Video Games 2 the MAX

Post Game Awards 2025, it feels as though we may as well join in on winding down and starting to look at the year that was. Although our GOTY episode is still a few weeks away, we are continuing our series on giving our grade to the year for the major console makers. This week, it's all about Nintendo as we delve into what its been in the first year of the Nintendo Switch 2, the Super Mario Galaxy Movie prospects, the year's releases, and what's ahead for the Big N.

Marc has also been playing Ghost of Yotei so...

Awards season officially kicks into high gear with The Game Awards 2025 event. Geoff Keighley's combination of ceremony with major game announcements happened, and Sean and Marc have their thoughts on the event, the announcements, and Clair Obscur Expedition 33, virtually completing the sweep of the awards. The guys discuss their favorite announcements and perhaps some that were not there as well. Join us as we discuss it all on this special edition of Video Games 2 the MAX.

You can also watch this episode in video form on the W2M Network Youtube Channel, please give us a like, comment...

All eyes look forward to Thursday as the Game Awards 2025 takes place, signifying yet another celebration of the year that was in video games, while also looking ahead to what's to come with major announcements and reveals hosted by one Geoff Keighley. Sean and Marc give their predictions on both the award winners and some possible predictions for some of the announcements as well.

Sean has been playing Octopath Traveler 0 and has a lot of thoughts on how it could be the best game in the series in just his short time with the game so far. Does...

Whoops, this was originally recorded on the usual Monday night slot on December 1, Sean just totally didn't realize he forgot to upload it. So here's the original description...

We enter the last month of the year, with this week being the last week of major releases, so why not take a look back at the Best PlayStation 2 games, especially considering that 2025 is the 25th anniversary of the highest-selling console ever? Sean and Marc give out their Top 10 Best PS2 games of all-time

Sean's also been playing Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Marc is also in retroland with Red...

PlayStation has had an interesting year, where its smaller output in terms of first-party releases has not hurt it at all in terms of console sales. The gaming giant has made several future-facing announcements, one of which includes the existence of PlayStation 6 not that far down the line. Sean and Marc look into PlayStation's year from its games to its other media endeavors and what things look like heading into the looming 2026.

An interesting take from Strauss Zelnick that we are headed to a PC future may mean that Xbox is right? But will it be the leader...

In a week full of news, Valve perhaps delivered the most shocking one with the announcement of a Steam controller, a VR headset, the Steam Frame, and the return of the Steam Machine. Can the new, more powerful, and proprietary versions of these devices finally spark a living room movement for PCs? Could this actually be in retail stores? And how much does this hurt Xbox being beaten to the space?

The Game Awards 2025 Nominations are out, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the way with 12 nominations, including for Game of the Year and both of the Indie GOTY...

In just one week, both officially and unofficially, Sony may have signaled that they, too, are looking towards the future with the PlayStation 6, and they've done so by fully unlocking Cloud Streaming on the PlayStation Portal as well. Is the PlayStation Portal now the best value in all of gaming? Plus, could Sony truly be exploring Cross-Buy with their PC Games? Or even introducing a PlayStation PC Storefront? Sean and Marc discuss what this could mean for PS6.

We are also doing a special segment this week discussing the 10 Games That Define Us. How many RPGs are going...

It feels like it just never ends with Xbox in the news, as hot off the heels of the major announcement of HALO going to PlayStation 5 with HALO: Campaign Evolved, comes some news that a Halo 2 and Halo 3 version of the same may also be in development. Plus, some news on the canceled HALO MMO that never was, and how is Don Mattrick involved? Sean and Marc discuss, plus Sean has some highlights from the latest ID @ Xbox showcase, and is gaming competing with movies and TikTok?

Nintendo, of course, has been all in the news, whether it...

A big announcement was expected during the HALO Championship Series, and it certainly delivered, as one of the worst-kept secrets in gaming finally became real: the HALO Combat Evolved remake has evolved into HALO Campaign Evolved. Where all of the story levels are remade in Unreal Engine, a new set of prequel levels is added with Sgt Johnson and Master Chief, and it is also coming to PlayStation 5. Set to make its series debut on the console at some point in 2026. Does Sean feel anything for this?

Also, Sarah Bond echoes the sentiments of console exclusives being old...

The future of the Xbox platform is real, as the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are out in the wild and the reviews are all over the place. And while Sean and Marc have not been able to use it themselves, there is a discussion to be had about the various impressions from others about the device and if it could ever get to a point of delivering the true PC/Console Hybrid experience.

Sean also played the newest release from Xbox and Double Fine Studios in Keeper. Marc is playing some Redacted games, but...

Next-gen console rumors are certainly simmering, as both PlayStation and Xbox have had news emerge regarding their potential console or console-like device, potentially releasing as early as 2027. This may mean we get more compelling real news even in 2026. But is it too early for next-gen? Or does it just seem that way? Do we even need Next-Gen as soon as 2027? Sean and Marc discuss this and more.

Compound this with news from Circana about the number of games the majority of gamers buy, and it is yet another telling story about why things may be the way they...

The inevitable has occurred for Xbox gamers, as now the "Best Deal in Gaming" Xbox Game Pass Ultimate skyrockets up in price by 50% to $30 a month in the United States, and even more in other regions. PC Game Pass went up to $16.50 as well. The question now is, is it still worth it? Well, the rush to cancel Game Pass was big enough to crash the cancellation page. Is this the sign of the end? Or is it once again a lot of grandstanding to wind up returning? Sean and Marc discuss their thoughts on the situation, and could Call...

Just when you think it may be a great week to celebrate games, here comes a huge gaming business deal that has the potential to change the fortunes of a major gaming publisher. Announced on Monday, EA was taken private for $55 billion by the Saudi Arabia Private Investment Fund and two other private investment firms. Sean and Marc discuss what this could mean for EA, its employees, and could some of EA's big franchises could go down in the wake of this.

There was a major gaming convention this weekend in the Tokyo Game Show, which featured a...

It feels like deja vu has hit all over again, with Microsoft announcing yet another price increase on Xbox consoles. Is it really all about macroeconomic conditions? Should we be concerned about what the next-gen Xbox console will actually become? Do Sean and Marc have concerns that there could even be one at this rate? And why haven't Microsoft revealed the price of the ROG Xbox handhelds yet, with less than a month to go now before they go on sale? At least there's some positive news about Xbox Game Pass for once, maybe?

On the Sony side...

Nintendo surprised with an announcement of a 60-minute Nintendo Direct that happened on Friday, and boy did they have some things to announce, including the title of the next Mario Movie being Super Mario Galaxy, a new Fire Emblem game, the release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and a heck of a lot more. Sean and Marc discuss their favorite things from the Big Direct. Was it Fire? Or was it a bit of a smokescreen?

Also, Nintendo was awarded a patent in the United States for summoning a monster to battle for you and there's concern this...

After years of waiting and anticipation building for its ultimate release, Hollow Knight Silksong is FINALLY out, and Sean has played at least the first few areas. How is this game for newcomers to the series? Does it make it easy to get into the flow of things? And how long does it take to get difficult? (Not very long).

Once again, Xbox Game Pass is under fire this time from former Xbox executives who are concerned about its effects on first-party developers and what it means for returns for the actual game makers compared to what they...

Apologies for being a day late, as the Labor Day holiday delayed the episode. But at least there's plenty to discuss on this episode, mainly PlayStation, as a leak has surfaced from the reliable Moore's Law is Dead, stating that the PlayStation 6 Portable could be available at the launch of the console and will be presented as its own unique SKU, and not tied to the console like the PS Portal. Is this forward-thinking by Sony? Or could this become another Series S-type situation? Sean and Marc discuss it all.

Also, does the departure of the Fairgames Creative...

Post Gamescom 2025, there are even more games coming soon, whether it be this holiday season or beyond into 2026. Perhaps the most anticipated title of all, Hollow Knight Silksong FINALLY has a release date and its soon on September 4. Is this giving Sean and Marc the itch to play the first one again? Are they excited about the game? And will it deliver on all the hype?

Sean's also been playing Mafia: The Old Country, and Marc's also been checking out Donkey Kong Bananza, WWE 2K25, and has his first thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2 as well.

...

On a day we don't normally do an episode, Sean and Marc discuss the Gamescom Opening Night Live event and which announcements they are excited about from the show. But also, was it something you really need to go out of your way to see?

Plus, PlayStation 5 price increases in the USA, Shawn Layden says prices should already be $80 because they should have increased with each console generation, The Kirby Air Riders Direct, Helldivers 2 and HALO ODST are getting a collab, and much more on this shortened episode of Video Games 2 the MAX

You can also...

Well, it was an interesting week for gaming with Nintendo unveiling their latest Indie World and the prize of that showcase was assuredly Mina the Hollower, and the best part was that a demo was availabe immediately, so Sean gave the game a whirl and he's defintely excited for October 31 to get here quickly.

Also, Sony has fantastic PS5 sales, essentially putting them right in line with PS4 numbers, while their CFO makes some interesting statements regarding live service games and a "movement away from hardware and towards creation" that got hardcore gamers all kinds of nervous.
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The beginning of a new month brings with it a sense of excitement about what lies ahead, while also putting the previous month's issues in the rear view. However, for Nintendo, there's one thing that seemingly will not go away, and that's the controversy regarding Game Key Cards. Physical game collectors like Marc are not happy about the half-measure that allows third-party publishers to save money, while somewhat providing a physical version of the game. Sean wonders if it really is as big a deal as everyone's making it out to be.

Also, the duo also discusses the...

In a week full of news, there are standouts from each of the big three. A job listing includes Sony, multiplatform, and both Xbox and Nintendo? What's this all about, and does it really mean Sony is going to join Microsoft in bringing more of its games to more places? Or is this really just an extension of the live service initiative? Sean and Marc discuss the possibilities and do PlayStation fans need to get ready for the console wars to truly be meaningless?

On the Xbox side of things, a major about-face comes as a surprise as...

It's safe to say that Sean has gone Bananas for Donkey Kong Bananza as he has impressions of the first weekend with the game. How fun is all the destruction? Do the transformations make it even better? And does it deserve the Game of the Year hype it is already getting?

There are plenty of other things, mainly from the Xbox and Ubisoft side. Xbox adds games and features, along with perhaps even greenlighting Fallout 5 already? But did it come at a high cost? Sean and Marc discuss. Ubisoft also finally made it official with their first "Creative...

After the shock of last week, the fallout from the major Xbox layoffs continues in a figurative and literal sense. It's come to light, thanks to Video Games Chronicle, that there are multiple Fallout Games in Development from Bethesda. But even with this report, can we have any faith in Microsoft and Xbox that these games will even come out? Why sales data for the last few months may cement the direction Xbox takes.

Also, the Ghost of Yotei State of Play showcased how the game differs from Ghost of Tsushima, while it also retains many similarities to...

The warning was given by many last week, we discussed it, and on Wednesday, it happened. Microsoft 9,100 employees were laid off across all departments, with a sizeable chunk coming from the Xbox division. Sean and Marc discuss the fallout of it all, which includes the cancellation of Rare's Everwild, the closure of The Initiative studio, and the subsequent cancellation of its game, the Perfect Dark Reboot. There's even more, including the incredible downsizing of the Forza Motorsport studio, Turn-10 as well.

Is Game Pass to blame? Is it the push towards AI? Is it mismanagement from executives? Has...

We are officially at the halfway point of 2025, so of course, this means we need to take a look at the year so far and discuss our Best Games of 2025 So Far, with Sean, Marc, and Randy Isbelle coming back on for this episode.

Perhaps the biggest reason for having Randy on this week is that the sequel to one of his favorite games, Death Stranding 2, has been released, and Randy gives the lowdown on what's new and if it is even better than the first game. Is this Hideo Kojima's new masterpiece?

Also, is Xbox...

In one of the more jam-packed weeks of news in recent memory, between PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, there is a lot for Sean and Marc to get through in this episode of Video Games 2 the MAX.

This includes Sony reportedly being interested in acquiring not only HBO Max and the major Warner Bros IP, such as DC, Harry Potter, but also the gaming assets like Mortal Kombat, the Batman games, and much more. Could this finally give Sony its chance to have an even greater influence in so many industries, and does it really make sense for this...

In a week where neither Sean nor Marc has a lot going on the gaming front, they look towards the current to try to examine the future. PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox are all having success in their own ways, but which one is the ultimate winning strategy? Could it in fact be PlayStation? Sean and Marc discuss it.

Also, aside from PlayStation's business summit news, there's also major news on Nintendo Switch 2 sales, along with announcements for the next Nintendo Direct, and an update to Splatoon 3.

Plus, Borderlands 4 will be $70, Sony Bend suffers layoffs, FBC Firebreak...

We are back once again as Summer Game Fest winds down with perhaps the biggest one of them all, the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. Did it take the crown as the best showcase of the entire event for the third year running? Or did it come crashing down with a wimper? Sean and Marc discuss the games and if the unveiling of the Xbox ROG Ally and Xbox ROG Ally X can provide enough to convince gamers to buy it?

The duo also discusses their favorite games of SGF, and Marc talks about his time playing the Suikoden 1 & 2 HD...

The Summer gaming showcase season has arrived in full force with a full slate of video games and streams to go through and discuss. There's also the unique situation of an entire new console launching during the same week, and both Sean and Marc do have a Nintendo Switch 2 as well.

The guys go through their early experiences with the system. How is Mario Kart World? Is it good or bad that there's been a lot of comparisons to the Switch 2 being a Switch Pro? Does the system deliver on what they wanted? Also, is there any improvements...

This is it, the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 happens on Thursday! Some people already have the console, while the majority (including Sean and Marc) are awaiting June 5 to see if the console will arrive. In the meantime, the guys have their crystal ball predictions for the console. Will it equal the Switch 1 in terms of staying power and sales? Which Nintendo franchise will be the most talked about with this console? Will we still be playing Switch 2 in eight years?

Additionally, EA cancels yet another game and closes another studio, with this time's cancellation including the untitled...

We are merely two weeks away from the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and as the date grows ever closer, the shining light of the Switch 1 as Nintendo's premier console grows dimmer. So, in celebration of over eight years of handheld to TV excellence, Sean and Marc give out their Top 10 (and maybe more) Best Nintendo Switch 1 Games.

Also, the Elden Ring A24 Movie is real, PlayStation ditches its Stars, Xbox teams up with Ant Arcade for Retro Classics, everyone is having a June gaming showcase, Marc's beaten Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Sean's been playing Nice Day For Fishing...

One of the biggest releases of the year, DOOM The Dark Ages, is out, and Sean's been playing it, but best of all, we have a guest, Krafty1111 from the Video Game Happy Hour podcast, on to discuss his thoughts on the game as a big DOOM fan. He's also been playing Clair Obscur Expedition 33, and he joins Sean and Marc to discuss his thoughts on that game, too. 

Also, after an impressive full fiscal year financial report put things in great light for Sony and PlayStation, came more dower news in regards to their live service efforts w...

As is per usual with recording on Mondays, big things tend to happen the day right after recording. Such was the case with Rockstar putting out their second trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI after announcing their over one-year delay of the game to May 26, 2026. Sean and Marc discuss their hype levels for the game after what was shown and the subsequent information drop on the characters as well. Plus, will it come out on that date next year? Or does it get delayed again?

Also, Nintendo adjusted its user agreement in preparation for the Switch 2 launch with...

A week that at first seemed a bit lacking in the news dept suddenly skyrocketed with a mixed bag of announcements from Microsoft including everything going up in price from consoles, accessories, and games to a positive quarterly earnings, and even Gears of War 1 Reloaded taking the series to PlayStation for the very first time.

Then came the (not so) shocking news that Grand Theft Auto VI would be delayed to May 26, 2026 (and even this date is tentative) as one of the major pillars of "Survive to 2025" is now gone. Will the imminent launch of the Nintendo Switch 2...

In a week where two massive RPGs dropped on all consoles and PC (bar Switch), one of them being the much-leaked Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and the other, the much hyped indie title Clair Obscur Expedition 33, although both have received their fair share of praise, it is the game from Sandfall Interactive's 30-person team that has garnered the major discussion with critics and users giving the highest scores we've seen this year. Could it wind up being the Game of the Year? Sean's been playing it, and he has some thoughts that may indeed echo that sentiment.

...

Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Orders are back on for the United States and Canada with pre-orders going live in the USA on April 24 at varying times depending on the retail store. Now with the Mario Kart World direct done, are Sean and Marc preparing to stay up and get the Switch 2 at launch? There's also more news on the Switch 2 Key Card carts, a price raise for Switch 2 accessories, and the guys discuss whether Shuhei Yoshida is right. Has Nintendo lost its identity? Or is this just a case of they had to do Switch 2?

Sean has been playing the...

Bungie revealed quite a few things about their next game, Marathon, on Saturday as promised. They showcased some gameplay, cover art, gave some creators hands-on time with the game, and even gave us a release date of September 23. Considering everything that's on the line for Bungie and Sony with this, it feels like they are doing their best to make this Extraction Shooter stand out. However, there's a looming decision that hasn't been made, one of cost to consumers, although rumors suggest the premium pricing will be $40. Is this too much for a live service game? Or is this fair...

Politics has thrust Nintendo in a difficult situation when it comes to releasing the Nintendo Switch 2 in the United States, as pre-orders will no longer go live on April 9 in the USA and instead due to the ongoing issues surrounding tariffs which affect the production of the Switch 2, we have no idea when pre-orders will occur for the US side of things, as Nintendo intends to stick with the June 5 release date for now. At least there's more news in the form of Treehouse lives and other interviews Nintendo has done concerning the system. So Sean and Marc discuss all...

It finally happened we received all of the big information for the Nintendo Switch 2 including the price, the price of some of the games, the launch lineup, and some of the launch window games including a new 3D Donkey Kong game.

Sean and Marc are joined by Randy Isbelle for this special episode where the trio talk all things Switch 2. Will they actually use the C (chat) button on the system? Are the specs and mouse controls enticing? What about running games at 120 FPS? What about the games that were shown? Are they getting the system at launch...

Finally, after a three-week break, Sean and Marc have returned with some video games to discuss, including Assassin's Creed Shadows, Split Fiction, and Xenoblade Chronicles X are the major ones.

There's also a lot of news to get through as the guys sift through the major notes of the weeks they missed on the eve of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. They have thoughts on the Xbox Project Kennan info and could this truly be the trojan horse that gets their console to matter again? Plus a whole lot of other things too.

You can also watch...

Warner Bros gaming division continues delivering terrible news as of late, and this week was perhaps the worst of them all, as the decision was made to close down three of its studios, Player First studios, and WB San Diego, both leading and helping on the soon-to-be delisted Multiversus. They also continued by announcing the cancellation of the recently rebooted Wonder Woman game, and with it came the shutdown of Monolith Productions. Who's to blame? And where does the bleeding end for the AAA gaming space?

Microsoft also made a much quieter announcement with the newest head of...

As one of the year's first major AAA releases inches ever closer with Monster Hunter Wilds, Sean and Marc delve a bit into the indie space as they discuss the latest ID @ Xbox showcase and the Annapurna Interactive showcase as well. Were there any games that stood out? Any that got them super excited for their eventual release? Sean certainly has quite a few from both. Could Neowiz be hinting that Lies of P: Overture is co-op?

Also, in a quiet week for gaming news, Microsoft made some waves by introducing their A.I. gaming tech called Muse...

Phil Spencer also appeared on one more podcast that was delayed from the Developer Direct week, as he gave updates on Everwild, Double Fine and reiterated the strategy for Xbox as far as Game Pass, games going to PS5, and more with the Xbox Era crew, is there any way for them go back to the old way of doing things?

Also, Sean has thoughts on the Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Demo, Ubisoft lets us know not much is coming from them in 2025, Crytek suffers major layoffs, Elden Ring Nightreign gets a release date and...

An unexpected event occurred early on Saturday as Sony's PlayStation Network went down for around 18 hours leaving many without the ability to play even their single-player games unless they'd remembered to set their PS5 or PS4 as their primary console beforehand. The inability to read licenses essentially left anyone wanting to play digital games twiddling their thumbs. Should everyone be singing the praises of physical media now? Or could this make Sony further lessen the PSN requirement for PC games? Do you fear the all-digital future? At least Sony seems to be taking down a lot of the Spam games. <...

Another wild week in Video Games with another move in the "no fences and no red lines" from Microsoft as Forza Horizon 5 the multiple award-winning title from Playground Studios, is headed to the PlayStation 5, and you can go wishlist it now. At this point, does it even move the needle for those like Sean and Marc, who witness this every day? But it certainly seems PlayStation players are excited and that's what matters in the end.

Speaking of Sony, they made some moves at the top by promoting a new CEO of all of the company and also...

Microsoft and Xbox hit heavily in the last week with their annual Xbox Developer Direct showcasing their three known games and also announced the surprises of Ninja Gaiden 4 with Team Ninja, Koei Tecmo, and PlatinumGames, and the shadow drop of Ninja Gaiden II Black as well. Is this the best edition of the Developer Direct? How excited are Sean and Marc after seeing more on these games?

Phil Spencer also did a few podcast interviews in which he both cemented and reiterated the direction of Xbox going forward, could this "everything is an Xbox" actually end up working...

After all this time of waiting, the leaks were right, the Nintendo Switch 2 was officially announced on Thursday and it is certainly a bigger Switch 1 with some cool features such as the magnetic attaching joycons, what looks like joycons that can be used as a mouse, and Mario Kart 9 shown as the lone game. Does this satiate Sean and Marc for now? Is April 2 too long of a time to wait for more information? And does this change their thought on when the system releases?

Also, Sony made waves by canceling another set of live service games. Including...

It's almost that time, the dawning of a new Nintendo console era is upon us, maybe? This is according to Nate the Hate who has a good track record with these things, the Nintendo Switch 2 is imminent as of this week, with a date of Thursday, January 16 being given for the full reveal. Although it is only expected to be mostly a hardware-focused showcase, if it is like the original Switch trailer, some games could be teased. Sean and Marc discuss if we'll finally see Switch 2 this week, what games could appear in the trailer, and more!

Microsoft...

With 2025 literally one sleep away, we look forward to an absolutely packed 2025 slate of video game releases and give out our Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2025.

We also address the two major elephants in the room: the Nintendo Switch successor and Grand Theft Auto VI. Without a doubt, the Switch successor will release in 2025 but its a matter of when? Sean, Marc, and Randy attempt to make their best guess at the actual date and also at some possible launch games too.

Will Grand Theft Auto VI actually release in 2025? That's a big question that has...

We are at the end of 2024, and it was quite a weird year in video games with a tremendous amount of varied and wonderful games released around a torrid industry full of layoffs, studio closures, and controversial decisions. And as is usual for our show, we will talk about some of the bigger news stories from 2024 in video games, but this special episode is here to showcase and discuss our favorite games of the year and ultimately rank the Top 25 Games of 2024.

Randy, Sean, and Marc will join together as we review the overall list, discuss our personal...

Welcome to our last regular episode of 2024, as we are so close to another year ending and 2025 beginning. Speaking of that, Nintendo looks to start 2025 on an amazing high note by finally announcing the long-awaited Switch successor. However, before we get to that, Sean and Marc go through Nintendo's 2024 and what is there to make of what feels like a whole year of waiting for information on hardware. What were the stand out games? Are any of them up for Game of the Year? And what are the latest rumors about the Switch 2?

Also, SEGA had one heck...

The Game Awards celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and delivered some huge surprise announcements, awards, celebrities, and more. Last year had quite a bit of controversy, did the 2024 version rectify this? And which games are Sean, Randy and Marc excited about?

There's plenty to discuss and review from the event, including whether this is the best edition of the Game Awards. Sean certainly thinks so, as this version of the show could be the magnum opus of what Geoff Keighley wants this gaming celebration to be.

You can also watch this episode in video form...

In what has been a tumultuous year for Ubisoft already, the company delivered more bad news over the last week as not only are they sunsetting their live-service title XDefiant, a game that has been long-rumored to be in trouble on its own, but Ubisoft finally delivered the finishing blow and also issued several layoffs at studios involved in making the game as well. With more rumors swirling about Tencent and the Guillemot family talking about a buyout it feels like Ubisoft is in some real danger of having even further repercussions come down the line. Is there a way...

Although we didn't intentionally mean to take a week off, things fell in a way that forced us to, but at least it was only one week. At this time, Sony has made a few announcements and moves that may make for an interesting 2025 and probably beyond. Sean and Marc have quite a bit to talk about from the last few weeks.

Sony has sent a letter of intent to Kadokawa Corporation for possible acquisition. If the acquisition actually happens, Sony would become the majority owner of the company and, by extension, a majority owner of From Software...

Earlier today Geoff Keighley announced the nominees for the various Game Awards 2024 categories including Game of the Year. Sean and Marc discuss the nominees for several of the awards, who they think could win, and also bring up the biggest controversy which is the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC being included in the nominations for not only several awards categories but also GOTY as well. A special guest may even join in the discussion too.

Also, Phil Spencer had a lengthy interview with Bloomberg in which he discussed several topics, including an Xbox handheld that is...

In an interview with Famitsu, Toshihiro Nagoshi, a former SEGA director who was pivotal at RGG studio, which works on the Like a Dragon games, says that the "era of game size" being pivotal to a game is coming to an end. Although it doesn't seem to be the case with the amount of large-size games still releasing in 2024, but could this be true in the near future? Could the size of a game's world finally not matter?

Also, thanks to recent live-service failures such as Suicide Squad and now Multiversus it seems as though Warner Bros Games...

Unfortunately, this week is the culmination of a previous problem for Sony, as the company officially decided to put the final nail in Concord's coffin and subsequently close down the studio that made the game, Firewalk Studios, along with mobile game developer Neon Koi. Sean and Marc discuss who should share the bulk of the blame if it means Sony needs to abandon the live service push entirely. Is there a franchise that lends itself to mobile in Sony's catalog?

Also, Sean's been playing the Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster after never playing the series at all. Is this...

The biggest release of the year as far as industry sales is here in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and it also makes its debut on Xbox Game Pass as well. As a result, Sean has played a fair portion of the campaign and he has impressions of it so far. He's also been playing Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered which he can now speak about and guess what? It's just as good as the original just now looking better. Marc is also almost done with Metaphor ReFantazio as well.

The duo also discuss their thoughts on...

The bombardment of game releases continues, and it does not seem to be going to let up anytime soon. Although there are plenty of new games on the horizon, the glut of remakes and remasters seems to have become a larger piece of the gaming pie in recent years. Does gaming have a remake/remaster problem? Or is this a symptom of the greater issue with so much uncertainty in the industry? Where do Sean and Marc stand on the number of remakes/remasters coming down the pike? Is there a preference for how they do them?

Sean's...

The heaviest month in the calendar in terms of game releases rolls on as Sean and Marc try the best to keep up with the heavy hitters. Marc has impressions on Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, Silent Hill 2 Remake, Metaphor ReFantazio, and a big release from last month, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2.

There's also news from all over the place including Nintendo releasing an Alarm Clock called Nintendo Alarmo, Xbox Cloud Gaming getting a huge boost with game purchases and games you purchased becoming playable next month, Xbox gets a new studio head in Rare boss Craig Duncan...

Late night on Sunday during the Halo World Championships a surprise video debuted showcasing a project from 343 Industries that showcases what Halo could look like on Unreal Engine 5 as they officially make the move away from the Slipspace Engine used in Halo Infinite. They also announced multiple projects are in the works and that 343 is now called Halo Studios. Sean and Marc discuss all of this, does this give them hope for the future of Halo? And can Halo regain its flagship status as the premier franchise for Xbox?

Also, Marc's been playing the Silent Hill 2 Remake that...

Tokyo Game Show has come and gone, and aside from Nintendo and another big publisher, pretty much everyone you would expect showed off at least something to be excited about. Whether it is the PlayStation State of Play, the Xbox streaming show, the Level-5 show, Capcom, Square-Enix, or more. Sean and Marc discuss some of their favorite games from many of these showcases with specific emphasis on the PlayStation and Xbox ones.

The big publisher alluded to is Ubisoft who suddenly canceled their TGS live stream and then news came out that Assassin's Creed Shadows has been delayed...

Sony finally unveiled the big promotions for the 30th Anniversary of PlayStation this past week and does it ever look enticing. Sean and Marc celebrate a bit themselves talking about the reveal, if they may pick up any of the accessories, and also give out their Top 10 Best PlayStation 1 Games at the end of the episode.

Before that though, there are more current PlayStation matters to attend to, as Sony announced that a State of Play is happening on Tuesday afternoon. There are already rumors swirling about what could be announced. The guys discuss a few of the...

Mark Cerny revealed the PS5 Pro last week and it was met with an immediate reaction of excitement and then an immediate shock at its retail price of $699 (USD) and even more in other regions globally. Not to mention, the extra cost of the vertical stand and the disk drive as well, adding an extra $110 to the price if these are things you absolutely need. What do Sean and Marc think of the announcement? The price? Is it worth it? Will they be getting one?

Sean and Marc have both now completed Astro Bot so they have full...

Must Play Games are the rare title you'd encourage anyone to check out. A game that defines its generation, or perhaps even goes past that and could be classified as genre-defining or maybe even an all-timer? These are the sort of labels that Astrobot has garnered over the last week and Sean's been playing it. So he of course has some impressions. Does it live up to that crazy level of hype? Does it deserve all the accolades? Should you go out and buy it for your PlayStation 5 right now? (the answer is yes!)

Sony is all but...

The fall release season is officially upon us as starting from last week up to December there's a steady stream of major video games releasing for everyone to discuss, preview, review, or whatever. Sean and Marc kick off the fall season with impressions of Visions of Mana, the first brand-new game to hit consoles in the series in nearly two decades. How does it stack up? Should you pick it up if you are a Mana fan? Do you have to play the others to play this one? Marc's also been playing Star Wars Outlaws and he has some major...

Gamescom 2024 is fully in the rearview mirror, but the announcements don't stop coming as Nintendo is set for an Indie World and Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase very soon. However, Sean and the returning Marc Morrison take a look back at what was announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live and if there's anything they are excited about from the show. Not to mention, also going through some of their favorite announcements from other events around Gamescom.

The one more thing for Opening Night Live was actually an Xbox title, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle, being announced directly for...

With this episode hitting right before the looming Gamescom where there are sure to be a myriad of game announcements, release dates, and gameplay previews galore, there's been quite a bit of this happening in the week leading up to it. Sean and Randy discuss some of the games that are coming between September to November, and some games that have been delayed too.

Not to mention, the release of one of the year's biggest titles, at least in yearly sales, Madden NFL 25 is out, Sean's played it, and he gives his impressions. Does it eclipse the much...

In an out-of-nowhere situation, Hi-Fi Rush Survives being shut down along with the studio that made the award-winning game, Tango Gameworks, as the publisher of PUBG and Callisto Protocol, Krafton Inc., has purchased the IP and studio from Microsoft. Essentially, it saves the studio and invites its former employees to return as well. Sean is joined for one more week by Randy Isbelle to discuss the surprising news, if a Hi-Fi Rush 2 without much of its dev team could still live up to what made the first game so beloved, and what else could come from this studio?

...

In our latest episode, what has been a rather sour week of gaming with major layoffs in two different gaming industry sectors, amid more disappointing figures for Xbox on the Console side, games not selling well enough and yeah... just less than wonderful news in general. Sean is joined by Randy Isbelle on this episode to discuss all of these things, and also actual video games too.

Firstly, Bungie is in some major trouble as the company once again lays off employees, seems to be losing more autonomy, not to mention, suffering from internal mismanagement in its scope...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 07/29/2024 *

The advent of digital gaming has been a great convenience and has opened up so many different avenues for gaming to thrive, especially when it comes to indie games. However, this also means that entire stores can be shut down once the console's lifecycle has ended. Such is the case for the Xbox 360 digital store, leaving around 220 games that are now no longer playable at all that are digital only. Not to mention, the games...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 07/22/2024 *

For 11 years, college football fans have been without a video game to call their own, and a court case effectively made it impossible to create a licensed CFB game. However, after three years of development, last week, EA College Football 25 became a reality, and with its release an outpour of hype and emotions swept over the nation as gamers and CFB fans could now go play as their favorite squads or alma maters yet again...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 07/15/2024 *

Has the day finally happened when Xbox Game Pass is no longer the best deal in gaming? Sean and Marc discuss Microsoft's big decision to not only raise up the price of their subscription service but also elected to remove Day 1 Games from their middle tier and make it exclusive to Game Pass Ultimate. Will gating away Day 1 games provide the FOMO purchase that Microsoft hopes it does? Is the prince increase a deserved one...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 07/08/2024 *

It's National Video Game Day so why not discuss one of the biggest things happening to the medium and that's the surplus of adaptations. Sean and Marc rank their Top 5 Most Wanted Video Game Adaptations, which can include unreleased TV shows or movies that are known to be in development, or we can delve into our bag of hopefuls and put in some video games that have never seen the big or small screen outside...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 07/01/2024 *

It is yet another week in Video Games and the summer of Elden Ring continues as Marc has been playing more of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. However, this week he's also been playing the Director's Cut version of another game he enjoyed very much, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance.

In other news, Nintendo has a stocking plan to stop the potential of resellers and bots from buying up preorders of the...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 06/24/2024 *

It is finally here the long-awaited DLC for the smash hit Elden Ring called Shadow of the Erdtree has arrived for everyone to buy, download, and play. Marc has put some hours into it and he has some thoughts. Is this the new defacto game of the year? Is this perhaps the best DLC ever? Is the criticism of some of the bosses being too hard fair?

Also, Nintendo had one that could...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 06/17/2024 *

Just ahead of a looming Nintendo Direct comes this week's edition of Video Games 2 the MAX where Sean and Marc discuss some older games that may finally be coming out like Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster, A Quiet Place game, and the Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition.

Also, would Astrobot be just as awesome without all of the PlayStation nostalgia? Todd Howard says he's in no rush with Fallout 5 and Starfield is getting...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 06/10/2024 *

Well, the Summer Game Fest weekend of showcases has officially come and gone. And they certainly were a mixed bag of goodness.

Geoff Keighley kicked things off and delivered some interesting games, but wound up being much more indie-focused than it has been in years past. Did this wind up being a better show because of it? Or is it a big reflection on the industry itself this year? Also, do the encouraging...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 06/03/2024 *

In the calm before the storm week, Sean and Marc discuss the PlayStation State of Play that occurred last Thursday and how it is a mixed bag once again. The big game we discussed in the previous episode was announced in the form of the PlayStation 5 Astro Bot title, but the rest had varying degrees of excitement. 

Also, PlayStation reiterated some of its strategies right before the State of Play in terms of P...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 05/29/2024 *

Hopefully, everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend. This wasn't the biggest news week but at least there are a few things to talk about including Microsoft finally confirming that Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will be coming to Xbox Game Pass. Could this be the spark plug that helps liven up the service? Or is this a huge risk at possibly diminishing the cash cow in the first year of owning it?

...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 05/17/2024 *

This week is packed with news from all sorts of gaming channels. Let's see if Sean and Marc can even get close to touching most of it.

PlayStation made some big moves at the CEO level and announced 59.3 Million PS5's sold. They also might have a surprise Horizon game and even get more Xbox games too.

Details have surfaced on the next Assassin's Creed game officially called AC Shadows and...

This week in gaming showcased a bombshell announcement from one of the big pillars of the industry. Microsoft and Xbox announced the closure of three Bethesda studios and the consolidation of another one. Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog, Tango Gameworks, and Roundhouse are all gone. Although some of the employees will be put into other places or studios, many of these wonderful developers are now out of work.

At what point do figureheads start to carry the blame for all of these bad decisions? How does anyone have any trust at all in Xbox moving forward? Should Xbox just...

This week saw a quieter period for gaming with everyone still catching up on the deluge of games released in the last few weeks and also some showcases highlighting upcoming games too.

Marc has now been playing Stellar Blade and makes up for Sean not getting to make any progress in the game this week. With Marc having more familiarity with the Souls genre how does his opinion differ from Sean's last week? Is Stellar Blade a hit for him too?

Also, Square-Enix announced a massive loss due to content abandonment losses totaling $141 Million. What does...

Gaming season has arrived at the end of April and the guys have some games to talk about on this episode of Video Games 2 the MAX. Sean's been playing Stellar Blade Another Crab's Treasure, and Tales of Kenzera Zau, and Marc's been playing No Rest For the Wicked. Quite a bit of Souls on this show.

Also, Blizzard announced they will not have Blizzcon in 2024. Is this really a big deal? Or does it say something about not having really anything major to showcase?

Plus, Embracer Group spits into three, Xbox financial figures cause a meltdown...

As we await the big game releases of next week, there are a few minor ones that have already made their way out to PC and Consoles. Sean's played Stop Motion narrative wonder Harold Halibut and the Final Fantasy XVI Rising Tide DLC. Does the Rising Tide serve as a seemingly fitting finale to FF16's content? Is Harold Halibut another indie darling that everyone should play?

There's quite a bit of video game adjacent and actual video game news to discuss, with Nintendo providing a brand new Indie World and Sean has a few favorites to be...

* Apologies for the audio version coming out a little later than usual. Sean had some family matters to attend to. *

This week saw the premiere of the Fallout TV Series on Amazon Prime and Marc has binged through it all, while Sean has watched the first few episodes. So the duo discusses their impressions of the series that's already received the greenlight for a second season.

Also, this was a week of announcements, trailers, and lost possibilities. As the Star Wars Outlaws Story trailer released to much aplomb and wonder, but does it have the guys...

We are now fully into April and as we wait for the big games coming at the end of the month, there are some demos out for some of them. So, Sean has some Stellar Blade Impressions to share on this episode. Along with that, he's also played two versions of the Saga: Emerald Beyond. As well as a beloved game that was released bout a month ago in Unicorn Overlord impressions too. Marc is also just enjoying more Granblue Fantasy Relink.

Some details have dropped on potential games for the June Xbox Showcase including a long-awaited Gears 6...

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is so massive Sean had to bring in five guests to break down their thoughts on various parts of the game including The Ending and where we go from here into Part 3. So, if you didn't catch the title, there will be SPOILERS for the game on this special edition of Video Games 2 the MAX.

Sean is joined by the man who loves Bad Brackets Randy Isbelle and two members of The Outerhaven crew in SithScott and Andrew Agress (also, Andrew reviewed Rebirth for the Outerhaven.) Plus, you have freelance writers Hayes Madsen (he...

After a week that saw some big releases and exciting announcements, we have a week of interesting announcements, and more layoffs, Gearbox is free from Embracer Group, and Phil Spencer has a big interview talking about Xbox. Sean and Marc discuss it all in this edition of Video Games 2 the MAX.

Phil Spencer had an interview with Polygon while at the Game Developer's Conference (links further below in the description) where he speaks about all sorts of things including wanting PC storefronts like Epic Games and Itch.io on Xbox, the cost prohibition of exclusives, a potential Xbox...

A huge week in gaming with some major releases all occurring on the same day and also big gaming news with GDC and PAX East happening this week as well.

Right before recording Square-Enix had their Final Fantasy XVI: Rising Tide DLC panel and they gave some new info on what we'll be doing in the DLC, an all-important release date and so much more! Sean tries to go through the gist of it, probably much to Marc's chagrin.

Although the guys aren't playing any of the big games just yet, Marc did finally get to...

It's another week in gaming and another week of Video Games 2 the MAX as Sean and Marc are near the end of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, (actually, Marc beat it before we started recording), so the guys have some more thoughts on the game (without spoilers).

And something that will help FFVII Rebirth look even better is a PlayStation 5 Pro as more rumors abound about the specs and insides of the future version of the PS5. Could 4K 60 really be a thing for consoles very soon? And will the guys think about maybe getting one?

Plus...

Sadly a huge loss was announced to the world late Thursday/Early Friday with the passing of the legendary Akira Toriyama. The creator of Dragon Ball undoubtedly leaves a huge legacy not just in the Manga/Anime world, but also in video games with his character art for Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon among others. Sean is joined by Marc and The Outerhaven's SithScott as they discuss what Akira Toriyama meant to them, their origins with Dragon Ball, and more.

Scott also discusses his thoughts on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth as Sean and Marc have progressed...

This week has been absolutely incredible in showing the duality of the games industry at the moment. Two giants of video games, Sony and EA both have layoffs within a day of each other, closing studios, and echoing the same refrain of needing to reassess their strategies going forward. Embracer Group entered an agreement with Sabre Interactive so they can be owned by private investors. Borderlands studio Gearbox could also be sold off, and Toys for Bob, makers of Crash Bandicoot 4 and the Spyro Reignited Trilogy enter into an agreement to go independent from Activision-Blizzard-King.

Oh yeah, and...

It is nearly upon us, the moment Final Fantasy VII fans have been eagerly anticipating, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is mere days away. Sean is joined by Gaming Trends Writer at Inverse Hayes Madsen. Hayes has reviewed and played the full game already ahead of its official release.

In this SPOILER-FREE discussion about the game, Hayes gives his thoughts on the new additions, what's improved from Final Fantasy VII Remake, does going open-world make this everything we've ever dreamed of for FFVII? Hayes' favorite mini-game, what is so awesome about the new card game Queen's Blood, anything that...

This was a week of anticipation for the industry focused more so looking forward to two major games that are coming in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Not to mention, Nintendo finally dropped that Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase as well.

Sean and Marc discuss all of these things, how reviews are shaping up for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, thoughts on the Elden Ring DLC Trailer, and also on the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase.

They've also been playing some games, with Marc having some Helldivers 2 Impressions, and also can...

Randy Isbelle joins Sean and Marc on this week's big episode, as Microsoft had its business update and wound up announcing four games will be coming to other console platforms. And while they did not announce which ones they are, reports are already out there that namedrop Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, and Pentiment as the four coming over. There's also new console hardware being worked on and even announcements coming in the fall regarding a possible mid-gen thing. Should this be enough to calm the fears? Or is this just the start of a whole new strategy for...

This week has been a whirlwind of rumors, speculation, and reports centered around Microsoft's possible direction for the future of Xbox as a brand, as a console, and what that means for the gaming world in general. Gaming social media imploded so crazily that Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer had to reveal a business summit is occurring next week that will cover this.

Sean and Marc discuss this possible major change to gaming, will it really be all that bad? Is it a big deal if Xbox no longer has any "true exclusives?" does this mean that it...

This week, Sony graced us all with a rather lengthy PlayStation State of Play showing off the promised games such as Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin, but also delivering a few surprises such as an almost 10-minute look at Death Stranding 2 among other announcements. Sean and Marc give their thoughts on the State of Play and if they are more hyped about anything that was shown than they were previously.

Also, Marc has been playing quite a lot of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, as he traverses through Hawaii with Ichiban and friends exploring the beaches...

In a total shocker, the first big move from Microsoft acquiring Activision-Blizzard-King becomes 1,900 employees being laid off. Many of them involved Activision-Blizzard employees and also Xbox employees leading to a 9% cut in Xbox's total gaming division among all of their studios. They also canceled the Blizzard survival game, "Odyssey" due to the engine being used to make the game being far away from being ready, and the game being many years from release.

Sean and Marc attempt to do their best to discuss the story, the statements, and the aftermath, was this all really inevitable? Could something have...