PlayStation Charges Players More, Xbox Struggles To Make Money

Refurbished PS5 consoles just got $100 more expensive, and that single move says a lot about where console gaming is headed. We (Georgie and RGT) kick things off with what we’ve been playing, including Infamous Second Son not quite clicking, a surprisingly addictive budget zombie driving game, FIFA career mode obsession, and a first hour with Coral Island on PS Plus. If you’ve ever tried a new cozy farm and life sim and immediately felt the gravitational pull back to Stardew Valley, you’re not alone.

From there we dig into the big consumer story: rising PlayStation 5 prices and what it means when even “refurbished” stops being the affordable option. We talk digital vs physical games, how cloud saves and instant downloads change buying habits, and why these price jumps can push more players toward PC gaming and Steam libraries.

We also hit two headlines that capture the extremes of the industry. Final Fantasy VII’s director says he’s already completed over 40 full playthroughs of the third game, which is equal parts reassuring and slightly unhinged. Meanwhile, Microsoft says Xbox is recommitting to core fans as revenue falls, and we debate whether that’s real momentum, narrative management, or the start of a long rebuild.

If you enjoy gaming news with real talk, chaotic banter, and practical takes on price, value, and what to play next, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review. What’s your line in the sand: would you pay today’s prices for a refurbished PS5 or are you done?

Transcript

Welcome And Wild Banter

SPEAKER_03 0:19

Welcome to the unofficial controller podcast, your weekly gaming podcast, episode number three sixteen, Stone Cold, baby, with me, Georgie, this week joined by RGT, brand new and clean to my recycled full price garbage. How's it going? Very well, thank you. How are you? I am writhing around in your reflected glory. I um I don't know, you're looking not that long ago. I referred to you as a novelty pencil topper. Today I think you look like um a novelty pencil pencil topper and like Lidl's Johnny Bravo.

SPEAKER_04 0:55

Okay.

What We Have Been Playing

SPEAKER_03 0:57

I'll take that as a compliment, maybe Timmy Alpha. That's where you're at. Hang on, what am I doing? What am I thinking about? The algorithm will come for us, RGT, and we ain't gonna be viral anymore. So let's tell people, let's not even tell the people, let's whisper sweetly to Gemini. We've got some news coming up. We've got refurbished PS5 consoles going up in price. Can you believe the treachery? Why? Final Fantasy VII Director has already completed the third game in the trilogy 40 times. The greedy little pig. And the Microsoft CEO says Xbox is recommitting, recommitting, recommitting, recommitting to the fan base. One one more time. Probably won't be the last time we hear that. RGT, but before we get there, good sir. Oh, yes, your mouth like a puckered cat's asshole there today, sir. Looking that was it. Looking, yeah, that's it. Wow. I can't stay that whole show. Can you imagine the foul smelling injection ready to come out of that? Well, let's find out in a moment. As I ask this fine gentleman, what have you been playing?

SPEAKER_04 2:08

Uh, it's gonna be one of them shows. Um a little bit more infamous second son. Um, yeah, it's not clicking with me.

SPEAKER_03 2:19

Is that because I said that though, or is this because it's actually not clicking with you?

SPEAKER_04 2:24

No, me and Captain were talking about it this week, actually. Um and I said, I just don't know what it is. I think he played it as a standalone game. He didn't play the first two, and he loved it, really enjoyed it, and I think that's probably what the problem is, if you've played the first two. Um so yeah, it's a bit. I don't know, it doesn't it feels inc incomplete. It's not an incomplete game, and I don't mean that as an insult to the game. It's a very well-made, very playable game, but to me it doesn't there's something missing now, and I know I said this last week, I know the same. I I've done a couple of missions and I just like oh, I don't know, do I carry on or not? I really do want to carry on. I say the captain because I want to complete all four of them, really. I'd like to play all through the series, but maybe I jumped on it too soon. I don't know. I don't know. I'll see. But yeah, I've only done a couple more missions. Um, but again, it it plays really well, it looks good, um, lovely graphics. I can't fault it for any of that. Um, but it just doesn't feel infamous to me. It doesn't feel like an infamous game. Um, and I can't put on my finger on why. I don't know. I don't know. But yes, I've played a bit more of that. Um I played a little one of these uh little cheapy games off PS store this week. Um the only reason I downloaded it, it was a couple of quid, I think, two quid. Did you used to play God knows how many years ago on your phone? There used to be a lot of zombie driver game where you used to drive side scrolling and used to have to upgrade your car and keep going further and further, killing all the zombies and get into different stages.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Well, it's like what was it called?

SPEAKER_04 4:09

I think it was something like zombie driver or zombie escape or something like that. It's not a piece of software I've I'm going back quite a few years. I'm going back probably 15, 20 years, something like that. Um, and I'd forgot all about it. I was flicking through driving games on on the PS store, and then suddenly this cropped up, and I thought, oh, it reminds me of that game, a couple of quid I bought it, so I've been playing that. Um I think I'm only I think I'm level three, I think, out of I don't know, I reckon there's about 20 levels. I'm not far off a platinum as well, so that'd be good for our platinum push on the Discord, but it's actually really good fun. It's literally that side scrolling, oh, here we go. Come on in, George, get it uh get it off the channel. No, don't know.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

You can't, you can't. I've had a sideways thought, it's not, it's not, it's not okay. That was meant to be just me minding my own business off camera. It was nothing to do with your performance here at all.

SPEAKER_04 5:07

I if the tech if the technology ever became available that we could listen to your brain while you were sitting there while someone else is talking, I'll be in jail straight away, done. Put them on, off.

SPEAKER_03 5:22

But your hand won't be coming out.

SPEAKER_04 5:24

No, definitely not. Um, but yes, it's it's just that side scroller driving game. You up you upgrade your car with fuel and weapons and bits and pieces get further along to get the level done. It's just a mindless little fun game, but it is quite addictive. Um for a couple of quid it's pretty good. I reckon I'll probably get ten hours out of it, so you can't really complain there. So I think, you know, it's a good little game.

SPEAKER_02 5:46

It's called um This is on your Lenovo, is it? Sorry? This is on your you don't listen to me, do you?

SPEAKER_01 5:53

Sorry, you found it on there. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:58

Oh sorry, sorry, it's not like I didn't listen to you. I just Yeah, I didn't listen to you.

SPEAKER_04 6:04

Yeah, I think it's I can I think it's Zombie Driver 2 or Zombie Army 2, one or two, but it's it's good fun little game for a couple of quid. And it is that does take me back to their mobile games that I used to play, because I used to love that. I didn't play many uh mobile games, but that was one I did really enjoy. So playing something similar to that again for a couple of quid. I can't complain really. Um been playing a bit more FIFA, um, been getting into it a bit more than I have been on FIFA 26. I've got a little bit of a career going. I do like the youth setup that they do now where you do the same, you sign your, you know, you get good coaches, uh scouts, send them out, find the youths, ones you want, train them up to get them better. But on this one, you can then play tournaments with your youth team and try and win tournaments getting it. So I like that side of it, so I've been I tend to play that side more if I can. Um but yeah, I've just been enjoying getting back into it, and it's still it still interests me with that cloud save. And I keep thinking, do I get the switch two version so I can carry my career on if I'm a wire and s well why don't you get it on your uh thing? On the uh PC. Yeah, I could do that's something I hadn't thought of actually. That's a great idea. Um, but I'll probably go with whatever's you know, whatever the cheapest version is, and that's probably plays better on the PC, I would imagine. Um yeah, it's a good shape that actually. I didn't actually think of that, so good call. Um and finally, I have been I've downloaded a game. Um I had been looking at this on Switch 2 six months ago, I think. Um, but it's on the I didn't realise this on PlayStation Plus, if you've got that. Um and that's Coral Island. Um so I've downloaded that and played about the first hour or so. Um, it's your typical farm and life sim. Um I've I've heard good things about it, I thought I'd try it. It's pretty good, it's your standard trope. This is on a tropical island, though. Um, so it's quite a nice setting. Um you take over a farm, you've got to clear the farm, you've got to grow stuff, blah blah blah, and you challenge us pretty much what they all are nowadays. Um, but it's nice that it's on a tropical island, so I think there is diving and bits and pieces you can do, so you can scale a seabed and get bits and pieces, so that'll be quite interesting. Um it's quite nice graphics, it's 3D, but more of an it's not isometric, but more of a bit of a top-down angle that you look onto it, which is quite nice.

SPEAKER_03 8:37

And you rotate the camera on the right stick or no?

SPEAKER_04 8:41

Uh oh, you got me now. Yes, I think you can, yeah. You can, yeah. You can okay. This is acceptable. I think so, yeah. I I'll have to don't quote me on that because you've got me thinking. But um, it's pretty good. It's it doesn't run amazing. Um I haven't had any glitches or anything like that, but when you are running, sometimes you sort of notice and you think it's it's not the smoothest experience when you're running across the the the area. It almost seems like the backgrounds are uh uh uh uh juttering along with you, so it's not yeah, it could have been smoother, I think, but I thought, well, uh while it's free, I'll download it and see see how it is. No, yeah, I'm quite enjoying it. I've only just started growing bits and pieces, so I haven't done too much as yet. I've been sort of discovering the town, and the town's quite nicely laid out.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

It looks like I've heard enough about this game. You're not wasting time on this, are you?

SPEAKER_04 9:40

What do you mean I'm not wasting time on this?

SPEAKER_03 9:42

You're a big Star Jew, man. It's never gonna eclipse that. Bin it, bin it. Get it gone. We're not make we're not taking prisoners today. This is episode 316. If I don't like it, I'm stunnering it. Out, done, boom. A couple of tinnies on it, you'll be into this. I know because you're rabid alcoholic. Couple of tinnies all over its carcass. Smash, I'll tear off on a quad. That's how we're doing it today. See, you've got the you've got the bud light, you're doing your bit.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

Just water on GBTQ with his Bud Light. Wow.

SPEAKER_04 10:18

Um, on that note, that's pretty much what I've been playing, and probably won't be playing.

SPEAKER_03 10:23

I'm just repeating things I've seen on TikTok, so I'm not a real person. I just spout sound bites.

SPEAKER_04 10:29

You do that, all right. Um, what have you been playing of, mate?

SPEAKER_02 10:33

Is that it? You haven't been playing anything else?

SPEAKER_04 10:36

No, no, no, that is it this week.

SPEAKER_03 10:39

May I proceed with a line of questioning about Coral Life?

SPEAKER_04 10:45

Um, Island, and I think you might have said enough about Coral Life.

SPEAKER_03 10:48

No, I don't think I have.

SPEAKER_04 10:49

Oh dear, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

You're on the dash, strong relax, get yourself a cup of tea.

SPEAKER_03 10:55

Sat there thinking, oh, what's my next gaming experience gonna be? Uh oh zombie zombie drive, two pound. Hmm, yeah, stick a flyer on that. Boom, download, a little bit more. Coral life.

SPEAKER_02 11:08

What were you thinking?

SPEAKER_03 11:09

Island. What were you thinking? Oh, that looks good.

SPEAKER_04 11:14

Um no, I was just looking up Farman Sims, really. I was tempted with a uh one of the um harvest moons of what I to try. Um Winds of Anphos, I think it was.

SPEAKER_03 11:28

Um let's let's cut through the chaff. And I think there's Stardew, which I accept. There's Harvest Moon, which I accept. On the fringes, we've got Cattle Country, games like Coral Island, things like that kind of bubbling under. What is the third weapon in this thing? If you don't do Stardew and you don't do um the name now eludes me. I don't know what's happened to me. Um Harvest Moon. What's the other one?

SPEAKER_04 12:05

Story of seasons. Um I don't what it is is I think Stardew is Stardew, it's Pixel art, it's um it's that almost you I always wanted them to bring that out on the Super Nintendo cartridge. I think that'd be a brilliant version on a Super Nintendo. I know you wouldn't have it as in-depth, but it would look good on there and plan it on a Super Nintendo, it'd be brilliant, not you did Harvest Moon. Yeah. Um but I think it's nice when you see modern iterations. So people do 3D, they do bigger tanks, they do better graphics, and sometimes they add bits in. And I think with Coral Island, the diving aspect of it got me a little bit. I thought, oh, that'd be quite good. That's another added to string to your bow. Cattle country added in, hunting, so you could you know catch animals and butcher animals, bits and pieces, and sell meat and stuff. So I just like it where they do little things a bit different. You are right, but Stardew is the number one, and I think is it though?

SPEAKER_03 13:05

Is that just in your eyes or is that accepted?

SPEAKER_04 13:08

From every uh one I've played, Stardew is far superior to anything I've ever played. Um I would say for content and how well made it was, Grand Bazaar was a very good farm and life sim. It's very good, graphically played awesome, great take with, and I didn't realise Grand Bazaar was a remake, I forgot all about that, it was a 3DS game, but um it with that market stall, so you're you're doing stuff all week, it take it pushes it away from Stardew a bit because it's got a different theme, it's a different thing you're doing, which I quite like. I think when when they're too close to Stardew, you start and do the and Coral Island has got a bit of this. You start, you you come up, pull up at a tropical island, they take you to your farm, and then straight away they say, Oh, this is the carpenters, they can fix it, but you just think hang on, let's just rinse repeat it. But it's just with that bit different. Um, do I think anyone will beat Stardew? I don't know. I know Captain is on about Star Sand Island. Um, he he's put a lot of hours into that. Um, that's supposed to be a massive 3D one that is coming to uh switch PS5 bits and pieces as on PC at the moment. The only problem I've had with that, when I did go to buy that, that had been taken down off the store, and there was a lot of controversy around it that it was claimed to have been an indie game, but then that wasn't indie, it was owned by a big Chinese company. I don't know. There was all if anyone knows any more about that, it's now come back onto Steam again. So I'm not quite sure what was going on there with with Star Sand Island, but that looks very good. That I always think that is probably up your street, George, because you can build you whatever house you want, you can model it how you want, you can there's so many options, you can own cars and bikes and everything. It's uh it's a big, big game.

SPEAKER_03 15:02

Well um we'll we'll circle back to that, yeah. But I don't think I've got space in my rotation for that.

SPEAKER_04 15:10

No, that it it would be a time killer, I think. So um, but yeah, um I'll see with Coral Island. I you're you're right to what you say. I'm a bit I reckon I'll get five, six hours in and go, oh no, I'm not doing all this again.

SPEAKER_03 15:24

Yeah, and then you go do another 400 hours on your uh Stardew Valley save. This is what I'm nervous of. This is how addicts behave.

Farm Sims And The Stardew Problem

SPEAKER_04 15:30

Well, speaking of Stardew Valley, um fat Zane Geef's into it now. Um he reached out to Mrs. RGT. Um he reached round. Mm dear, it's gonna be one of them shows, isn't it? Reached out! Oh my god. This is RGT and uh she was giving him a bit of advice, bless her heart, on uh starting the game and bits and pieces to do. So on Stardew. So yeah. Anyway, what have you been playing, George?

SPEAKER_03 16:03

Oh, not much, bit of this, bit of that. Um Coral Island? Yeah, I found this game on uh uh PlayStation Store. It's on the PS Plus if anyone's interested. It's called Coral Island. It's uh quite a unique take. I would say probably the best take you've ever seen on the startup. No, I've not been playing that. Tell you what I have been playing though. What's that? Grab a switch two down. I was having a little tinker winker on there. Uh I think that's what people do. You'll have to work the screen afterwards. Yeah, I was having a tinky-winky on there. And anyway, stumbled across my summer drive, thought, oh, this can't be that game, can it? Nah. Oh, it is. And I found a deal. You probably ought to check it out where it's two quid, two dollars. And it, if you clicked on it, my summer drive was like$7.99 if you bought it out of the bundle, and it also had something else. I thought I'll I'll get this.

SPEAKER_04 17:00

I did before you go any further, I saw this on the PS store and I thought, oh, this looks about my street. I'll have a bit of this. I watched a trailer of it and thought, hmm, that looks early PS3. I'm not sure about that. I'm backing away from that one. It looks as that was made in an engine from a long time ago. Is it is that true or oh dear.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

Luckily, viewer, viewer, viewer, viewer, it was only two books. Oh I I did you watch the trailer first?

SPEAKER_04 17:29

I'm taking it you didn't.

SPEAKER_03 17:30

Well, I kind of thought, well, this will be alright. Um on the 316 film, you get what feels uh uh vibe, you get what feels like a Zamboni, and if anyone knows what that is, that's the thing you drive round and clean the ice skating rinks with. Um you get one of these straight out the gates which you can tear round on. You get six grand, you pick a body shell, you've got so many weeks to do it. Um, so far I went to the garage, tried to spend my money, couldn't really work out a check out, spent too much, took things out of the basket, didn't really let them go home, don't know what was going on. Thought, okay, I'll sack that off. I was needing more money. Drove round aimlessly this dead ass town in this dead ass vehicle, just looking for anything or anyone. Noticed a star on the map, thought, oh, look at that. Kept driving and driving, took me out of the village, took me on the motorway. Bloody hell, why am I working all week to get a summer shot when I've to get a summer drive when I've got my Zamboni? I'm literally on the motorway at this point.

SPEAKER_04 18:33

In a Zamboni. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:35

Well, it's like an electric milk float, but it to me in my head it's a Zamboni because it was 316. Through this tunnel, pop out the other side, still on the motorway, down a hill, round the corner, off an intersection, down into this little town, pull up, get out. What's going on? Oh, I need some help. What's wrong? My fuses are blown. Walk round to the fuse box, can't interact with it in any way. Think, well, I need to get some fuses. Absolutely ransacked the tour's house. And if they were there, dear viewer, listener, I apologise. Because I give up. I got back in Mazamboni and thought, well, there must be, there must be. Maybe a shop. So I drove round a bit more, didn't find any. So so far my summer drive has been a summer drive, but not in the vehicle that you see in the trailer, but an electric sort of milk float, really. Um interesting game. Maybe one day when I'm trapped in a hotel room, nothing better to do. I'll think, oh, I've got that my summer drive game, I'll check it out. Likelihood zero. Two pounds, never getting it back.

SPEAKER_04 19:48

Um yeah, it's like one of them games that you get a lot of these on the Steam that are made in that generic first-person engine, aren't they? And that's that almost PS3-esque sort of looking environment, sort of.

SPEAKER_03 20:01

I'm willing to accept it if there was something there. I think there is something there, it's just at the moment beyond my reach. Um, I'll tell you what else I've been playing.

SPEAKER_09 20:11

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 20:11

While I had the switch two in my hand, um just set it down, playing a little bit of farming sim, got all that tickety-boo, um, a little bit of update the fields, all that sort of stuff. I'm accruing money because I just want to buy everything basically on the switch version of farming simulator and then do what the hell I like. Um, I've also been back into F1 manager on there. Oh, you did say the other week, you've got I've fallen back into all my old traits. This is the old version, the switch one version that we've got running on the switch two. Um, looks alright, as I said before. Um, having some success. Uh, I'm doing my usual thing of burning all my money, blowing it on upgrades, getting quite high up mid-season, then probably going to get absolutely chased out of the park by the end of the season. But at the minute we're having fun, the board are happy, the bank aren't happy, um, but you can't keep everyone happy all of the time. So, in the last couple of races, we've been able to get from sort of seventh on the grid, running under on fuel, so two laps under on fuel, which is a bit racy, but I'm going for it. Getting up into the mix for the podium, but as the race begins to bed in a bit more and the strategies come into play, we start to tear off, and we normally find our natural finishing position of like I don't know, fifth or sixth, sixth, seventh, somewhere within there to tenth. So, yeah, we're doing alright. We're doing alright, we're doing alright. So I'm still kind of enjoying that. Um also still guiltily playing a little bit of game dev story as and when I can. Um, it's just pointless clicky clicky nonsense, but uh is that what it's called? Game dev story? I can't remember now. The one by Kyro Soft, anyway. Yeah, I think so. Go check it out.

SPEAKER_04 21:56

Was that originally like a mobile port and then brought it over to Switch?

SPEAKER_03 22:00

Still is. Um and um what else have we been playing? Oh, I said to you that I would go check out the Witcher 3. Um, my cloud saver already moved past that point, so I'm kind of trapped in that area where I'm fighting that witch woman in a dungeon. Find it particularly difficult. Um it looks very similar, but I'm desperate to get out of the dungeon to give you the full report about how it looks in this new area. So excited to do that. I've got some news coming up in the what you hoping to play section. Um I'm trying to think there's another thing I was playing. If it comes to me, I'll interrupt you, Midflow, no doubt, to just diarrhea, verbally diarrhea it everywhere, and then we'll reassess it and we'll move on at that point. Probably treat it for what it is in that moment.

SPEAKER_04 22:50

Cool. Oh yeah, I did sorry, I forgot there was one other thing I was playing. Um treat this like diarrhea. Can do. Um, no, um we uh I was we were babysitting our friend's young son, um young Thomas. So he came around and said, What do you want to play? You want to play Mario Kart Switch 2? So I was like, Yep, because he likes playing a switch two because he hasn't got one, he's got a switch, not a switch two. So I said, Yep, I'll do some races with you. He he he done some single races first, because I was actually editing flashback at the time, and then I'd done some racing with him, and we just played all night. That was brilliant. I forgot how good that game was. I hadn't really gone back to it since the first few weeks of the Switch 2 launch, but we had some fun. I forgot how good that game looks as well. It does look stun and plays so well. That was brilliant. We had we had great time getting the cups done, and and uh I will admit he was far better player than me as well, but yeah, great fun. So Super Mario World. So yeah, I did play that and had fun.

SPEAKER_03 23:48

Mario Kart. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 23:50

So yes, Super Mario Kart World. Is it Super Mario Kart World? I think it is.

The News Desk Opens

SPEAKER_03 23:54

I believe it is. Well, it's time for the news. Scout the very darkest regions of the internet, or at least the holy trend in to bring you the latest news. First up, RGT and a hot story over on uh Push Square, the mighty Sammy Barker, the chief Ayotola of rock and roller over at the blue topped uh site for PlayStation news. I'll tell you what Sammy's been doing this week. He's invented a pen knife.

SPEAKER_04 24:20

Invented a pen knife, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:23

Yeah, it's got a myriad of different fold-out options, it's got um like a screwdriver, Phillips, and a flathead, it's got scissors, he's got a little file, he's got a wood saw, um, he's got a sharp blade, um, he's got a bottle opener, and he's got a produla for getting things out of horses' hoofs. So, yeah, I think he's set.

SPEAKER_04 24:48

Um they already done that, isn't that called a Swiss Army knife?

Refurbished PS5 Prices Rise Again

SPEAKER_03 24:53

It's called the Sammy Barker knife now, mate. Anyway, even refurbished PS5 consoles cost a fortune, says Sammy. Price is increased by$100. Hold up, Sammy. Um Sony's increased the price of refurbished PS5 consoles on PS Direct, meaning the options for obtaining an affordable console are really running thin. Earlier this month, the cons the company increased the price of disc-based PS5 consoles from$549.99 to$649.99. Meanwhile, the PS5 Digital Edition jumped from$499.99 to$599.99. But up until today, you could still get a refurbished unit for significantly less money. These systems come with 12 months warranty, certified by Sony, but may exhibit some cosmetic defects due to their nature. Wow. Despite all this, as spotted on RESA era, prices have jumped by$100 today. Here's how much it's going to cost you to get a refurbished console now. PS5, it was$449.99,$450 pretty much. It's now$550. If you want the one without the disk drive, that was$399, so$400. It's now$500. In the UK, a refurbished disk console will cost you$479, basically$480, but digital editions are not available. You can still get refurbished launch model for$399, which is the cheapest option you're likely to find outside of the secondhand market or individual retailer promotions. The reality, however, is that the PS5 is extremely expensive now. Sony's obviously blaming global economic realities like tariffs, inflation. But the bottom line is this at the time when folk are struggling with the rising price of gas and groceries. I thought Sammy was British, but he's calling it gas. He's one of the boys, he's 316. The PS5 costs more than it ever has. Let's hope the manufacturer is still planning some kind of days of play promotion for this summer because PS5 hardware really needs it. RGT, you are the uh resident rabid blue head fan. What do you make of all this? Is it treachery or is it protection of profits, or is it something else completely?

SPEAKER_04 27:10

Um, well, all the companies have been putting their prices up, aren't they? I mean, Xbox have uh Nintendo ever to switch to. Um I think they're planning for the upcoming um future of gaming. I think they know something's on the horizon. Let's get some bucks in now. Um because a jump of a hundred bucks, it's not a small increase, is it?

SPEAKER_03 27:38

It's well, it it's quite a large increase on a used console.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

It's yeah, I um why would they need to charge more for that?

SPEAKER_04 27:49

Exactly, because the chips that are in that didn't cost the current market price today, so I don't understand.

SPEAKER_03 27:54

They've already repaired that piece of garbage once, and now they're trying to flog it off a second time. Yeah, so they're hawking on a 12-month warranty and hope that it doesn't scramble itself in that time. And you've paid what$500 for the privilege? I don't think so.

SPEAKER_04 28:08

I think with the price of gaming now, the price of consoles now, unfortunately, I think they are pushing a lot of people over to the Steam model. I think if the Steam machine comes out a decent price and it is under what a PlayStation 5 is, which is probably a good chance it will be now. Um I think people will just prefer that model now. I think people are more and more gamers are used to the digital format. I think your best digital format is Steam.

SPEAKER_03 28:39

Um, last game I bought was digital. Next game I buy probably be digital. I don't know what's happened to me.

SPEAKER_04 28:47

I think we the problem is you've got it on tap, and you know, for instance, you've got it on tap, you greedy little pig. Well, for instance, on my day off, I was looking for a uh like I say, a farming sim to play, and I was looking through and I thought, oh well, I could I could order go back to that.

SPEAKER_03 29:05

You didn't think to look at farming simulator.

SPEAKER_04 29:08

No, no, uh not that sort of farming sim. I don't want something as hardcore as that. I want I like the life sim as well. I like I like the RPG version of it, not just going up and down a field in a bloody tractor. Um farming! Yeah, I'm not in a tractor on it. It's a bit farming is a bit loose term for what I play. Gardening, but I was looking for something to play. Well, I could have pre-ordered or got I could have bought Harvest Moon winds of Anfos, whatever it was, get it delivered the next day. But what to play something on the day? So Coral Island was there, download 10 minutes later, you can play it. You know, so you that digital side you get sort of pushed into. I've got the PC now, you know, you aren't putting no discs in that. And it's you if you want to play a game, you play it there and then, you know, but I do like my physical, so I try and buy physical where I can and pre-order where I can, but that is getting less. I've got half the games on my PS5 as what I had on my PS4 at the same lifespan, and that tells you why.

SPEAKER_03 30:09

I know I think maybe I might have the same, but they're not physical.

SPEAKER_04 30:15

I've got about half, maybe under half physical than what I've got at PS4.

SPEAKER_03 30:21

They've made owning physical awkward. You can't swap the disc out when you want if you're remote playing, which was a big bugbear for me, which forced me a bit further down the digital road. Yeah, they knew what they were doing.

SPEAKER_04 30:38

Like with a portal, it does give you something to think about, doesn't it? It gives you really does give you something to think about because if, for instance, for you you travel a lot, so you're gonna be thinking, Oh, well, you know, I'll buy this on Amazon, and oh hold on. There's two or three games I've got now, I might want to play.

SPEAKER_03 30:55

So boom. And you walk straight into the trap, so you have to load one into the console that you have to commit to, the other two you have to leave to the side, and then the thing is you can play your full digital library, don't get me wrong.

SPEAKER_04 31:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:07

But the cool thing about if you buy a game on PlayStation 5 now, digital, even if you're not connected to your console, you just connect to PlayStation and stream it, and with the CloudSaver, just carry on from that. So you just run it off PlayStation servers, so you negate the whole remote play garbage.

SPEAKER_04 31:23

Yeah, it's really giving an added benefit to digital now, innit? You know, and yeah, so there's that you know, it is on tap when you want it, you know. A lot of my handheld PC, I can look through Steam and play. So I think people are being pushed to that more now. I think the price of consoles at the moment, to be fair, you think of the price of a Series X, you look at the price of a PS5, not even a pro, standard PS5, and what we've actually had this gen, you know, it's way more than what a PS4 was at this this era, and yet the PS4 had a way better library, you know, and you just think I don't know. They know something's up. Is it really a chip shortage? Do we think it's to do with it? Maybe it is to do with it at some point, but I I don't know. I think they know something's happening. There's gonna be a big fall off. I think there's gonna be a big fall off at some point. You know, you're getting new consoles delayed, we're now getting these price increases, and like you say, even on Refurbed, what's that all about? You know, I I don't get it.

SPEAKER_03 32:23

I I can't see it's either two lines of inquiry. It's either they've had loads of people coming to buy it, so they see an opportunity to spike the price, or they're trying to discourage people from going down this route and want to encourage them to go down new because they're either running out of stock or don't have anything really available, so need to make it a premium to slow down the onslaught of the consoles that they've got. Maybe so there's your two choices. I don't know which one it is. I fear it's probably the felt people come in this route and thought, we're losing money here, let's bump up the price. And they're probably looking to mirror the margin they're making on a new console, so then they're not losing. It's dirty. Um it makes you wonder why they don't just pull the refurbished scheme in in general.

SPEAKER_04 33:10

But maybe, you know, like you say, is it because there's so many PS5s been sold, there's so many more secondhand market, and they just want to try and grab a bit of that, the refurb, you know. I I don't know. I don't know. It's a strange one, and I think the them prices I think are they were expensive before consoles, we all know that. That you know, we're lucky to have the consoles we do, you know. And but when you now sit down and they've gone up another hundred, that's when you sit, you know, if if you've got a family and you're you you know you've got two kids that want one each, that's you have to sit down there and think, I'm not sure we can do this, no. You know, it might have to be one person. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 33:53

Um would you get rid of? The youngest or the eldest? What would be your option if people are listening at home and they're like, oh Crikey when it's crisis with a family, both kids want a console. It's gonna be this weekend, actually. It's X, Y, and Z's birthday.

SPEAKER_04 34:08

Um, it's a tough one, though, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 34:13

Yeah, but just to help the parents out, a bit of game of advice, what would you say? Depends if you like Fortnite or not, so the kids they don't like Fortnite, neither of them do.

SPEAKER_04 34:25

Right, okay. Um you'd have to do some overtime and buy them both a PS5. I couldn't get rid of a kid. Right, okay, you've changed. I have changed, yeah. I thought I'm gonna take the moral high ground here. I'm not getting rid of one of my kids, not on my watch.

SPEAKER_03 34:46

Not for a console, anyway. Fine, okay. I'll tell you what, move it on a little bit. Bring in this bit of news that you found. Where did you find it anyway? Because I saw you rooting around in the bin.

SPEAKER_04 34:55

Uh, this is over at Nintendo Life with Ollie Reynolds.

SPEAKER_03 34:57

Oh, on the internet.

SPEAKER_04 34:59

Mm, yeah, yeah. Who's who's who's been writing this? Ollie Reynolds, yeah, again this week. So we'll see has he been in contact this week or no? He has, yeah. You wouldn't believe it. He's take he's bought himself a pottery wheel. He started doing a bit of pottery. A pottery wheel. Yeah, yeah. Really? Really into it, yeah. Yeah, I mean, he has been grinding away on that all week. Oh, yeah, he and he he makes his favourite video game characters on it. He made me a Mega Man X vase. So very good.

SPEAKER_03 35:36

Very good. Yeah. I was wondering how he might do this, because I can see a lot of I can see a lot of Pac-Mans coming out of this.

SPEAKER_04 35:43

No, what he does, he he does each um leg at a time. He spins the leg as it goes round, he forms the foot, and then and then he puts it all together before he puts it in the kiln. So alright.

SPEAKER_03 35:54

Yeah, it's definitely still no glaze.

SPEAKER_04 35:57

Depends how you want them, you can pre-order. Um, but yes, he does do some lovely glaze work, but um he's a meaning.

SPEAKER_03 36:04

What's on this business, Core? Because I think we should shout this out because I think it's like it's cross-pollination, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 36:09

Yeah, I suppose it is, yeah. Yeah, it's uh it's pottery designs, that's cool.

SPEAKER_03 36:15

Potterydesigns, ww.potterydesigns.what co.uk or is he.com.

SPEAKER_04 36:21

If there is a company out there called this and you get inundated with Devil May Cry figure orders, I do apologize.

SPEAKER_03 36:29

I don't. So potterydesigns.co.uk, that's where Ollie Reynolds is plying his his pottery trade.

SPEAKER_04 36:37

If he gets a message about it. Imagine what the hell? They don't listen. Someone's messaged me on Instagram and I could have a pre-order of uh Pac-Man.

SPEAKER_03 36:50

Yeah, well, no, I don't want to Pac-Man, I want to push him. I want um I want Ryo Zuki.

SPEAKER_04 36:55

Yeah, he'd probably do it. No problem at all. Alright, get it sorted. He's good at painting, you see, from all his um Warhammer figures. So he's got experience. Uh anyway. I thought he had a canal boat. He does, yeah, he's got the pottery wheel in the old toilet.

SPEAKER_03 37:16

Yeah. I suppose that's uh where does he go number two to now? Just over the side. Wow. You see, you were you were concerned about his website getting inundated and he not being able to deal with the volume of people wanting to order from him, but you've now just got him arrested by the environment agency. Well, if you've got to go, you've got to go, ain't you? Oh, am I reading this news or because I'm a bit confused.

FF7 Director Plays Part Three 40 Times

SPEAKER_04 37:47

I better crack on here before I get sued. Um the over on Nintendo Life, Ollie Reynolds. I do it. Over on Tinder. Yeah, sorry, Ollie. Um Final Fantasy VII director has already completed over 40 full playthroughs of the third game. Completed it, mate, he says. Final Fantasy VII fans are eagerly awaiting news on the upcoming final installment in the remake trilogy. Um, but if you're worried or anxious about the status of its development, then a recent comment from director Nakeo Hamaguchi. Not bad. Might bring What was that last bit again? Hamagucci? Hammer Gucci. Well, you don't like the Gucci bit.

SPEAKER_03 38:40

I I love a bit of Gucci. I'm just saying that uh I don't know if you'd want a hammer down there. Not even not unless you're going full clavicle.

SPEAKER_04 38:53

We've recently interviewed Amiguchi San and asked how the third game is progressing, and to our surprise, he confirmed that he's already completed over 40 full playthroughs. That's quite an accomplished accomplishment, but we imagine it's uh probably necessary to ensure the experience works as intended and doesn't contain any nasty surprises. Here's what he had to say. We're very excited about how the game is currently progressing. I've already completed over 40 full playthroughs. I can't wait for as many people as possible to experience the game for themselves, and myself and the team are working hard to ensure we can create an unforgettable gameplay experience. There's no release date for the third uh entry yet, and we still don't even know um its full title, but we're confident an announcement uh can't be too far off at this point. In fact, when questioned about the short gap between a release of remake and rebirth on Switch 2, Amiguchi-san may have um hinted at the idea of closing the trilogy fairly soon after maintaining a steady cadence of launches to tell the overarching story. With large-scale titles like this one, it is common for a long gap to exist between the first and second instalments. However, because there were ports, we decided we could deliver them without leaving much of a gap. We wanted to capitalise on this cadence and moment to tie the experiences together without any gaps. From remake to rebirth, to find the uh finally the third installment that lies beyond them. Um their full interview with uh Hamiguchi San will be available very soon. Um, sure to check out for more uh interesting tidbits and uh from the remakes trilogies director, pop over to Nintendo Life and Ollie Reynolds article. Um interesting, interesting. Um I fell off Rebirth, which was a shame.

SPEAKER_03 40:47

No, you walk through town dressed as I don't even know what at the minute, mate, to be fair, and uh trumpet its its greatness, the open world better than horizon, all this to do, couldn't get enough of it, waking up in the night, fantasizing about the game, walking around in the day, or when can I get back on it? You know, I'm really happy with it. It's it it's pulled me in, it's moved me on. I fall off games all the time these days. But what about this after such a great experience bumped you off it? Was it the lack of palette cleanser, or or is there something else going on?

SPEAKER_04 41:27

Um, it was uh quite a busy period of time for me to play, and these are big games, you need time to play them. And I was jumping in doing sort of an hour here, and that just weren't working. So I thought I'll have a break, play at the weekend so I can do four or five hours at a time, and I didn't do that, and I fell off it a bit. I need to get back on it because it was such I was having so much fun of it, it's a great game. Remake was superb. Um, it has got me wanting to play more actually, reading this article. But by the sounds of it, I don't think the third installment will be far along. I don't think it'll be far at all, to be honest. Um I hope they can continue it um and keep that, you know, because the original PS1 game is is beloved by many. So, you know, you have to be when you're modernising the game, you have to be quite um you have to be careful about the original material and keep that in there, which although I didn't play the first one, um, I know a lot of people that did and have played this and said yes, there is different parts to it, but your your your main bits are in there. Um and it is a scene-setting game. I love it at the start when they, you know, they've done that similar thing they done on the original PlayStation, and you fly into the to the to the you know the the planet and the city and you see all the life going on and what it's all about. And it's a very, very good game, draws you in and be interesting with this as well. I mean, good place to play as well, Switch 2. If you get all three of them, do you reckon they'll do a treble pack, George? A bit like they've done Resident Evil.

SPEAKER_03 43:06

Let's face it, it's inevitable. It's what was always gonna happen. I think that waiting for the treble pack, probably a little foolish, probably waiting for all the DLC to come out and get the game of the year edition triple pack, probably worth it. Is it gonna be an astronomical price? I think they're probably gonna try. There's certainly gonna be a lot of content in there. Um not forgetting that you could probably by that point in time go pick up, and this will be the funny thing across disparate systems, PS4, get it, get the free upgrade, boom, get another copy used of integrade, bam, you're halfway there. Copy, you know, you could piecemeal the trilogy together quite cheap, I'm sure, by the time it comes round. But um they'll have you out on a trilogy pack, I'm sure. Think of all the artwork, the box set.

SPEAKER_04 43:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:01

Cardboard, mmm, postcard, mmm, sealed in box for the next 30 years.

SPEAKER_09 44:08

Mmm.

SPEAKER_03 44:10

Looks good on shelves. Mmm. Yeah. So there's the danger of collecting and Final Fantasy VII remake all wrapped up in one. One thing I would say, and this is me just tongue firmly in cheek, we might have played it if he hadn't played it 40 times. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But nice to know he's playing it through from a directorial point of view, one would imagine, to make sure all the beats hit. It's interesting that 40 playthroughs. I wouldn't know how many of those playthroughs have resorted in changes, gameplay. Yeah, rewrite sections and rewrite sections, change mechanics. It's it's it's good to know.

SPEAKER_04 44:54

If this comes out buggy, you're gonna be like, what the hell are we playing?

SPEAKER_03 44:57

Well, Hammer Gucci's been too busy hammering Gucci's to finally actually finish his game. Um mate, uh RGT's disgraced by me, but uh he says worse. Um I think we're gonna park that there, especially now. Um right, guess what? What it's 274 days since the last industrial accident at Xbox. Um Fraser Gilbert though.

SPEAKER_04 45:25

You need a whiteboard behind you that keep crossing out and putting a new die on. Yeah.

Xbox Revenue Drops And Core Fans

SPEAKER_03 45:33

Someone make me one send it, you someone will work out how. Um and I will put it up. This will come down. I don't know, can you see here? That'll be brilliant. Put it there. Yeah. Um what's Fraser Gilbert been doing? Because I heard he's uh he's been caught shoplifting at go outdoors. Not again. Only reason why is he left without a coat, left without his wallet, got halfway to uh pure Xbox Towers, started to mizzle. He panicked, you know what he's like when he gets damp in his bones, his mother's voice echoes round in his head.

SPEAKER_07 46:17

Don't get a chill in your bones, Fresa. Chill get in your bones, frizz.

SPEAKER_03 46:23

And he's like, Oh, he's like a thing possessed, and he just bolted and ran. First place he saw he could get a decent waterproof gagul, go outdoors. He went in there blinded by what I can only say is choice paralysis. He didn't know whether he wanted this, that, north face, regatta. He didn't know where to be. He panicked. He went into what we call the chicken brain, that's fight or flight. He Fraser, he chose he's a he's an advanced gentleman, so he comp chose a combination of both. Fighting away was him grabbing the jacket, flight in away was him running. I would say fright was him setting off the tag, um, flight was him leaving it after being tackled by the security guard. I think the surprise and relief of the fact that the mizzle had over had just passed over, sort of just brought him out of his kind of Don't let the chill get in your bones, we freza. Just passed him by and uh he went and wrote this. Microsoft CEO says Xbox is recommitting to core fans as revenue falls in FY26Q3, quarter three, embarking on a new era, says oh we freez. Oh, the Gilberts have got they've got very porous skin.

SPEAKER_06 47:48

Let's the chill rat through to your bonds, you know how Gregor foul.

SPEAKER_01 47:55

Yes, mother, I do.

SPEAKER_03 47:58

Anyway, Mark's off has shared its earnings results today for the period between January 1st and March 31st of 2026, referred to as FY26. And compared to the same in 2025, Xbox revenue is down in both content and services and hardware. All the hands, Fraser, well done. Content and services revenue drop isn't significant, it's just 5%. And Microsoft says it's a result of a prior year comparable that benefited from strong first-party performance. Voud was a major release back in early 2025 for Xbox, while the brand was also building towards the launches of South of Midnight and Doom the Dark Ages, and had it just released some major titles at the end of 2024, including Indiana Jones and The Great Circle. The drop in hardware revenue is significant, coming in at 33%. We're not exactly surprised though, as both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S haven't been seriously marketed for what feels like years now. It's only since Ashisham. But I do find my newly installed porcelain ceramics from Turkestan. Turkey, as it's now known, do cause me to trip up when I got a little bit of a dry mouth going on. So and these are second hand as well, because I couldn't afford a new set, so I got these off Rydian or whatever his name is. Raiden, no, Raiden. Yeah. Can't see him shooting electric car his fingers, if I'm honest with you. Anyway, Asha Sharmer has become Xbox boss, and we've seen a rising console features being rolled out for the two systems. Let's not forget, Xbox increased the price of Series X and S multiple times in mid-late 2025. And we're not getting enough money, we're not selling enough. What we're gonna do, put the price up, we're selling less, we're getting even less money. Put the price up, we're selling even less.

SPEAKER_04 50:00

Yeah, I was thinking about that with the PlayStation dudes. I was just thinking, mmm, you'll sell more if you actually just drop at like 20 quid. No point.

SPEAKER_03 50:08

Alright, anyway, Fraser, we Fraser continues. In a follow-up of these results, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella insisted that Xbox is recommitting to our core fans and shaping the future of play with its new leadership, which includes being responsive to customer feedback, is a bit of what we had to say. Thanks to our Tom Warren of The Verge. What's O Tom Warren at The Verge been up to this week, aren't you?

SPEAKER_01 50:34

I'm not going to I'm joking.

SPEAKER_03 50:37

I'm not rushing dolls at this point. And you also see this in Xbox where the team is recommitting to our core fans and players and shaping the future of play. Last week's Game Pass changes are one example of how we're staying responsive to customer feedback. Yes. Yes, I saw a price drop. In addition, Nadella mentioned how Microsoft set new records a month for the Xbox active users in the quarter as well as game streaming hours in FY26Q3 despite the declines in revenue. It's easy to jump to conclusions about all of this, but to be honest, we're not reading much into any of today's results. We also expected these declines. We're more interested to see how Ashishama's new strategy fares in the long run rather than the short term. In a year's time, how will these results look? That's a big question. So one I pose to you right now, RGT. So sit down and look me square in the eye. Amano, a mano. Yes. Yes, you as well, viewer. Viewer, viewer, viewer, listener, listener, listener. If you're listening, just stare at a random stone. I can't work with anything else here. Um imagine my face upon it. My little face. No, let's bed this.

SPEAKER_04 52:01

Yeah, let's get this done first. You're off on a tangent here. Your face is on a stone at the minute. Um getting back to the Xbox news.

SPEAKER_03 52:13

I think when you turned me round and showed me where I'd actually left the conversation with my face actually on a pebble, I realised, yes, you're right. That's not right. That's not okay. So let's rewind. This is Xbox recommitting to their core fans.

SPEAKER_04 52:32

I think personally here, I don't think you can look at these figures and study them too much, because at the end of the day, at the moment, uh she's not going to be there, suddenly turn it around, amount of mega profits. It's to slow down a decline and to then stop it to then rebuild itself.

SPEAKER_03 52:51

Would you refer to this financial press release as lipstick on a pig?

SPEAKER_04 53:00

That's a description and a half. I think, yeah, I know what you mean. It's I'm surprised they released it. They're not normally ones for releasing figures like this where that doesn't make them look too good, but I think at the end of the day she's she's done a lot of changes, a lot of good changes. She's you know, slowly bringing them back onto an even footing again to then maybe go again. I mean, that was right on there. Fraser was saying they haven't advertised a console. I forgot all about it. I haven't seen adverts or anything for the the series console.

SPEAKER_03 53:34

So I'll feel a bit satin y in a way, if I'm being honest.

SPEAKER_04 53:38

It does. It does feel very, you know, it's the big build-up for it, and it just sort of fail, you know, fizzles away and disappears. But I hope not. I hope she'll get another campaign going, maybe get a sales push, start getting some consoles sold, get some more interest in the brand. Well, she has got interest back in the brand, there's no doubt about that. Um, and we'll see. She's made me keep hold of my Series X, so she's done something right. I mean, because that was as nearly as good as gone. As bags were packed, and that was nearly down at the bus station. But nope, that's that's got a bit of a repeat at the moment. Yeah. I have Forza Horizon 6 on pre-order, looking forward to playing that, and yeah, so we'll see. We'll see. Nice.

SPEAKER_03 54:18

Well, I've also injected into Microsoft this week, so we'll get to that in the what you're hoping to play section. Hope you're pumped up because it's a little bit of extra news. So I'm gonna wait and save till then. Because I think that uh I'll give you my thoughts on that. I think this is this is almost them sort of sacrificing themselves in front of the fans a little bit as well. You know, we've committed to these losses, we see we've took that on the chin. This is us taking our kick in for what we deserve. We've now recommitted to our fan base, we're gonna build back up from the ground up. I think it probably needed to be done. Yeah, I think it's part of the narrative of we are feeling we are we will do better. I I I think it a bit unnecessary to own it as much as they did. Yeah, they could just release that and that's why I found it odd with all the figures.

SPEAKER_04 55:04

Normally they're quite they're quite withheld with their figures, but so to suddenly come out and say all that, you think oof, but you're right, they've they've come out and said, look, we're ballsed up here, we've got we've got Asher in now, we're gonna turn it around a bit for you. We've done we've stopped all this stupid this is an Xbox thing, we've been doing little tweaks for you, we've been listening to you. Let's get the brand back up and we'll do it together. It's gonna be slow, but we'll we'll do it.

SPEAKER_03 55:27

I think it's what it's about, and I think maybe sharing the financial situation as well. I know this sounds a bit crazy, but to the hardcore fans that they're recommitting to, it's almost a rally cry of like, right, let's go spend some money on Xbox products a bit. And I think maybe you know that's that's good. And we saw that a little bit with the rallying around the PlayStation 3 as it sort of entered its sort of final phase. If they can curry that a spread of core of fans around it, create a place, a unique spot for them to come hang out and have a discourse about how cool these games are, about how good the console is, how user-friendly it is, how amazing a deal Games Pass is, and highlight some of the value there, and then put them out a little bit more as more positive global ambassadors than the ones that we've had. I think they do need a bit of a shake up there. Um, yeah, pure going to brand a bit more, get behind the brand a bit more. Um, and the brand be something that you can get behind because they've had brand advocates before that have kind of got behind them when it's been a bit paper thinner strategy. I think if they can consolidate this strategy and make it mean something, because they've done lots of things now, they've listened, they've done this, they've done that. How do you weaponise that and move it forward? Weaponise a strong word, but you get what I mean.

SPEAKER_04 56:45

Well, it's two different things. You can the hardcore fans, you can reassure them and keep them there. The hard bit is bringing people back over to the brand or new people in. That's the big fight. They've done that bit, they're stabilizing it now.

SPEAKER_03 56:59

Well, I think they're stabilizing it, but they haven't stabilised it by a long chalk.

SPEAKER_04 57:03

No, oh no, no, no, no, no. They're getting there, but there's there's a lot to do. But I think the hard bit will be getting sales back up, bringing new people in, bringing people to the export spot.

SPEAKER_03 57:14

I think that happens. I think that happens when a new console comes out.

SPEAKER_04 57:19

Yeah, maybe, maybe, maybe this whole genny's just stabilising there.

SPEAKER_03 57:24

Yeah, I don't think it would be it wouldn't be the best strategy as far as revenue um recovery was concerned, but it might be a best for a chance to stab it. As we've said before, though, PlayStation 4 bizarrely was this was the era to win because that's when people suddenly started buying large amounts of digital hard software. If you've been tucked in with a publisher or a developer or a console manufacturer for a while, you've trickled in the odd game here and there that's free, and as long as you keep your online subscription up, even if it's not to the online libraries per se, you're gonna have built up a raft of games. The likelihood of you playing those probably slim to none. And we're talking people who only single dip, we're not talking double triple dippers, or as RGT as quadruple dip this this gen. Um there ain't a thing there ain't a thing untouched, is there, mate?

SPEAKER_04 58:23

Not really, no. No, it's it's been an expensive gen and a strange one for me to do it in because probably one of the worst gens.

SPEAKER_03 58:32

So yeah, you didn't crash Game Gear, Game Gear, Game Boy, Mega Drive and Snares. You went all in.

SPEAKER_04 58:38

Not in the same six months I didn't, but yeah, this time round, it's I am all in on that, and I am embarrassed to admit, and still sometimes struggled to find games. And my most played console for the last 18 months has been a PS3, so that probably tells you where I am with this gen.

SPEAKER_03 58:57

Um I've had similar, as you know, experiences where I've been focusing on PS2, and I've got a real mankering for that now, and I don't know why, it makes no sense to me or anyone around me.

SPEAKER_04 59:11

No, I'll tell you what it is. I was thinking about this the other day. Um the answer pray tells sit down. I'll tell you what it is, because this this gen has been very odd, it's been very strange. We've said this loads of times, I'm not gonna go into it. Um, and you sit down on your PS5 and you're looking through the store, you're looking for digital games to buy, you can't find nothing. You've got Netflix syndrome, you can't find nothing. You turn around, look at your shelf, you've got everything there you want to play on your PS2, your PS3. You think, do you know what? Don't worry about the digital store. I'm just gonna wander over here. I'm not gonna buy nothing digitally. I'll go over here. I've been always wanting to play this game in the PS3 away you go, in the PS2 away you go, and it's pushed me more into them generations now. I always did play my PS2 and PS3, but my PS3 has really come to the highlight this generation because the games are there, and I'm not being distracted as much by the latest gen because there's not as much there to entice me. So I've been pulled back into those generations.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:12

Do you think the whole industry is in a holding pattern until they see what they need to do next when Rockstar bring out GTA 6? Maybe uh me and OG were having an off-air discussion, and I see a load of people have been downloading the OG episode. Um it's been the last most downloaded episode this week, so you've all gone a little bit crazy for OG. Um nice. I hope you found something there that rewarded your curiosity.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:40

Bring him back, bring him back. You want him back? Yes, get OG. Thing is in the loop.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:46

We've talked about his comeback, and I'll be sure. Can we afford it? We can we can afford it just, but his first episode back, he wants to fake kill you on screen and then rise up through the floor like The Undertaker, and I don't quite know how to do that. Yeah, I don't know if we've got the the film and budget for that. Yeah, he's offered up cousin Joe, he's got a photography studio in the village, he does weddings, christenings, that sort of thing. Um, he's a bit rough and ready, though. He uses disposable cameras, says it's part of the art. Um, I don't know what we'd do if it was a video. Um, I guess he could just press snap, loads, and then we'd put them in a flickbook.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:37

Yeah, it could be like two frames per second. A bit like playing F1 manager on the switch, once.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:42

No, he's quick, mate. You talked about some quick fingers the other week, and I forgot to bring up cousin Joe, because he's click zip, click, zip, click, zip, click, zip.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:50

Is he like playing um the uh what is it, track and field?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:55

No, he's like a man who takes his picture and rolls a film forward dead quick. He's a professional RGT. What the hell is that?

SPEAKER_04 1:02:03

Pressing and rolling, pressing and rolling. Is that is that what you do? With the camera? That's how you rupture people. No, taking the picture and rolling the film.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:18

Yeah, just Is that Ada? You just show me that one more time, I just wasn't quite sure what I was looking at. Slow-mo or quick?

SPEAKER_04 1:02:40

Click and roll, click and roll, click and roll, click and roll.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:42

There you go. I see, yeah. I mean that's when you show it to me like that. Obviously, when Phil does his business backstage does the editing. And now we'll sit I I totally get yeah, like that. Exactly like that.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:01

Well, we can try, but yeah. Come on, OG, we want you back. We want you back. We want you back for good.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:09

Wow, okay. Well, the big red machine's also storming in the wings. He's coming back. Hopefully, next episode we're gonna see the big red machine, we're gonna see Bobby turn up to unload an absolute ton of New York whoop ass on you.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:24

Wow. On me?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:27

Wow, okay, amazing.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:30

Then I'm gonna stunner all of you and drive off in a Zamboni.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:35

You and your nearly said that wrong. Nearly said that wrong thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:41

What were you gonna say?

SPEAKER_04 1:03:42

I I nearly said you and your little bony, but I'm I'm I mean Zamboni Have we done the news? I think so, yeah. I think it's probably best we move on.

Housekeeping And T Shirt Apology

SPEAKER_03 1:03:55

Is it time for housekeeping? Because I've got something I want to bring up, and you let me know when I should bring it up. Bring it up immediately? Yes. Okay, it's time grab a mop and book it. It's time for some housekeeping. RGT. You referred yourself to the independent watchdog of the ECP for a crime which I apparently need to well, I was gonna I was totally cool with it, but you decided that I needed to completely humiliate you on air.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:29

I I didn't know about the air bit. I actually told you this off-screen.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:34

Um to which Oh, I thought I you said you need to you need to bring this up.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:39

No, I said I'd I've got something to bring up with you, but I think you've now decided that this is too good an opportunity, so you're gonna destroy me on air.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:48

No, I'm not.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:50

I totally misread the situation. Well, seeing as we're here, you forgot to send out t-shirts to listeners.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:56

I did. So gas comments.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:58

What were you doing more important than sending them out?

SPEAKER_04 1:05:01

Um a lot of personal stuff. I'm gonna speak about them here. So I've been a bit I've been very busy, and it wasn't till the other day I pulled the the the truck out of the UCP and opened it up, and there they were. And I am so sorry, guys, I will get them sent.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:16

Um, so I see you brought me in here under the pretense of me absolutely hammering you, knowing that I would ask, and you're gonna go all that personal stuff, and then I'm gonna be like, alright, okay, that's that's fine.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:29

Oh no, I I still quite I'd still quite imagine you're still gonna slaughter me for No, I'm not now.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:34

No, step right back. I don't want a piece of it. I don't want to be involved.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:38

I've been on a naughty step, I've been told off. I mean listen, you tore me a new one when we were off air and told me, you know, I'm on a suspended at the moment, so Yeah, you're right, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:50

Absolutely. If that's say you want to remember it, you're right, you're suspended till further notice.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:55

You need to finish a show though.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:57

Okay, sorry, yes, I'll finish this show and then be in a good mood. Yeah. I will be, yeah. I've took it on the chin. I've I've owned up to the mistake.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:06

Who do you need to apologize to? Because it's not to me.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:09

No, I've I have apologised, but I'll say it again. Tingletune and Gazcom, I'm very sorry. I will get them sent straight away. Um my apologies.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:17

Bow. Like the PS3 dude start to bow.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:20

See, this is a power trip now.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:22

No, it's not, it's a sign of respect. No, you stay bowed. Sod off. I'll do it for you. I'll do it for you. So sorry to England and Gascar. Sorry. On behalf of RGT. This is a proper bow. Show deference and respect. It is done.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:45

Okay, thank you. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:51

Hand delivered by Wednesday.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:54

See, again, you put me in predicaments, don't you? Have carwheel travel.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:01

Rams enter John of Gross in a day.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:03

Anyway, housekeeping.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:04

Well, this is it.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:06

Yeah. Right, we'll move on to the next bit of housekeeping then.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:09

Right, what's up next? What's up next?

SPEAKER_04 1:07:12

Website. Away you go.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:14

Oh. Now. If you're on the fandangle 486, you go over to your PC, you get on there, you go onto the web browser, mumsey. Alright, you click on the internet. I don't really know how that works, but you're gonna make it work. If you're unsure, ask your young nephew or the pool boy, put him down, help him use the PC. Yes, click. HTTPS forward forward colon. www.unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com. Enter on the machine. Bam! Website. Probably the greatest website you've ever seen in your life. This is the sort of thing. It's like the Emperor's New Clothes. You could go on there and see nothing, right? That tells me that you're a dum-dum. If you go on there and see a glittering website covered with RGT's hidden gems, dripping in Captain Scarlet's finest hot drizzle, digital drizzle, um, links to everywhere you want to go to get the show, transcripts of the show, there's bios about all your hosts. Um, should you be even mildly interested in finding out my inner leg length, it's on there. Uh RGT's also got his vital statistics.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:31

I took them secretly while you slept.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:34

That was a big tape measure. No, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:44

Now, you know I'm humble chat, so I'm gonna say it was a normal tape measure. It fitted perfectly round your new s slender uh Mungiano body.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:55

No, slender isn't a word I'd use to describe me, but yeah. It is no not at all.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:06

I managed to get the tape around seven foot of Hulk in love muscle, and it measured practically perfect in every way. And I would say it was 106 hands on the shaft. Wow. Oh moment for me.

unknown 1:09:28

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:29

So there you go. So now you've been restored, your ego's been protected. I've contractually obliged to do that. We've done the website, we've pumped the hell out of that. Um well, in our own way. Yep. What's next on the horizon?

SPEAKER_04 1:09:46

Um, if there's anything you want to speak to us about is in regards to this show, we've got questions at unofficial controller podcast.com. You can contact us. You can check out our Instagram, you can check out our X, or if you're our age, Twitter. Um or check out our TikTok. We have regular videos going out and TikTok from the world.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:05

That's that's that's that's out there on the edge. Yeah, so it's it's lawless. Get on to that.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:11

And I it's funny because especially this week and the week before, he clips funny parts of the shows, but he puts them together in one video about two minutes long, and it is quite hilarious.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:23

This one's gonna be about ten seconds long. Yeah, and I reckon it'll mostly be you.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:29

But no, there'll be lots of you going anyway. Anyway. Xbox news. Um yeah, so check out those. Um, if you want links to Discord, our wonderful Discord channel. Um, you can get them on either from links on this show or links on our Instagram or links on my Instagram. Don't mention anymore, Thomas.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:52

Yeah, keep it secret, keep it safe.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:54

Yeah, and that'll be it.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:55

Um let people discover it stealthily so they come on a journey of discovery. Don't hide anything else. Uh you did the Discord, we've got an Instagram. Twitter's dead, Instagram's dead. We don't do Facebook because that's where your grand goes. Um, if you want the juicy bits of Discord, but we don't want to talk about that because we find that if we do a thing about it, you'll go like, oh no, no, it must must must not be cool. Let's keep it cool. Yeah, um, keep it secret, keep it safe. I think you've I did your requested telling off for the t-shirts, which you then denied when we got on air, which was a nice little switchery by you. More manipulation, not only of me, but the fan base. Don't think they don't know, it's not daft. Oh they've met you.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:44

Um met me? Yeah, a lot of them met you in Norwich.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:48

Hopefully let's face it, disappointed. But you know, they said don't miss you, don't meet your heroes. They met me, so and they weren't disappointed. No, they were terribly. Why? Because you're only 6'8, Love Muscle? Love Muscle.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:14

Jesus. Should we do the subs list?

SPEAKER_03 1:12:19

Ah, yes. Well, we're here. Now we've had to keep the whole show pretty straight because RGT can only tolerate so much funny business in one episode. So to allow us to do the funny business here, we've had to sacrifice the full show to get to this point so we could do funny business in the read-through. It's a compromise. A compromise is uh a situation where neither agrees, but just tend to get along with it to get the job moved on. Um yeah. Is this a compromise too many? Or you know, are we a serious gaming news show?

SPEAKER_04 1:12:54

I think from the comments from last week, I think they like us to be a bit silly on the comments on the sorry sublist read through.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:01

What about like if we're talking about Asha Sharma? Straight. I'm like, I'm like, I'm like Peter MacDonald. Peter MacDonald. Is he a newsreader? Trevor. Oh Trevor. Yeah, Trevor Macdonald. And you've seen him for a while.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:18

For some reason, then you said Peter MacDonald's thinking, should I know this person? I think he's not a brother.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:23

Oh, okay. He works on radio, it's probably why you don't probably because you know I don't yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:29

Maybe we should be a bit more like old Pete.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:31

Oh, okay, yeah. Yeah. So you want to be more like him?

SPEAKER_04 1:13:35

When we're doing news articles, but then I think we can go full silly when we're doing the subs list.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:41

Right, because Peter's not like Trevor in any way. No.

Supporters Shoutouts And Chaos

SPEAKER_04 1:13:46

I hate to think where this is going, but who's first?

SPEAKER_03 1:13:50

I will lead because it makes any sense, and that is feels right to me. Um I'm gonna I'm gonna get on board the only dot com bubble that matters, the only one that never burst, the only one that you can ever get behind and get a solid return. It's gaz.com. Or we as we know him, gascom.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:11

Gazcom, yeah. Bless him. Thank you, Gazcom.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:14

Um the alternative there is that he's a Russian gas company. So I went the way I went.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:26

Yeah, good good idea. Um, next up we have the wonderful Captain Scarlet. Thank you as always, my man. Um, and yeah, these uh reels and shorts you're doing are hilarious. So I've had good response to those. Um even Harvey Retro messaged me the other day and said, Has AI just like clipped bits together or what? Because this this is mental but funny. And I was like, it is just ridiculous, but it is funny. So uh yeah, people uh people enjoying your your clip. So yeah, thank you, Captain Scarlet, as always.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:57

Up next, King of the Zoids. They team together to fight the hemorrhoids, these dangerous creatures that invade from planet Hammergooch. Tell you what, there's only one person on planet earth that can beat them, and that's Retroid, aka his alias name, you may know him in his suit and tie, is Retro Ed. Thank you, Retro Ed. Thank you, Retroed.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:22

Next up, we have the one man, George Fan Club Hype Train. It's Carlos. Thank you as always, Carlos. Absolutely, but and I tell you what, I I know us our other show, probably shouldn't speak about it here, but flashback. Soon as flashback went out the other night, as soon as I released it, within probably the next morning games we were talking about. There were screenshots in the flashback section of Discord from Carlos. Absolutely brilliant. I love it and keep him coming. I should mention you more on the show, bless you. But yeah, it's brilliant. I love that. Oh, I've got here's a little selection of what was spoken about this week and his little lineup of games and his imports, and uh it just gets conversations going and people with memories and stuff. So, yeah, brilliant. Thank you, Carlos.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:09

What a legend. I'll tell you what, I'll never forget when he pulled that duvet back on that short and he had all those consoles opening tissues everywhere.

SPEAKER_04 1:16:20

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. He gets us more than we guess, I think.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:24

I think you're right. Um firm returns now. A man next. Now, I know he's like, Oh, don't do don't do the ads, but no, we're doing them. So head over to X. If you want to take yourself from spice addict to billionaire in less than six hours, you need to follow firm returns on X. So the first thing you're gonna need to do is get yourself a phone. This is the message for future George, actually. Get yourself a fuck because this is how you come back like a Phoenix from the flames. Firm returns, baby. Get on it. Thank you very much, sir, for your loyal support, your dedication, and your kind words.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:06

Um yeah, thank you, mate.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:08

Thank you to all of you.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:10

Then, next up, the best place to get chicken wings in the whole of New York. It's trestles of New York, long time supporters of the show, and thank you as always.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:21

Where would we be without him? Tell you what, coming up next. Tell you what. What this is a man who has built a Taj Mahal out of broken dreamcast cases because he collects for the DC. But to get the perfect collection, he's been through probably six tons of clear and blue plastic, but he decided not to be wasteful. And in a push for environmental sustainability, Rosepace Monk has taken those cases and built Ataj Mahal. But because it's see-through, it's a little bit like Crystal Palace, it's a wondrous experience, and he's hosting a gaming exhibition in there uh on May the 15th.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:00

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:01

Thank you, Rose Space Monk.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:02

Yeah, looking forward to seeing you there. Um next up we have the awesome badger Bingster. Now, how do I say it?

SPEAKER_00 1:18:13

Stammy. Stammy. Ben.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:17

Ben.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:18

Stammy Ben. Take care, mate.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:20

Yeah, yeah. Thank you as always. Stammy Ben there, Bader Bingster. Stammy Ben. Up next, the man who really needs no introduction, but he's getting one anyway, because he supports us and therefore contractually we're obliged to give him one. Let's trumpet him now like a freshly anointed emperor in circa twenty BC on the footsteps of the Roman Forum. Here he is, in his brightly coloured toga, purple, because he is royalty. He sits before us now, RGT in his white toga, 'cause he is nothing but a pleb. Maybe a courtian at best. Here is me, dressed also in my white robe, because I am also plebeian to Tingletuna, our emperor. The finest, most beautiful man that we have ever seen. No wonder we crown him. Doth him there with the laurel leaf, golden laurel leaf, upon his brow, as we look at him. Tingletuna, thank you. I think he should have that as his ringtone.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:24

I think so, yeah. Or no, even better, when he gets a message that just he has to wait to that says that whole speech before he can answer.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:31

Yes. Also, um I am loving the jazz in Flashback and think we should have 3DO news and jazz. Every time we do 3DO news, you need I hope you save that jazz.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:46

I have, yes, I have saved that.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:48

We will use that.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:49

I spent a long time looking for license-free music, and then this one I just found I clicked on, and as soon as the first two seconds played, I went, That's the one. Well, I'm there. This is the one. And I thought I'm not gonna say nothing to George, I'm just gonna edit the show, put it in, lower the volume in the background, just fade it out when he finishes to see what he says. So I got a message. I love that jazz, by the way.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:14

I love that jazz.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:15

Um I know what we're talking about, go and download flashback cards.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:18

Yeah, enjoying flashback, great show. Uh nice bit of fun as well. It's a straighter show, some would say. Although, you know, you've you've you've you've you've you've you've you know you changed the production levels here. We're professionals now.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:34

I pretend to be. Um would it help if I got some glasses?

SPEAKER_03 1:20:39

Oh it would, yeah. Would that elevate us a little bit? Would it make me look a little bit more high blue?

SPEAKER_04 1:20:45

Well, I think we'd be a bit more like the game and proclaimers.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:49

I know, I see it now. The two Ronnies.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:55

If you'd that was my nickname when I was a little boy, because I did look like Ronnie Corbett.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:00

Perfect. You can be him, even though you're taller than me. I'll be the other one. Fat one. Yeah, arguably the funnier one of the two. Um that actually matches quite well then. Um I'm not funnier. You're actually if they actually studied you for any moment in time, they'd realise that you're a hidden comic genius. And uh I don't think they'd find that out. Your your subtle straight man dead panterns are some of the best in the business.

SPEAKER_04 1:21:28

I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:29

As we said before, sooner or later they're going to stumble upon the ruse that we actually don't know anything about video games and just did this as a fourth wall. I don't know how many times we can tell them there. Fourth wall breaking comedy show dressed as a podcast about video games. Hence why I'm a 47-year-old man with a hat on backwards, and our duty is surrounding himself with gaming tat that I know nothing about. Good there, the car boot, though, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_04 1:21:54

Yeah, it was, yeah. You know, I'm probably the only person to spend£50 on actual golf, but there we go. I thought it was cool. Um, that's what all the cool kids like.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:04

Um you got it as a bundle.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:08

Yeah, um, okay. Well, I want this next one because I want to use the medium of YouTube to say I see you now, I see you grow, I see you taking steps, and I'm impressed. Just keep doing what you're doing, being you. Thank you, digital monker.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:35

You are my kind of hero.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:42

You have a variety of heroes though. Who do you think your most obscure hero is? I don't think you can just say it like that anymore.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:01

I cannot do an accent. I see why game journalists hate us now.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:15

Um this is why we aren't respected by the mainstream media, but to be fair, are we spreading there?

SPEAKER_04 1:23:23

We're spreading a lot, and none of it is truthful.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:28

Well, they should ban us from their website. I mean it's that simple. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:32

Uh next up, go for it. We have the floss 360 man himself. We have sin photographic evidence, and we're not we're not being silly and making this up. He pulled off a floss 360.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:48

I've got the picture on my phone. I'm tempted to show it.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:52

It is a remarkable trip.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:54

He was indoors as well, but I'll tell you I still can't get over the fact that you've made him lie and made him say that he's comfortable with it because I've I'll be honest with you. In the picture, he was performing the floss 360, no question. But in his eye, I saw it was a ruined man. No, I saw the shadow of a man and someone who looked terrified. The last time I saw anyone look like that, it was a picture of Terry Waite.

SPEAKER_04 1:24:21

Yeah, it it had been a long day. Um, and to be fair, I did hold him against his will. But I said, You need to do one for the team, you need to take one for the team. So every time he fell off, get that towel, go again, again, again, again, and eventually he got it. He was a bit drained and a bit chafed, but he done it. And we got the foot.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:48

Hoiking it right back around his crops, like yeah, it's like sandpaper.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:53

Okay. Up next, the man who is more than likely gonna be found crawling around in the foot of your garden somewhere, dressed as foliage. That's because he's an undercover infiltrator. Now, he has a reputation historically for stalking, but to be honest, it was unfair. Yes, he was in other people's gardens, primarily at the female variety. But let me tell you, he wasn't interested in them, they weren't his prey. What Boba was doing was testing out his latest night vision, and he was using it to hunt squirrels. If you can catch a squirrel, sans gun, sans knife, with nothing but your bare hands and the human advantage of technology, aka night vision, you truly are a ninja warrior. Unfortunately, as he crawled forward, he didn't realise that one of his Velcro straps had got snaffled round a bird feeder. Now, normally in early spring that wouldn't be a problem, but unfortunately, in a garden redo, as he took the recce for granted he'd done 24 hours before, he didn't know that in a garden redo, June had replaced her bird feeder with a wind shine. Immediately the lights came on, and Bobo was stuck, unable to move. He was blinded by the lights because he had his night vision on. Obviously, he turned the lights on, and these were like proper in garden invader lights, sent out the dog, absolutely savaged to John Thomas because he was prone on the floor. Legs Kimbo. Dog saw it, it was like a target for it, straight in. He let out a howl, obviously, need hospitalisation that resulted in arrest. We don't talk about it now, but there's the full story.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:54

God, I ain't heard a story as emotional as that since Bravo 2-0. He's like the Andy McNabre farmer.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:03

When he writes his story about undercover ops, that's going to be the one that sets all tongs wagging in the Secret Service areas.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:11

I wonder if he'll have like a rival one night, Chris Ryan, and the one that got away in the village.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:17

I'll be honest with you, I did hear DM was trying to pass off some of Boba's stories as his own. Now DM's got his own stories, but Boba's stories, you know, undercover ops, hiding in wheelie bins, that sort of stuff. I did hear him down the bull and dog trying to pass that off as and even Boba's like, hang on a minute, DM. That was me. Well, you know, more of a hero worship thing, but yeah, so DM's writing his own book with his own stories, right? But he's he's bringing it out, and I do believe it'll be the Farmerton Vegan Cafe book launch by next Tuesday. And Boba's been sat pontificating on his on his life story for his whole life, but he's not really written.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:01

Wow, interesting times ahead.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:05

You watch this space fella.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:08

Well, after that, magnificent story, next up.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:12

You need to do equally as interesting one about my son.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:15

Now hang on, you need to do this one. This is your this is your I thought I just did Boba.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:20

You did, but I think I can't touch him now. Sorry? Me and his mum shared a shandy at the bull and dog. So technically he's my son again. So I you do the bit and I'll stand back and there's a loving father and just nod.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:36

Well, I would just like to say thank you very much to Ging, your red-headed stepson.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:41

Yep, yep, yep.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:43

Yep, yep, yep. Yep, more, more, more of that. I know what you're doing an interview. Um and I tell you what, he has got into just recently, and this isn't a skit, he has got into, he's Warhammer. He's been painting the figures. And he's been putting them on Discord, and he's rather good at it. I don't know whether it's because he played Warhammer. What's the one on PS5? Space Marines?

SPEAKER_03 1:29:03

Space Marine 2.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:04

Yeah, so he's getting into that. So uh yeah, quite interested in that.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:07

But yes, if you want to see my boy, he's not just got into it, has he? He's not just played and gone, oh, that's alright. He's my boy. He's gone out. Yeah. He's platinumed it, then he's gone and bought the t-shirt, all the figures. He's got a full scene, diorama. He's cleared out his misses, get out, sling your hook. He's got the dining room table out, slapped a great big sheet of vape before on it, drilled straight through. He's in his flow state at this point. He's spilt a load of gobbo, expanding foam up all over it, he's slapped in a bit of uh square draining pipe. He founded a skip at work. Everyone's gone, what are you up to? Don't you worry. He's act at it with his Dremel and gone at it with his drill, all of a sudden it looks like a high-rise building. He's gone, smashed a hole through the ceiling, and dropped a load of flock all over it. He's flopped up, flopped the hell out of this thing. He's come down and he's flopped it all over the place. He's got flock everywhere. He don't give a flop this kid, he's got it everywhere on himself, on his kids, all over the model. But I tell you what, he looks great.

SPEAKER_04 1:30:09

The similarities now are, yeah. Flop's done. The all in he's very similar.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:15

Yeah. He's thrown all his figures on, he's arranged them. It looks like you've just paused time on a battle and you're in a satellite looking down on it. It's incredible.

SPEAKER_04 1:30:25

Well, I can't wait to see pictures of that. Thank you very much, Ginger, as always. Who we got next?

SPEAKER_03 1:30:30

I have no idea where I am anymore. Uh up next. I was struggling. A man called Harvey Retro who knows nothing but passion. He knows nothing but pain. He knows nothing but power. At least that's what his victims know about. He's one of the most delicious men I've ever seen, but unfortunately, underneath that, he's a serial killer. He uses his good looks and charm to seduce people into his shed where he chops some into small pieces and then feeds them back to the local community. It's recycling for sure. Uh, some would call it seasoning on a wide scale. Thank you, Harvey Retro.

SPEAKER_04 1:31:05

Yes, thank you as always. Um, also he's got his new podcast out. First episode is out. So go and check that out. My retro catalogue journey, uh, 1986. Yeah, it's Harvey.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:16

If you haven't clipped up my comments about that show and turned that into your latest advert, the Artemis 2 wet fart nonsense, it's probably totally inappropriate, but I think you should. Um that means I get to caress the wonderful Emma Sharp as she delicately slips into the support area and I say, Thank you, Emma. You're amazing. No spikes this week. So just a quiet, rested bank holiday weekend at home. What more could you ask for, Emma? I think you deserve it.

SPEAKER_04 1:31:47

I do put your feet up. Then we have the wonderful Greg, nowhere near Berlin, another longtime supporter. Thank you as always, Greg. Um we I never say this all the time, but we will have you back on. We'll get you back on this year. So yes, thanks, Greg.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:01

Up next, Mumsy. Um interesting time at dinner last night. I walked in on what I thought was something else, but unfortunately, she'd back choked on her teeth, and you'd stumbled round to give her the heim lick. I'll be honest with you, RGT. I went at you like an animal possessed, but that was my fault.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:23

Well, I I can't let Mumsy choke. There's nothing worse than watching her choke. So there's only one way, and that's to get around a girth and get that up. Yeah. Yeah, I realised that didn't sound good, that did it.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:40

Well, mate, that's because she was choking. And I'll be honest with you, I don't think my initial thoughts of you taking advantage were wrong.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:48

No, no, no. I was trying to save her. I did save her, I saved a life actually, so You did?

SPEAKER_03 1:32:52

Yeah. But the tax was a high price.

SPEAKER_04 1:32:56

Well, you you have to really go at it if you're getting a whole sausage up.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:00

Yeah, well, let me tell you, mate, instead of like choking the tooth out, she choked the tooth down. And because Mumsy is pretty attached to that certain denture, while you were out living it up with Ashens and uh Elliot Cole, I was picking through her poopy.

SPEAKER_04 1:33:23

Next up we have the RGT fan club. Thank you as always. Um great support and uh really appreciate it. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:34

I don't think we could I don't think I could live without them. Up next, a man who knows no bounds. He's probably stronger than two oxes put together and then fed easy uh angel dust. Picture it for a moment. That's pretty strong. Imagine those bears? Forget it. Thanks, Pete Brocklehurst.

SPEAKER_04 1:34:02

Forget it, okay. Pete Brock goes. Move on. Yeah, love them I hate image.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:07

The show's already dead, Billy Marmite.

SPEAKER_04 1:34:10

Yeah, he's one of the silent ones. You don't see him in the Discord, you don't see him at the venues, but he's there weeking we go listening, he's there weeking we go contributing, so thank you, Billy Marmite, as always.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:21

Like the puppet master you are, I arrive here and fat Zangif is around. So as tradition dictates, I will Zangef, and you let me know the context for said Zangief. Are you ready?

SPEAKER_04 1:34:52

Um Zang Geef similarities to Boba being caught in the garden. Very sneaky, looking over your shoulder, wind chime lights on, geef.

What We Are Hoping To Play

SPEAKER_03 1:35:06

I can see how you would interpret it as that. I can see why you might think that would be the obvious conclusion from what I acted, but what was actually acting was me in surprise at the VR update of Microsoft Flight Simulator for the PlayStation 5, and that was me going all crikey and downloading it. And that that beds nicely into what I'm hoping to play, RGT, which we'll get to, but there's a teaser. As I ask you what you're hoping to play.

SPEAKER_04 1:35:36

Um I'll probably give another go to Coral Island. I will try and push on with Infamous Second Sun. Um, probably a bit more like a little zombie army game, play a bit more of that. I need to get back onto Mafia on PS3. Um, I will apologise, I still haven't played the Gen 7 game in a month, the 50 Cent game. Um if you want me to play. What's that one called? Blood on the Sand, I believe. Um did I say it was many, many different things, but not that. Um if you want me to play get it and play it, let me know, and I will get it and I will play it. If not, if everybody it's very quiet on there at the moment. So if people want to move on and I can do another vote, I will have a chat with Ang Geef and we'll get another vote going. But if not, I will get it played and I will order it and get it played. So let me know in the Discord. What are you hoping to play? Is this deja vu or is it nothing else? No, I'm trying to get it. Hold on. I think that is pretty much it. Yes. So no more Coral Island. I've said all this. Um, you haven't been listening. I said I'll probably go back to Coral Island, play a bit of that. I'll play some more room for my second son.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:47

Sorry, you bossed over it quite quick. Yeah, I couldn't keep up. I just thought you might get a little bit more in depth about this and add in a little bit of something spicy, but you just sort of regurgitate it from the beginning. I just I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 1:36:58

Yeah, I did a bit really, didn't I?

SPEAKER_03 1:37:01

There's nothing that you're reaching for. There's not because I I I'm only asking because I'm looking for inspiration, RGT. I'm looking for unfortunately so am I a glimmer of something there.

SPEAKER_04 1:37:10

Yeah, so am I at the moment because there's a lot of games floating about, but nothing is sticking. So we'll see. But we'll see. Oh, and I know Captain's got Beam MG Drive now, so we need to get on air together, Captain, and play some races. Let me know when you want to go online. There we go. Beam MG Drive. What about you, George? What are you hoping to play? Other than uh losing hours and hours in VR flight simulator. Well, that's it. I'm hoping to try that out.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:37

I'll probably bounce off it after 20 minutes, but hey, I might play it flat screen anyway. Um, but I'm excited to try it out.

SPEAKER_04 1:37:44

Um I think that is you. I think if you're in VR in that doing a long haul flight, you'll go and get your your little shirt on and your captain's hat, and you'll sit there with a little tin of pop. And good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. This is George, and I will be we'll be cruising at 46 days and feet. You've got a way better captain voice than me.

SPEAKER_07 1:38:05

I'm a little bit too itchy scratchy, I'll be like I love flowing a plane.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:12

Yeah, and everyone be like, Oh, um, no.

SPEAKER_04 1:38:17

Well, yeah, can you get us off, please? Um, yeah, so I think that'll be a bit of you. So I think you're gonna love this. I think you're gonna come back next week with black bags under your eyes, saying you've put 60 hours in this week.

SPEAKER_03 1:38:29

I hope so. I've upgraded to the ultimate edition, I've gone splurged nearly.

SPEAKER_04 1:38:36

This could uh this this as well could be the the the uh PS VR2's Pied de Resistance for you. This could be what gets it out of the box. I think you could be uh yeah.

Closing Thoughts And Sign Off

SPEAKER_03 1:38:50

I'm hoping so. I've not wanted to overhype it, but I have been kind of waiting. I've been off the VR for this very reason. I'm kind of pumped, hyped, and wiped. Um, and that's probably where I'll leave it. There's gonna be a smatter and a continuation of the other stuff we've played, much like RGT. I'm waiting for a bit of inspiration. I need to get back on the PS5, but I've been a bit discombobulated and not in my usual place in terms of home. Um, then you've got to make space for other people, so there's been a bit of switch gameplay, but yeah, maybe PS5 over the weekend, uh dive into some other games. I did download Mafia 2 from the remastered collection after you talked about it last week, uh, a little bit there. So yeah, I might also give that a whirl. It's on the hard drive ready to rock and roll installed. So yeah, I think that probably winds us up from a very gentle show as we head into this bank holdy weekend. I hope you're gonna have a wonderful time with the extra days of uh gaming exuberance RGT.

SPEAKER_04 1:39:50

I hope so, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:51

I hope everyone listening is gonna be treated like some form of Roman Emperor and be fed grapes and have their controller cleaned with only Evian water and everything that mop their brown mopped. Very, very well looked after. Get yourself some time. Um, get yourself some time with your favourite hobby, digital hobby. They're quite in the country. You deserve to. Yeah, you've earned this. Yeah. Scorn at daylight through the window as the rest of the world walks around, you know, enjoying themselves. You lock yourself in, get yourself some gaming time going on. RGT, I think that's all we've got time for. I think we're there, I think. Yeah, that's all we have time for this week. Listen, as always, thank you for your time. I look forward to the pleasure of speaking to you again next week. Until then, happy gaming. Remember, there's nothing wrong with being in the unofficial controller. It's what you do with it that counts. See you, RGT. Ladies. See you everyone. Thanks, RGT.