discord. Let's give you the chance to get involved and give everyone the chance to shoot their thoughts out there. So at the end of the news, we'll read out a one question, a selection of questions, whatever it is, from the email. Uh, and we'll look forward to answer that. Now that can be an internet question, it can be a gaming question, it can be let me throw it out there. It can be anything. If you're swabbling with a relationship and you think that me and RGT can advise you on that, if you're that desperate, questions at unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com. Uh you you're caught between uh a social dilemma. You're out with your your partner. See what I did there? Very embracing. They've made a bit of a social faux part at the dinner table. You don't know whether to pick pick them up on it or not. Your message is show, what do I do? RGT George Seb Scott, what what Bobby OG Tom, what am I doing? And you can address it to any member of the team or all of the team. Obviously, we're probably better placed to field questions about games, but heck, do you know what? I see some value in someone as socially inept as me answering your personal questions. Uh, I think there's still less in there. Uh anyway, you know when, where, and how we've opened the tabs. It's up to you now to pull through. Obviously, if your email is complete garbage, we won't read it out.

SPEAKER_02: 1:42:25

But uh, if it's just slightly above the lower meniscus of garbage, it'll be uh Yeah, send us any any questions you've got, what our opinions are on something, or if anything we've missed, or do you think that we should do this, or you know, anything, just send us an email.

SPEAKER_01: 1:42:40

Question in on the email from Buzzkill69420 RGT. Question for you from him. Have you ever stimulated a hamster? And if so, how?

SPEAKER_02: 1:42:51

Um, I can't remember how because I was very drunk, but yes. That explains the dead answers, yeah, buzzkill.

SPEAKER_01: 1:43:01

So yeah, it explains the pile of dead rodents in in uh dog poo bags piled up outside your bedroom window.

SPEAKER_02: 1:43:08

Yeah, and a binmen keep refusing to take them for some reason, but I don't know. I don't blame them. Well, there must be somewhere disposing of them. But anyway, that's the question for another day.

SPEAKER_01: 1:43:16

So if you've got a rodent disposal problem, questions at unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com or servers. Uh RGT, now we've done that, we've done this, we've done the other, we've done that, we've done all that sort of stuff. Now, if in if you're new to the show, you're thinking, what now? But if you're a a show veteran, you already know. Now, we we did the talk there, all the free stuff at the beginning, and and a little bit more of that. Now, if you want to support the show, you can do it will always be free. It will always be free. So if you're a grifter, yeah, I'm looking at you. Don't worry, there's no charge for this. Don't panic. RGT looked up and was like, is he talking to me?

SPEAKER_02: 1:44:02

No. I did think when you said grifter, you're going back onto my hobo look this morning.

SPEAKER_01: 1:44:06

Yeah, no, you're a grifter, but you're not that kind of grifter. You'll you'll you would pay for the show. Uh, but you didn't have to. Okay. It'll always be free. Uh uh, so what I'm saying is if you want to support the show, click wherever you're watching this, listening to this, doing whatever you are with this at the bottom of the uh show notes. There will be a link to a place nice, safe, secure, with our podcast provider, BuzzSprout, where you can support us from anywhere as little as$3 a month. And if you pay$3, one thing you will get instantly is a t-shirt, bizarrely, uh, worth probably more than a month's than a year's subscription. So you've got to wonder if we're completely normal RGT, but one would say there is no better deal in gaming right now.

SPEAKER_02: 1:44:50

Yes, and um we obviously have tiers on there, which people can do from the cheap tiers, and then basically you get different perks, bits and pieces. If anyone wants to know them, questions at Fisher Troll Podcast.com if you're interested, and we can soon email M Tears back to you. Um, and we're also, while we're on that, we've got obviously we're heading towards our 300th episode. So for those for if you're a subscriber, there'll be some special news for you coming soon because you might be getting a little treat for our 300th episode. But yes, watch this space, I'll add that in there. So thank you, subs. Please speak, George.

SPEAKER_01: 1:45:32

I can feel uh a final yet brutal bankruptcy of me. Of all members involved with the show coming up here, but 300 episodes is surely something to celebrate. Yes.

SPEAKER_02: 1:45:53

Um, yes, so it's it's under work at the moment. Um, but yeah, it's it's pretty good.

SPEAKER_01: 1:46:01

Look at it this way. If you started listening now, there's a show a day for you almost for a year, almost a year's worth.

SPEAKER_02: 1:46:09

Yeah, that's yeah, put it like that. Yeah, there is, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:46:12

Yeah. Don't be intimidated by the contact. Start at the top and then shuffle back through as and when you feel to find something that appeals. But there's always something within the shows that's outside of the date time and stamped news.

SPEAKER_02: 1:46:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 1:46:25

Uh there'll be a discussion point, there'll be something within the news. Heck, you know what? Even what you've been playing is an interesting journey. Uh, and you can also go looking for some of the classic UCP characters, like Stingray. Some of you won't even know who he is, but some of you know that how does the show survive without him? Uh, who is Stingray? What is Stingray? Why is Stingray? These are questions you're only going to find answered if you dig deep enough into the back catalogue. So, to those that have supported the show, you get one of the perks. One of the perks is you get your name read out in every episode. As always with the UCP, we don't think things normally, so there is a little bit of shenanigans fun and games around said uh names and readouts. RGT, I don't even know anymore, and I'm Pasicarian. I'll do a Zangief naked if I have to. Stood atop the Empire State Building where nothing but I don't really care if I go first or last. I think I'll probably go first. Don't know where that leads me. Um, but it quite firmly puts a rather sort of stiff-looking retro ed right in my mouth. Thanks, retroed.

SPEAKER_02: 1:47:38

Next up, we have the one man George Fan Club. It is the incredibly sexy Carlos. And uh yeah, I the thing I like about Carlos when he's on Discord, he's got a very curated collection of imports and arcades, and and every time anyone talks about a certain import or a certain game or a rare title, a little picture pops up from his collection, and every time I just think, Oh, I wonder all the stuff you've got in that collection. I bet that he's incredible.

SPEAKER_01: 1:48:13

I'll tell you one thing: there's a there's a few people with some strong collections, curated nice collections, uh, and you know, names that spring to mind, Tingle Tuna, people like that. You know, it it's not big, but I tell you what, he knows how to use it. And Carlos is the same. He's got like this area that he's dedicated to his consoles and his gaming, but it's not it's not littered with gaming tat. Like you or me would make the mistake of sort of covering it in yeah, sort of lowbrow gaming ephemera and ta, and really sort of drag the area down. But Carlos, he doesn't accessorize with like uh a gaming light, does he? He doesn't accessorise with that, it accessorises with Imperial Green Walls across across a shelving unit of like a walled burnut. No, a a bird walnut. Um, don't exist, by the way.

SPEAKER_02: 1:49:11

That's like if Tate Modern Gallery done, a gaming gallery, yes, it's curated, it's classy, it looks yeah, it's very cool. I mean, mine looks like a bloody pound shop compared to I mean, yeah, there's a difference there.

SPEAKER_01: 1:49:24

You're collecting one pound games that were big back in the day from a charity shop. He's perusing curating was no, was I remember watching a documentary where heroin addicts said that you know heroin addicts never stop being heroin addicts, they just kind of learn to live without it. I would say, RGT, that you fall firmly into that sort of addiction level. You hate me. Who hurt you? Show them to me. There's a life, there's a life of pain there that you need to get resolved, and I'm willing to help you with it. I am not the medium for your for your pain, anger, or frustration. Right, who's next? I don't know, I put my phone down.

SPEAKER_02: 1:50:17

Uh like you. Up next.

SPEAKER_01: 1:50:24

Do you know? I was skirting around, been sort of being flirting with this Nigerian prince who seems to think that uh he can help me make a hell of a lot of money on the internet. Now I tell you, Otungul Fatangu is probably one of the most keenest and respectable gentlemen I have ever met on the internet. And his sort of uh sort of demonstration to me about how if I help him in his moment of pain, he'll be able to sort of repay that with the millions that he will unlock by me sort of sending him a couple of hundred quid. Now, if anyone listening now gets George, that's a mistake, and anyone with half a brain would know that Atungu Financial Developments is not a safe investment portfolio. Now I am what can be described as an idiot, but if you need some help making a good investment, a sound investment outside of a Tungu Enterprises, you probably need to be looking at someone like Firm Returns. Not only is he wise enough to support the show, he's wise enough to help you navigate every single property portfolio investment package that you could find on the internet and help you generate some firm returns. Who's next?

SPEAKER_02: 1:51:40

Brilliant. Thanks for that. And uh thank you, firm returns. Uh a slightly smaller story. Thanks, Tress was a New York. Best weeks in New York. Next.

SPEAKER_01: 1:51:53

Here's a man who exists across all of time and space. He floats within the ephemera between planets, he floats in the space between dimensions. But I tell you everywhere he will turn up with one of the most curated and finely displayed collections of blue spined pal Dreamcast Paraphernalia It's Rosepace Monk. Not only is he a very nice collector and displayer of all things Dreamcast. But having met him in person, I would also say he is a very lucky wife, because not only is he crushingly kind, he's also seductively handsome.

SPEAKER_02: 1:52:37

Without a doubt. Without a doubt. Next up we have the Italian Stallion, the man that's has the unlimited number of PS3 games that just still keep cropping up on Instagram and on uh and um uh Discord itself. I mean, he is like the quick flips of ethics, it is badabinkster. Thank you, badabinkster.

SPEAKER_01: 1:53:02

What's the quick flip in ethics? Because I'll tell you what a quick flip is in Farmerton, and it's Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

SPEAKER_02: 1:53:09

Quick flips is YouTube, is Phoenix resale and his store, and he he flips games to buy more games. So, and he is that version in ethics. It's not the quick flip that you thought of round the back of the Albert Inn in Farmerton. Yeah, that's that's a completely different quick flip. Probably more expensive.

SPEAKER_01: 1:53:28

Up next a man who I didn't know was so intrinsically wrapped in my gaming history, his tendrils extended around my idea of gaming as any form of platform at all. Little did I know, in the background of that electronics boutique, in the background of that game, critiquing and monitoring every decision I ever made was Fingle Tuner. A man who judged me for buying probably WWF Attitude or clutching a copy of some highbrow JRPG. You know, he's that sort of he he's clutching, I don't know, a trials gate, a trials game, something like that. And I, yeah, you know, I don't want to say this RGT because I know it's a catchphrase that's attached to you, but I think single tuner loves a little puff. He does. Cafe creme.

SPEAKER_02: 1:54:25

Who's next? Next up, we have the sheriff himself of the Discord, the man who curates Challenge Accepted, which is uh, if you're thinking, what's Challenge Accepted, RGT? Well, every month he picks a new challenge on a different game. It's currently Comic Zone at the moment. Get your high score at the end of the first level, and uh at the end of the month, who uh whoever wins gets a nice little prize. Last month's was Rocket League, and which Boba won, our very own Boba, and he bought an amazing little orange car that was all set in the Unoffus controller podcast background. Like we'd made it ourselves.

SPEAKER_01: 1:55:03

Um, so one number because like I saw that and was like, if we need that for the museums for Bobi, you're gonna have to send that back to me actually, because it's too good a prize for you to keep.

SPEAKER_02: 1:55:14

If you don't mind paying a postage as well.

SPEAKER_01: 1:55:16

Um, yeah, so RGT, when I'm being a dog, I'm being an absolute dog. Yeah, postage and I want a fiver in the card as well.

SPEAKER_02: 1:55:26

Oh, all right, now you're pushing it. Um I but yeah, so thanks, Digital Monkry, for all you do, and thanks for supporting the show, as always.

SPEAKER_01: 1:55:34

Thanks to keep blowing, thanks because you continue to blow me away. Make of that what you will. Up next, a man who, to be honest, keeps his very hair suit, but he keeps noir in the top 100 most traded businesses in the world.

SPEAKER_02: 1:55:53

That is the man known as Ball Border. And he I've now introduced him to the world of Hades. So I would imagine that's probably taking up most of his time now as he's uh doing run after run on there. So I don't think he was really into roguelike games, but his recent trip to Brazil and he sort of discovered from the Brazil contingent of UCP the art form, which is the roguelike, and now he's probably quite addicted to it. So I hope you enjoy Hades board border. Okay. Next up we have the man current champion of challenge accepted. It is the man of Boba.

SPEAKER_00: 1:56:28

Now, do I do the traditional let me check with the lawyers? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 1:56:36

Um do you want to do the can I I I love Girln Brown.

SPEAKER_01: 1:56:47

No, okay, apparently um Mr. Loeber's um legal representatives have been on. Yeah. They would prefer if you went something would prefer the colour not to be pink, brown, or any other associated, you know, and angry purple would also apparently that would legally that would also be within the s within the spirit. So it's not legally written, but it's within the spirit of the the agreement that you've managed to form with Labour. Okay, so go whatever the colour you like, but try not to have any what's the word sexual connotations for the colour.

SPEAKER_02: 1:57:28

Oh, okay. Alright. Here we go now green. Is that okay? Am I can you just is that alright? Can I do I don't know very happy with that? Is that right?

SPEAKER_01: 1:57:49

No, gr no mate. I I mean I don't know, but they're saying to me that green's one of the it's one of the colours that you cannot mention. Oh I think that lit that's sort of associated with a very dark, very nefarious sexual activity, and I think you could probably put the show in a little bit of jeopardy. Okay, you're leaving it there or do you want to try another colour? No, I think I'm sort of I I don't I hopefully the the eagle-eared audio listener just probably pulled out that sort of noise you made. What was that? No, if that's how you remember doing it, that's totally cool. That's not how I remember hearing it. Right, what sort of noise was it then? No, okay. Well, maybe that's the noise going forward. Maybe that's the colour that you associate with going green. I don't know. Uh going green.

SPEAKER_02: 1:58:51

Anywho, come on, let's get this list done.

SPEAKER_01: 1:58:53

Come on. It's the sort of motto I see I would have adopted in like '93.

SPEAKER_02: 1:58:57

Yeah, hang in there, listers, hang it. Come on. Going green.

SPEAKER_01: 1:59:01

Uh next, the man who needs no introduction, but he gets one anyway because he's my red-headed stepson. You know, his mum might be complete garbage, but I still love him as if he was my own. It's Ginge.

SPEAKER_02: 1:59:13

Yeah, legend. Thank you, Ging. Um, next up we have the gorgeous man, the new haircut, the glasses. The Gary Oldman, young Gary Oldman, look alike. It is Harvey Retro.

SPEAKER_01: 1:59:27

Every step he takes.

SPEAKER_00: 1:59:29

Oh, Harvey Retro.

SPEAKER_02: 1:59:36

That's his new theme song. It is. I know you're really busy, Harvey, but can you please do a Christmas catalogue video on YouTube is here? Because I love watching through those old Christmas catalogues.

SPEAKER_01: 1:59:47

The only thing I want to know is how much does Harvey Retro pay Greg to sort of push backwards on a skateboard while holding a battery-powered fan upwards in his hair, so it's always sort of just billowing. I think I think Greg's got more about him than being a skateboard scrutcher. But at the end of the day, Harvey's hair needs that kind of it needs that.

SPEAKER_02: 2:00:10

Hmm. I just like telling people that Harvey's my friend. Because he's so cool.

SPEAKER_01: 2:00:16

I don't think I would have the guts to try and push a lie like that.

SPEAKER_02: 2:00:20

Well, well, I have to have a little lie now and again. So then I seem more popular than I am.

SPEAKER_01: 2:00:26

To think that the Lord of Darkness himself would be seen dead in a hundred square meter radius of your eye is Wow. That cuts deep. It's hard to believe. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 2:00:39

Well, on that one, who we got next?

SPEAKER_01: 2:00:42

Wow. Well, I tell you someone who never stops pushing the show. And if you want to see a metric and measure about what makes a good listener, it's Emma Sharp, paid out of her own pocket to travel the globe and push the show into every single dark corner you never thought it should go.

SPEAKER_02: 2:00:58

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, bless you. Thank you, Emma. Um next up we have I'm not gonna do the old we don't know where he is, but it's just nowhere near Berlin. Greg, thank you very much indeed. And I bet you're still flat out with Forever Skies, bless him. I bet he's uh yeah, I bet he's put some hours in.

SPEAKER_01: 2:01:20

I would like to get him back on actually for like a post-launch everywhere kind of how's it going? What does it look like from your point of view of your job in the industry once a game's launched? Sort of where does your where do you go then? How does that switch from launch to in-life support, etc. etc.? It'd be interesting to I don't think any or any podcaster's ever covered that. So that'll be interesting to do. So Greg, get into the finish. Up next. Uh everyone loves the not in that way. Well, some people do in that way. Um just to clarify as well that you obviously operate under some initials, and the G has been a lot of people wondering what the G in RGT stands for. To officially announce now that stands for your official last name, which is Geen. Um, so you love Mum Z in all the ways that you shouldn't love her, but uh you know Retro Geen Thomas, isn't that your name? No.

SPEAKER_02: 2:02:27

Next up we have the RGT fan club. Thank you very much indeed. Oh wow, okay.

SPEAKER_01: 2:02:35

If you got that, that means I get I get a man that can kick the planet into Pete Brocklehurst.

SPEAKER_03: 2:02:47

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02: 2:02:48

Without a doubt. Which means I get the love him or hate him, the very quiet but always in the background Billy Marmite.

SPEAKER_01: 2:02:56

Which means So he's the sort of cat that's gonna end up emailing the show, not using the Discord. Exactly. Old Hill Brocklehurst, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 2:03:08

Dial up. Which means you're gonna have to Zang geef everywhere.

SPEAKER_01: 2:03:14

That's cool. I told you it wasn't an issue. I'm willing to I'm sort of so comfortable in myself, I can Zang Geef anyway, anywhere, anywhere. Scenario mass of gifts. Scenario.

SPEAKER_02: 2:03:27

Yes, right? You're 17. Stand in an electronics boutique. You're now picking up one of the earlier copies of GTA, you're very, very excited. Very excited for this game. You then get to one person from the queue, and you suddenly think, I don't think I've got enough money in my bank account. I think I'm gonna be a couple of pounds short. So you've got this excitement that you're gonna be playing the biggest game on the planet at the moment, and you have a copy in your hand, but you've got this random little panic and a little bit of sweat in the background because you don't know if you're gonna be able to have enough money there to pay for this game. Alright.

SPEAKER_01: 2:04:10

Oh, is that it?

SPEAKER_02: 2:04:11

You're now heading to the till.

SPEAKER_01: 2:04:13

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02: 2:04:14

And you're now scanning your card. Right. And it goes through.

SPEAKER_01: 2:04:20

That's when you're saying geef. Goat. Oh, what one extra level of detail. Single tuner himself is serving me. And he's given me that look in his eye that just sort of says, You're actually two P short. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 2:04:35

Why are you shaking and sweating? I'll make up the difference, sort of job. Yeah, so then you're now panicking, you're then at that panic climax, and he goes, I'll cover you on this, son. The game's yours. Oof, you're Zan Geef.

SPEAKER_01: 2:04:50

Okay, so the geek. So the geef is the release, and the fat zan geef is the sort of the fat zan is the uncertainty.

SPEAKER_02: 2:04:57

The uncertainty. So you've got fat zan panicking, sweat, and you've got excitement. You're still worried.

SPEAKER_01: 2:05:03

If there was a 20 pound tier for the show, fat zan geef would have to be keeping. Yeah, it's for this one. Right, okay. Come on, me let me let me methodacle. Here's the game. Yeah, PS1 case. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 2:05:25

You geef so loud it hardly come out. We just heard a little bit of a panic warble.

SPEAKER_01: 2:05:32

It's probably best when you imagine the geef anyway. Yeah. Thank you for extending geef as always. Thank you to everyone that finds it within themselves to send some money. More would imagine they're the smart people because they're upgrading their wardrobe for three pounds, which isn't really anything. Uh, while simultaneously getting the behind-the-scenes access to the show that they love and you love, and the fact that you're not contributing, it'll always be free, but you look like a grifter now, don't you? Three nearly 300 episodes F O C in your back pocket. What I'd say, listener, is at least Dick Turpin had the respect to wear a mask.

unknown: 2:06:12

Wow.

SPEAKER_01: 2:06:13

RGT. Wow. Are you hoping to play? I mean, that's a joke, by the way, everyone. Don't turn off the new thousands. No, you know what for you.

SPEAKER_02: 2:06:24

Question on official controller podcast. That's going ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping.

SPEAKER_01: 2:06:28

Even more incredible that the show's live. And currently, at the rate I'm running, if you're listening to this on a Sunday, it's a miracle.

SPEAKER_02: 2:06:40

Um, yeah, back to what I'm playing. Resistance to a bit more of that. Um, hope well, I'll say hopefully I'll have a bit more time this week. It's not looking likely, but hopefully a bit more of that. Probably a couple of hours. And in between, it's just going to be ball X Pit. Um that's going to keep me ticking over in those little little windows of game, and I can I can do so. There'll be there'll be more of that, I think. So um that'll be pretty much it, to be honest. So yeah, what about you and then George?

SPEAKER_01: 2:07:12

Well, at the rate I'm regressing, RGT, it looks like by the time I speak to you again, I'll be coding Pong. Um I don't I don't know how much further back I could go in the gaming industry, but I'll give it a damn good go. I think I'm gonna continue playing a bit of a GTA 5. Uh we're getting things a bit more settled now, so I want to try and give Rachel a bit of time of Persona 5 before that that totally fades. Uh because she's well over halfway through that and you know, loving it. So it might be time for her to have a little bit of gaming time this afternoon, which I'll quite enjoy. Um maybe when we get settled down this evening, we can we can get that running. Other than that, I think obviously lots of decorating going on, so I'll probably be uh I'll probably find a ball of clothes to crawl up on and play GTA Liberty City. I was playing Vice City, but then decided to give uh Liberty City a go, and actually I'll I'll sound controversial here on GT, but the only thing that holds that back is the unlicensed soundtracks. Everything else about it screams better experience. But that's just me. I've always had a soft spot for GTA 3 in the city. Uh it was the first time I looked at a PS2 and went, oh shit. That is unbelievable. Maybe it's time I stopped poster waving for Dreamcast, which even by this point in time is officially dead. Yeah, six foot under by this time. Yeah, that PS2 might be a lot of things, but it's not Shen me. What's this GTF? Oh, uh sugar. Yeah, but the radio's not gonna cut out when you go under a brick.

SPEAKER_02: 2:09:01

But the rain's not gonna Yeah, doesn't have a lot of weather site. Oh. Yeah, the cars don't get that.

SPEAKER_01: 2:09:07

You're always stuck at night time. Yeah, but you know, that vehicle i it would only make sense for it to operate in this area of the city. Well, surely if someone gets run down, the ambulance ain't gonna and you can't just get in any car. Oh set that on fire because it's not as though the out the fire engine's gonna leave that place. What was Shenmue again?

SPEAKER_00: 2:09:35

Can you punch someone? Yeah, but he's landing in it.

SPEAKER_01: 2:09:43

Told you it was shit.

SPEAKER_02: 2:09:53

The thing is, that's that's how that's how passionate people were, and they would have done that. They would have not a touch on Shen Mu shit. Yeah, where's Lundo?

SPEAKER_01: 2:10:06

Absolute garbage. Yeah. Uh so yeah, it would be probably an experiment of that. Um I've been I've been horsing around. I know the new Anno's out, but uh I don't know. I've got such good memories of 1880 and and this looking to be in many ways a bit of a different game. And I I actually cancelled my purchase today. I was like, no, you you're too busy for one, you're too busy for one, and secondly, you have got a bit of a backlog, fella. Do you want to go? Oh Anno's the sort of game that would have usurped everything. It's just gone straight in and been playing for 200 hours.

SPEAKER_02: 2:10:43

Yeah, just forgot that you haven't turned up for work for two weeks like you did with other.

SPEAKER_01: 2:10:48

I just don't know if I can the bird got away with it. I just don't know if I can I don't know. I just I just don't know. It's an affordable game. I think it was like 44 quid or something like that. It's it's it's not it's not the money, it's the time and it's the it's the dream of I might just check out some reviews over the next week or so and see how the combat works out and see how some of the other sort of systems work out. And if that comes back favourable, then I'll probably pick it up and talk about it next week. But at the minute I'm a bit it's a bit like that sort of second date with that person after the first date had gone so incredibly well. I'm a bit nervous in case it bombs, but I almost don't want to meet them.

SPEAKER_02: 2:11:32

Don't ruin your dreams of Anno. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01: 2:11:35

Um, but you know to that effect, RGT, I would say that's me about done. Is there anything else you want to impart to our dear listeners before we call it a day here at the UCP Towers?

SPEAKER_02: 2:11:47

No, just uh thanks for listening, everyone. Thanks for the subs and all you do, and thanks to all the people behind the scenes who uh helping out and the many different different jobs. We really appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01: 2:11:57

We do, we appreciate every single one of you, and the show would not exist without your kind support in the background. So, RGT, my one question for you, and this is classic UCP deal craziness. Yeah, we're rapidly approaching episode 300. You said those people who are subscribing would get something special for episode 300. Let's set him on Johnny Cum lately, okay. I've heard all this and I'm like, yeah, I like this UCP, I'm gonna subscribe. I'm expecting a t-shirt, I'm not expecting the 300 pound the 300. Do you hold on, fella? Hey up, you've got the handbrake on the 300 episode gift, but somebody tells me RGT, they're gonna get it.

SPEAKER_02: 2:12:37

They are getting a special, very limited to subscribers only 300 episode gift. So, and that's all you're gonna say at the moment.

SPEAKER_01: 2:12:47

Whoever sat on the fence, yes, you're about to secure yourself a t-shirt worth more than a year's subscription for three pounds. If you're there in that ballpark at that moment, you're obviously gonna get yourself an extra Brucey bonus, a very special limited 300 episode prize. Yeah, clocking on for near six years RGT, you would imagine this gift is gonna be incredible.

SPEAKER_02: 2:13:13

Or moderately average, and I'm just overhyping it. But you know, that's how we roll. So promise the world and come out pretty mediocre. Okay, that's all we have time for this week.

SPEAKER_01: 2:13:23

There's always time for your time. We look forward to the pleasure of feature again next week until then. Happy game either women, and nothing. There's nothing wrong with being given an official controller, it's what you do with it that counts.

SPEAKER_00: 2:13:32

See you all, GT.