Let me preface this by saying I am not a puritan. I like gambling… as a concept. I don’t think it should be promoted or normalized. It sounds hypocritical to some, but to me it’s like a smoker saying smoking is bad for you. They’re not wrong, in fact they have firsthand experience– It’s when they act like they’re better than you while they’re doing the same thing you’re doing. I am on no high horse here. I just think the standards have dropped to my eye level.

When content creators gamble there are more often than not safety nets. The most egregious of it was back when ProSyndicate and Tmartin, two big Call of Duty youtubers, started uploading videos about the big wins they were getting on a Counter Strike skin gambling site they happened to come across in the wild and later it turned out they were the co-owners of it and rigging it in their favor. It was 100% an outright scam.

I don't think it's been as blatant since then. It's grown more subtle over time. The common practice nowadays is to get your spending subsidized by the owner of whatever it is your gambling on. As an example: I know for certain Raid Shadow Legends used to give you a spending budget on top of the sponsor money so you could gamble in front of your audience and they would reimburse you after the stream. That was 4 years ago in 2021.

In 2023, two big streamers, XQC and Nick “think of the children” mercs openly admitted that they get paid to gamble on sites like Stake while they stream.

And one more safety net that most people probably realize is there, but maybe don’t internalize it is that any money a content creator loses when they gamble is also made back through the platform with subs, donations, and ad revenue. It wasn't too long ago when opening magic the gathering cards for content became popular and for as much money as someone like MoistCr1TiKaL might spend on buying packs he's easily made all of that back.

Same thing for Nadeshot who just days ago spent $40,000 opening cs:go cases. It was an article about him that inspired this video. While he did lose $40,000 he has over 30 thousand twitch subscribers which would be $75,000 if he had a 50-50 split. I imagine his split is much better than that so he’s probably made well over $100,000. Plus, he's getting donations and running ads. Hell, if they wanted to, Charlie or nadeshot could just auction off autographed card sleeves or skins for triple or quadruple what the bad rolls are worth.

Gambling in a traditional and modern sense is a flourishing business and content creators are intentionally or unintentionally part of the marketing branch. So the reason I don't like it when content creators gamble is not because I'm a puritan but maybe because I'm a purist. Or just a sicko. Something is wrong when I'm saying the problem with content creator gambling is that its not actually gambling.

And I think I dislike gambling in gaming even more than traditional gambling because it has no taboo, no hard age restrictions, and it looks far more appealing to get into than an opium den under a restaurant in Little China town. You shouldn’t be able to gamble from the comfort of your own home. You should have to go outside to gamble. That’s my Boomer Take

And I am pushing back against this idea that gambling has been normalized in everyday society. An idea suggested by Optic Methodz streamer for Optic and owner of betterdaysahead where they sell streetwear and promote mental health awareness. I can’t make this up.

“Gambling’s everywhere. I can’t get away from it. I go to sports bars, sporting events, Vegas, it’s even my subscriber notification. Not a movie theater. Not a sushi restaurant. Not a theme park. Not a club. Not a hookah lounge. Not a library. Not the beach. Unless you have a gambling app on your phone It’s not everywhere.

But I wouldn’t expect someone from OpTic Gaming to think otherwise, it’s kind of engrained in the organization’s culture, they just went through a rumored gambling scandal a few months ago, and they are partnered with FanDuel a gambling app. What a coincidence I think that’s him right there on Fan Duel’s website. A gambling app. The kind you put on your phone and take everywhere.

I’m not saying that when content creators gamble it's a scam or that it's rigged. I am not attacking these individuals. Mostly, I think it’s funny. I am merely using them to illustrate points and inform people that when big content creators gamble they have little to no chance of actually losing in any financial sense. There is basically no risk. Which if you’re anything like me, then hearing that be laid out kind of helps demystify the appeal and makes it less likely for me to get into. And it is not as normalized as they might say. Do what you want with your money. I just want you to have the chance to do it responsibly.

Culture is a process. It’s a constant blending of old ideas and new ways of thinking about them.

Counter culture is a routine and natural part of culture. It’s what shifts us into the next stage. Forever we go shifting between God, self, and nothing. God, self, nothing.

The internet has changed this, for better or worse. There is no longer a monoculture.

Back in ‘98 Sinatra suffered a heart attack and made it to the hospital in record time because everyone was at home watching the finale of Seinfeld. Nowadays, entertainment is breaking all kinds of metrics, some I’ve never even heard of. All Time Concurrent Monthly Users. Highest Median Average Height of Audience. But none seem to make an everlasting dent in our zeitgeist, let alone our driving conditions.

I think part of that is because everything is available now. Evergreen and nevergreen. Why watch a new movie in theaters when I can get it on a streaming site (or pirate it) later? Why watch it later when I can just watch Suits again? If nothing has an expiration date then what’s the rush?

Maybe you feel like you’re stuck in a cultural purgatory. Especially if you’re 25 to 45 years of age, too old for the entertainment industry to bother with you and too young for politicians to pander to you. You’re not a youth or an elderly, the two groups of people with more money to spend than damns to give.

It feels like nothing’s happening for ya. And therein lies the detail my friend. Everything’s happening, but not for you. Before, so few things were happening, everyone crowded around the same thing. You could take a passive stance. You didn’t have to look for culture because a coworker, friend, teacher, or barber would compulsively hand it off to ya.

Now, my barber has his own playlist of “classic” 2000’s tunes. The librarian asks me if I’ve played Call of Cthulhu (2005.) Maybe I should acquaint myself with younger strangers, you think. They’re not too far removed from high school. Any younger and I’d be in places you shouldn’t be going without a kid of your own.

What to do then but slowly melt into a puddle of cultural ennui? Take an active stance, says I. No one wants to feel like finding joy is work, but it beats the alternative of having no joy at all. The whole world is your oyster but it ain’t gonna shuck itself.

Have I got a wager for you. You know the rules. I say how well I think a game will do. You say how well you think a game will do. We’ll see who gets closer after release.

White Knuckle is a first person climber because you don’t have enough anxiety in your life. You’re trying to escape what appears to be an industrial rock climbing gym made of concrete and steel—And do your best ignore the sludge slowly filling the room or the tentacle shaped shadows creeping up the walls beside you.

Focus instead on the titular clammy pale hands in front of you. Hands which grow redder and shakier the longer you use them without a break until they eventually give out. It’s all so simple yet oh so effective. I had to wring the sweat out of my mouse and keyboard a couple of times.

If we were to stop right here, I’d bet the house on this game, no questions asked. The atmosphere is oppressive. The immersion is impressive. Climbing games in general seem to do fairly well right now, ranging from what people might consider slop streamerbait to snob journobait.

There’s Getting Over It with Bennet Foddy or A Difficult Game About Climbing and Chained Together to name something more recent. Asset-flipcore at its finest.

On the other end there’s Jusant and the upcoming Cairn. Therapy on the rocks.

We can even expand from there and add Mount Your Friends, Jump King, or even Celeste to leverage my point that people seem to enjoy games about difficult ascents, but it really has to dig deep into the human core in some way or another, be it with outlandish humor, obscene tedium, or even a deep melancholy.

Anecdotally, off the top of my head, the climbing games that didn’t do so well are the ones where the emotional extremes were subdued like in Surmount or Valley Peaks, which has as much emotional tension as listening to the Lumineers while going up an elevator in Autumn. (Yes, that is me recommending the demo.) I don’t think it’s the cutesy art that did them in, as I believe Bread and Fred was received rather well and it’s just as vibrant while still being a relationship stress test. You can be cutesy, and colorful, but it seems cozy climbing is a no go for now.

But is it possible to go too far in the other direction when talking about White Knuckle? There’s already the usual level of terror one would expect from a brutalist free climb, made even more tense by the sight of your reddening hands. Palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, and to make matters worse there’s Mom’s Spaghetti. That’s the pet name I’ve given to one of the monsters in the facility. For you see, this first person climber is also a horror game. Difficult to say how that will be received. Most climbing games figure the climb is stressful enough without more PvE elements, and most horror games tend to be designed with the less dexterous in mind. More horrifying perhaps is the fact that there are combat elements as well.

I feel it’s all too easy for combat mechanics to step on the toes of other mechanics. Take Tunic for example, a rich mind tingling isometric metroidbrainia, like the original Legend of Zelda with more emphasis on puzzles. 10 out of 10 in every respect except when it comes to the combat. Filter Tunic’s steam reviews by Negative Only and it’s like reading eulogies someone would give after having to put down their gran for biting someone. Likewise, Scorn, a meaty HR Giger wetdream of a gorish puzzle facility, had the same issue. Great atmosphere, tension you could taste, so-so puzzles, questionable price tag, a few odd bugs that softlocked the game, and combat that felt out of place with the rest of the game. Luckily, the horror game crowd seems to be more forgiving.

But even then at least you could take every game I mentioned so far at your own pace. White Knuckle has an ever rising well of sludge, adding a speed running layer of stress. What I’m trying to get at is that not all tension is the same. Just because someone signed up to get slapped doesn’t mean they’re ready for whips and chains.

Add on to that one more mechanic that will have people wanting to whip or chain you to the walls, roguelike elements. I like roguelikes and roguelike accessories, but most of the time I don’t like how they are implemented. Here, I’m conflicted, because I feel the whole appeal to a climbing game is to overcome a struggle and make progress. From a social aspect climbing games are a shared experience. People want to gawk at you. People who also played the game will want to see you fail and succeed like they did. “Woah, I didn’t know you could do that.” “Oh here’s that part that took me 3 hours.” And for the sake of progress, these games also have soft check points. Once you get to a certain location, there are usually other parts of the map that will prevent you from falling all the way back down, unless you really mess up.

But in White Knuckle, while the overall shell is about the same, the handholds change around. The items spawn differently. The monsters spawn differently. And if you die, not because you failed at climbing but because the sludge caught up to you or a monster grabbed you, then you die and it starts all over. You don’t even get the satisfaction of a salty runback because the map will have changed. BUT, this does offer more replayability at face value, which might make it more appealing in this economy than a static map like say Peaks of Yore.

Now, this last bit is a doozy. From appearances, White Knuckle will be released in early access. I feel this once again compromises that shared sense of achievement. Did you climb Mt. Everest before or after the patch notes? Or maybe again this will make people more willing to play an ever changing climber. Like one of those rock climbing treadmill thingies. This is uncharted territory, and I feel like this game has a solid enough core that’s worth betting big. The emotional extreme is there. Other games in the genre tend to do well. This game’s closest point of comparison is probably Lorn’s Lure, and that did rather well. However, I am expecting conflicting sentiment. I’m betting White Knuckle will get the sales to be a huge commercial success, but I’m expecting the steam rating to be, not Overwhelmingly Positive, but Very Positive at best. Part of me even sees a world where this only ends up as Mostly Positive, but I’m feeling optimistic.

What say you? Over or under?

Let’s play a game called Over/Under. I say how well I think a game will do on release. You say how well you think a game will do on release. Let’s see who ends up being closer. Today’s game is: Moroi

Claymation at its most curious and unsettling in that “eugh, I really should look away, but I can’t help myself... I can’t help but stare, kinda way.” It’s brutal. It’s beautiful.
It’s a point and click adventure until it’s not, then it’s a hack-and-slash, but both of those elements are merely two slices of bread for this dark fantasy sandwich. It’s hard to tell where this haunting humorous hellish story will end up. I’m not even sure where it began, as the main character has amnesia. Evidently you’re paying for sins forgotten and if the punishment fits the crime then I want to find out what I did to deserve eternal damnation in a Henry Selick x Rammstein production.

In my opinion, this stinks of potential cult classic status with broader mainstream appeal on the fringes. It’s dark and grotesque, which can generally be off putting to some, but like a flame to a moth for the “that’s so metal” demographic, who are a bit underserved these days with all the colorful cyan and magenta games at the Triple-A, Double-A, and indie level. Low supply, moderate to high demand, is always a good sign when you’re entering the market.

And it’s not crass or tasteless. I do find it off putting at times, but there’s a sense of purpose. I’m reminded of when Mr. Miyazaki was giving art direction for the Undead Dragon in Dark Souls, and the first design draft was of a dragon covered in maggots and other gross things. Then Miyazaki handed it back and said “This isn’t dignified. Don’t rely on the gross factor to portray an undead dragon. Can’t you instead try to convey the deep sorrow of a magnificent beast doomed to a slow and possible endless descent into ruin?”

Which makes sense, because if you’re trying to be gross, the conversation ends at “YUCK.” But dignity in suffering makes you think. Makes you wonder. The lighting, the character design, the environment, the color palettes, everything has a rhyme and a reason beyond my understanding, and when a developer does that it creates a form of reverence, almost. It puts you in a different mindset, like you’re hearing a story by the campfire. You’re in what I would call “lore mode,” knowing what you’ll receive is closer to improv and its about the showmanship. You want to know what it means, but you’re ready to accept that you may never fully understand the mythos, and that is one hell of a safety net for creative writing, making the recipient fill in the blanks for you. If there are gaps in the story or dodgy narrative bits, the player won’t assume bad writing, just more madness in a mad world. I think it’s better for a player to leave wishing there was more story than less. One’s a complement and one’s a cry for help.

To finish off, I mentioned this game has potential for wider appeal, and I think it’s because it is filled with uncanny mature themes presented in a traditionally juvenile way. It’s the Courage the Cowardly Dog appeal. Watership Down. Felix the Cat. The Secret of Nimh. Coraline. Redwall. For some reason, I find brutality feels toned down when it’s presented as a cartoon or claymation, and this in turn makes what’s happening on screen feel even more sinister. So you diminish the visceral reaction to turn away while increasing the uncomfortable intrigue which draws people in. And if it’s not that deep, bro, at the very least it’s got a unique yet familiar stylization of Diablo 2 in clay that tends to attract the artsy crowd as did Judero and Harold Halibut, both done in clay, or Scarlet Deer Inn which is stitched by hand. The “games are art” crowd love this kind of stuff.

Final answer: I’m expecting this one will do numbers. I’m sensing an “overwhelmingly positive” review rating on Steam which it might keep. It might not because as the game gets more popular and reaches outside of its target demographic you’re more likely to get more negative reviews from people outside of the intended audience.

Any takers? Bigger hit? Bigger flop? Over or Under?

We who enjoy video games would love to think that with great games comes great return on investment, so why doesn’t everyone “just make great games?” Enough with the live service bells and loot box whistles. Just make a great game. Unfortunately, it’s a little more complicated than that, and the reason lies in another question. “Who’s going to pay to make these great games?”

I’m not talking about after it’s on the shelf. Cause you and I know, gamers will pay for a great game after it’s released.--Sure, there’s kickstarters. There’s pre-orders. But the vast majority of gamers pay for a game after it goes up on the shelf. I’m asking who’s footing the bill to put the game on that shelf? Who’s paying studio overhead? Who’s paying 50 or so developers for three or four years. Who’s greenlighting pitches written on napkins in mustard? Investors. Venture capitalists. Someone’s gotta pay to get the ball rolling.

But most aren’t brave enough to put down hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars, on a project that may not come out in under 4 years and even if it does it may not do well at all. Hell, from a business perspective, games don’t even have to be great. They just have to be profitable, and for that they have to be more than just games. There’s a crooked line of history, trauma, and wrong lessons learned that’s cemented this line of thinking. And to show you, all I’m gonna need is a quarter

The Crash of ‘77

The arcade machines and the first generation of home consoles came about in the 70’s because advancements in microchip technology made manufacturing them a lot cheaper. At the time, the success of a video game and the success of the video game system you used to play them were inseparable. Literally, most first generation consoles came with the games built into the system. If you wanted to play new games, you had to buy a whole new console. Due to the success of Atari Home Pong there was a surge of investments into home consoles– real, bootleg, and knockoff alike. There was more demand for microchips than could be supplied, and then the inevitable happened. The second generation of consoles released in 1976, and these models innovated by separating the game from the console. Now, you didn’t have to buy a whole ‘nother console, just new games. Great news for the gamer. Terrible news for anyone who invested in the older models that were now obsolete. A lot of these companies couldn’t get rid of the excess fast enough. They lost a lot of money. Many died or abandoned the space entirely, and that was the video game crash of 1977.

But how’s about a second crash?

The second generation of consoles didn’t sell all that well. The market stagnated for a few years until Atari licensed Space Invaders for a home console release and raised a pulse again in 1980. You’d think investors would’ve learned to manage expectations and not inflate their own market, but instead they learned the wrong lesson. They figured, consoles were the mistake. It wasn’t the oversaturation, the overspeculation, the bootlegs, the knockoffs...none of that. Between video games and consoles, it was clear that video games were the true selling point all along.

Before 1979, console manufacturers made their own games. Then Activision got big. They didn’t make consoles. They just made games. Their success popularized third-party publishing and competitors started to flood the market with low quality video game cash grabs funded by venture capitalists who gave money to businesses that didn’t know how to make video games.-- How that consistently happens is a conversation for another time. This, again, led to another surplus and waning demand. This time plenty of people saw the iceberg coming. Make no mistake, plenty of people at the time saw the iceberg coming. They could’ve slowed down and redirected, but instead companies like Atari decided to crank the engines to ramming speed. They feared they would be drowned out by all the noise in the market, so they increased production on their end. By 1982 there were at least 50 different companies flooding the market with somewhere around 100 to 200 million cartridges. Way too much supply for such little demand.

The results were disastrous, but not just for console and video game manufacturers. The distribution chain was also severely disrupted. Retailers who overstocked found themselves unable to get rid of the excess sludge. This led them to sell the trash fodder games at a massive discount and skewed the public perception of gaming from a premium product to a cheap trinket. The stigma stuck in the west. Investing in video games and video game consoles was taboo. Many video game companies involved in either console or video game production went under. Some, like Activision, retreated and regrouped away from consoles and found solace in PC gaming. Investor perception shifted once again. It’s not that personal computers were better for video games. It’s that personal computers were safer for video games than consoles, because a PC is more than just for gaming. It’s for music, video, socializing, doing your taxes, buying furniture, etc. Diversification is attractive to investors, because one section’s failure doesn’t lead to a complete crash. To attract money, the gaming industry had to be about more than just video games and video game consoles.

It’s a me

Nintendo didn’t sell video games or video game consoles. It sold FamiComs, Family Computers, which were intentionally redesigned and renamed for an American release. Reminiscent of a video cassette tape going into a VCR, you’d shove a cartridge into a Control Deck (not a console), close the cover, and game in sweet denial on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Their success continued to solidify the “more than just games” attitude. The original PlayStation had to be pitched as the “world’s first virtual reality system” in the mid 90’s because some of Sony’s head bosses feared it was a “toy” that would tarnish the brand. By the 2000’s these family entertainment systems were competing for the living room space and got Microsoft into the mix with the Xbox. Not because Billiam Gates wanted to make video games, but because he didn’t want the competition encroaching on his personal computer turf. They fought on hardware. They fought over features. On the land. On the beaches. And, yes, games were fought over as well with exclusive rights, so it was about the games, but it wasn’t about the games. It was about the all-in-one media machine.

To help better understand this, think of McDonald’s. It’s a massive fast food corporation but what grew it into an empire was when Ray Kroc focused on buying and renting land to people who wanted to franchise a McDonald’s restaurant. He wasn’t in the burger business. He was in the real estate business. This is where we, quality focused individuals chime in, McDonald’s wouldn’t have grown at all if the burger was bad to begin with, so you do need to have at least a decent product to go from 0 to 1. But it’s everything else that takes you from 1 to 1 billion. Likewise, the video game industry was doing business in tech, marketing, distribution, etc. Investments stayed modest, barring a few outlier events such as the dotcom bubble and a recession. But even through all of that, it wasn’t until around 2013 that the big money started rolling in.

Here comes the money

Let’s pull out some video game stock market charts. See how many of them go “business as usual, business as usual, care to see an impression of a mountain?” What happened here? Well if the gamer logic follows that just making good games brings in the big moolah then this must be when the good games started getting made. All the games after 2013 are miles above in quality. Is that what you’re saying to me? You like microtransactions, bud? Here’s another graph. This light blue line tracks interest rates on business loans. The lower it goes, the cheaper a loan. It’s not about quality. There was more money for venture capitalists to blow around 2013. And blow they did.

It was around this time that there were a lot of people in the video game industry who made a living by networking and connecting venture capitalists to projects they thought would double, triple, or quadruple their investments. History is a circle. A lot of these middlemen were sleazy, desperate to pay off student loans for their college degree in business, communications, marketing, or psychology–it’s always one of those four for some reason. We could use a few more engineering degrees in this space. They had no experience, just a couple of charts and a pinky promise that money would flow. And a few venture capitalists figured why not throw a little pocket money into the gaming industry, come back in a couple of years, and see if it did anything? The betting fad of the time was on esports, microtransactions, and mobile gaming.

Speculative investing is a monkey see monkey do affair and few investors are gorilla enough to lay down that first banana, but when they do you can expect more chimps will do it too. Around 2013 to 2017, microtransactions were put into more games and the mobile gaming market was making money hand over fist. Esports continued to scale, but no one was making back the money they were promised from esports and interest rates were rising again, so the investments stopped pouring in. You can see that reflected in the stock charts around 2018 to early 2019ish.

While some of the money left gaming entirely. Some doubled down on microtransactions and mobile gaming. Some diversified into NFTs, blockchain, mergers & acquisitions, and Mass Community Games (those are described as “games driven by online community play. Includes MMOs, MOBAs, battle royale, and metaverse games.)

Then the pandemic hit. Interest rates went down. Once again, there was more money for investors to spend, but more importantly there was more money and time for consumers to spend on video games. Profits skyrocketed. Investments poured in again looking for the next Fortnite. The next Roblox. Not because of the game, but everything around the game.

Then something terrible happened. Things went back to normal(ish). And now we have 5 and 10 years worth of information about all these investments. The esports bet turned out to be a dud. NFTs and blockchain turned cash into cringe. Live service gaming isn’t a magic bullet. Microtransactions and mobile gaming are still profitable, but alas the market is more regulated than it was 10 years ago. Games are less than “more than just games” than they used to be. No, we're not having matching strokes. There are fewer reasons for someone to invest or fund a video game besides the fact that it’s a video game.

Funding is shrinking. Some investors are only interested if a game will feature AI or follow the money to Saudi Arabia. Some studios are running out of cheap tricks and are going back to the old ways, smaller budgets, tighter releases, safe and modest returns. And some will die trying, unable to secure funding because the returns aren’t juicy enough like how they used to be in 2013. Because, for most investors, a game has to be more than just a game.

Instead, I provide free demo feedback to those daring enough to let me post it on a YouTube channel or a livestream. I also offer private feedback/consultations for games that are in a much earlier stage of development that can’t be shared publicly. We can work out a price based on the project, as some games are less demanding of time. If you’d like feedback for your game, email me at: frosttheother@gmail.com

There’s multiple reasons for why I do it this way:

I am naïve

Firstly, I am a fool who thinks every well-meaning developer deserves some kind of coverage, even as small as a tweet. Unfortunately, people like a discerning critic, especially for indie games. Double unfortunate, from my experience, a general audience wants to hear about great games, period. They’re also willing to hear about Triple-A games that flubbed the launch.

However, that same audience doesn’t want to hear about indie games unless the game becomes the talk of the town and you’re giving a glowing recommendation. My most viewed reviews to this day are both indies, Dredge (252k views) and Palworld(248k views).

From my experience as a content creator and a consumer, people tune out after you drop too many videos with games that aren’t noteworthy, and most games are not noteworthy. “Why would you waste my time to tell me I shouldn’t care about a game I already didn’t care about”

This is more fun for me, and hopefully for you

What I feel needs to be done instead is give viewers a reason to tune in besides a rundown and a recommendation. I think every game has something to teach. Something to learn. We get so bogged down with whether a game is good or not that we forget what makes games good or not. The hope is then, when someone sees a video of a video game they don’t care about, they can still expect to find some insight and introspection. I find my audience tends to skew more towards developers or people who are into that stuff anyways, so it’s a natural fit.

Conflict of interest

I didn’t order these in any particular way, but this has probably been my biggest hang-up. I like being involved in the game making process, be it voice acting, QA, writing or general feedback. But I don’t think it’s ethical for a reviewer to be involved in the game they’re reviewing. The “solution” that gets passed around is to just create separation. If you’re helping with a video game’s development then don’t review it. This is good in the short term, but the long term is hazy.

I do think reviewers and developers can help each other, but that leaves the consumer out in the rain without a relatable opinion. Everyone is biased and that’s fine, but interacting with developers, publishers, and PR skews bias away from the average gamer. Trust is a resource, and if your audience can’t trust you then you’re of no use to anyone in this field. So my two choices became: involve myself in game development but give up reviewing or separate myself from the game industry and stick to reviewing.

I think this is where more reviewers should be heading

There is no shortage of opinions on the internet, and all of it is in competition with itself. If being a good writer was enough to keep me in the running then I’d keep at it, but there’s other ways to get an edge that I’m, frankly, near incapable of. I have the bedside manner of a fresh corpse, I’m not easily excitable, and I come off as an obsessive junkie instead of a passionate hobbyist. These are not the traits one would want from a reviewer recounting their experience after launch, but that’s exactly the kind of person you’d want to hear from in the early stages of game development.

No video game sponsors

I don’t want to take money to promote games. It skews bias. I also think video game marketing is changing. We’re seeing more evidence that contradicts the idea that influencer marketing is worth the investment. A lot of indie developers are opting for the starving artist route and their last 20 bucks are better spent elsewhere. I’m keeping it non-endemic, video game adjacent. I’ve already found a group I believe in who are working to accomplish the same goals as me. If you offer a product or service that is not a video game and would like to talk then feel free to email partnerships@bellvines.com

All in all, it’s about trust. I acknowledge I used to review games. I don’t anymore. My goal now is to end up in the credits of your favorite game.

Original story here

To make a long story short:
-Pirate Software publicly responded on twitter to assert his belief that the DMCA takedown notice wasn’t unlawful.

-Mario Cerame, the developer’s lawyer, replied:
“The DMCA you issued was unlawful. You should review the demand letter we sent with an actual, US attorney. Not a person from Britain who is not admitted to practice law.” [sic]

-Mario is referring to Pirate Software’s head mod Khronos, who Pirate Software described as a “lawyer in copyright law.” However, Khronos is a British lawyer, and not an attorney. From my understanding: In the US, the words “attorney” and “lawyer” are used interchangeably. In the UK, “lawyer” is a general term for someone who has completed law school, but may not necessarily be licensed to practice law. Worth noting, the US and the UK have different free speech laws. Khronos may not be qualified to represent Pirate Software or make assertions about US law.

What’s new?
-Expanding the timeline and adding more details
-Excerpts from discord dialogue between Pirate Software’s head mod Khronos and the developer
-Excerpts from discord dialogue between Pirate Software’s head mod Khronos and Mario Cerame
-The formal demand Mario Cerame sent to Pirate Software
-The follow up letter Mario Cerame sent to Pirate Software

To make a short story long:
Brandon Ferrentino posted clips of in-game Pirate Software references to reddit on January 17 and January 20. Two of the three posts used clips of Pirate Software’s voice from his stream. Ferrentino then received a DMCA takedown notice on January 21.

That same day, Ferrentino submitted a support ticket to Pirate Software and his team. “I received a DMCA on steam and my indie game was taken down there is no content even related to pirate software on my game that is uploaded to steam.” [sic]

Khronos, Pirate Software’s head mod who he described on stream as a “lawyer in copyright law,” responded. Ferrentino asserts Pirate Software’s voice is not in the Steam marketplace version. Khronos says they believe they are well within their rights to file a DMCA takedown notice based on use of voice clips shown in reddit posts. Ferrentino asks why they DMCA’d the steam game if it was the reddit post they had issue with. Khronos does not respond to that and instead states “Under Steam Terms of Service, we are able to file this DMCA for the game as it currently stands. Published builds display this content within the game. You chose to publish that clip.”

Ferrentino asks “is that a published build?” Khronos posts a link to another reddit thread Ferrentino posted on January 17 titled “Pirate Software is now playable in my game.” (Note: This is an odd thread for Khronos to cite because this one does not have Pirate Software’s voice. It’s just an image of the wizard roach and the level icon.) Ferrentino once again states the version of the game with Pirate Software’s voice was not published on Steam’s marketplace. Khronos responds, “You published a clip of the game to this website and clearly stated that Pirate Software was playable. You have published news about your game about a build. It is a build, about which you have published information, footage or other details.”

There’s more back and forth between the two, with Ferrentino repeatedly interjecting that the Steam marketplace build does not have Pirate Software’s voice in it and Khronos holding firm that a version exists with Pirate Software’s voice and that’s enough to justify the DMCA takedown notice.

Ferrentino incorrectly assumed he was speaking with PirateSoftware’s US attorney, took Khronos’ statements as lawful representation, and said he would remove the voice lines and use voice acting.

Mario sent a support ticket and spoke with Khronos on January 22 where Khronos elaborated that they were a UK lawyer. Mario, being a free speech defense lawyer in the US, believes Khronos’ interpretation of DMCA and fair use was false, so Ferrentino’s agreement was not valid. Furthermore, Mario believes Pirate Software sent a false DMCA takedown notice for not doing his due diligence in accordance with Lenz v. Universal and the DMCA which could put Pirate Software in a “512(f) problem.” Believing Pirate Software did not have an actual US attorney representing him, Mario redirected his communication to Pirate Software directly.

January 22, Mario sent a formal demand to Pirate Software to withdraw his takedown notice within 24 hours. In the letter, Mario states his belief that the takedown notice was unlawful due to his failure to “engage in a good faith analysis of whether fair use applies before issuing a DMCA takedown notice.” He informs Pirate Software of his right to send another takedown notice if he would like, provided that it is lawfully issued.

Mario also elaborates that using someone’s likeness can indeed get you sued for misappropriation of likeness, depending on the state that you’re in. He cites two cases where a celebrity sued and won against corporations using their likeness in advertisements. But the important thing he notes is that “a claim of misappropriation of likeness is not the same as a claim of copyright infringement. It is illegal to use the DMCA for anything other than copyright infringement. Such abuse can inure §512(f) liability.” The applicable precedent comes through Lenz v. Universal where good faith fair use analysis is the duty of a person before they file a DMCA takedown notice.

Furthermore, Mario elaborates his involvement was because he assumed Khronos was a US attorney acting unethically and bullying a small developer, Pirate Software was spreading free speech misinformation to thousands of people, intentional or not, and because the developer was considering going ahead with using voice clips or a voice actor for his game. Pirate Software did not respond, but the DMCA takedown was withdrawn.

Due to Pirate Software’s silence, Mario sent a follow up letter on January 30. Pirate Software is free to ignore the letters and free to pursue a lawsuit if he wishes, but the purpose of the follow up was to note that Mario and Ferrentino reached out in good faith to have a discussion about the use of Pirate Software’s likeness in Idle Streaming Bonanza in a good faith attempt to avoid possible litigation or future claims. Mario believes that Ferrentino’s limited usage of Pirate Software’s voice clips or voice impressions would fall under fair use. He cites a case in which free speech’s constitutional limits were extended to state torts, another case in which fair use is applied to misappropriation of likeness cases, and another in which fair use for misappropriation of physical and vocal likeness is in a video game’s context.

January 30, Pirate Software responded to my twitter post with his public tweet. “The DMCA was absolutely not unlawful. We filed a DMCA in response to the developer claiming that he put my voice in his videogame in a playable build and he showed evidence of this on video via a Reddit thread.” “He was told by many others that doing this was not legally advisable and decided to move forward anyway in another thread he made about this here.” “When we filed the DMCA he then went on to state that this was all ‘Bait’ in an effort to boost his game. You can see this on his YouTube video here.” “We took down the DMCA notice as he reached out and stated that he would be voice acting the lines instead. You're spreading misinformation in a biased form to generate views. We've handled this through the legal route as is appropriate.”

What strikes me as odd is that Pirate Software has a background in game development and asserts (or Khronos asserts for him) reddit posts from an indie developer are proof of the existence of a live Steam build. Game development is an iterative process, and it’s common to have multiple different versions of a game. Anecdotally, I speak with a lot of indie developers who show off their personal builds on reddit or twitter, but it doesn’t always make it to the live client. Personally, I take issue with Khronos’ interpretation that a screenshot or video of a personal build counts as a “published build” that can be hit with a DMCA takedown. This interpretation would put Pirate Software’s own game Heartbound at considerable risk for false advertising since he streams and publishes VoDs of himself fiddling with his personal build of the game. But neither Khronos nor I are US attorneys so what do we know?

If one is to consider misappropriation of likeness for advertising then that’s its own thing, but not specifically copyright infringement, so the DMCA takedown is still unlawful. If one is to consider “false advertising” then that’s a consumer problem settled by different means– Although, it would be interesting to see where a court draws a line between shitposting and advertising.

There were also multiple steps Pirate Software could’ve taken before hitting the nuke button. That’s the issue. There’s no such thing as a preemptive DMCA takedown notice on a work that doesn’t exist on the Steam marketplace.

There are cease and desist letters which warn someone that they may potentially be doing something illegal and that you’ll sue them if they go through with it. There’s also the option of personally reaching out to the creator. If the reddit posts were an issue then ask the moderators to take them down or send them DMCA takedown notices if you were so convinced– I reached out to the moderators of LiveStreamFails and the head moderator informed me that, as far as they were aware, they had “no direct contact with Pirate Software or any of his moderators on anything to do with this subreddit.” I did not hear back from the moderators of the indiegames subreddit where the other posts were made.

If one is to consider the trolling and baiting angle, it’s still an unlawful DMCA takedown because he didn’t do his due diligence under Lenz v. Universal. The point of the due diligence is so you don’t send false DMCAs. I personally have no taste for the game’s aesthetic and theme, but I believe in creators making whatever they want—within reason. Parody and criticism falls within my zone of reason. That’s my reason for investigating the matter, not to “spread misinformation in a biased form to generate views.”

Brandon Ferrentino is developing Idle Streaming Bonanza. ‘Play as your favorite content creators like Mokipane, Asmondsilver, and CQX.’ It’s a streamer drama parody game where you match button prompts, watch the bits drop, and feed the brain rot. Each level is a time capsule of LiveStreamFail’s greatest hits. There’s Dr. Disrespect’s grooming allegations, Pokimane and her expensive cookies make a showing, and XQC being an odd dude as a reference to XQC being an odd dude. Ferrentino’s newest level referenced another big streamer named Pirate Software.

For context: Pirate Software is a developer/hacker gamer person who runs a ferret rescue, encourages people to get into game development, and boasts an impressive resume from working at Blizzard during its glory days to hacking for The United States Department of Energy. As far as nerds go, he’s seen as the cream of the crop, but some of that cream has dissolved due to…well it depends on who you ask I suppose. Some don’t like how he appeals to his own authority or misrepresents arguments when he’s in the wrong. Others don’t like how he doubles, triples, or even quadruples down when he’s in the wrong. And some don’t like the double standards he applies to himself and others when he’s in the wrong. It’s not the being in the wrong that people don’t seem to like, it’s how the how he mishandles it and how these events clash with his wizened role model persona people have come to know him for—that’s why I stress at every opportunity that I am a scumbag. It manages expectations.

The event Ferrentino chose to immortalize in his game referenced the Hardcore World of Warcraft raid drama where Pirate Software abandoned his team, referred to as ‘roaching out’, and was later removed for his behavior following the incident. The level is called ‘Irate Hardware,’ a wizard hatted cockroach squirms in a gaming chair, and a voice line from Pirate Software’s stream can be heard. “As much as you’re angry right now, of course I ran.”

Ferrentino then posted a clip of his game to the Live Stream Fails subreddit titled ‘He Put Pirate Software Drama in his indie game.’ In turn, Pirate Software issued a DMCA takedown notice to Valve. ‘This developer is using clips of my voice without my permission. As displayed on the developers[sic] livestream my voice is being used in this game. The developer does not have the right to use my voice.’ He included a link to the Twitch clip. The game was taken down.

Plot twist: the Steam version of the game didn’t actually have Pirate Software’s voice in it. The Twitch clip was of the developer’s personal build, not the marketplace build. Confident in this fact, Ferrentino filed a counter notice to get his game reinstated. He also sent a support ticket to Pirate Software and his team directly to tell them his voice was not in the game and he asked for the DMCA takedown notice to be withdrawn.

Mid-livestream, Pirate Software spoke about receiving the counter notice and expressed his intent to sue the developer. “Hey Khronos, we have to file a legal complaint against that dude earlier.” He mentions seeing the video on reddit. “...so I filed a DMCA claim and he has now filed a counterclaim against me. We’re gonna take you to court. You’re going to lose. You can not use somebody’s likeness or voice in any way inside of your games without their permission. So I’m going to send this over to Khronos now because he is a lawyer in copyright law. That is his job. Khronos, we have 14 days to respond to this (counter notice.) Forwarded. Welcome to the Finding Out timeline, bud.”

Brandon Ferrentino responded in a YouTube video and reiterated he did nothing unlawful on Steam. “I showed one video of a possible build or a concept and put it on reddit. What’s on my machine was not (on steam.) There’s no data in my game of him on steam. There’s no active build with him on it. So he’s chasing fucking ghosts.” “The only reason I’m fighting this is because he’s removing my game from steam when he’s not on it.” “He’s taking my game off steam when he…none of them (Pirate Software and staff) played the demo.”

Unfortunately for Pirate Software, it’s a case of being confidently wrong.

In America, we have very strong free speech laws. It’s the first amendment for God’s sake. This is not as cut and dry as “you can’t use someone’s likeness or voice without permission.”—although that does get spread around a lot, but you’d think people on the internet who use Twitch and YouTube would see Twitch and YouTube as enough evidence that there’s more nuance to the matter. You have to consider fair use defenses and good faith activities by alleged copyright infringers. This was upheld in the Lenz vs Universal Music Corp. trial in which a woman was hit with a DMCA takedown notice for using 29 seconds of bad audio from a Prince song in a baby video.

The final ruling on that matter: “Copyright holders cannot shirk their duty to consider — in good faith and prior to sending a takedown notification — whether allegedly infringing material constitutes fair use, a use which the DMCA plainly contemplates as authorized by the law.”

Pirate Software did not consider fair use. He didn’t even play the demo. If he had he would’ve known his voice was not in the Steam marketplace version of the game. Therefore, he sent an unlawful DMCA takedown notice, and that opens him up to be sued.

I asked Mr. Ferrentino if he asked Pirate Software or Khronos if they played the game. He said they responded, “That’s neither here nor there.” It’s very much here and there because beyond the existence of a perceived infringement you have to consider: What is the nature of the work? Critique, review, education, etc. Is it transformative enough? How much was used? (41 seconds.) How important is what was used? Does it have an impact on original market value? Is it misappropriating his likeness for an advertisement? It’s not as plain cut as: You used my voice. I didn’t say you could. Now I can sue you.

Now, I’m not a free speech defense lawyer out of Connecticut that steps in from time to time to help content creators pro bono when their freedom of speech is being impeded, but Mario Cerame is. And he says Pirate Software’s false DMCA takedown notice of Idle Streaming Bonanza was unlawful. Mario happened upon Ferrentino’s video talking about the false claim and did not like that someone with a large and impressionable audience was spreading free speech misinformation. He also did not appreciate the lawsuit bully tactics. I quote, “It pissed me right the fuck off.” So Mario reached out to Brandon Ferrentino and took him on as a client free of charge. He made a formal demand to Pirate Software’s team to withdraw the DMCA takedown notice within 24 hours, and it seems to have worked because the game is back on the Steam marketplace.

There is some charity that can be given to Pirate Software. He is a big streamer and big streamers rely on their mod team to keep things running smoothly, so it’s possible he relied on second hand information and thought his voice was actually in the game. I reached out to Pirate Software and Khronos for comment on January 24th and 25th respectively. I will update if and when either responds.

The only thing left currently is seeing if things end here between Pirate Software and the developer. There are consequences for false DMCA takedown notices, but Brandon Ferrentino and Mario Cerame would have to actively pursue it in court. Ultimately, in these cases the court fees tend to outweigh the damages, so who knows where this ends up. The two have said they will release a formal statement in about two weeks.

This isn’t about religion. It’s about people harassing game developers under the guise of religion. “Fire and brimstone!” That’s what He’ll do to gamers when he gets back from His milk run. Or at least that’s what the bible thumpers will have you believe. It’s not enough to ignore these people. They spore and spread and make life hell for developers far and wide.

From Pokemon cards to scantily clad protagonists, here’s all you need to know to disarm any crazed evangelical trying to tell you what can and can’t be in your video games.

They’re More What You’d Call Guidelines
The Bible is in chronological order and almost all of the early ‘rules’ get changed or removed. “The Bible says you can’t eat pigs.” That happens early on in Leviticus, the third book. That rule goes away way later on in the New Testament book Acts.

Early on in the Old Testament, God and His chosen people weren’t getting along. The apple, the flood, the golden calf, smite, smite, smite. Over and over this went until eventually God said, okay okay the day will come when I make you a new deal and I’m going to make it really simple this time. This time every single person will be responsible for their own sin.

Fast forward to the New Testament and God sends Jesus down to set the record straight on the rules and to carry out the new deal. Rule 1: Believe in God and accept Him with all your heart. Rule 2: Love one another. Do those two things and you will earn a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. And with his crucifixion, the deal was sealed.

That’s it.

In fact, the people Jesus did have beef with were fake evangelicals who preach about God and his old laws but didn't follow them. The people who virtue signal religion for money, clout, or power. He chased them out of the temple.

The OG Live Service Game
Christianity has a problem, specifically with churches. Most of what people are taught about the religion comes from its churches. They make most of their money from tithes and donations, so people with money hold more influence. However, the goal of a church, as per the Bible, is not to keep the same people locked in, but to teach them to stand on their own. But then people leave.

Some churches tried telling people they’re monsters. You better show up on Sunday, Saturday, Wednesday, Friday, Thursday for good measure, and throw in Monday and Tuesday just so you can have even the slightest chance of avoiding eternal damnation. You suffer because you deserve it. People got tired of this.

Some churches tried telling people redemption is simple. God loves you. All you have to do is believe and love one another. This one is harder to maintain, because if people don’t have to be in the church then they aren’t donating and the church dies.

Some churches pander and build echo chambers. The world is evil, but not you cause you’re in the cool kid’s club. This one’s a winner. It has just the right mix of being able to feel good about yourself and having something to be afraid of. It’s manipulative.

Then people take these teachings and hostilities out into the real world. Pokemon cards are the devil because they mention evolution. D&D is the devil. Video games are the devil. They just want to control your media—the thing they claim everyone else wants to do. Personally, I think Jesus would have gotten a real kick out of Doom.

Grand Theft Auto 6 Could Be $100 — and I Ain't Paying That.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is poised to be the biggest game in the world when it drops in 2025. But unless you’re gaming on console or willing to swallow the potential price tag, well, you might be out of luck.

$70, $80, $100—whatever it ends up costing, this game better raise my kids and tell my wife I love her. And let’s be real: I’m already bracing for the inevitable online chorus of “If you’re broke, just say that” or the classic, “With inflation, GTA 6 will actually be the cheapest in the series.” Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Whether those arguments hold water or not, it all comes down to consumer choices. And honestly? At this point, I’m not sure we’re ready to make the right one.

The Price of FOMO and “that” Audience

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m beyond excited for Grand Theft Auto 6. I want to dive in when the time is right. Rockstar knows how to deliver—a vast, engaging sandbox where the only limit is how fast you can finish the main story. I trust the process. What I don’t trust is the price tag.

Here’s the thing: I rarely see games justify their value at the $70-$100 price point. And honestly, if you can name five games beyond the traditional $60-$70 range that are worth full MSRP, congrats—you’re a whale in training.

This isn’t to say GTA 6 will be bad or subpar. If anything, it’s bound to be extraordinary. But that doesn’t stop my FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) from hitting the brakes. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the casual gamers who only dip into the occasional AAA release. If you’re one of those folks who plays Call of Duty or Fortnite once in a blue moon and happens to have disposable income? Take the hall pass and head back to class. Ignorance is bliss, and no one’s here to judge.

But then, there’s that subset of players—the ones who won’t listen to reason. You know the type:

• The ones who buy every sports game annually because they “need it.”

• The ones riding the hype train long after it’s left the station—because, why not?

• The ones who get caught up in console wars, defending their chosen ecosystem as if it’s superior… even though they pay for a subscription just to access online features.

• The ones who scoff at cozy or indie games because they’re not “real games.”

Respectfully, this group has only grown as gaming has become more universal. And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, I can’t help but worry that their habits, combined with Rockstar’s industry clout, will pave the way for an eye-watering price tag. A price tag that could send shockwaves through an already unstable industry.

Zooming Out: A History of Gaming Prices

Let’s zoom out for a second. Back in the ’90s, the standard price for AAA video games was $50. As a kid, that was way beyond my budget—but nothing a quick rental from Blockbuster couldn’t fix. Fast forward to the mid-2000s, and that price crept up to $60. Sure, it stung, but it became the standard for nearly 15 years.

Now, let’s add some context. In 2009, the federal minimum wage in the U.S. was $7.25 per hour—a number that hasn’t changed to THIS DAY. So, if you are working a minimum wage job now, buying a new game isn't impossible—it just ain’t the smartest long-term financial move.

Now it’s 2013, and Grand Theft Auto V entered the scene like the popular new kid on the block. The game smashed records with sales of over 32.5 million copies, not to mention the billions it raked in through re-releases and GTA Online over the next decade plus. Absolutely mind-blowing numbers, especially considering the massive appetite players had after GTA IV.

I know I’m throwing a lot of numbers and dates at you—stay with me, don’t scroll back to TikTok just yet.

By 2020, we noticed a shift. AAA games began launching at $70, justified as part of the new console generation. My wallet flinched. Hard. Meanwhile, the pandemic created a massive boom in the gaming industry, with companies hiring like never before. But that silver lining didn’t last—over 30,000 people in the industry lost their jobs shortly after the boom subsided. Again, this industry is loco.

Now we’re here in 2025, and analysts are predicting that Grand Theft Auto 6 could launch with a price tag of $80, $90, or even $100. I couldn’t tell you exactly why—but here we are.

I get it: development costs are skyrocketing, developers deserve livable wages, and maximizing revenue is part of the strategy. All of these factors impact the pricing decisions behind GTA 6 and keep the parent company, Take-Two Interactive, smiling.

But let’s be honest—it feels like a slippery slope when $70 becomes the new $100.

Not Every Developer Has the Sauce

Let’s not kid ourselves—not every developer has the sauce. And I mean that in the most blunt yet loving way possible. It’s easy to live in a bubble of delusion in the AAA space, but the last thing players need is for developers to assume GTA 6 has set a precedent for pricing. Just because Rockstar has the clout to charge $100 doesn’t mean they should and everyone else should try to copy and paste the results.

Sure, some studios know their limits—they’re aware that punching above their weight class would lead to disaster. But let’s be real: that won’t stop others from trying, only to fail and face the backlash.

From a consumer standpoint, we’re already dealing with the constant bombardment of special editions and deluxe versions that raise the barrier of entry to $100 or even $200. For some, that’s no big deal. But for players with common sense (and a backlog), our feet are firmly planted. And let’s not forget microtransactions, which continue to chip away at the online experience while reducing the grind.

Look, I’m not here to judge—just to glare in disapproval as you pay your way to the top. If you feel attacked, I’m sorry that you play sports games, but let’s be honest: you’re wasting your money.

Indies, the Price War, and the Future of Creativity

Here’s the other side of the coin: independent developers. Indie studios often rely on lower price points to attract gamers, offering smaller, creatively rich experiences that stand out in a sea of overproduced AAA titles. And honestly, who can blame them for wanting a piece of the pie?

But here’s the scary hypothetical: if AAA games climb to $100, what’s stopping indie games from inching up to $60? Suddenly, we’re in a price war that blurs the lines between AAA and indie, forcing smaller studios to fight for survival. And truth be told, I’m not sure who comes out on top—except maybe a handful of blockbuster titles and standout indie gems.

The real tragedy? We’d end up in a world where creativity is stifled, experimental games are few and far between, and the only releases generating excitement are recycled experiences engineered to minimize risk and maximize profits. Consumers and developers alike deserve better than that. Restricting both parties won’t lead to true progress—it leads to canceled projects, uninspired games, and the unfortunate closure of smaller studios.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It’s the film industry all over again—and we all know how that’s been going in recent years.

Let’s be real: the future's not set in stone.

Grand Theft Auto 6 could potentially be delayed. The pricing might be considered “normal” by today’s standards, and players could vote with their wallets, choosing to buy the game only when it hits a price point they're comfortable with. It’s essentially a roll of the dice, and everyone’s chips will fall as they may. Pricing structures will be set, and whether we love or hate it, we have no control over the price of admission.

Based on consumer perception and the sheer anticipation for the next entry in the series, I think it’s safe to say that GTA 6 will undoubtedly make a big splash, with ripple effects felt across the industry. I wouldn’t be surprised if a significant portion of the world called out of work or scheduled PTO just to play on launch day. No judgment here—press whatever buttons you want on your set-top box.

This prediction about industry pricing leaves me with a sense of anxiety. Personally, I know I’ll get around to the game when the time feels right. I’m not preordering. I’m not investing in microtransactions. I’ll buy it when I’m ready and let my dollars do the yappin’ when I’m comfortable spending them. Part of this is because I understand the value of a dollar, having grown up with barely a penny to my name. The other part is that my backlog continues to grow, and I already have what feels like an endless ocean of games to swim in. Trust me, we’ll all be fine.

I predict GTA 6 will be priced at $70, excluding special or collector’s editions. I’m sure Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive are taking every step to maximize profits without shooting themselves in the foot. If I’m wrong, then I’ll play the waiting game. Supporting something like this feels like too much of a gamble, especially when it has the potential to impact both the industry and pricing trends in the long term. At that point, I’ll fold.

Love,

willcblogs

-George W. Bush

January 19, 2025. Marvel Snap was Thanos snapped out of existence… in the U.S app stores at least. From the looks of it, the collectible card video game caught a stray shot from political power plays gone weird.

See, back in August of 2020 Trump wanted to ban TikTok alleging “national security reasons.” He claimed China could take the data of 175 million American civilians and use it to track Federal employees, and then take their data for sexy blackmail purposes or espionage. He also claimed China could use TikTok to spread anti-American propaganda while censoring all the naughty stuff China was doing.--Guess it’s not so fun being on this side of the two-way mirror.

Trump said to China, give full control of your apps to America or lose ‘em. Which is odd because if someone told me there was an app that could control and brainwash my citizens I’d throw it into the fires of Mt Doom. That’s the patriotic thing to do instead of haggling. Yes, we have trust issues here.

The CIA said there was no proof of any of this. But also TikTok was hiring former CIA, FBI, and NSA officers. I don’t know. Working intelligence for one country and then working intelligence for the “enemy” country is a strange resume. Burger King and McDonald’s have stronger anti-poaching clauses.

Anyhow…A lot of people felt this was just a political move to stir up anti-Chinese sentiment for his re-election campaign. Ryan Patrick, the US technical program manager for TikTok filed a lawsuit saying this was unconstitutional and Trump was being a big baby lashing out because people were making fun of the size of his campaign rallies. It’s okay Donald, yours is just the right size. The bigger campaign rallies hurt.

The lawsuits stalled the ban. We got a new Democrat president. Biden revoked Trump’s executive order with a few executive orders of his own. There would be no ban until after a formal investigation was done. This drags on and on until March 2024,--and don’tcha know it’s an election year once more. This time Congress and Biden agree TikTok should give up full control or be banned. According to this administration, TikTok was boosting “terrorist sentiment” and anti-semitism to make America look bad. But others criticized the US government, saying they were trying to hide pro-Palestinian sentiment during an election year.

Then Trump reverses his opinion on TikTok. Says he’s gonna save the app once he becomes President again on January 20, 2025. But TikTok gets banned on January 19 and an odd message is sent to Americans that try to use it.

“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned.” And then a few hours later the app was usable again. Technically this was in direct defiance of US law, so illegal.

The virtual card game is developed by Second Dinner and published by Nuverse, which is a subsidiary of ByteDance.

Well now this is quite the can of worms precedent being set here. As the CEO of Epic Games put it, what’s to stop any country from declaring a company as a national security risk and demanding control of it? It’s especially icky because part of the push for the TikTok ban was by Mark Zuckerberg who donated over $7million to influence politicians to eliminate or gain control of his competition. Welcome to the oligarchy. Care for a breadstick?

Not only that, part of the ban was clearly based on censorship. Rich people and American politicians, Democrat and Republican, don’t like it when the propaganda machine is pointed at them. They like it even less when it’s not propaganda, it's just the truth. And they like it even less when it’s an election year. In fact, in November 2024 Senator Mark Warner called out Valve, the biggest PC game marketplace, for giving a platform to extremist ideologies, based on research found by the Anti Defamation League. Worth noting, this was during the time the ADL and American politicians were doing that thing where they were lumping Palestinian flags with Nazi flags, so I’m a little skeptical of the data and the timing is all.

The United States has already added Tencent to a list of companies allegedly working with China’s military. That’s all it takes… one claim of a national security risk and there goes League of Legends or Path of Exile 2. As much as I chomp at the bit to label League of Legends players terrorists, what’s to stop other countries from doing the same to us? And all because the US government is choosing to brown nose billionaires.

But this could be juicy. At my time of writing Second Dinner has brought Marvel Snap back online and is working to get the app back into the store. They’ve stated they are swapping publishers and moving more of their operations in-house. Depending on how much this dented their revenue stream and consumer trust they could angle themselves for a lawsuit, because who wants to put time and money into a game that the developer can’t even guarantee will remain online? Second Dinner could come after Nuverse or ByteDance for not warning them Marvel Snap was going to be taken down. All three of them could maybe even pick a bone with someone in the US government for interfering with their business under false pretenses. If they lose enough money and goodwill I could see a lot of other developers and publishers shaking in their boots, lining up to push for legislation against political bullhockey.

Isn’t this fun? We wanted to keep the politics out of video games and now we have to take the video games out of politics.

Why is it difficult? Frankly, it’s boring and there’s too much of it. It’s not enough to open a window to air it out. You have to take out a wall and put on a show otherwise you’ll be left abandoned looking like a Well Actually Wally pointing at a Powerpoint about American History. Nobody cares. That’s the problem. You have to make them care.

Word on the street is DEI is ruining video games.

That’s five words with enough baggage to wear out the TSA.
I’ve got questions, and here’s the big three:
-What is DEI?
-What does it do?
-How does it ruin video games?

DEI stands for Doritos, Enchiladas, and Igloos. No it doesn’t, but you won’t be able to help yourself now.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is the real phrase.
What is it?

Diversity is easy to explain. It’s “One Love” by Bob Marley. It’s “Imagine” by John Lennon. It’s you, me, and all the people together regardless of race, creed, home planet, whatever. Background doesn’t matter.

Oh, but it does matter. The point isn’t for me to be more like you and you to be more like me. Your life experience and your culture makes you different. This makes you special, and it’s worth preserving. We don’t want to go from 2 human experiences to 1. We want to go to 3: your experience, my experience, and whatever we cook up when we interact at the crossroads. That’s inclusion.

You’ll notice I left out equity, and that’s because it’s a little harder to explain and makes people feel uneasy when they’re reminded that America was founded on a lot of…“discrimination,” we’ll say. —Or is it just Americans who get upset when you remind them about the slavery, the genocide, the racism, sexism, ageism, classism, etc.ism? It’s not like they’re the only country with a bloody inception, but Americans seem a lot more sensitive about the topic. Probably because it didn’t happen all that long ago relative to the nation’s total lifespan, so some of them feel like you’re attacking their PawPaw and MeMaw.

In summary, giving everyone a fair chance isn’t enough because the playing field in America was in part designed to put minorities at a disadvantage. Equity is when you try to give disadvantaged people a boost to even out the playing field. This doesn’t just help out minorities. This helps out white American men as well. Otherwise, billionaires undercut them and exploit minorities for cheaper labor.

In America, it has historically been a chore to stop the wealthy from taking advantage of minorities and the majority. Equity is the enemy of the 1% and they fight it by using the media to manipulate the working class into voting against their best interests or outright interfere in elections. None of this is new. What's new is the scale. The internet has made this a global problem.

But DEI itself is far from perfect, and that’s why it’s so easy to blame. It’s the type of program I loathe because I feel the idea is sound but executed so poorly, like No Child Left Behind, that it probably would’ve been better for the country if it didn’t exist in the first place. Social programs need a delicate hand and America likes to fix its problems with a hammer and a paintbrush. Many corporations have reduced DEI to a number to manipulate for funding. It’s not just billionaires and bigots who have an issue with DEI, specifically American DEI, and to label a detractor as such makes the program look even worse. It’s a great idea on paper, lacking in its execution, and has an awful reputation because when it works you can’t tell that it’s there and when it doesn’t work it looks like government mandated discrimination.

How does this crossover into the realm of gaming? It doesn’t really, but it does. I’ve spent the past few months researching, speaking with developers and investors, and here’s what I’ve dug up so far.

-According to them, DEI doesn’t seem to be a noteworthy concern in the video game industry. No one I interviewed brought it up. I had to be the one to initiate that conversation.

-The American developers felt the scene is naturally diverse and progressive, so DEI is at best redundant.

-The non-American developers didn’t know what I meant when I asked them about DEI and each explained to me that their respective countries (especially the French) have more robust social programs to ensure fair hiring practices and treatment. American DEI came off as virtue signaling to them.

-When I asked developers how DEI translates to gameplay I was told it was mostly there to prevent accidental racism or sexism.

-The only negative remark I’ve received so far is that working with a third-party DEI consultant slowed down one studio’s operation, so they parted ways and set up an in-house consultant instead.

-Reckless spending and bad management were by far the two biggest complaints from developers. Neither of which stemmed from DEI.

-The investors I spoke with also believe reckless spending has been a problem since the esports days circa 2015 and the pandemic made it worse. Investors used to be loose with their money and hoped that gaming would eventually pay off in a couple of years. Inexperienced dudebros made poor investments or ran off with investor money. Now, the investors that are left give less and micromanage more in a 3 to 6 month time frame.

I see more evidence that the gaming industry overspent and over-promised for years and years and is now paying the consequences for it. It has a problem with out-of-touch executives, terrible middle management, 3rd party vultures, and none of them are very keen on the idea of losing money or control during a market correction so they look for something else to blame. DEI, in gaming specifically, is for the most part a scapegoat. I am as wary of any business advertising that they have DEI as I am of a business that publicly denounces it. Usually, they’re doing it for the same reason: signaling to investors.

DEI is a smaller part of a bigger program called ESG. Think of Environmental, Social, and Governance as a sort of rating system for investors. There’s a popular theory that a business that does more to take care of the environment, take on more social responsibility, and have better internal governance practices will make more money in the long term. It’s not a very good system as it lacks consistency, transparency, and a way to safeguard from manipulation. Some businesses take it seriously, others merely make their numbers look like they’re making an effort to be more green, socially aware, and better managed than they really are to receive more funding or tax credits.

If DEI in gaming is a farce then what are gamers upset about?

For some, the advancements and innovation in gaming, predominantly Triple-A, is what gaming is all about. The industry went through a hot streak of new IP, sequels, and vast improvements in hardware and software. Some people can’t cope with the fact that that’s slowed down. We were on borrowed time and things will be relatively colder while the scene works to stabilize itself. The inevitable market correction feels like a crash to them. Some don’t want to or can’t put in the effort to stay informed and rely on others to condense information for them. Oftentimes, these sources are flat out wrong or make mountains out of molehills. Yes, there are bigots clinging to their worst biases and grifters taking advantage of the situation for money or clout, but I believe the vast majority are simply trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

Not only that. Attacking DEI is proactive. It gives people a sense of agency. The alternative makes people feel futile. If what I say is true, bad bosses and bad money are ruining video games, then there’s really not much gamers can do to help.

Blaming DEI is sexy. It’s hard to describe, so it’s easy to hate. You can say it's government overstep. It’s discrimination. It’s a grift. It’s virtue signaling. You wouldn’t be completely wrong, but DEI’s presence is largely overstated as far as the video game industry is concerned. Near irrelevant.

The real problem is there are people in the video game industry who have no business calling the shots, and when projects fail they find someone else to take the blame. DEI was 2024’s fall guy of choice and its presumed death will do nothing just like how its presence seemingly did nothing.

Gamers were dragged in yet again to make noise for the rich man’s culture war. The people who benefit the most from the death of DEI will be the billionaires who fought off more checks and balances by controlling the media and manipulating the common man. And the cutthroat plague of mediocrity in middle management, the real group ruining video games, will continue to live to degrade the industry another day.

I intend to investigate further, but I didn’t want what I already had to go cold on me. I will continue to update on my findings as I come across them, and will compile them all together once I feel I can close the door on this case.

Like everyone else and their mama, I’m excited to play Grand Theft Auto VI this year. It’s been way too long since I’ve been in that sandbox, and replaying GTA V just doesn’t scratch that itch after a decade. I have no idea when it’s technically supposed to drop, so I’m trying to figure out what else will fill my time this year. I know for a fact I'll play some indie darling, attempt to make a dent in my backlog, and throw in Marvel Rivals for good measure (because apparently that's my addiction of choice now).

But this got me thinking: What else is going to make an impact in 2025?

Heavy Hitters Are Rolling In

Now, there are some educated assumptions we can make to determine whether a game is going to be a massive hit. Grand Theft Auto VI is a prime example and isn't too shocking, looking at Rockstar's sales throughout the years. The same can be said for Mario Kart 9, assuming it drops alongside the Switch 2 this year. Nintendo has a built-in audience, and at this point, it would be silly not to assume new Switch 2 owners won't automatically consider buying Mario Kart 9 for their shiny, brand-new console.

Call me ignorant if you want, but I know for a fact I'm instantly going to buy and adore Split Fiction. Hazelight Studios understands the assignment when it comes to co-op games. I blindly trust them to hit another home run with this one. Even if these games have what's considered mid storylines, I'm still enamored with the gameplay, visuals, and the ability to own one copy of the game yet allow both players to enjoy it—it's a perfect storm. My friends and I have already broken out of jail and survived the divorce in Hazelight's previous releases. I'm sure whatever Split Fiction provides will be nothing short of an absolute blast.

The Wild West of Gaming

Because the gaming industry loves numbers in their titles, I'd be remiss if I didn't speak about Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. I personally never got into the series but I know some hardcore fans who cannot wait. People loved the historical accuracy and the hardcore combat. From what I've gathered, the combat system looks a bit more intuitive and accessible for newcomers, which is perfect for plebs like myself, but hopefully doesn't isolate fans of the original. There also seem to be more RPG elements front and center, giving players more choices to make and consequences to deal with. I'm becoming more and more interested with every detail and trailer that drops.

Kingmakers kind of feels like a no-brainer—pure swords and shields with a mix of guns—which is perhaps the most American sentence ever. That weird mashup of a historical setting and anachronistic elements is completely up my alley. It looks badass yet simultaneously comes across as a bit gimmicky. It seems like it's going to boil down to how fun the core gameplay loop is and whether it will be optimized for launch or not.

The Indie Scene

I am ALL about Mouse P.I.: For Hire. It didn't take much to sell me on the concept of a first-person shooter set in a 1930s cartoon world with an all-black-and-white, jazzy soundtrack. The premise alone is enough to completely intrigue me. The Steamboat Willie aesthetic, combined with what looks like traditional FPS gameplay, moves the needle and sparks additional curiosity. Am I confident it's going to be an absolute game-changer? I can't really say. I do know I can't wait to get my hands on it just to give my enemies a taste of my tooly and hit 'em with a Popeye “why I oughta” uppercut or two.

Another indie game that creates an entirely different mood is Baby Steps. On paper, it sounds awful. Technically, it's a hyper-realistic walking simulator where you control every minute movement of your character's legs. Did I fail to mention that you're a 35-year-old man who lives in his parents’ basement in this game? It's utterly ridiculous. There doesn't seem to be any additional extreme action, combat, or hook. It's super casual, yet super awkward, and yet, like a car crash, I can't help but stare in awe. I know I could just go outside and touch grass, but I'd be lying if I told you I didn't have an interest in hiking up mountains in what I can only describe as a fever dream of a game called Baby Steps.

They Aren’t the Same Game?

I personally am unsure if Fable will drop this year. I'm not entirely sure why, but it all just feels too good to be true. I'm all for a comeback story for this franchise, especially with former Bioshock creator Ken Levine attached to the project. The promise of shaping the world and characters around you with your choices and having those decisions have a real impact on how the story unfolds just seems nearly impossible. This is coming from the nerd who played all of the Telltale Games and Life is Strange releases. I've been burned before; I don't want to be burned again. I want to be proven wrong because I will devote my life to this game… IF it can deliver on its promises.

Avowed might be a silent killer. I have no reason to doubt this potential masterpiece from Obsidian. They're known for their amazing RPGs, and with this one being set in the world of Pillars of Eternity, I understand the level of excitement. At the same time, it feels like Avowed is copying Fable’s homework, or vice versa. I don't mean to repeat myself, but telling me my consequences impact the narrative, that it's set in a rich and detailed world, and knowing both are RPGs inserts a bit of skepticism. Granted, I want both titles to be great and reach new levels of success, but at this moment, it feels like a coin toss on which game will outperform the other.

I Almost Forgot

Although I never got into 4X games, I'd be an absolute freaking idiot if I didn't keep an eye on Civilization VII. Civ always looks like a nerd's wet dream. Although I don't understand it, I never want to yuck that yum, just in case it all begins to click for me. The introduction of specific, distinct ages, giving the player the ability to switch between civilizations and leaders at key points in history, sparks my attention. Of course, I want to help Harriet Tubman and Benjamin Franklin, even though OG fans of the series want nothing to do with it. Civilization VII has the potential to convert me from a casual onlooker to an invested customer—assuming I don't get lost in the sauce.

I’m on the fence regarding South of Midnight, and not from a lack of interest. In fact, I’m digging everything about this game so far. I’m intrigued by the female protagonist exploring the myths and folklore of the American South with a magical realism twist and environmental storytelling, which I assume depicts the aftermath of a hurricane destroying her hometown. The gameplay promises a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat with a magic system based on weaving spells, which, to me, is a refreshing change of pace from the usual fantasy tropes we’re accustomed to. See, here’s the thing: I feel like no one’s talking about this game. There doesn’t seem to be a level of hype surrounding it and I don’t know if it’s on enough people’s radar. The art style also lacks a unique look and may not tickle everyone’s fancy. I truly hope that South of Midnight delivers and players support it. It seemingly has too much personality to be a simple afterthought in 2025.

Wrapping It Up

Don't crucify me because I didn't talk about Pokémon Legends ZA, Monster Hunter Wilds, or insert some game you’re extremely passionate about. I promise they matter, and I still love you. I could go on and on, chatting about upcoming games and theorizing about their potential impact this year. No doubt some of these will break records when it comes to sales, as they’re household names and gamers have been waiting for them for what feels like forever.

I also have high hopes for those games set to release day and date on Game Pass, as the subscription service continues to offer unbelievable value for its cost—and nowadays, who doesn’t have it? I’m looking at you, Call of Duty nerds—don’t pretend you didn’t get Game Pass just for Black Ops. Only time will tell, but overall, as gamers, it feels like we’re eating well this year. Let’s just hope the chef doesn’t serve something overcooked or raw, if you catch my drift.

Your best bet is to find someone who already works in games media doing what you want to do. Ask them how they got their start. Many are open and willing to discuss, but understand that time is scarce and insight is limited, so you'll have to lower your standards until you find someone who can give more direction than the most useless of phrases “just do it.”

If you're still reading then I assume you couldn't find anyone else and your standards are below rock bottom. Well now that's a problem for the both of us as I am not a good mentor. I personally believe when you stop to educate is when your education stops. I've got a lot left to learn and I'm not slowing down for nothing, but I do like leaving sticky notes lying around. Just think of this as the Dark Souls of games journalism training. Don't forget to pay it forward.

Ask yourself why you want to be here. No. Don't ask. Interrogate yourself. I mean really grill your psyche until your lieutenant drags you away kicking and screaming ‘Hand in your badge, dammit!’ Then go rogue. Wait for your psyche in the dark alley down the street and give ‘em an Ecuadorian oil change free of charge. Trust the process. This will save you a lot of precious time later on. It’s not that people lie to themselves about why they want to be here, it’s just they don’t know they don't really want to be here until it’s too late.

Oh, you love writing? You don't need to be here to write. Open up Google Docs and type away. Do you want people to see your writing? Nothing wrong with wanting attention. Start a blog. Tumblr. Twitter. Bluesky. Substack. YouTube. All I'm saying is this industry is as nurturing as it is carelessly lethal, like a momma cat that sits on its own young. If your goal is to live out your passion of writing about video games then take that passion, turn tail, and run.

Let me give you a quick list of reasons why I chose to go from independent to corporate game journalism.

1. It's easy money. It's not a lot of money at the start, and you may never get to the point where you can coast, but it's quick, simple, and flexible. I traveled a lot and only needed a PC and an internet connection to do the job. If nothing more, my gaming habit is paid for and I earn a few bucks on the side.

2. It expands gaming horizons. If you refuse to go beyond the dino nuggie comfort zone of Triple A games and indie darlings then you won't have a good time. I've played a lot of games of varying genres on a spectrum of quality where both extremes are life-changing, for better or worse. That's exactly what I needed after playing Smite for 6,000 hours. Another “unique” roguelike is my penance, my rehabilitation.

3. Collaboration and direction. Believe it or not, content creation gets lonely. Managerial duties are exhausting (and boring.) Emails, scheduling, troubleshooting, ugh. It's nice when that's someone else's problem and all you have to do is clock in, work on an assignment, and clock out.

4. It doesn't make me want to kill myself. I love chasing the highs of passion. I never felt right without it. But the higher the highs the lower the lows. I've had better times in other industries and worse times in other industries. Here, there isn't as much euphoria but the tradeoff is there's less misery.

5. I was confident I'd get somewhere. Listen, you better start courting your ego. Don't be afraid and don't let it run away with you. I did not get into this industry because I thought I'd stay at the door working for peanuts, waiting for the layoffs to come. I already established myself as an independent content creator and felt that gave me a leg up in this space. Truth be told, my writing was, and probably still is, my weakest spot. My strengths were knowing how to: grow on youtube, have a stream presence, handle myself in ‘public’ and, most importantly, relate to people. I'm confident in myself because I am the leading expert on the topic of Me. And that's because I was independent first. Which is why I recommend going at this on your own, finding yourself, and then considering if you want to swap to corporate.

If you read all this and it's only made you more willing, then give it a shot. In which case, let me leave you with something actionable. Practice and build a portfolio of sorts so you can show your work when you apply for a job. Write short reviews of about 600 words in length. Time yourself. This will get you into the habit of being fast, accurate, and picking out the most important details under pressure. Then go long. Write reviews and opinion pieces around 1500 words in size. This is where you can be more expressive and experiment with structure. Still mind your time, but take an extra minute or two to put a piece of yourself in each sentence.

Pick two of your short pieces and one long piece then turn them into videos. You don't need to be able to make videos, but familiarizing yourself with the process will put you miles above the rest of the competition. Incidentally, making visuals of my writing made me more mindful of imagery and metaphors.

There you go. You now have the makings of your portfolio. It's no guarantee you'll get in, but you at least have some idea of where the door is instead of blindly bashing your head against the walls screaming “just do it!”

Good Luck Rubber Duck

Judero is my beautiful ugly boy. Stay on the topmost layer and you find a traditional hero's journey. Tragedy has befallen the Highlands and Judero’s here to help. Daughter’s gone missing? Judero can fix it. Twins have turned into a conjoined monstrosity? Judero can fix it. He’s the archetypal blue collar strong man. Like Link, Hercules, and Samson before him, his stories can be boiled down to ‘something happened’ and the sequence of events are bizarre enough on their own to keep your attention wholly through the 4 hours or so of playtime. It’s a game with a lot of personal depth that invites questions. What does it all mean?

There's hacking and slashing, monster possession, puzzles, and boss fights remixed across various settings in a familiar fashion, but with enough twist and variety to keep me on my toes from set piece to set piece. I respect simple things done well. Simple is not the same as easy. Sushi is simple, rice and slice, but the cooks who train years to master rice washing before touching a knife will tell you it's far from easy. Judero is more or less like having a college roommate who has a seemingly never ending list of different ways to cook eggs: Huevos Ahogados, Benedict, Omelettes, Scrambled. It's not easy in the slightest and I shudder to think how many eggs the devs put themselves through to get to this level of mastery. 

‘Mastery.’ Now there's a word I didn't reflexively associate with Judero when I first laid eyes on it. In video games, it doesn't take much to go wrong with stop motion, clay models, and constructing dioramas in the physical world, then translating them to digital. Stop motion risks being perceived as a jittery unoptimized mess. And transferring between media tends to take some of the life out of the inanimate objects. The devs went loud to solve this problem. Makes sense. Assume you lose 50% of the clay's essence when moving it over to digital, then making it 500% more intense from the start will avoid dulling your models. It's highly stylized, crass, and that applies to EVERYTHING. All the characters, locations, cut scenes, and HUD are fashioned from items you'd expect to find in a child’s craft room, and it was the player model’s uncanny doll figurine that unpacked a long hidden memory of Action League Now —and this is their production of Angus in Wonderland.

It’s a triple bean dip of meta weirdness. On the first layer is my general understanding of being a normal(ish) human. On the second layer are the general abnormalities within Judero that I find strange but are normal to the NPCs. Then there’s the third layer, trouble in Wonderland, where things have gone strange for the locals, but I can’t tell the difference between what’s only strange to me and what’s doubly strange for the both of us. Curiouser and curiouser. And the cast of Judero have a rather Cheshire disposition about them. Their soporific musings and Scottish brogue are entrancing. Whether it be contemplating life, death, or the inbetweens, every word takes the scenic route. Why say ‘she cried’ when you can say ‘the color of the carpet darkened under her sunken head’ or something in that general direction? I’ve described myself as a caveman gamer. No need for dialogue. Just meat. But I did not skip speaking with a single NPC whenever I passed through a small town. Do I understand what was said? Not really, and it was a grand time nevertheless.

That’s what keeps my mind on Judero weeks after I finished playing. Physically, I am here in front of a keyboard, but mentally I return to the rolling clay hills of Judero and think what the hell was that bit with the monkey and the raft all about? Confusion. No. Bewonderment. It’s the kind of befuddling that I don’t often get from video games because there is great fear that to confuse the audience is to lose the audience. Crude wisdom is what's on offer here. The kind you find in myths, bibles, and Lewis Carrol novels. Be wary of strange colored rabbits. Buy the throw ability before the stripper pole ability even though the latter looks more fun. And haggis can be lethal under the right conditions. 

Pros

• Handcrafted, organic farm-to-plate visuals.

• Beautiful music.

• Bewitching dialogue.

• Tight pacing.

• Old-school feel.

• Extra lore exploration.

Cons

• Controls felt a little stiff.

• Could do with a smidgen more player direction.

Eye of the Beholder

• Short to play and complete. It’s great for a one-and-done Sunday playthrough for people like me who have no shortage of things to play and want a hidden oddity to shake a bit of life back into their routine. People who prefer more bang for buck with their purchases may not be as satisfied with the playtime and minimal replayability.

• Big E ‘Experience’. I think it’s a bit of a cop out to say a game is ‘not a game, but an experience.’ Usually it’s applied to games that don’t have much game to them and rely heavily on the production value. It’s a game. But it’s also an experience. The base of the game is pretty well alright, but it’s the entire production that brings it together.

• A little obtuse, but I tend to prefer ‘lore’ over ‘narrative’, so do with that what you will. There is no VaatiVidya here to help explain things.

Playtime: 4 hours

Score: 8/10

Base Price: $17.99

Platform: PC, Mac, Linux, Switch

Disclosure:
Review copy was provided by the publisher

Ahh, it’s October. You know what that means, right? Pumpkin Spice Lattes, the leaves beginning to fall, and… DRAGON BALL SPARKING ZERO DROPS?! Move over, spooky season, because it’s scary how many Kamehameha waves I’m dishing out to bots. The Dragon Ball series shaped my childhood. As a kid, my dad had Japanese bootlegs of the show, which I watched religiously as a fan. Manga, toys, merchandise—it all eventually led me to the Budokai and Budokai Tenkaichi series, where my two passions became one.

I lived and breathed those games so much that every weekend, my friends and I would play the tournaments for YEARS. It was a staple for me and my circle, and those sessions kept us off the streets when possible. Dragon Ball is ingrained in my identity and I’ve been waiting for damn near 20 years. So, when news broke about the same developers coming together to create a new Dragon Ball game, my wallet flinched in pain. 

Seventy dollars and 24 hours of playtime later, and it’s obvious—this is basically Budokai Tenkaichi 4 under a new name. You’re still getting the same fast-paced battles from the anime, with all the yelling while powering up, a strong roster, a handful of modes, and major powerful attacks updated for modern consoles. Final Flash, Spirit Bomb—those moves are like ADHD fireworks, and the spectacle does NOT disappoint. 

All character models are crisp and polished – perfect for seamless immersion. Each stage feels grand and reacts accordingly to major attacks. It's easily the most breathtaking Dragon Ball game I’ve ever played, hands down. If you’re a nostalgic fan itching to revisit the series, you’re 100% going to want to check this out.

I dove into Episode Battle, a fantastic stroll down memory lane to revisit some of the major battles in the anime. There are eight different characters to play as, filling in the gaps of each saga. I quickly noticed that some of the characters from Dragon Ball GT and the movies didn’t make the cut—which is probably for the best, as Dragon Ball Super plots haven’t been explored as much in gaming. Sparking Zero also adds in 12 different versions of Goku—in case you prefer Goku as a brunette, a blonde, permed out, to red Curious George, to emo blue, and then a touch of gray. From a lore perspective, I can understand their inclusion and having a 5v5 OOPS ALL GOKU moment is absolutely hilarious.

From a fighting game roster POV, that’s a tad bit ridiculous. Sparking Zero claims to feature 182 characters. This is the largest roster that has ever been in a Budokai Tenkaichi game – according to Bandai Namco. Even if transformations pad the total amount, the roster is still stacked with great variety and callbacks. Inflated numbers aside, I’ve got no complaints in this department.

To keep Episode mode refreshing, they’ve added a bunch of “What If?” situations that can be unlocked via different choices/specific battle conditions. Although this was done in previous games, I still appreciated the fun side adventures and each of the voiced cutscenes. Especially as you can straight up switch cameras in scenes to switch to your fighter's POV. 

Some shots are amazing since it gave me the power to experience each saga however I saw fit. Other shots are cursed and hilarious depending on the foe. I’ve watched Frieza be an absolute menace on Namek, instilling fear in anything with a pulse. YET, changing camera perspective to see the short king power up and looking small AF had me in tears.

Battle Mode became my training ground, as I already knew all of the narrative beats. After an hour or so, I got into the groove, and man, I was impressed at just how fluid the core mechanics were. Hand-to-hand combat can be methodical or a button-mash fest, depending on your playstyle. I found myself customizing the assists in the accessibility menu to better adjust my odds. 

The more you play, the more you begin to understand how guard or revenge counter assists impact Ki and overall strategy. That bleeds more into playing locally or online against others, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Even on normal difficulty, Battle Mode felt like a safe sandbox to better define how I fight, while also letting me be a kid again and replay some childhood memories—minus the anime filler.

If you’re feeling the need to customize and create a narrative experience, there’s also Custom Battle, where you can go nuts. Here, you can fight bonus battles or basically create your own Dragon Ball episode. If you’ve played any WWE games over the last decade, it’s the same approach with storylines. There’s a lot of depth here based on my time toying around with it, but it isn’t my cup of tea. It requires me to put on a producer hat, sit down, and make sure everything is up to standard. Plus, I can’t even type out specific names or dialogue, which is so boring and too tame for me. There’s a world library section for the community, which I would much rather let them cook and enjoy at their leisure. 

At this point, I’m feeling like the cream of the crop, crushing episodes with ease. I’m unofficially him. So, naturally, what’s my next step? Getting absolutely wrecked in online battles, duh. I’m looking for near instant 1v1 fights where I can just spar with whoever wants the smoke. It’s possible, but only ranked. Eww, no—just give me a fast queue option. 

Now I’m forced to play with tryhards who live and breathe this game. Weird parameters, but I bite. After 100 battles, I legitimately lost 90% of them due to lack of skill. I didn’t lag once, nor did I come across any salty players who rage-quit. Initially, I anticipated much worse due to seeing how the community voiced their frustrations regarding connectivity issues and… NO CROSSPLAY?!

This was actually brought to my attention on stream, and I didn’t believe it at first. A few Google searches later confirmed it was true, and I think a part of me died internally. My friends and I didn’t coordinate which platform we’d collectively purchase for. My bad for assuming we live in the year 2024, where crossplay should be universal by now. It’s the biggest gut punch for me because it strips away a huge chunk of replayability.

In retrospect, what made Budokai Tenkaichi so powerful was its ability to unite and create core memories with friends and fans of the series. Yet, here I am—secluded from the very same childhood friends with regret and FOMO. To be blunt, it sucks. Part of the nostalgia I was trying to emulate is gone. Even if, by some miracle, crossplay is eventually enabled, I’m not confident Sparking Zero would still be installed after I’ve unlocked all of the achievements. 

With online being functional but lacking, my disappointment is through the roof. At least I can let off some steam via the World Tournament mode. Navigating the menu to see an online option feels like PTSD—so offline it is. Dragon Ball fans will immediately be greeted with even more fan service through callbacks in different types of tournaments. 

You’ve got the Cell Games, the Tournament of Power, the OG World Tournament, and more, each with specific rules applied just like in the source material. They even throw in the option to create your own tournament, which is awesome as it gives power to the players. Ten-year-old me would have KILLED to have had this back then.

DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO is pure fan service in the best way possible - outside of crossplay. It’s mind-blowing how high my expectations were, and yet somehow, they were surpassed. Fights are still as chaotic as ever, plus there’s an excellent selection of modes and characters to choose from. Voice acting and visuals are cranked to 100, making it easy to feel like a kid staring at Toonami at an ungodly hour.

It breaks my heart that online lacks crossplay and faster online options for casual players rather than those looking to queue. I know for a fact that unless I’m feeling super spicy, the online mode will collect dust soon. Locally, everything is lean and fires off on all cylinders. It's a satisfying blend of what fans of the Budokai Tenkaichi series have been wanting for nearly 18 years, and goddamnit, it’s so damn good. It’s easily my favorite fighting game of 2024—hands down. If you disagree, then fight me whenever these bastards add crossplay.

Pros

• Nostalgic Appeal

• Beautiful Visuals

• Combat Fluidity

• Character Variety

• Episode and Battle Modes

• Offline Options 

Cons

• Lack of Crossplay

• Repetitive Character Variants

• Online Queue Frustrations

• Customization Limitations in Custom Battle Mode

• Excluded Content and Characters

Playtime: 31 Hours

Score 8/10

I was interested in The Plucky Squire from the beginning. The whole storybook-come-to-life premise, with eye-catching visuals, had me wishlisting it immediately. Add the concept of blending 2D and 3D worlds together, and now my wallet's getting a bit nervous. At $30, everything sounds great on paper, yet with every hour of my nine-hour playthrough, my joy slowly faded into disappointment— as I found out the game doesn’t truly jump off the page.

Let’s start at the beginning. You play as Jot, a squire who quickly discovers he’s part of a book where he is the protagonist. Jot also happens to be a writer, which foreshadows his connection to Sam, the kid who writes The Plucky Squire. Which is weird because Sam’s isn’t ever in-game, he’s only mentioned by name. While battling the evil Humgrump, Jot gets blasted out of the book and into Sam’s desk in the real world. With the support of Moonbeard (the local sorcerer), Violet (an artist witch), and Thrash (a rock-and-roll troll), you must defeat the evil wizard to restore your world to normal.

You’ll spend the majority of your time in 2D, occasionally swapping into the 3D world when exiting the book. Truth be told, the inside of the storybook is a million times better. The 2D illustration and cartoon aesthetic is bright, inviting, and has an overall lovely, artsy vibe. That’s not to say the 3D counterpart isn’t well done, but it doesn’t quite hit the same level. Yes, there’s a sense of carefully crafted detail that brings the desk to life, especially in the later chapters. However, the 2D worlds have such vivid charm that perfectly connects with the children’s book aesthetic. Meanwhile, outside of the book, it’s a different tone, with smaller details like scuffs on cards and open containers of ink that somewhat transfer immersion.

The 3D world is also annoying as hell. Nine times out of ten, traveling outside of the book results in an irritating quest. As soon as a new power is introduced, Jot is forced out of the book to fetch it. The desk then shifts and adjusts the platforms that you’ll eventually overcome. While the narrative tied to these moments is lovely, it makes the 3D world feel like a gimmick. Even if you fundamentally disagree and love the 3D world, you’re getting it in small, bite-sized pieces that feel like a chore. It just doesn’t have the same appeal once you’ve seen how the sausage is made.

It also isn’t a fair comparison, as most of the people who matter to Jot are confined to his 2D home world. Most of his friends, writings, and adventures take place in this artbook, where everyone knows him as a brave hero. The exposition and lore paint Jot as this amazing writer and hero that everyone admires and appreciates. I mean, why would you ever want to leave?

Back in the 3D world, there are beetles, a few enemies to pummel, and fetch quests. Exploration? Never heard of it. You’re limited to the desk, which was so disappointing. It’s not even a cool desk; it’s just messy and lacks personality. I tried to jump off the desk to see what other goodies Sam has in his room, maybe meet a toy or something. Instead, I was stuck fetching powers in a very predictable fashion.

I understand the appeal of the plot, but it didn’t connect with me. Narratively, everything in this game is told through a rose-colored lens, where failure is merely an obstacle along the journey. Powerful for the E10 demographic, but not engaging enough for me. Listen, I love "power of friendship" storylines as much as the next geek, but it has to be done right. Sprinkle in some suspense, and start showing rather than telling or hand-holding throughout. It makes a world of a difference.

Perhaps I’m being too harsh, but anytime I can predict major story beats, the immersion is stripped away, and I’m an unhappy camper. This is exactly what I experienced with the main plot. Part of me understands the narrative is a bit cheesy, and I shouldn’t expect too much. Yet, as I progressed through each chapter, I started guessing what was going to happen, and I was genuinely surprised only once before the big boss battle in chapter nine. I craved a rich, flavorful ice cream, but instead, I got plain old vanilla. I’m not mad. I’m just disappointed.

With the plot not exactly being a page-turner, I wasn’t thrilled to write this review. Things only get worse when reflecting on the simplicity of the overall experience. Imagine a seven-hour tutorial and one hour of pure gameplay with no strings attached—doesn’t sound so appealing, right? Unfortunately, that’s what you get here, which is criminal because the game felt like it promised a jam-packed experience full of freedom, cutesy vibes, and engaging gameplay. Instead, I was spoon-fed a bland, underwhelming experience that left a sour taste in my mouth.

Don’t even get me started on the gameplay, unless you’re a sucker for rinse-and-repeat fights. Same enemies, same tactics, same movement—it’s all too repetitive. Puzzles help break up the monotony, but there’s no real sense of difficulty. The more I was ping-ponged between basic gameplay and Dora the Explorer-grade puzzles, the more I realized this just isn’t for me. Basic and mundane isn’t a combination that should be served and it’s the only thing on the menu. I won’t fault anyone for eating the meal if they’re hungry, but there are better establishments to dine at for the same cost.

Here’s my biggest gripe with The Plucky Squire – there’s a lot of visual eye candy but no real substance.. It’s fun for the first three or four hours, but it loses momentum midway. Even with new abilities being introduced later, I still hit that wall. One could counter argue that the worlds were optimized and constructed for major story beats, so we could learn more about your friends’ history, which resulted in more levels. It’s supposed to pay off in the end when we learn the book has expanded to The Plucky Squire and friends. I understand and respect that line of thinking, but it ultimately padded the runtime.

Sidebar: I primarily cared for Thrash and Violet and was sold on the trio’s connection in the second chapter. Again, Jot is essentially mute, so having his friends as mouthpieces brimming with personality is a must. I was sold on Thrash being a rocker troll and Violet being an aspiring witch primarily through dialogue and interactions. Yet, there are individual chapters for each of your crew, and truth be told, they felt like filler TV episodes. Violet and Thrash face the same threats in two different chapters, and I couldn’t tell you why. End of sidebar.

Add in the tropes thrown into the plot, and it makes my eyes roll back like the Undertaker. Humgrump (the evil wizard) is the brother of Moonbeard (the good wizard) – oof, unoriginal. Oh, and Humgrump kills Moonbeard because he’s in the way – ooh, I’m pulled back in. But then Moonbeard comes back to assist, as he’s not truly dead. Ah, downgrade: bait and switch. We also learn Humgrump is a misunderstood poet who was rejected, and that’s why he became evil. I’m going to contact Pixar and let them know they borrowed Syndrome from The Incredibles.

The Plucky Squire is beautiful, but beyond basic, and it really kills me to admit that. The charm, the bold colors, the vibes—they're all intact, but their impact is minimal. I wish the developers didn’t treat players like it’s their first time holding a controller and had trimmed the excess bloat. Cutting out the hand-holding, fluff, and offering proper exploration outside of the storybook would have been closer to what was marketed. I feel like I was pitched a decent home-cooked meal, but instead, I got a bag of stale party potato chips with 80% of the package being air. I appreciate the offer, but I’m saving my appetite for a proper meal.

Pros

• Well-crafted 2D aesthetic

• Engaging supporting characters

Cons

• Underwhelming gameplay

• Disappointing 3D world

• Lack of exploration

• Predictable narrative

• Excessive hand-holding

• Uneven pacing

Playtime: 9 Hours

Score: 4/10

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Will Cruz

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