Brazil Challenges Sony Over Digital Game Ownership And Preservation

You can feel the ground shifting under gaming right now, and not just because we’re playing more big-budget releases on handhelds. We start with what we’ve been obsessing over on Switch 2, including Xenoblade Chronicles and why its real-time JRPG combat still feels tactical, modern, and weirdly addictive once it clicks. We also get into the little realities of “upgraded classics” like pop-in and frame stutter, plus whether you can mainline the story without turning your life into a grind.

From there, George makes the case for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as one of the best licensed games in years. We talk first-person exploration, surprisingly weighty fistfights, smart camera shifts during traversal, and the film-level details that make it feel like you’re living inside an Indiana Jones story. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered also gets its moment, including the love-hate relationship with junctioning, unskippable summon animations, and the kind of enemy level scaling that forces you to learn systems instead of out-leveling problems.

Then the conversation turns into something bigger than any one game: digital game ownership and game preservation. Brazil is pushing consumer-rights rules inspired by Stop Killing Games, while Sony’s disc-less direction raises hard questions about resale, lending, and what happens when stores shut down. We cap it off with Xbox news on id Tech after layoff rumors, plus a real debate about whether Microsoft should protect its internal engines or risk deeper dependence on Unreal Engine.

If you enjoyed the chat, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who still buys physical, and leave us a review. Where do you stand on all-digital consoles, and what would it take to change your mind?

Transcript

Welcome And What’s Coming

SPEAKER_05 0:22

Hello and welcome to the Nofficial Controller Podcast, your weekly gaming podcast episode number three two seven, with me, George, and this week joined by RGT, Collecting Guru to my collecting wrinkles. Before I ask you how it's going, we know that we have to consort with the mighty YouTube algorithm and let them know that coming up we've got some Xbox ID tech report news. It sounds a bit dry, but there's a little bit more going on there, so stick around for that. And then we've got Brazil as a country deciding to stand up for all of us as gamers and take Sony to town over digital games ownership and preservation. Sony says no more discs. RGT, with all that said and done, the meat on the table, and dear sir, ahead of time. Let me tell everybody that yes, we've got a hidden gem. And yes, we've got a new theme tune. So if you think thought it was kind of like low production before, we've gone spent a little bit of money, we've paid a little bit of licensing, and we've got a new tune for RGT's hidden gems. So sit down, buckle in as I ask this fine gentleman, RGT, what have you been playing?

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Um

Xenoblade Chronicles On Switch 2

SPEAKER_01 1:32

pretty much one game for the most part, with uh another little game chucked in, but you can probably guess what game I have been playing, as I have gorged myself on it for the last two and a half weeks to have put 50 hours in. Is that wrong?

SPEAKER_05 1:49

Um yeah, forgive me, because my game of brain made me forget everything that you'd ever told me. Um some would argue I'd probably don't listen to a word you tell me. But Xenoblade, what's going on there then? Because you're pumping this out on the Switch 2 version, so you've gone back, you've gone gorged, as you say, like a little picky with your trotters. You've gone engorged on on on uh a fine slice of JRPG. Has it aged well, or have they give it a bit of a bum wipe and packed it off with a new set of clothes?

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Um it does look good. Um sometimes you get the odd bit frame stutter and you get the odd pop-in, and I sort of think, mm, this is a switch too, and then you think, well, this was a Wii game, this is 20 years old. This game, it had a bit of a refresh. Well, I had a good refresh for the Switch version, and then with the upgrade to Switch 2, which I just done, I had the Switch version, and I just done the upgrade pack on Nintendo eShop. It's about eight bucks, nine bucks, something like that. Um so yeah, but other than that, I think it looks good. I know some people like the sort of more pixelated characters from the original Wii, but this one they've gone for a more uh Nino Cooney sort of cell-shaded art style. Yeah, when you zoom in on the characters now, it looks really good. It's the same um English act actors who done the voice acting for the original when they brought it over. Um, there's a few sort of bigger names, you know, in there, um, which is very good, it's very well acted. Um, I'm I think the best the best two things for me is I love the combat. I had to learn this when I played Xenoblade Chronicles X 18 months ago. Had to learn it all from scratch. Um took me ages to learn, but once you've got that combat down, you can move through the Xenoblade games fine. I I think it I'll be honest to say, I think it's some of the best combat in any game. I think that if you don't know how Xenoblade combat works, you basically you enter fights um so it's like live action, but your character will auto-strike, and then you have a row of arts along the bottom. So you move the character into position and pick the arts which then will have a cooldown once you've used them, and you can select different ones, but by moving the character, each arts will get their best area where to hit. So if you move round the back of the character, you might get one of the arts might get double the damage because you're in the right area to hit them. So you can that's quite tactical, but as it's you know, it's it's real time.

SPEAKER_05 4:24

Does it have a timer system? Like you have to do this within a certain time, or could you pick these positions all day long if you wanted to?

SPEAKER_01 4:30

You could pick the positions, but the you'll have a little the the enemy will have a little yellow arrow. So if he's locked onto you, he'll always stay facing you. But one of your arts is you could turn that arrow off, so it all you almost get invisible to him for 30 seconds, and now turn to one of your uh in your group, so then that frees you up to go round and then use the arts best, and then you've got your Minado, which is his own little art bar which you click on, which does real big damage, um, and then you also have links as well. So if you press a link, you'll go around each one of your characters one after the other, timing it to get a real big powerful hit in all together. So I love the art style, I love the combat. Uh, the story's really good. Um, in this original game, you've got a mech on us and a bionis. Um, it's a bit of a take on real life, really, where these two big, massive sort of, I wouldn't say they're mechs, they're more like stone, these big sort of robot things fought. They nearly they sort of killed each other centuries ago, and then there's people who live on the bionis, there is robot people who live on the mech on us, and that's about the war between the two. Um, and it's a great story as it go on, you think you know the story, and then there's um people who maybe turn who aren't who you thought they are, and that happens, and you go through all different areas. Each area is a big open world, you go from forests to beaches to snowy top mountains, and then there's side missions to do while you're on these. Now, some of the side missions I will say are from the era, you know. So some of them are like, Oh, there's monsters up on the hill, we need to get rid of them. Can you go and kill five monsters? So you can go up, kill five monsters, come back. And another one is, oh, um, you know, my parents aren't speaking because they broke a gift. I need to fix this gift. Can you find me the ingredients to fix the gift so you go off to the different areas? But there is fast travel in this, so you can knock these side missions out fairly quick. So it's not, you know, they are of an age, the side missions, but some of them are pretty fun, quite good to do, and it levels you up a bit. You don't really have to level up, as far as I know. You can just mainline it. You don't have to grind if you don't want to. You can just mainline the game. Um I think the max.

SPEAKER_05 6:50

Where does that leave you in the sort of battle styles, though? Because obviously JRPGs are synonymous with them to do a little bit of grind just to try and get your character to a point in time where you can have later stages.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

It will it will balance above where you are. So, like at the moment, I'm struggling with a boss fight, which I would say is about five hours from the end. I'm struggling with this boss fight, he's two levels above me, that's all. So I might go off and just do a few side missions, get myself up level with him.

SPEAKER_05 7:17

Um so they don't auto-level. So if you came to him at level 10, he wouldn't be 12, he would always be 17 as an example.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Yeah, so I think they'll always be within a certain distance of what you are.

SPEAKER_05 7:28

So I don't think Oh, they do scale.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

Yeah, so I don't think you you're ever gonna go in, say you manage to get there on I don't you never would, but if you manage to get on 40, you ain't gonna be 70. I would imagine he would be just a few above you. So I think you can. I know people who have mainline discs in 30 hours if you want to. So the game is possible.

SPEAKER_05 7:45

But I just uh very similar to a game I've been playing as well. This this progression scale, almost like the the better you are, the more grinds you do, the more higher level enemies you're gonna end up facing. So you make the game harder for yourself. Uh, and then obviously at that point it gets consistently harder as you earn experience, but it's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

Yeah, so it's it's it's very enjoyable game. Like I said, I just like the story as well. It's it's it's typical JRPG. You get some, you know, it gets quite deep with certain things with universe and the world and you know how it all starts. But like I say, I think just because of how they've upgraded it a bit, I know a lot of people aren't happy with the upgrade. Um, I'm fine with it. Yes, there's a bit of grass popping as you're running along. Um, yes, you do get the odd frame rate drop, but it plays well, it looks good. I've had it on the big TV, looks really good. I've played it in handheld, still looks decent. Um, it's a it's it's a good game. I think it's stayed, you know, the test of time for how old it is. Like I say, it's brilliant voice actors in there. And when I started looking them up, I thought, oh god, I didn't realise there was those people in there. We know them from you know, British shows and bits and pieces. Um I'm just trying to look up who there is Kelly Bright. She's one of the voices in it. Um, people may know Kelly Bright from like rock and chips, and I think she's been in East Enders and Bits and Pieces. Um, and another one in her early career was um Jenna Coleman. That was before she, you know, got into TV, you know, too big in it. I think she's she's in it as well. She plays Melia, so there's some good voice actors in it, it's well done. And I think it's one of them big epic RPG stories, and everything sort of clicks. Like I say, the combat's really good, graphics really good, story's awesome, and it all comes together and it gets quite an addictive game because you once you learn all those, it feels really good, and you want to keep playing more. And yeah, I definitely recommend it if you're into JRPGs and haven't played Xenoblade. Um, I think it's it's had good ratings over the years, but I still think because it is locked on that Nintendo system, a lot of big people who played JRPGs don't really tend to talk about Xenoblade, are sort of bit off on the side a bit, but yeah, definitely give it a go. I would recommend anyway. Um, and the only other game I've been playing was um my daughter and her partner for um I can't remember if it was my birthday or father's

A Story About My Uncle

SPEAKER_01 10:06

day or both. They sent me a couple of games on Steam. Um, and one of them was a story about my uncle, um, which my uh my daughter's partner had played through, really enjoyed it, so he sent it to me. So I started playing that on my um my handheld PC. Um I think it's quite an old game. I think it's like 2008 or 9, it's almost got that PS3 Xbox 360 aesthetic, um, but resed up a lot more. So I don't know if they've sort of remastered it a bit for the modern day. That's a first person game. Um it's a bit of a it's not it's a bit of a story to it. You're basically it sounds like you're explaining to your son that your uncle was this explorer, you go looking for him because he's gone missing, and that's not in this underground world, um, and there's all these rocks and that moving, and it's almost not so much parkour, but you have powers with your glove that you can build up, so it's all about run and jump and and locking on.

SPEAKER_05 11:07

First person, is it?

SPEAKER_01 11:08

Or first person, and you lock on with your glove, and it's about time and jumping across and getting across to different areas and trying to find out the story to where he is, and you find these underground people there as well, and you get to explore around them and do bits and pieces. I don't think it's a short game, three or four hours long, but very enjoyable, very different. It's got that with that first person with the glove, it's got that sort of Bioshock feel, but not the Bioshock story, if that makes sense. But if you play Bioshock, you know about it. But then it's got that sort of mirror's edge as well, where you have to time it and do your jumps, and lot, you know, some of them are quite tricky, and you keep repeating them, but that always loads you back up to the last jump. Takes you three or four attempts, but quite satisfying when you work out, you've got to jump from there and there, and your glove will only do so many power-ups at a time until you power it up more. So it's really good. Yeah, it's a story about my uncle. I'll definitely have a look at it. I don't think it's very much on Steam. Have a look, and if you're into them sort of games, but yeah, I definitely definitely recommend it. So um, that's pretty much what I've been playing. What about you, George?

Indiana Jones Feels Like A Movie

SPEAKER_05 12:09

Two games, one in particular, gotta say, Doff McCat. Because Indiana Jones, and I'm playing it on the Switch. My only misgiving is that maybe I should have bought it on the pro so I could feel the haptics and even better graphics because the Switch does surprise me. I got Indiana Jones on there as a bit of a whim, been enjoying the Switch, as we've all been discussing recently. It's handheld, you can sort of just curl up on the sofa and disappear into the world. Brilliant. This game is absolutely brilliant. You can see every single penny pouring out of his paws that they poured into it. It I was nervous that the first person would be distracting in a um exploration game. I couldn't have been further wrong. Um, bring me a pie of humbleness because I will chow down on it right now. Everything about this game feels Indiana Jones. Little did I know when I was playing it, that he um Troy Baker had recorded all of the original dialogue from Raiders of the Lost Ark, so they could recreate that. I thought they'd just ripped it from the film and they were using Harrison Ford. I was wrong. He's re-voiced it, and I'll tell you what, I can't get enough of it.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

His performance I didn't realise that was Troy Baker. Yeah, he's a legend, isn't he? Troy Baker, he's so good.

SPEAKER_05 13:31

And you can see in the facial mannerisms and some of the things he does, if you know from other games, you can sort of see like his face coming through a little bit. But I'm I'm fine with that. I think he adds to it. Um, everything about it from the music to the subtle touches, like your your diary that you write your mission in and you keep all your little notes in. Um, there's a moment where you're packing your suitcase to go away on the journey to begin your search for the great circle without putting too many spoilers in. Because I think the story in this game is absolutely fantastic. But I will just throw this in. You this you you open your suitcase, a little book falls out, and the person that they've got work it that doing the voice and the actual capture of the guy, you know, the English guy who helps Indy back at the museum, yeah, his he looks and sounds fantastic as well. Anyway, this this little diary drops out, and he says, Oh, is that from Marion? And Indy opens the front, and it says, you know, for your next adventure, love Marion, and then he just sort of crumples up the paper and it plays her theme from the movie series, and I was like, Oh, this is first class. Everything he says feels like something that's been cut from a movie, like it feels like just one long kind of series of Indiana Jones.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

It is well, and I know when you've been speaking about this game, things like that they didn't really have to do because I would imagine the majority of people playing this are probably people who hadn't seen Andy and Indiana Jones because they're probably a lot younger, they didn't have to add these in, but there's little nods to people of our age group, you know.

SPEAKER_05 15:15

Let's pick up on that because I do think you know, I looked at the reviews, and apart from on pure Xbox, everyone was giving it eights and nines, pure Xbox slapped it up with I think it was a five or a six, and I was like, wow, guys.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Yeah, I remember I remember there being one review that was a bit bit stinky. Was that was that pure Xbox? Was it?

SPEAKER_05 15:35

Yeah, and I wow, I did think, you know, yeah, okay, I expect an Xbox site to maybe do a little bit of brand bandstanding for you know an exclusive or a game that's got some props behind it as coming from you know your development, your beloved studios or brands development house. Yeah, it went multi-format, okay. That that sucks a bit, but do you know what? Let's not let that get in the way of how good this game is. Um the way you explore within it, like I just thought, no, I can't see me being able to get into that. I don't want a first-person shooter indie game. Like that I was totally missold on it, and I'll hold my hand up. I made a boo-boo. This game makes you feel more like Indiana Jones than any other. And yeah, it does go third person when you do the jumps, but it feels completely natural. I thought that would be jarring, but it doesn't bother me at all, it just feels part of it. Um, it allows you to sort of place yourself a bit better, then it goes back to first person, you climb up and you carry on. I was also concerned that the first person fighting would get a bit sort of out there. Um, I couldn't again be further from the truth. You know, the the fighting feels weighty, you know, when you're in oblivion or Skyrim or you know, one of these games, even sort of condemned or Dead Island, you're just flailing around, just windmilling at things that you shouldn't be windmilling at. But in Indiana Jones, you're like you're making punches and weight carries with them, and you're ducking and jiving and bobbing and weaving. And I'm like, wow, this there are times where you do end up caught up on a bit of scenery, spinning around, punching down at people. But I'm willing to take those odd bits because the overall journey is so nice. Um, like you know, um I got to Egypt the other day and I had to climb up on a high point. Wasn't expecting this at all, by the way. Climbed up on a high point, just felt like it was part of the mission, needed to find a tent. As I climbed up, it took control of the camera a little bit and put up the words like Giza 1930, whatever. And then as I panned around, and at that moment, you realize like the the scale of the site that you have full ability to go into. You can see the Sphinx, you can see the pyramids, and just a frame of reference. The Natsis are built of damn train, and it's come chug, chug, chugging along, and you can see the black smoke pouring out the top of his as it comes into focus, like on the on your headphones. Like, oh my god, this is next level. So I'm saying about they must have poured some money into this because the production values are on another level. The music is great. Obviously, let's talk some compromises. I'm playing it on the Switch. Why, George? I I don't know why. Like I say, I mean to playing it at the minute. There has been some moments where I've seen a bit of pop-in, like the start of the game was a bit jarring. I know on the PS5 Pro as an example, that whole jungle section is just rendered straight out the gates at high detail, no issues. So as you walk through, it all feels very real, very seamless. As I was walking through, now this is in handheld, so I probably ought to rerun it through on docs, right? But I was running it through handheld, and light rays were just appearing out of nowhere, and suddenly foliage propped up. But after that, he took you on a little bit more of a linear path and it happened less. It happens in cutscenes too, like there was a moment, a really great moment, where kind of Indy just finished a temple area or some sort of brewing, and um it panned down to his feet. Sadly, it was one of those moments where I was like, Oh, just wish I'd maybe had this on pro because the sand texture kind of loaded in as the scene faded, and it was like, oh god. But every other moment when you're talking to characters, most of the in-game cutscenes are absolutely fine and solid. Um the areas that you explore look really great. This has all been on handheld, so I you know I've been thoroughly stoked with that. Um, and the game, it's just keeps on giving. Like I've tried to ease back on it a little bit because it feels like I'm gorging myself absolutely fat and stupid on it, and I don't want it to end. And I do do this for games when I really enjoy them. I ease back on the throttle to the point where I kind of drop off them, but I don't want to do that, I still want to keep going. So there's a lot going on there. My other

Final Fantasy VIII And Level Scaling

SPEAKER_05 20:03

game I've been playing is Final Fantasy VIII, the Switch 2 version. Um, so it's remastered, it's been kind of dressed up a little bit, but uh not that much. Um, but you have got a fast-forward bit which makes a difference. Now I've kept bouncing off this really most of my life, to be fair. But I persevered recently and really doubled down on this whole let's work out the summons and or GFs as they're called, and let's work out this magic drivel. And yeah, okay. All right, it's very different to all the Final Fantasies, but there's a lot to give there. I mean, considering that the game before this, it was just triangles walking around on a screen, no disrespect, Final Fantasy VII, and you walk into Final Fantasy VIII, and it feels like a full-blown movie. Even the character models in the game look great. I feel like the backgrounds have taken another level again. Um the soundtrack, I love. Um, but the battles are a little bit hard work, to be honest with you, but I'm persevering with it. Like I'm junctioning my magic, I'm being a good boy, I'm doing all the things I should do. Um, but as RGT mentioned with Xenoblade, I have kind of suffered a little bit with I didn't realise this at first, but Final Fantasy VIII has like an auto-leveling thing, so they kind of always level with you. So if you struggle with an area, go back, level up somewhere else, come back, it will be just as hard as it was. They really want you to double down on learning the magic junctioning systems and other bits and bobs, which isn't really through a PS1 menu that intuitive, if I'm being brutally honest. I know I'm a dum-dum. I know I am, I know I am. Um, but yeah, it's hard to love, but there is so much to love. Uh, people say are the characters stiff and like uh it is, but I'm not judging a putt by its cover. I'm sure that'll all play out, and I'm I'm looking forward to finding out. So, yeah, what I played so far, I think I spoke to you, RGT, it wasn't On air, was it where there were some sections of Final Fantasy VIII, which must have looked in the time on PlayStation 1 absolutely phenomenal. You're doing an evac from a comms tower, you just beat your boss on, and one of the guys sets his robot on you, and you've got 30 seconds to get back to the shoreline to get on board and get away. And obviously, I was panicking because every time I fought this thing, I barely did any damage, and then it got up. So then the game's teaching you to use the runaway or the flee mechanic. So I like beat him down, flee, get a bit further down the road, it would jump down. And I fought it all the way into the town. And there's one section where I was running through the town. Now I'm sure on PS1 it'd be seamless, but on Switch, maybe it wasn't so. Maybe equally it wasn't that switch slick on PS1. But you kind of ran down this street and it kind of swapped the still frame of the background once you got off camera for a CGI kind of replica, and you know, blinking you miss it sort of moment, and then this sort of creature came smashing through the side, and it's like wow, and tearing down the street after you. And the way it kind of seamlessly mixed the CGI of that era in with the sort of backgrounds, it looked really cool, it looked movie-esque. It was like a really kind of high level of production that they did. So they didn't use oh, we can't use the gang grass, what can we do? And the way they answered that question was, I thought, really cool. Um, so we tore it back. I've become a seed guy now, and now I've arrived in this place called Timber via a weird kind of interlude where we all kind of blacked out gas, poison, whatever it was. And I guess maybe this is happening simultaneously. We became three other guards, or there were three other guards uh that we lived the like a small window of time with. So I'm interested to see how that all kind of fits together as well. Um again, it was probably all signposted, and I've just sort of been playing it handheld while watching a bit of TV at the same time and totally missed it. So I'm sure everyone's laughing at me at home right now. But I never really played this before, so I'm I'm just determined to give it a real solid try. Um, yeah, other than that, and a thoroughly passionate uh cry for Indiana Jones. I could tell you what, if I was an Xbox owner, yeah, sucks it wasn't exclusive, but you know, when that dropped on Games Pass or wherever it dropped, that would have been the moment I think where if I'd have been a Games Xbox, like full-time Xbox user, Xbox only, fully paid up Games Pass member, I'd have downloaded that game and I'd have played it, and I genuinely think I would have cried at the kind of culmination of maybe everything I wanted from the brand in terms of exclusives, what I wanted the Games Pass experience to be. I think if I'd downloaded that and felt that money coming out about, you know, as an Xbox Gamey, you know, we want more exclusives, we want more single-player exclusives, we want this, we want this, we want this. Finally, somehow the message got in. Finally, somehow they acquired a studio, finally, somehow they acquired a license that people might give a rat's ass about, and finally produced a game that would have been the culmination, really, of maybe Phil Spencer's dream. Sadly, it didn't happen, but that shouldn't be the reason to pull indie down as a poster boy. I know everyone else has given it nine out of ten, and neither I blade playing it on Switch, hailing it as the new Jesus. Okay, that's fine. I think.

SPEAKER_01 25:28

Especially like this, Indiana Jones, obviously an amazing game, brilliant game. And I always found this a bit like with Falls Horizon 6 as well and five before it. Brilliant games. They get a build-up to them, it's coming out, they get released. All your big, you know, critics and that player, you know, on YouTube game ranks and all that plat's say brilliant game, really surprised me. Great graphics, great story. Two weeks later, no one's talking about it, it's gone. And I just find that weird, and that seems to happen a lot with Xbox games. That don't really seem fair because they're they're creating really good games. And I thought if they went multi-plat, that might get more talking point about the games, but it doesn't seem to be weird.

SPEAKER_05 26:10

I genuinely feel like people tell me I'm wrong, but I feel like that game's been a little bit buried. I feel like people didn't jump on it initially. I think Seb made a great point, and we need to get Seb back in. Um, he's had enough, he's had enough holiday. Um, you know, Indiana Jones is only going to get bought by your generation or older because you're the only people who give a rat's ass about it. He was right. I guess that's kind of what happened. Um, Indiana Jones as a franchise kind of got killed by the last two films, in my humble opinion. It kind of got trod in the dirt. I think it should have been left as it was. Last Crusade was the last crusade, you know. Let's leave it there, let's remember you as good as we can. Um, I like I've got a soft spot for Charlotte Berth, so I don't mind Kingdom of the Crystal School, but it's already laughable at that point, and then you know, we get to this latest one, the time travel one, and it was like spoilers by the way, but stick well clear of it. Uh, just like what a disaster. It felt like a made-for-tv indie movie. It it wasn't great, and I felt that shame. This game made me feel like Indiana Jones. Every beat, hit, and move. I said to OG when I rang him on the phone, as I'm playing, I'm desperate for a cutscene because I want to see more of that because it feels like I'm watching a movie, more of these characters interacting on screen because the chemistry feels great. I love like the expressions, the the way they're holding themselves. It feels legit. It really does. Can't say enough about it. Sound design, the crack of the whip, the way it echoes around, like a gunshot going off. Fan fricking tastic. Sign me up. If that had been an exclusive, I probably would have looked at that very temptingly for the rest of my days.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Yeah, I'm very tempted with it. Um, and there's something to be said about again having it on the switch too and take it everywhere with your triple A game on the go. Big budget.

SPEAKER_05 28:09

It feels crazy to be playing it on there. It feels like witchcraft.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

Yeah, yeah, it's it's some of these ports they're doing are very good. You know, it's a it's a powerful handheld, you know. Whereas a lot of handhelds at the time, people always thought, oh, if you play big big games on handhelds, you've got to be handheld PC. Hasn't anymore. Hasn't anymore, you know.

SPEAKER_05 28:27

So kind of mobile architecture was a freaking good idea for the Switch, but underpowered. But Switch 2 just feels to be the right kind of subset to make it work.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

The right balance, in it.

SPEAKER_05 28:42

Yeah, there were some compromises handheld, and yeah, maybe they wouldn't be there docs. I haven't looked. That's what Digital Foundry are for, guys. Go count some pixels.

SPEAKER_01 28:49

But I mean, I I like I love my Lenovo Legion, but the last thing I'd really want to be doing with that is sitting on a train holding a breeze block with a screen on. You know, if I do travel, I do tend to use my switch all the time because I I love the Lenovo, but it you are taping a PC with you. I want something with slender case in the backpack, easy. You know, it's it's a big old thing.

SPEAKER_05 29:14

You I do feel like you could put the switch too in your pocket without getting too carried away.

SPEAKER_01 29:19

Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's that it's form factor does does suit me that way. So yeah, I think it is it's that such a good balance of having triple A games on the go. Very good, very good indeed.

SPEAKER_05 29:30

Okay,

Hidden Gem Theme Tune Reveal

SPEAKER_05 29:31

well, with all that said and done, call me uh Indiana Jones. Um it's time for RGT's hidden gem. I promise you, an all-out, no holds barbed new production value. And I'm not lying to you, compared to what we had before, this is unbelievable. RGT, you whinged, so like you don't honour me, you do this boon thing, it feels like you're taking a piss.

SPEAKER_01 29:56

Did I say that?

SPEAKER_05 29:57

I don't you didn't say it, but your face suggested it.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

Oh.

SPEAKER_05 30:02

So I've procured a very talented songwriter to do you a new theme tune. Oh, have you? Yeah. And we've thrown a bit of money at a singer. Have we? Uh well, quite a lot of money, yeah. Quite a lot of the sub's money has gone into paying the singer for.

SPEAKER_01 30:22

Well, I'm expecting high things for this, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 30:24

Yeah, oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:26

Um So this ain't you singing this then anymore?

SPEAKER_05 30:29

Oh I don't want to get riled up in the legals of it, mate.

SPEAKER_01 30:33

You know, I try to- I'm just saying you're you're on video, so I'm just saying.

SPEAKER_05 30:40

Well, like I say, the singer's been very handsomely rewarded, and the songwriter as well, he's been well paid. We've got the copyright.

SPEAKER_01 30:47

Well I'll say, is that a new hat, shirt, and t-shirt you got on there, George? Looks like you've done quite well just lately. You done well at work or I don't know, it's a bit of a coincidence. Stranger. Anyway, sorry, yeah, carry on.

SPEAKER_05 31:05

So I am singing it and I did write and I did write it.

SPEAKER_01 31:09

Oh, that's why, yeah, I did I did see the uh company accounts earlier at 0.15 pence.

SPEAKER_05 31:19

Did you look at them this afternoon?

SPEAKER_01 31:21

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 31:23

What just yeah. Oh right, because it should actually say minus X.

SPEAKER_01 31:30

Oh, oh, so you've said I didn't refresh it. So No. Oh, so you've had oh, okay.

SPEAKER_05 31:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:36

Yeah, interesting.

SPEAKER_05 31:37

I know I know I made a habit of this, but um I took out a fifth mortgage on your property.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

Oh, cool, yeah, because uh yeah, foot four mortgages wasn't enough to pay. So no, that's fine. Yeah, that's all for the good of the show, as they say. And you say I should I should have to pay because I'm privileged to be here, so well, that's what I've been telling myself so I can sleep at night. Yeah, why not? I'm laughing, I don't want you to feel bad.

SPEAKER_05 32:05

So Yeah, I I've made it up to you by paying I've handsomely rewarding the singer and songwriter of this song for your hidden gems.

SPEAKER_01 32:11

AKA yourself. Yeah. So anyway, I'm expecting big things now. Now I've got a fifth mortgage to pay, so come on, let's have it. Oh, he's wetting the whistle.

SPEAKER_06 32:25

He's paying for his taste, so better not dismiss in haste. He's gonna be gamering you tonight. He's fame for his taste, so better not dismiss in haste. He's gonna be gamer in you, gamer in you tonight, hidden gems, gamer in you, gamer in you tonight, hidden gems. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 32:57

So more words than I can see where the money was spent.

SPEAKER_05 33:05

An original piece, you've never heard anything like that before.

SPEAKER_01 33:09

Yeah, about that.

SPEAKER_05 33:11

I no one would remember that anyway, so don't bring it up, please.

SPEAKER_01 33:16

Comments, please. Comment down below.

SPEAKER_05 33:20

Don't legal.

SPEAKER_01 33:22

Um bit late for that, fella.

SPEAKER_05 33:26

Uh I don't think that any algorithm's gonna pull anything out of that from anything. Sounds nothing like I'll be honest with you, I slaughtered it on purpose.

SPEAKER_01 33:39

Oh, on purpose, so I'm expecting next time a pure, properly recorded, add-in, edited.

SPEAKER_05 33:48

I think where maybe the boon thing complemented my Dorset tones. I feel like whatever part of my brain this thing came from, because it's an original piece. I feel like uh I was worried you're in pain for a little bit there. Um your off-screen grimace probably didn't help with my I probably should have just you should have just gone off camera while I performed. I think it would have I got a little bit of anxiety, I'll be honest with you. And it didn't stand up as I wanted it to as a as a piece of work.

SPEAKER_01 34:23

Wow, it comes back on me. What a surprise. Oh, I do apologize. Um, but beautiful work anyway.

SPEAKER_05 34:29

Why do you make it me out to be some like alright, yeah, you're right, the fifth mortgage was a step too far. Let's play the guessing game, let's make it happen.

Hidden Gem Spotlight Full Void

SPEAKER_01 34:38

Right. Developer and publisher are the same people.

SPEAKER_05 34:42

Everyone needs five mortgages these days.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

Out of the bit limited, and you've probably never heard of them before. This is a 2023 game. Oh, we are Belta. Okay. PS5, Xbox, Switch, Steam, and Evercade.

SPEAKER_05 35:16

Did it come out in 2000 or something? Like when what year did you say it came out? 2023.

SPEAKER_01 35:21

2023.

SPEAKER_05 35:22

It's an original piece.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

It's an original piece, not a remake or anything, it is an original piece.

SPEAKER_05 35:27

I'm not gonna know what this is, am I?

SPEAKER_01 35:29

It is not a survival platformer.

SPEAKER_05 35:34

Oh little child of mine. No, war child. No, what's it called? No, it's not that, is it? Okay, forget it, move on.

SPEAKER_01 35:46

I I love when you have conversations with yourself. It's like you have a sort of split personality. War child of mine, no, it's not that. No, it's not that, is it? No, move on, okay.

SPEAKER_05 35:56

Um I showed too much. Is it that?

SPEAKER_01 35:59

No, it's not that. Single player game only. Do you want to know? I'll give you another hint. If you're Will I know it. If you if you remember the original Prince of Persia, if you remember Another World, if you remember Flashback, this game bases itself heavily on that playstyle and to some extent the graphics.

SPEAKER_00 36:26

I think this is a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant little game that doesn't get enough credit, I don't think.

SPEAKER_05 36:31

Right, pump it up then. What is it?

SPEAKER_01 36:34

This game is a full void.

SPEAKER_05 36:38

Yeah, I was never gonna get that.

SPEAKER_01 36:40

Um, I've got, as you can see on screen, if you're watching this, I've got the Evercade version, but you can get it on all them other uh systems.

SPEAKER_05 36:47

Um this game is set up the same artwork on everything else.

SPEAKER_01 36:51

I believe so, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:52

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 36:53

Um the the game itself is gorgeous. Um, absolutely stunned. Uh I the pixel art in this and the lighting they've done, it's like playing it on like a super amiga. It looks so good, absolutely gorgeous. And it's one of them games that what's a super amiga look like?

SPEAKER_05 37:10

I'm sorry you can't just say that. Has it got a cape or does it just have bigger muscles?

SPEAKER_01 37:15

Oh, it's got bigger muscles, you know. Definitely. Yeah, it's got muscles like ginge, the guns.

SPEAKER_06 37:21

So it's an A1200 with guns.

SPEAKER_01 37:24

Yeah, ripped. Every key's got a bicep. Um but this is like a dystopian future. You're playing it as teenager, and it doesn't tell you what's happening at the start. It's a bit like another world and flashback. You suddenly have to escape something as you're going through. There's puzzles to do as you go. You've got your you're left to right. You go through a lot of cityscape and sewers and different places, and you have to climb up, and there'll be different ways. It's got that almost Abe's Odyssey about it with the single screens where you have to work out each little puzzle, not all of not as puzzle heavy as Abe's Odyssey, but very similar. Um, but it's got that lovely story that really takes me back to a time where you'd play these sort of games on your home computers or your PCs, and it like I say it looks gorgeous, it's got great, great little game mechanics. Like later on, you get a you'll find a little like drone, and then you can program that drone on a screen to do what you want it to do on each screen, so you can set where you want it to fly and press enter and get that to code, which is a lovely little touch. It's not a massively long game, um, as far as I know. Um, I think it's only probably four to five hours, maybe up to six, seven hours if you take your time to complete. Um, but I just think that's another one that I only found out about because I use my Evocade and I'd seen a review on the online of this Full Void, and I thought, well, who's this? And then Googled it, looked at it, and thought, oh, hang on, this is like flashback, another world, got a nostalgia hit. I think I purchased it for £12, thought I'll give it a go on my Evocade, really good. Went on holiday, used it in my little um hyper mega tech, little supercade handheld one, played really well on there. Absolutely loved it.

SPEAKER_05 39:18

I mean, price watching then I've got for you because not everyone's got an Evocade. Outside of that, where are people picking this up? Where's the best place to play it?

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Um, like I say, if you go PS5, um Xbox places like that. I think at the moment on Steam, that's on sale for £3.99. Um PS5, I think it's around about £11. It fluctuates. Switch, I think it's £12, £12, £13, something like that. Um if you buy it new on Evercade, that's about £15. I think I bought second hand for about £12. You might be able to pick it up for £8 to £10. Um, and I think the Xbox is about the same as well. That's about £10, 11 pounds. Um, I think it's a steal for that. I think if you're into your retro games, I think if you're into your pixel art, there's not many of Syn as good as this. Um, I think I just love it. It gives me that you know when they do like a pixel art city and you see the lighting and that there's just something about that that sings to me, and this has it all full void. I think it's it's not too difficult, but it's nice. You occasionally you'll get you'll drop too far, and you think, How can I why am I dropping too far? And you have to work and oh hang on, I can jump. So why don't I jump over, then go down? It's got all those little puzzles to get across to the next screen, and then there's different settings where you've got the city, you've got sewers, and blah blah blah. Definitely give it a go for that money. Um, really, really good. I hope they do another one. I hope they release it on Evocade as well. Um, out of the bit limited, really good. Um, but yeah, full void. Give it give it a look. Okay, nice one. Oh, and I will add that was I am behind because I I missed a few shows because we had Bobby and that on. So that was May's one. Um, I've got June's ones lined up.

SPEAKER_05 41:02

I'm writing he's fame for his taste. Better not dismiss in haste.

SPEAKER_01 41:08

I haven't finished writing it yet, but it's lined up. Um, and I will do that if I'm on next week. I will do June's one, and then I'll do the July one the week after, and we're back level again, okay? So we'll have next next two weeks. We've got another two hidden gems coming.

SPEAKER_05 41:23

Is the next one a banger?

SPEAKER_01 41:26

The next one is um for some reason I'll put it as a hidden gem because I really like it, but it's gonna be people when I talk about it go, what the hell are you on? But wait and see. That's an interesting one. That's an interesting one. Wow. Okay. Well yeah, tune in for that.

SPEAKER_05 41:47

Let's find ourselves a little bit of news. Um what was that, mate?

SPEAKER_01 41:54

I went, mm-mm.

SPEAKER_05 41:56

No, you did different face before. That face that's gonna be clipped. Are you mogging me?

SPEAKER_01 42:07

No. Why would I be mogging you? I went, mm-mm, because I'm looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_05 42:11

Yeah, you made yourself all sexy, didn't you?

SPEAKER_01 42:13

Not all of us pout, young George, not all of us pout.

SPEAKER_05 42:16

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01 42:20

Anyway, come on, good news. Chop chop.

SPEAKER_05 42:23

Just the way my lips are assed after me new teeth. Right. Let's

Brazil Targets Digital Game Shutdowns

SPEAKER_05 42:29

go out of the very darkest regions of the internet to bring you the latest stories. First up, over on PushQuest, Stephen Tailby has been uh in some controversial bother this week. He's found himself on the wrong side of the butcher's market because he went in trying to sell some poached game that he had shot down in his local woodland area.

SPEAKER_01 42:51

Oh no.

SPEAKER_05 42:53

So he's uh felt he's had his collar felt by the local meat slaughtering community.

SPEAKER_01 43:04

Wow. Wow, I don't know where to go from there.

SPEAKER_05 43:07

Yeah, so when he's not wrapped up in that, um he's a reporter for Push Square and he's found this little gem for us. If you won't stand up, let's be grateful that the Brazil is taking on digital games ownership and preservation after Sony says no more discs. The rest, as they say, is politics. Let's get into Stephen's words. Uh it appears Brazil is concerning itself with matters relating to consumer rights when it comes to digital games. Federal Deputy Yandri Yandri Yandira Figali, forgive me. Forgive me, forgive me, proposed a new bill directly inspired by the Stop Killing Games movement that aims to prevent online games from ceasing to exist when official support comes to an end. The bill stipulates that publishers must clearly inform customers about games' reliance on online servers at point of sale. Furthermore, They must also outline the minimum support rate period, which cannot be less than two years from a game's launch in Brazil. It also says publishers must inform consumers about any termination of service, no less than 180 days in advance, notifying players that the game itself on so unofficial social channels and through other means. The bill suggests three options for what happens after a game online is shut down. The company can release an update to allow for offline play, provide tools to the community to keep it going themselves, or re-imburse players proportionally based on how much time they spent with the game. Ouch. Failure to comply with these regulations will incur fines. There's a bit more to it that shares a lot of common with the aforementioned Stop Killing Games Initiative, which has been campaigning for the same thing in Europe. The bill still needs to make it through several layers of legislative process. So it's far from becoming law, but it's interesting to see this cropping up in global politics, especially in Livestone's decision to discontinue the production of game discs in 2028. Speaking of which, Federal Deputy Erika Hilton has requested an investigation into Sony Interactive Entertainment and its plan for a purely digital landscape. In the document, she argues that it will restrict certain rights associated with physical game ownership, such as reselling, lending to friends and preservation. She also says the move does not consider areas of the world, including parts of Brazil, that are currently not equipped with high-tech internet, high-speed internet access, and that rely on physical stores and second-hand market to purchase games. Hillton suggested Sony's plans may contravene several articles within Brit Brazil's Consumer Protection Code and has asked this to be investigated by Senecon, the government's governmental consumer rights group. It's still early days on all this, and all things considered, it's moving pretty slowly in politics, but it'll be interesting to see whether this amounts to anything. PlayStation is currently in everyone's bad books, with any social media post dogpiled by Angry fans protesting the eradication of physical games. RGT.

Sony’s Disc-Less Future And Rights

SPEAKER_05 46:05

It seems like countries for some reason are trying to stop this happening. I feel like they aren't. I think they're just facilitating the consumers' rights when this happens. Um and that really doesn't amount to a great deal. By the time you've owned a game for a certain period of time when they should have access to it, you'll probably be owed maybe a penny. But that whole time that amount has been accruing in their bank account with interest. That doesn't really work for me. Nor, in some ways, may I say, in digital future defence, doesn't really work for them either, does it? I think they're moving to this digital ecosystem because it kind of works in the moment, but they're not really bothered about how it holds up in a couple of years. Um RGT, what do you make of all this consumer protection uh jargon that's going on in Brazil? Do we stand the hope that this might happen here? Or are we just going to get dogpiled and charged probably double?

SPEAKER_01 47:04

Um, the latter, I would imagine. Um I think there's a lot of this going on since Sony announced it because we've always had digital and physical, um, and now countries with different laws, suddenly everyone's got more hold on. How does this work law-wise? You know, how does this you're buying a game, but you're not buying a game, you're licensing a game, you're renting it, but you're not buying it, but you are buying it, do you own it? And if they take it down, can you still get your money? It is a minefield, it is an absolute minefield. Nice. I was I think I was watching the I think it was on YouTube or gaming news I saw the other day, and they were saying about um apparently there's 500,000 so far quit their PS Plus subscription. Um, but apparently there's rumoured to be 50 million on there, so it's 1%, so it's hardly made a dent. And this reporter basically said you can quit your, you can quit that, you can go and buy a switch, you can do what you want. That ain't gonna make them budget at all because it's hardly even affecting them. That's not even touching it. So I'm just wondering whether in the long term, um, rather than these legislations, if if what they think they're gonna gain from this digital future, if by the time this kicks in in 2028, they've halved their audience, was it worth that in the first place? That's the only I can figure out, but would lay half the audience, that's the thing.

SPEAKER_05 48:24

I guess the audience that they've halved and/or are damaging are probably the PlayStation hardcore, who've took like personal premium offence to this. Um, I saw a again, push square is probably not the best place to ask people their opinion on the future of digital gaming, but it's half the people who were asked are getting a PC and dropping PlayStation like a hot stone. Um, I think another 15% were seriously considering it, and the rest had thought about it and then decided against it. If that's a 1%, that's already split down the middle. If that's a full rotational circle of PlayStation users on Pushware, and I very much doubt that it would be, it doesn't look good. That 1% are probably the vocal community that have immediately just pressed quit while sitting crying over their Aloy statue. Um I'll be honest, the situation is a bit weird, but uh it affects us all. We talked about it last week with two and a half gamers. Um, I've had a little bit of time to acquiesce on it. I'm guilty. I've bought digital games. I'm that asshole. I've bought more digital games this gen than I ever have. Um partly I had a pro and I couldn't get a disk drive for a while. One wonders now if that benefited them in some way. I guess it kind of did. Um, kind of showed people were willing to stomach it for a while. Um either which way now I've got the disk drive, do I use it? Rarely. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:58

Um I mean, me, I've I've been thinking about it, and I keep thinking it was a strange time to announce it. It was a very, very, very weird way of announcing it, three lines in a tweet, this is what's happening, and then just move on and then not say nothing for a week and then rather than rather than a big explanation about, you know, after our history of when we first brought our games console in in 90, blah, blah, blah. You thought they'd have been a bit of an expansion just saying, oh, by the way, from 2028 with digital only, and then that is it. And you're like, well, hold on, have a bit more respect for your consumer.

SPEAKER_05 50:32

It goes another step because then they also announced within that same I guess they knew they were gonna get grief either way, right? And they bundled in closing the PS3 and Vita stores and that same thing, and it barely got a mention, right? Although it does kind of for me unlock the end, it does unlock the end game of that, because yeah, the PS3 and Vita are old, but we're about to lose the stores. So, yes, they're gonna let you download games you own, but that's gonna be clunky and messy. If it's not clunky and messy already, it'll be even more clunky and messy by the time you get to a broken store uh that doesn't function properly, and there's a download page buried somewhere in the ecosystem somewhere. That's garbage, and they haven't yet come clean on how that's gonna look.

SPEAKER_01 51:16

So it's a double-edged sword because they're saying on one hand we're going all digital, on the other hand, shutting down a digital store. So when the PS8 is coming out, sorry, your PS6 is being shut down, that's all gone. Exactly that. So they're just saying, no, this is the future, but this future's bad because we can do this. And I still think I still think this is because of the demise of Xbox. I think they've Sony, you've got it in their head now. We can do whatever we want. We're gonna announce this. What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do? We've got over a hundred million users, we've got hardly any competition. You've got Nintendo, they're they're not part of the the console war, so to speak.

SPEAKER_05 51:54

I see Xbox are reassessing whether the disk drive is needed for the Helix or not, just to try, you know, it's yeah. Will they get there? I very much doubt it. Um, let's face it. I mean, they've been they've been campaigning digital for years, so yeah, they've been more mature in the digital landscape, and therefore the loss of a disk drive, especially after the series X and S, whether footfall on Amazon or the shopfront really anywhere has been minimal for physical. It's hard to get an Xbox.

SPEAKER_01 52:25

Well, yeah, S S is digital anyway, isn't it?

SPEAKER_05 52:28

So but the X, you you don't find them. You find an Xbox One game dressed up in drag as an Xbox Series X game pretending to be something else. It's a freaking joke. Yeah, in a way, I do see that. We talked about this last week. I do see that being like the beginning, the end for like genuine discovery of the PlayStation brand. Because if you don't go into town to buy a game or even the console, how do people know about it?

SPEAKER_01 52:54

But it's very hard to browse online unless you know what you're looking for. When you're in a shop, you can just browse, you know. And I've always said that, and people say, Oh, yeah, just put in PS5 games. Yeah, but they'll only show you the games they want to sell you. They're not gonna show you all these hidden gems and small indie titles, they'll just show you, you know, it's hard to look online.

SPEAKER_05 53:10

And then the magazines are gone, so there's no walking in the news agents, what's that? Pick it up. Wow, what is all this? That's dead. So discovery of the brand is gonna be through the school playground for a while, but then when it's not an aspirational thing for a kid to want, what then?

SPEAKER_01 53:30

I know it's mad, and you know, going back to this legislation, this is again something where this reminds me of when the loot boxes all started kicking off. Different countries had different rules, you know. Australia banning FIFA from doing the loot boxes because it was underage gambling, which in my mind it is. It is gambling. You're you're paying for an unknown outcome, which is gambling. So, um, and this is the same. There's going to be different countries, different legislations, and as lot in Brazil, you know, there's gonna be countries that are more consumer-based as well, and they're gonna look at this and just think, oh, hold on, this is anti-consumerism, really, because you're you're paying probably more for a digital copy of a game that you can take away at any point. So do you not?

SPEAKER_05 54:16

I think that becomes a mute point when the person who makes the console says, No, our next console's not gonna have a destrive. So they can't make them have one. We can't make them have one. I see what you mean, yeah. So you decide what PlayStation looks like.

SPEAKER_01 54:33

Well, yeah, I suppose though, the only thing you've got to decide is how that game is sold in the wording of it. That needs to be very clear that if you're paying 80 bucks for a game, you are leasing it. This game can disappear at any time.

SPEAKER_05 54:50

Oh, I definitely think the store needs rebranding as PlayStation Rentals.

SPEAKER_01 54:54

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 54:55

Without don't take the piss unless I can buy a t-shirt here. This is PlayStation Rentals all day freaking long at this rate. My digital library has all got a ticking time bomb on it. So you crack on, pal. I mean, were we so dumb as to think that it wouldn't? I hope not. Oh no, no, no, that's why I've never really wanted to ever like chuck down too much money on the store because I've always felt a bit fragile by it. That's why I've always always bought not only because it's in the DNA, because the era that I grew up in, I've always bought physical because I like to look at it.

SPEAKER_01 55:31

Yeah, you're right. Same with me. I mean, we you know, we've got a joint love for that. But the thing is, the thing with consoles was you played consoles because you had the physical option, and PC was a big jump, but you sort of went digital when you went to PC. Yes, you had the big boy graphics and the big graphics cards, you know, and all the lights and all the big build of your PC, but that was the separation from it. Now you're just literally selling us a mini PC in a box. It takes away that love of having a console. Do you think the PSX is going to be classed as a console? They'll call it a console, but it ain't gonna be one. It's just gonna be that's gonna be PlayStation's version of Steam, which will be in the new PS Plus, and this just download your games. To me, I know I'm old, you know, and people listen to this, we think, Well, hell yeah, about it. We've been doing this for ages. Yes, we have, but you take the option away, and like I said on the stats on last week's show, 82% of all PS5s sold in America had disk drives on. Why were you giving us a choice of a disk drive? You know, you're now going to tell you.

SPEAKER_05 56:36

And some would argue that would make sense, and technically it's totally doable. Um that starts to look a little bit ridiculous, doesn't it? Yeah, because then okay, so I've got like GameL PS4, and it's backwards compatible. I know it is, because if I go on the store on there, I can download it and play it, but I have to buy it again, even though I bought that, and for argument's sake, like full retail from PlayStation.com. Physical copy sent to me in the post by the devils themselves.

SPEAKER_01 57:07

Yeah, you know, and it's also going to be that thing when a PS6 is out, you're gonna come out with half a dozen games which are parsed and not great. So, oh what we do, I'll keep playing the PS5 games on it. Oh no, I can't put the disc in. You know, what do you do?

SPEAKER_05 57:21

Are they gonna elect you can use the PlayStation app to scan the back of the cabar code and then but you will then have to show proof of purchase?

SPEAKER_01 57:29

No, I don't think that'll I don't think they'll do that. I don't think they'll do that. I think they'll just go, oh hogs and these are the games you've played before. Do you want to play them again? Oh, 15 bucks. Wow if you want that 20 bucks. I I don't think there'll be any of that on there. I think from from the statements they've been saying.

SPEAKER_05 57:46

And then you pick them up on that digital library, so you've got your full library replicated on the PS6 so you can play it, and then there's a tipping time bomb on those.

SPEAKER_01 57:57

Yeah, uh it yeah, I don't think.

SPEAKER_05 57:59

And then unless as a business they support their ecosystem from PS4 until the very death of their gaming division, there's nothing that they can't do anything else.

SPEAKER_01 58:11

Well, when they also announced that they're not subsidising consoles anymore, so you're looking at 12 to 1500 bucks for a PS6. I mean, the slogan for the players is wearing a bit thin now. It's not it's full of profit. Um 1200 pages.

SPEAKER_07 58:26

It always was.

SPEAKER_01 58:28

Oh, it always was, but you had you you had a bit more consumerism based in it. You had your physical gas.

SPEAKER_05 58:33

I suppose it's like the old saying, at least Dick Turpin did you the decency of wearing a mask. At least when they say for the players and they give you free PS Plus as they do in the PS3 era and this, that, and the other. For the players, kind of was half acceptable.

SPEAKER_01 58:49

It was, and also, like I say, they were subsidized, you know. When when when the PS5 was made, it was over a thousand pounds in parts. We were getting it for four fifty, five hundred bucks, but they're not doing that anymore, and you suddenly think, well, why would you not do that? Because do they really think 100 million gamers are going to jump over for that?

SPEAKER_04 59:08

They've made in their own very vocal way more money this gen than they've made them all the gens added together.

SPEAKER_05 59:18

Yeah. You don't want to put any of that in the pot, guys, or you just want to pay it all to your frickin' shareholders. It's the same for every business from the ground up from North Pole to the South Pole and all the way around.

SPEAKER_04 59:31

They're all linked to it now, dollar and dime. Uh and uh sadly, I don't think time's on their side.

SPEAKER_05 59:39

No, I But options are limited. So you make the devil, you make the bed with the devil of your choosing, I think.

SPEAKER_01 59:48

Yeah, and I think if this decision stays as it is, um, I did think there would be a bit of reversy on that because they have done before. But if this stays as as it is, um PlayStation isn't gonna be nowhere near the brand they have been for the last 20 years.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:05

I think by the time GTA 6 rolls in and out, we've all bought like digital. Like I said, it's a Trojan horse. We accepted that.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:17

Have we accepted it, though? Are you buying it? Of course I'll frickin' buy it. I don't even know if I'm guaranteed yet.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:25

Well, that's on you. I might well do, but I you know it's it might be the last GTA I ever buy, I'll give it that. I will give you that.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:36

I think I'll see reviews on that before because I'm not convinced that this is going to be the banger game it is yet. Um, you might pull me back on that. I might be wrong, this might be absolutely incredible. But it's I don't know. I'm not sure yet. Okay, really.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:49

PlayStation have absolutely fumbled it. Tell me what's going on at Team Green.

Xbox Addresses id Tech Rumors

SPEAKER_05 1:00:53

And as you can see, the counter's just are binned it because she had a good run, Ashia, she did, Blood Sarah. And I'm I'm sure the seeds of Xbox future are within her grasp now. She's certainly reset the clock. But my god, girl, there's a binary it's like the red wedding in Game of Thrones, isn't it? She's like, oh, it's alright, you know, Ashia will be alright, don't you worry about that. She said she's gonna sort it out. She's she's picked a dashboard, for God's sake. Little did we know. She'd just run her better dagger through the belly of a thousand studios, just laid off half the developers in America. Yeah, but there there is a for the greater good. Uh there is a there is a seed of good news, apparently, in some way, although I don't quite know how they're delivering it in such a hand-fisted way, RGT. But give us the the chapter and verse from Team Green.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:41

Well, this is over on Pure Xbox as always with Fraser Gilbert, who's um taken up a new hobby this week. Yeah. Fraser's got into restoring vintage bicycles. So he's been sort of buying up rally choppers, um, rally strikers, rally burners, if you remember them, if you're a man of my age, re-spraying them. I mean, they're all green.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:06

I knew a guy called Ben Deacon. He was a bike dealer. Have you ever met him before? No. He's a great bloke. He looks he looks like a Greek god.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:19

Oh wow, a bit like me.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:21

Yeah, and he's covered himself in tattoos like Dumbledore, maybe his mum, that sort of stuff. He just reminded me that.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:32

Oh, yes. But anyway, Fraser's into that now. So, like I say, they are all green, um, but they're looking very good. So he's done a lovely job on a on a rally striker. I used to love my rally striker, so well done Fraser. Lovely hobby to get into. Um this is Xbox sends out a brief statement regarding inaccurate ID tech reports. They say dozens of people are still working on the engine. Uh, with the Xbox layoffs dominating the headlines this week, it's no surprise that we've been seeing countless stories, rumors, reports, and speculation about the state of Xbox's game studios ahead of the second half of 2026. Doom, the Dark Ages developer. Id Software is one of is one company that's been in the news a lot, with reports suggesting that the studio has been cut in half as a result of said layoffs. However, there has also been rumors claiming that just one person has left working on id tech. And Xbox has actually stepped in to address this. Simply put, Xbox uh says that id tech has dozens of people uh working on it right now, and they spread across multiple locations. Here's a look at the statement that was sent to Kotaku and Windows Central. There were dozens of people working on id tech across multiple locations, and there's only one person left in Texas uh are inaccurate. If you're questioning what id tech uh uh even is, don't worry. It's not immediately obvious. This is the term for the game engine, and that was designed by id Software technically back in the 90s, then known as the Quake Engine, and it's received many different iterations since then, most recently being used for the likes of Doom the Dark Ages and Indiana Jones the Great Circle. There's been some concern that Microsoft might encourage id Software to ditch id tech and transition to Unreal Engine instead. Uh, but the new statement suggests that this might not be the case, at least for the time being. That said, Kotaku's report highlights the devastating scale of the cuts at the studio, along with Source, a source that feared id tech um as a technology is probably dead forever. The team in charge of id tech said to have been let go this week. There's a belief that Machine Games is already using a branch of it for uh Wolfenstein 3, however. Meanwhile, Windows Central's Jez Corden says that according to his sources, Microsoft doesn't have any plans to push id software or machine games over to Unreal Engine right now, and he believes it would be miserably short-sighted and uh irresponsible to do so. Um handling even more power to uh uh handling even more power to Unreal Engine opens them up to um price increases down the line, which would be fiscal irresponsible. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma herself said in a memo to staff that she wants Microsoft to rely less on vendors for things like this. As such, I would argue that Microsoft should invest more in id tech, not less. Whatever the case may be for the future, Xbox clearly wanted to step in and address that id tech is being used by dozens of people right now, and it remains to be seen where it goes from here.

Keep id Tech Or Go Unreal

SPEAKER_01 1:05:52

Hmm. It's uh it's a statement where you sort of think, well, it seems okay, but it is okay, but there's

SPEAKER_05 1:06:00

Dozens of people, but what's dozens of people was there you know it is the cleaner, security guard, um that one person working on the id tech engine, probably someone in HR. Uh doesn't take long before you got a group of people there, does it? And technically they're all working on it. They're all working, they're all contributing towards it. I think that maybe those reports seem a little overblown to me. Um, but the more important news to me is that they've got this scalable engine that looks fantastic and can work on switch to to PS5 Pro and everything in between. Um, yes, it seems to be first person predominantly, but we've seen in India it can flip to a third person, it is capable. Why aren't they using all this? Like I know, I know, I know on Reels is standard and it's probably powering every one of their exclusives other than Indiana Jones and whatever else that the others are working on. But you've got to feel like they're right there. They've got within themselves as a group the ability to have all this and more. They don't need to buy Epic, they just need to sit a couple of people down with a laptop for an afternoon. Um that's what this is. Why isn't every game they're making based on this engine or a variant of? Is it because it's not easy to use? Is it because it's everyone in the industry's done more time on Unreal Engine because it's been the industry standard? I don't know, but I think they need to investigate it. Even Sony have half bothered with the Decimer engine, which ended up running on multiple systems in the end, and I'm sure it'll end up running on Switch 2 by the time Hideo's finish with Death Stranding. I guarantee you'll see that there. So if it's scalable across all those platforms and all and look, we've seen Death Stranding running on an iPhone, so it can scale to mobile architecture as well, it's totally possible. So, yeah, that'll come switch. Um, why wouldn't they double down on something like that where they can maybe bring it in-house, maybe keep it a little bit more private, maybe make it a little bit more bespoke? I mean, Indiana Jones looks great, and Wolfenstein, Doom, all those sorts of things that run on mid tech software look great. Yeah, they've got a first-person kind of slant, but like I said, Indie showed that's doesn't have to be a thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:24

Yeah, I think you know, these guys that they they work wonders. You know, the Doom games are fantastic, they run well, they look decent.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:32

They always push the envelope. Yeah, like Doom 3 when it launched looked incredible.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:37

So if if they've mastered this engine, don't take it away. Let them just keep mastering it, they're making fantastic games on it. They know how this system works. It's awesome for first-person things, you know. Look at you know, you you're witness to that with Indiana Jones. You know, so why would you want to push them over to Unreal? You know, and there's been a lot of problems with Unreal as well. It's not gone as smooth as what you think with Unreal.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:00

So they're nearly they're already nearly done with five.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:04

And it's like, hang on a minute, barely any games got made on that platform in the end.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:09

And a lot of people did struggle with it as well. You know, a lot of devs really struggled with it. There was problems with it. So if these guys are using this engine and they're using it really well and making great games, leave them to it. Just leave them to it. You don't need to, you know. I again you get people meddling when they shouldn't be meddling. You know, these guys know what they're doing, they got a great engine, they make great games, leave them to get on with it.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:32

Well, make more with that stuff, I would argue.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:35

Exactly. You know, and especially let them make more with it as well. Because, you know, invest in investing it, make the studio bigger, get some games on it. They can make some fantastic games, you know, and and share the engine as well. People are using that engine, you know. You can get other people using it as well. For instance, like Indiana Jones, you know. It's yeah, I find it crazy. Don't don't try and fix what imp broke. Invest in it. Uh yeah, that's good. Invest in it.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:04

Uh greed. Um well, that probably draws a line on Drew. Um what do you do you want to do a bit of housekeeping, RGT? You know, grab a mop and book it. It's time.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:16

Uh

Housekeeping And Listener Links

SPEAKER_01 1:10:17

yes, we do a bit of housekeeping. So um if you're watching us now, hello, on YouTube. Don't forget to sub, like, comment, you know, let us know. What do you think about the you know, its system and the devs and their software, and you know, do you think it should be changed everyone real? Same with our other stories. What did you think? What do you think about Sony and these digital rumors and how it's going to affect different countries' laws? Let us know what you think down below. Um, if you're listening to us on um on your podcast provider, you can message us in on there if you want. Let us know. Or you can message us uh questions at unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com. Um, we've also got our Discord. You can jump on there, come and say hi to the guys on there. Um, great little Discord, plenty of things going on, challenges now. I know we say all the time, you know what we've got going on there. Come and have a look over there. We've got our website as well, um, unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com. Jump on there. We've got captain's been doing reviews and bits and pieces. I think we've got three. There should be two more reviews being added shortly on there as well. Um, so that's filling up, but there's loads on there from our challenge accepted winners, um, to various events we've been to, to lots say game reviews, the shows, you can get links to them. Jump on there. Um, Instagram, you can jump on Unofficial Troller Podcast Instagram or mine, which is RetroGamer Thomas Instagram. There's links on there for the Discord and bits and pieces. We're also on X. Um have I missed anything out?

SPEAKER_05 1:11:47

Subscribe on YouTube. You've got one job. If you've watching and you've got this far, we can't be that bad, can we? You haven't sicked in your mouth or anything. So hit subscribe if you've never had a call to arms like that before. Welcome to the channel. Hit subscribe. Um other than that, um, come join the team. Let's

Supporters Shoutouts And Community Chaos

SPEAKER_05 1:12:08

uh some people have joined the team, they've uh supported us, RGT, financially on a monthly basis. These legends get their name read out on the show from as little as three dollars every month, and you can too.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:25

Um do you want to start? Should I start?

SPEAKER_01 1:12:29

Or I was worried you'd dozed off then.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:35

No, I was just trying to work. You start.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:39

You want me to start? Well, we'll start with the wonderful Gazcon. Um one of the very voices in the Discord. Chats every day from very knowledgeable. Umledgeable. And I do enjoy clicking on there when I finish work and seeing what he's been talking about. Like one minute he's talking about PS1 games he's been buying. The next minute today, he was talking about how much money is saved by having a Super Nintendo mini that's been hacked with all the games on, so we can play a little more expensive game. Oh, he's he's a fascinating. He's quite an enigma, isn't he? He's an interesting chapter. He knows his stuff, that guy. So yes, and we had we've had the pleasure of meeting him as well, and he's fantastic. Yeah, so as always, uh Gazcon, thank you very much indeed.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:24

Thank you, Gascon.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:27

Who we got next, big boy?

SPEAKER_05 1:13:29

Um I got lost in your words there. I kind of fell in the video.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:32

You're just staring right through me, then.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:34

Yeah, I don't know what happened. You're just being, I was like, Oh, this is beautiful. Uh up next, Captain Scarlet. He's uh man behind the curtain. He's there like the wizard of oz, pulling uh strings and levers, making smoke come out of the area, and that smoke coming out of his area is basically TikToks, and he floods the sky with them. Basically, he's on like a psy-op for the show. He's just subconsciously embedded in people's feeds, he's getting in people's hair, he's getting in people's food, he's getting in people's teeth, he's getting in that anyway, it's embedding himself everywhere, and that's for the good of the show. You turn around, you download a new social media thing, bam, UCP pops up, he's there, boom, makes it happen. Anything creative, he does it all. He's a bit of a, I would say just like uh kind of tech guru, he's like the lawnmower man, he's become at one with the show's internet.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:27

Do you know what I mean? I I think his nickname should be Skynet because he's almost taken over to the extent that you don't even have to ask him. He's actually made a he's made a clip of this show before we've done the show.

SPEAKER_06 1:14:42

He's that on the Skynet, get your name changed, let's see it happen.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:48

I feel like we're being controlled from an outside force here.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:51

Okay, right.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:52

But uh he's a good control, by the way.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:55

I don't mean that in a horrible way, but like it's on a string. Yeah, uh hey, we're like, oh, that's why he called himself Captain Scarlet as a reverse thing, no. He's actually Jerry Anderson. We're Captain Scarlet. So he's all displayed.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:10

Is this not?

SPEAKER_05 1:15:12

I paid for this as well, that's why it's good.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:16

Yeah, the copyright's gonna kill us. Um, next up, we have a man who's very proud of his flashback t-shirt, and I tell you what, my god, does he look hot in it?

SPEAKER_05 1:15:29

How many days solid has he worn it without taking it off? I think that's the new challenge for Retro Ed.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:35

I think it's 16 now. He even showers in it.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:38

No, he's he can't. No, no, he's not allowed to shower in it. Send him another t-shirt, reset the clock. Jesus Christ, we're dealing with amateurs.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:45

But yeah, but he's got personal hygiene. I mean, he's a very clean. Oh, I didn't really. That's my fault. I told him he could wash. We'll have to cancel Norris McWurter now.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:55

I just better cancel him hard because the sucker's dead, so he's gonna come up from a long way. He's not gonna come up smelling nice, and he might have been burnt. So how he appears in front of you, I do not know.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:07

Oof. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:09

It'd be like CGI from the mummy, it'd just appear like sand right in front of you all these clipboard.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:16

Oh, that's that can't steep.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:18

You you pay a lot of money for that. So anyway, retro cancel Norrit. Oh, just get him gone.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:26

Yeah, well, we said you do t-shirt and we expect the world record. So sorry, I didn't realise you could actually use personal hygiene. But thank you, retroed as always. We got next to Ed George.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:38

I'm very grateful to just jump upon the Oasis, the the the calm island in the sea of weird shit that I say. Uh, and it's Carlos One Man George Fan Club. He's I hope he he he's laughing. If not, he's ready to leap to my defence and say, Do you know what? It might have been a bit off-kill to be meant no one any harm. Sorry to them at Werter Estate, you know, sort of thing. Well said, Thank you, Carlos. I love you.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:02

Yeah. Next up, we have just a slogan that needs to be a t-shirt. It's from Trump to Trump in a week. Make it a man for all your financial advisories. This is the guy you need. Especially in a very tough climate.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:17

Do you think we should get a bit of merch done where it's like a UCP t-shirt, but it's done a bit like Better Course Soul, but it's actually firm returns and actually is proper details on Twitter. Like you said on the back of saying lawyer up, it says like, I don't know, Trump to Trump up.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:34

I think probably Capman has already made that before we've even said that.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:38

I think it's made you before you even knew it.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:42

Oh that's a that's a conversation.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:46

He arranged the coming together of your parents at that exact moment that would replicate you. That's you were not far off the mark with Captain Sky now.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:55

Anyway, sorry, a bit off kilder. Thanks, firm returns, as always.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:59

Up next, corner house in New York. If you want the finest uh coffee and wings at the world, your coffee wings they do now. And coffee and wings. So you get a coffee wing. That sounds weird, even though it shouldn't be. A coffee wing. So you get a chicken flavoured coffee and a coffee-flavoured chicken.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:22

Mmm, it's gonna tackle world by storm.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:24

Yeah, I see it. Yeah, yeah. I don't think it'll be long before we're sort of thanking another business for their sponsorship. I can't imagine that's gonna catch on, but you know, you never know. Who's next?

SPEAKER_01 1:18:34

We have the dreamcast collector going for a full set. Dreamcast, dreamcast, throw space muck.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:42

Hold on, row space muck. Can't even do it. Sound like flipping rave on.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:49

Scream if you want to go faster. Shut up. Um, yes, thanks, row space monk, as always. Legend.

SPEAKER_07 1:18:58

Dreamcast if you want to go faster.

SPEAKER_06 1:19:04

Little GD ROM's like Dreamcast, whirl it, sir. That's powered by this massive churning, groaning thing.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:18

And you get pulled around all over it sporadically to replicate what it feels like to be a GD ROM disc.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:24

When we become millionaires, I'm gonna have one then made, have it in my garden. Your bloody uh what's it called? Uh and we get Rave on as well to be in the middle on the things shouting out that out. Dreamcast if you want to go faster.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:41

This is your version of the Neverland Ranch when you've made it big.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:46

I weren't gonna go down that route, but who we got next?

SPEAKER_06 1:19:51

Somewhere in Suffolk. Got a horse paddock in a caravan, and then a load of garbage in the backyard.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:58

The never leave range.

SPEAKER_06 1:20:03

There ain't no doubt what this place is about.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:06

Anyway, who we got next? No, no, we're not having to no, we're not gonna.

SPEAKER_07 1:20:12

Never leave Runge! RGT AI with a load of live fake right behind him.

SPEAKER_06 1:20:19

And then underneath, there's no doubt about what that's about.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:24

The guys in Discord don't do that. That's gonna happen now said that.

SPEAKER_06 1:20:29

He's begging for it.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:45

Standing there, oh I thought you'd finish. Thank you, Badabinkster.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:50

Thank you, Badabingster.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:52

Next up, we have the man who'll be very proud of me for playing Xenoblade Chronicles. The JRPG connoisseur himself, and he has played Xenoblade Chronicles himself and has recommended it to me before when I was playing Xenoblade Chronicles X. So um I know you'll be proud of me, and thank you very much, Tingletuner. Great recommendation.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:18

Which means I get to thank Digital Munkery. Um I tell you what, he's not well. So let me get this way round so I can he's laying on his pillow on his bed. No doubt he's watching me like this. That's not working, you have to turn your telly on. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:37

That yeah, that looked like something else in. Sorry.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:39

Right, okay. It's not a laughing matter. Um, so I wish him well. Hope he's getting better, hope he's feeling good. Uh, he sent me a picture um of some slippers um with his face on. So obviously, after our comment last week about us deeply inhaling on slippers and how I wish he was a slipper. I don't know if I said that out loud, but I think he stuck from that. And he sent me a little AI picture of his face on a pair of slippers. So bless his heart. Yeah, I'm all I'm all in on a set of those. Uh yeah, I can't imagine the sort of thing when you see it on AliExpress. It like it looks like that, and you think, oh, that's great. It turns up and it looks nothing like that. Um, I also want that to be a thing. So yeah, send me a and they've got to be like polyester as sick, so they smell like four-year-old rotten trainers after about one hour of wearing them. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. I get some new slip slips of Christmas. You're like, oh, this is nice. Gonna bed in by 1800 hours, these things absolutely stink like a camel's arsehole.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:44

Hang on, these were brand new. Do you know the worst thing is though when you have them as well? You walk around the house kick going, This house stinks. What is that smell? I just can't get away from you in the kitchen, you're in the living room, and then after a little while, it dawns on you. No, that's your that's your slippers. You're actually taking that smell.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:03

Even then, knowing what you know. Now I know I outed the um flannel suckers, right? I'm a flannel sucker.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:10

Oh, I didn't I'd forgot I even was a flannel flannel sucker until I you said it, and I suddenly looked remembered back to bath time and thought I sucked the hell out of them flannels.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:20

Hey, look, the only thing that people don't know about flannel sucking is that they forgot that they flannel sucked. Every single one of you flannel suckers is a flannel sucker, and I'm telling you that now straight as a standard as a man. You are okay, you just didn't remember whether you did. All right, it's a basic fact of life.

SPEAKER_06 1:23:37

You sucked hard on flannel. You just forgot it. Okay, ginge texted back in the day when we outed this, and he was like, Yeah, I did. I suck flannel.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:47

I'm like, everyone sucked flannel, and his kids suck flannel, and my kids sucked flannel.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:52

I'm actually thinking about taking it back up.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:55

Have you ever tried it as an adult? I have, I'm not even ashamed of it. And I tell you what, it's a weird sensation, which is actually pretty nice. But then when you reflect then on what you're sucking on as an adult, it's a bit like, oh yeah, this this it's different.

SPEAKER_06 1:24:09

This is this is more than I needed to be.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:13

If you've just joined in, maybe go back to the start, but more to the point we're all slipper sniffers.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:24

We are all snipper slippers. What? Slipper slippers?

SPEAKER_06 1:24:30

No, slipper sniffers, slippers.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:33

Snipper slippers.

SPEAKER_06 1:24:34

Get me a ponko pump, mate.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:36

Get me a ponko pump right now. I tell you, that is that is beautiful. Yeah, we're all slipper sniffers.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:42

Anyway, get well soon, Digital Munkery. That went off at a tangent. Um next up we have the floss 360, the Suffolk of Tony Hawk himself. Bald border. Thank you very much, my man. And we're still debating whether to put the actual evidence of the floss 360 onto Discord, but we need to get some editing and blurring done because there might be a little ball border in the pick, so we need to get that censored to make it okay across the board, I believe. So yeah. But well, you've seen it, you've got it on your phone, you've seen it.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:24

We may have to the only thing that was visible was the flash trench. I don't know. That's not full front or anything. So if that's a picture you want to release, it's totally kosher, just don't zoom in.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:39

Yeah. I might have to get a video of him doing it because the still is him just landing it. We might need to get a clip we can put on Discord of him doing the full floss 360.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:50

Inverted.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:52

Inverted.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:55

That's that's big time.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:56

Leave it with me. But yes, thanks, ball border.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:58

Okay, up next. Hey, I tell you what, he's out and about, he's our boba. He rang me. He said to me, Do you know what? I'm into swinging now. I was like, Hey, you're into what? He said, Yeah. I said, I'm out, I've got the tent box out. Um I thought, oh, where's this going? He said, No, we're at camping, I'm loving it. But we're right next to a playing field. I walked in there and they had like pulling up bars, uh swinging on them. I got down on the swings, they swung on them. He said, It's a you tell me that the the actual swing, not the tire swing, you know, the one that you just sit on. This is like the grown-up one. Well, you know, anything, you know, the square seat that you get in. That if a grown-up got in, it gets stuck in. It's not that, it's the flat board with the swing on it. He said to me, he did 15-minute burst on there, chin-ups, swinging chin-ups, another 15-minute round on the swings. He said it is one L of an ab workout. So I said, Well, look at you. You're the king of the swingers, a jungle gym VIP. You've reached the top, your physique's tip top. What's that's what's bothering me? Oh, whoo-hoo-hoo. I want to be like you, who, who? I want to walk like you, I want to talk like you. Thanks for your donation.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:24

Copyright strikes are coming in thick and fast this week. Did you like that? Amazing. Yes, he is he is part of the uh 10 box community. Yeah. Well done, brother.

SPEAKER_05 1:27:35

Are you do you do you think you might take swinging up now? You've got 10 box.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:39

Oh, I've been saying to the missus for ages to take it up, but you know, it's just at the right time, I think, because you know, I've got to be careful of my back.

SPEAKER_05 1:27:47

Would you do swinging pull ups or would you I'd start easy, I think. I'd probably sit Dons down in the little child seat so she didn't run off, and then you can probably do a fifteen minute app.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:57

And then then just go full full swing. Swinging once I built up a bit, got my confidence up, and then just go full swinging.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:04

Would you mind if while Don's was swinging, like you know, someone came along, got involved? Give her a push.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:10

Not at all. Adds to the fun. Wow. You know, while while I'm doing the pull-ups, she can quite happily swing away.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:18

Yeah, I see how that would work.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:22

Absolutely brilliant. Some of the some of that physical like training stuff they've got in like parks now, like the bikes, and yeah, you gotta love it.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:30

Yeah, why not?

SPEAKER_05 1:28:31

Everyone's everyone remembers a good old biker handle at the park.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:34

Exactly.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:35

Oh, crikey. Well, you get the luxury, is next.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:38

Well, one man he doesn't need to take up swinging or do pull-ups at all. It's the very finely ripped ginge.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:46

I did the red-headed stepson. I did a cursory glance, right, across the Discord. And I was gonna say into merch with his guns out. And I'll be honest with you, his two guns are so big. Well, so is my aid. I'll be honest with you. If you zoom in on them, they've got that much vein on them. If you put your finger on one side of his sleeve and then on the other side, mate, my god. I bet he's like that downstairs.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:20

Anyway, thanks, Ging.

SPEAKER_05 1:29:22

It looked like it was taken in his lounge, from what I could tell.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:26

Yeah, but you're one of them weirdos that whenever you anyone sends you a picture, I try and crop it in now because you go all in the background and work out the layout.

SPEAKER_05 1:29:34

Look, that was one of the best segments of this show ever.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:38

You'd you'd someone would send in their stingrays boot stuff they've picked up. Oh no, you wouldn't even see the game, you'd be in the background saying, Well, have you only got one slipper on? Why is there a half-eaten cheese biscuit?

SPEAKER_06 1:29:47

What time is it on the cooker today?

SPEAKER_01 1:29:49

Yeah, yeah. You'd know everything. You might want to dust that shelf behind you in the background. You're zooming in, looking like an old selfie perv. Anyway, thanks, Jij. Who we got next?

SPEAKER_05 1:30:11

Like I say, that was one of that was when we weren't. If that had been video, that segment, that would have been fire. Maybe that's how we.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:38

Oh, rocking an LG, are we? That's a talent.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:45

That's a talent. You send it to me, it becomes my property. I want to look at all of it.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:50

You're like them, what they call them, them geo searches, whatever, where you just give them one picture and they find exactly where it is in the world. I half expect to send you a copy of like a picture of a new game I've bought, and you send me back a picture of my front door. How's he done that? Oh, I worked out exactly where you are.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:06

Oh, that happened a while ago. Is it me? Thank you, Ginge. My beloved red-headed stepson. Uh, up next, Harvey Retro. Gotta say thank you to you. He's the he's the current Lord of Darkness, but he also is an amazing, wonderful, kind, humble human being. And you should check him out on Enematic Productions on Instagram on his own under his own name. The man's an absolute legend. If you don't get all over him like a rash. Who are you? Who are you? Yeah, you saved me from myself. Thank you. Uh who's next?

SPEAKER_01 1:31:39

The wonderful Emma Sharp. Yeah, she's very pleased with her artwork and her 300th episode artwork and bits and pieces. So did she get a t-shirt? No, she was just outside of the t-shirt. So she had artwork and she had so your name made me feel very guilty. Um thanks for that. But anyway, thank you, Emma. Much appreciated as always. Move on.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:09

This man, I believe I found him. He is hiding out in an Aztec temple, somewhere in South America. I don't know exactly where. A little bit like you've been geocaching. He said, I geocache. I've been working on him, working on where he is, working on how to find him, how to track him down, slowly eliminating things one thing at a time. And I've started this new policy, and this is the first attempt. And I thought I'd go for a big one. Because if he's not hiding in the Aztec temple, then he's not there, but then he's also nowhere near Berlin either, by his own suggestion. So I've ruled out two. I mean, he could be just outside the Aztec temple, but we've got a lot of ground to cover. So uh I thought I'd start there and work outwards. So next week I'll say, are you on the steps of the Aztec temple? On the few shows before you on the north next week, on the west, week after south, week after that. Are you on the ground around the street?

SPEAKER_01 1:33:15

A few shows this week. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:16

So I thought I'd start with a notable landmark that's nowhere near Berlin and work out.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:22

Which definitely isn't, so yeah, good choice. Good choice. Yeah, thanks, Greg. Next up we have someone that we all should thank, really, and that's Mumsy.

SPEAKER_04 1:33:31

Let the sun hit it.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:37

Anyway, wise words, George, thank you. Um have you gone have you listened to the me and Bobby show? Nope.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:47

I think you are worse than you, son of a bitch. You're worse than OG. Am I on the show? You are talked about considerably.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:58

Okay, maybe maybe I'll listen in, but I'll see if we get a spare few minutes. Um Wow.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:04

Anyway, Mumsy, let the sun hit it.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:10

Thanks, Mumsy. RGT, let the change it. Actually, no, you haven't changed it one bit.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:17

Let the sun hit it. Golden moment. Is it me? God. Oh wow. Well RGT.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:27

Speaking of God.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:30

The RGT fan club. I suppose the only thing that I can say is God bless you both and let the sun hit it.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:39

I know you're waiting for me to say something, but I have no idea. Comment down below if you do. Next up, yes, thanks. Yeah, RGT Fan Club, thank you very much. Um, next up we have another silent, very violent. Come on, Pete. We need to get you in Discord. Just unveil yourself on Discord.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:02

Oh, I'd love to see Pete Brocklehus turn up.

SPEAKER_01 1:35:04

In the t-shirt, all the merch, or with guns as well, was a rival to ginge. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:10

Or if he was like the anti-like thesis of ging, would he just have little bits of string, but but like somehow have the better of him in another way? Maybe he'd have massive legs.

SPEAKER_01 1:35:23

Oh, that was I wondered where that was heading.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:26

So it'd be like, hey, ginge, like so ginger's got his picture up there, but then massive grip calves, like two turkeys, and and then ginger's got these two little strings, which I know ain't true because he's my boy, not genetically, but you know, I wouldn't let him get away with it. And then you've got um Pete Brocklehurst, who like just sends pictures of his like abnormally massive muscle legs, not say two turkey calves. Bigger, bigger, yeah, goose like literally he's got lit the top part of his calf looks like Jeff Capes on the right hand side, and the left hand side top looks like Jeff Capes, and then the bottom half of his leg looks like an even smaller Jeff Capes, and the bottom half as if of his other leg, just for clarity, I don't want anyone thinking that there was another strong man here. That Jeff Capes is also on his right, like lower leg.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:21

I mean that's massive.

SPEAKER_05 1:36:23

Maybe his ankle is also quad cape. Jeff Capes, yeah, and maybe his foot then, as token for that, also keep him in scale, is also another Jeff Capes, and also on the other side, just for legality and clarity.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:38

I think there's maybe a t-shirt idea there.

SPEAKER_05 1:36:39

Brocklehurst, quad capes, but then like a tiny little body.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:48

Yeah. Yeah, just every day's leg day.

SPEAKER_05 1:36:54

His bench pressure with his legs are mini metro every morning, and then do do one of ging where it's the opposite, and then people who get both t-shirts can like velcro them together. Yeah, to make the ultimate human, the brockle.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:06

Ginger Brocklehurst.

SPEAKER_05 1:37:07

Yeah, ginge brocklehurst.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:10

Anyway, thanks, Pete. Hope that gets you out of your shell a bit. Who we got next?

SPEAKER_05 1:37:15

Um Billy Marmite, another silent of violent. One day he's gonna turn up in the uh Discord or appear on Instagram wearing a t-shirt. You can live and hope, but either which way, thank you as always for your generous donation. Uh thank you, Billy. To everybody on the list, and more in uh and just as importantly to the man who comes next. Now, RGT, you said you wanted to do the geef this week, so you we've allowed you to do that.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:45

I don't believe that was ever said, but I'm quite happy to geef now if you want me to.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:37:50

Um, right, you're gonna guess what I'm giving. Always. Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_00 1:38:10

What do you reckon this was about?

SPEAKER_05 1:38:15

I think that was a a strange geef. Very strange. I like to think I'm a bit of a geef spotter now, like I've seen a couple of geefs in my time, maybe once or twice. Um, you know, I'm a man of experience. Uh I've been on the show, been around.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:31

Proper Geefer is what we like to call it.

SPEAKER_05 1:38:33

Yeah, I'm proper geefer. It's diamond geefer. Um, as a collector's guy, I'm a diamond geefer. So that geef under strain execution have to say, um, probably an 8.45 on the latter half of the execution, probably a seven, so an aggregated, probably eight point two for the geef. Yeah, I I felt like it was you told me you stubbed your toe earlier, but simultaneously for some reason you didn't know whether it was nerves or or frightened. Because you know, when you were younger, if you sat down too hard, you didn't know whether to laugh or cry, you hurt your bum, you're like you were kind of like halfway between two sort of straights, and I I sensed that from you. So I think it was a stow-tub climax, and then the kind of like the surprise, um, and almost the relief as well, because it was like a pressure valve for your anger.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:26

10 out of 10, brilliant. Yeah, wow, okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:39:29

Eight point eight point two for performance. Thank you. Um maybe work on maybe making it look a little sweatier.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:40

Yeah, yeah. I didn't I I worked on the sound, but the the look and depth, I don't think it was quite there. But I will practice.

SPEAKER_05 1:39:47

We're on the YouTube now.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:48

So I need to them facial expressions, I need to properly geef.

SPEAKER_05 1:39:54

So do you feel like you're half geefed? Do you want to have another go at a geef and see if you can all out?

SPEAKER_01 1:40:00

It's giving me a little bit of a sore throat because I did get quite raspy when I was just hitting the high geef, so I need to just work on my voice a bit. So um yeah. I'll uh I'll practice me high geefer next week. But thanks everyone. Hello Come on with a serious show, come on.

SPEAKER_05 1:40:28

Deadly, deadly serious.

Next Games We Plan To Play

SPEAKER_05 1:40:30

Um I suppose with all that said and done, we've arrived at the point in time in the show where I have to ask you what you're hoping to play. Did I ask you what you've been playing at the start? Because I don't feel like I said those words.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:42

I believe you did. It was quite a while ago now, so I can't remember.

SPEAKER_05 1:40:47

Did I ask him what he's been playing, or did you just launch into a dietrapper pad?

SPEAKER_01 1:40:52

And if he did, timestamp it, put it in the comments.

SPEAKER_05 1:40:56

Yeah, but it does it doesn't count unless I see at least ten different people doing ten of the same timestamp, then I will look at the video and I'll believe it.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:05

Um, yeah, good idea. Um, I'm hoping to get Xenoblade Chronicles sort of done. I'm a bit stuck on a boss fight at the moment, but hopefully I'll get that done. And yeah, sort of lots of, I think five to eight hours left. So I'm hoping I'll get that done this week. Um, I want to get back on Falls and Horizon 6. I've been missing out, haven't played it since Comeback of Holiday. Um, I need to get some more races done on there. Um, Captain's been sending me some of these builds of cars he's done um superb. So I'm gonna use the codes and download some of those and build or do the builds on those. Um play, hopefully, get um story or uh story about my uncle, get that done. That's getting a bit tricky, but um, I think I'm about an hour and a half in, so about halfway. Um that was really good. And then if I do finish Xenoblade Chronicles, I need to think of what the next game or big game I'm gonna play will be. Um I don't think I'll jump straight to Xenoblade Chronicles 2. One, because I haven't bought it yet on the Switch 2 version, and two, I think we need a bit of a palette cleanser before. So there's a few games I want to get on the Switch first, so I'll look into maybe purchasing them this week.

SPEAKER_05 1:42:12

What do you reckon they might be?

SPEAKER_01 1:42:14

There's some random ones because I've I want to buy Xin Play Chronicles uh two anyway, so I'll probably purchase that. I'm looking at maybe getting the Mario Tennis game. Um, I saw um Fern Returns has been playing that and been sort of completing the career mode stuff, and I said he thought, do you know what? I'd really like to get that. Um, I enjoyed the Mario Tennis games, they're really good. Um, also there is I saw on Instagram the Jaws retro replay or whatever it was. You can get a physical of that on the Switch, and I looked at that and thought, oh, that looks so good. It's almost like uh like the sort of remade NES version of the game, and you have missions on your single screen to do as Jaws and stuff, and almost like an early sort of man eater sort of game. Yeah, and I love that sort of retro NES style, so I might pick that up as well, but we'll see. See how uh funds are for games this week. But they're there are a few of the contenders anyway, so a bit of a mix and match on everything, but genres. But what about you, George? What are you hoping for?

SPEAKER_05 1:43:15

Me, I want to be stepping back into the shoes of Dr. Indiana Jones. Um, I want to get lost in the next stages of my Egypt adventure, which I'm very much enjoying. Like I say, my only fear is that I don't want to overdo it, which is why I lent a bit into Final Fantasy VIII as a like concurrent thing, just to wipe the slate clean a little bit after. Um, and that is also something I'll be playing. That's you know, you don't realise how many hours you've done on that, and then all of a sudden you look up and you're like, uh, this is too long for a game I'm allegedly not enjoying. One of the other downsides is that you can't skip the battle summons, and sometimes you need to do a lot of them, and when you sit and work out how many of the animations you need to see to execute to see this thing done, it's like okay, strap in for 21 times this movie on skippable. Boom.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:16

Yeah, I can understand that. There's one where you get on Xenoblade. Well, it's like um uh your character, without any spoilers, can see things that happen a bit in the future, so that will tell you a that will show you a vision of like you're gonna get hurt, or one of your colleagues is gonna get hurt, and then when you come back out of that, you have to make your way to that colleague or you press B to tell them so then they can prepare for it. But that's just that little cut scene, that's probably only a few seconds, but you sit there thinking you're right in that middle of this big fight. Oh, I'm just then about to get the Minardo to hit him, and then that goes gives you this vision. You've gone, oh skip, skip, skip. You know, I know it's just impatient, but it's because you're in a high battle at the time and you're concentrating, getting oh, hang on, do you have to do that here? Make your way around, warn them, get back to your position. But that's just that little cut where you just want, oh, yeah, I get the idea. Can we make it a bit shorter, please?

SPEAKER_05 1:45:14

Yeah. Um, or do some variation so you're not saying the same thing every time? I think would be my probably takeaway. But this game's made and done. Uh, and the feedback will probably be absorbed into Final Fantasy 9, uh, or maybe not. So we'll see.

Final Thoughts And Sign-Off

SPEAKER_05 1:45:32

Um, with all that said and done, RGT, are we are we all done? All the housekeeping's clean, everyone knows what to do, which is subscribe. Um, on the YouTube, it's that simple. Uh that's I think that's the first step to becoming part of the family. If that's all you do today, that is a big boost. Get on there, get that done.

SPEAKER_01 1:45:50

And uh even just by hitting that subscribe button, you'll get the video of UCP each week, you'll get the flashback show as well. So you get two you'll get two shows a week on YouTube, all for free, just by hitting that sub, and then they'll just you know, you'll have your times when they come up and you can watch.

SPEAKER_05 1:46:05

See a lot of people keep coming back, not anyone subscribing. So give us a sub, mate. So you don't miss any.

SPEAKER_01 1:46:10

Yeah, so you don't miss that.

SPEAKER_05 1:46:11

Typing unofficial controller podcast into your YouTube every day is that's craziness. Just go to your nice little warm area and have a nipple. And that's what 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 room. But there's nothing wrong with being given the unofficial controller. It's what you do with it that counts. See you, RGT. Let us see everyone.