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Submit Your Question For The MinnMax Show Podcast (Patreon)

Published:
2024-03-12 18:00:06
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

This week for community questions on the podcast, we'll have Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jeff Marchiafava, and Kelsey Lewin. It's your turn to make the show better by leaving a question, news story, BetterQuest goal, or anything else for us to read on the show as a comment below! We’ll choose our favorite and iam8bit will ship out the great prize below (Untitled Goose Game on vinyl) for the winner! We'll stop pulling questions around 8am Central on Wednesday.

On this week’s episode we’ll be talking about...

- Akira Toriyama's impact on the game industry

- Unicorn Overlord

- Mars After Midnight

- Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story

- Star Wars: Dark Forces

- Contra: Operation Galuga

- Helldivers 2

- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Everybody at the Backstage Pass tier can watch us record the show live on Wednesday at 1pm Central, with an exclusive pre and post show. The unedited archive will be available to view after the fact. You could do us a favor by subscribing to the audio version of the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app, telling a friend, leaving a review, and subscribing to our YouTube channel!

https://apple.co/3lRbzbE

https://www.youtube.com/minnmax

Files

Comments

Travis in Fargo

When was the last time you got your hands dirty?

Alexander Robbie

What’s the one and only Batman game one should play ?

Zane Dukes

What’s the video game equivalent of the surprise glass breaking “Stone Cold is here!” in wrestling?

Victor Pham

What makes a good side quest?

Otsego12

Hey, Minnfolk, what do you think Libertea tastes like? Is it formulated to only taste good to super earthians or could the terminids learn to love it?

RickyWinterborn

Describe in detail where you were when Goku first went super saiyan. I was 7 sitting on the floor 2 feet away from the tv sipping one of those colored barrel drinks from the 90s.

Lamb Dance

What's a game that - for whatever reason - you wish you could change the name of?

BacklogBusters

With Jacob Geller’s incredible looking book revealed and available to preorder, if you had the chance to make a book about anything you wanted, what would your dream book be about?

Travis in Fargo

If an anonymous donor paid for it, plus the cost of any future maintenance, would you get all your teeth removed and replaced with permanent dentures?

Sam Worms

What’s something that seems universally loved that you just can’t get on board with? I watched 2015s The Witch and didn’t like it. I don’t see the hype. Am I nuts?

Justin Chen

What kind of cultural effect do you think Akira Toriyama had on the world outside of visual media? For example, I’m pretty sure he had some sort of impact on fitness culture from dbz.

randomlyrossy

So one Ben Hanson claimed Miles Morales' powers being named "venom" would be confusing because of the villain also named "Venom". And yet one Ben Hanson now has a podcast on Minnmax called "Bonus Pod" which is on the "Bonus Podcast" feed, which contains things other than just Bonus Pod. What's that about? 🤔 (Not actually dragging Ben, just a funny observation)

CptCobblePot

Greetings Minnmaxers, If you could choose any permanent brand/store discount of 50% off for life, what would you choose? I was thinking about how often I buy Clif bars and could benefit greatly from a steep discount. P.S Hit me up on the discord if you work for Clif bars, I’ll hook you up with some goodies too.

Graham Walker

Do you wash your legs in the shower or assume the showering process cleans them enough. Me? I am the latter and have yet to scare off anyone with smelly legs yet!

Mark Polley

How do you all rate food out of 10? Do you score it against other examples of the same food, or against all food you've eaten? For example, is a 10/10 hotdog the best hotdog ever, or the best food ever?

Christopher Reardon

Hey 'Horts, What's the best designed Toriyama character and why is it Future Trunks? -signed, my 12 year old self

gatlinmachine

Salutations Minn-pilled MaxMaxxers, a week or two ago someone (I don’t remember who I’m sorry) mentioned RTS games are esoteric dad games. I grew up watching my dad play SOCOM multiplayer on the PS2. I think him explaining online games is what kickstarted my brain into recording conscious memory. It was mind blowing. I actually inherited his username, Gatlinmachine. My parents had their honeymoon in Gatlinburg Tennesee and he’s been a tooling engineer his whole life. Anyone else got cool gamer Dad lore? Any other Dad flavored games?

Miskain

Hey MinnMaxers! If you could have one item from a video game in real life, what would you choose and why? My choice would be a Hearthstone from World of Warcraft. It fits in a pocket and lets you return home instantly from anywhere!

BEEFCAKE

Is "smell you later" offensive? Or is it only offensive to people that know they smell bad? Have you ever met anyone that fulfilled the promise of smelling you later?

James Martin

Hello cohorts - as a kid I absolutely loved the somewhat obscure (but rated well critically) Acclaim game Shadowman (N64). It was very hard & I never beat it and always regretted it - it was recently 'remastered' for Switch/PC and I'm trying to fight through the jank to finally right that wrong. So....what's an old obscure game you loved & didn't beat that you'd love a remastered, less janky chance to finally finish?

gybones

We got Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, when are we getting The Jeff Marchiafava Story? And what is that story’s title?

RynaGoGo

Hello Ben and the Time Thieves, Another year rolls by and the time police have stolen more of your life away. It’s an evil ritual that makes me feel like I’m burning in hell. Can we just stop this madness? When will this nightmare end!? Anyway, What’s your stance on Daylight Savings Time?

Boondock-Bandit

What’s everyone’s best/most recent games combo? The past few months I’ve been really into using all my brainpower on Hitman Freelancer, then turning my brain off for the action packed Helldivers 2. Any other combos worth shouting out?

Bloody Waffle

I'm from Latam and dragon ball was everywhere growing up. Now, in my 30s,I get teary eyed when I listen to the DBZ opening in Spanish cause of all the childhood memories attached to it. Is there a cartoon or show opening that stirs you up?

Malcolm Holliday

Hey MinnMax! If you had to create the next level of Super Saiyan what visual differences and maybe powers would you give it? What would you call it?

Jump On Everything

A lot of the time on the show you get pretty specific questions like last week when someone asked what's something really obvious you only just realised and that got me thinking, how do you all come up with answers to the questions on the spot like that

JTDenton

Is the success of Helldivers 2 a compelling argument that more games should be launching at a $40 price point? (Follow up: would the conversation around Suicide Squad be different if it had launched at $40?)

SlyCut

Hello all, I'm someone that likes to use quotes from media whenever it fits the conversation. If I know the person I'm speaking to knows the media, I like to turn it into a trivia moment and ask if they know what the quote is from. I know, I'm that guy... I mostly do it with my wife and she loves (read: hates) it! My question is, what piece of media do you quote the most? Not a specific quote necessarily, but the collection of quotes within that media. Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, and The Muppet Christmas Carol are up there for me. As a follow-up question, how annoying would it be to talk to me if I did this a couple of times a month?

Daniel Doran

How long do you think folks have been snapping their fingers? What’s the oldest example of finger snapping in media that you can remember?

The Sleepy MailMan

Hey, MinnMax! I was shopping for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos the other day, and saw, to my surprise, that Red XIII wasn’t on the cover! Are there any other obvious missed marketing opportunities for games?

LlorchDurden

you know for every big game and some not so big there's a subreddit and sometimes it blows up to. It's a guity preassure for me to go through these with no intention of playing the game/going back to it. For Helldivers 2 it's been pretty much that. Do you follow any games subs from a game (or a spin of of the game like TOTK's Hyrule engineers, JeffM) with no intention of playing/going back?

Sam Kennedy

If trees could talk, what would they say?

JG

Sad he won’t be on the panel for this but nonetheless, Jacob Geller is writing a book!!!! (Not a question, just jubilation)

Jason Wojnar

Last week Jake brought up Never Alone by Colabee Studios. Their next game was to be an adaptation of Lesya Ukrainka's Forest Song, am early 20th century Ukrainian drama. It was to similarly highlight Ukrainian culture in a way that Never Alone tried to do for Indigenous Iñupiat people of Alaska. However, marketing for the game vanished, the studio closed, and it was never heard from again. What is a canceled game you were looking forward to that nobody else talks about, so no big ones like PT or Star Craft Ghost

Owen S

If you were going to build a collection for any retro game system, which system would you pick?

whitemex

Who has the better one-liners, Arnold Schwarzenegger or James Bond?

Fatt Mish

Hi Cohorts! Hope you are all doing well. How important are palette cleanser games to all of you? How often do you prefer to find a simple game after a bigger or heavier game or gameplay session? Keep it up! Mars from MN

Ariel in Seattle

Regarding Akira Toriyama's passing: this hits hard as Chrono Trigger has long been my greatest work of art of all time. How have Toriyama's iconic characters enriched your creative lives?

Nate Voris

Not sure if you still do these, but I have an extremely late missed joke opportunity! Been re-watching the Chrono Cross deepest dive and at one point Ben is insistent about discussing the game's events in chronological order and I kept waiting for someone to say in Chrono Crossical order. That's all, have a great week!

Kelsey Sims

Hey gang! The news of Akira Toriyama's passing has been devastating for a lot of people, which is no surprise when you look at how influential his works have been and how it brought people together. It's hard to imagine what pop culture and the world at large would look like without Dragon Ball. It's been really beautiful and inspiring to see the outpour of love and admiration for him from fans and creatives over the past week. Has there been a celebrity/creator/influential person whose passing had a deep effect on you?

thejjuan1

Question for Kelsey. Thoughts on Episode Aigis being sold as dlc for Persona 3 reload? Especially with that 35 dollar price tag. And also thoughts on no FemMC in the future as dlc? The game director said in a recent interview, that it would have delayed persona 3 reload if femMC was added. I asked because no one on the panel last week talked about the dlc from the Xbox showcase.

Hayden Scott-Baron

Are there any games you associate with being unwell? I was lying on the couch for four days feeling groggy while playing The Outer Wilds, and I remember my brother playing Tetrisphere loudly on N64 while I had flu.

SuperCerberus

The other day I toasted a Pop Tart for the first time in my life. I’ve seen the instructions on the box, but it never occurred to me that anyone would actually do that. The results were… mediocre. Have you guys had any food revelations that happened way too late in life?

Voivod McGarnagle

Hi MinnPins, Since it’s a copycat industry, what do you think are the most likely *wrong* lessons other projects may take away from Helldivers 2?

Michael Griffin

Hello MinnMax! What is the weirdest piece of gaming news to come from where you live? A couple of years ago in my home city of Tulsa, someone was arrested for selling "high value" counterfeit Pokemon cards. Nintendo was even involved in the investigation to confirm the cards were fake.

Ryan

Hey MinnMax, I just started working a new job and they ONLY play the most generic radio country music 24/7 (nothing against country but this is truly bottom of the barrel radio schlock playing). it is getting excruciating and my only reprieve is when I drown it out with minnmax episodes lol. Anyways, as everyone’s probably experienced a service job where they get tired of hearing the same exact music every day, my question is what is the ideal music to have playing at work? Something that wouldn’t get old, that you could play all day. Have a good one cohorts!

NonBinaryBomb

Hey CLCs, let's compete! The four of you are entered into a competition to decide who has the best taste in music. The competition will be a "battle of the bands" performed by a musician of your choice, who will then perform your top 5 favorite songs of all time. (The songs can be by any artist, not just the one you nominated.) Which musician do each of you nominate as your champion, and who do you think is winning the battle?

Andrew Niesley

Is Akira Toriyama the most famous artist in Japanese history?

Ronny B

Hey everyone! I wanted to get everyone's take on the Yuzu lawsuit/closure. It seems like running a patreon for it may have been ill-conceived, but how do we expect someone other than the VGHF to have the time and resources for preservation while dodging all the legal obstacles? Really enjoying the Deepest Dive!

Patrick Hughes

Hello hello fine folks of MinnMax. I want to give a shout-out to the devs of Unicorn Overlord for giving a demo that allows players to dive so generously and extensively into the game, it convinced me to buy this game that was otherwise not on my radar. Its mechanics and tone resonated with me in a way I hadn't felt since Fire Emblem Awakening, which coincidentally also broke me into that series thanks to its demo way back in the day. My question for you - Do you have any impactful demos that have introduced you to new games / series? And bonus question - What are your favorite kinds of demos? Cheers!

Michael Archer

What is the most you have ever left the fate of your game in the hands of the gods? For example, when I was completing Persona 5 I was deep into the last boss of the game and I had plans to go out to dinner with my friends. Running out of time, i suspended my PS4 and went out to dinner hoping there wasn't a power outage or anything that would cause the game to close out erasing my progress. Thankfully, I got home right where I was and was able to beat the boss, but left the fate of my progress up in the hands of random chance. Do any of you have stories of doing something similar, and if so, how did it turn out?

Chandler

What's up minnmax When you were children/teenagers was there any part of your life your parents insisted was just a fad?

Alex Britt

What's something that's is a pretty normal expectation to do, yet you hate doing it? Making small talk, wearing shoes????

chris cuevas

Hello MinnMax crew. I know Ben, myself, and many people all over the world were fans of Dragonball Z growing up and grew to appreciate Akira Toriyamas work in both anime and games. He was truly an icon and I’m not ashamed to say I shed some tears when news of his passing broke and again the next day seeing the outpouring of love on Twitter. I loved DBZ as a kid and now as a grown man I watch and rewatch the series while working out and it has helped me go from a flabby overweight dude to being in pretty great shape now. Just wanted to share how much his artwork touched me personally and undoubtedly generations of other kids.

Patrick G

Hello, what’s your “shoot, I’m becoming my parents moment” Ive become anal about leaving lights on when leaving a room.

BechamelTest

As much as I like Pikmin Bloom, I've always been surprised that Nintendo chose the Pikmin IP over Splatoon. It seems like the "team-based turf battle" nature of Splatoon would lend itself well to a walking app where you color in streets as you walk. What other game series could you see getting the pedometer game treatment? My vote would be Katamari. I'd love to roll up digital copies of landmarks as I walked.

Albert Guerra

Howdy MinnMax crew. Who thinks microbiology is interesting? I’m a microbiology technician and have seen some fascinating spores on agar, almost looks like art. If you were to swab your phone right now, do you think you could grow a beautiful art piece? The dirtier your phone, the more beautiful the piece!

Spacedentist

Is there a game from your childhood that you would want to be remade and expanded like Final Fantasy 7? Chrono trigger would be cool to see.

Brian Ventura

Hi Minnmax Somewhat recently, Hanson poo-pooed verticality in game design after a bad experience with Suicide Squad (fair example but moreso a spawning issue imo). I thought, wait a minute, there's no way anyone can hate on the z-axis. Up and down = fun! Can someone on the show please champion three-dimensional space in games for me?!! My favorite "vertical experiences" in games: - Learning you can fly in rocket league - not knowing which way is up in outer wilds - falling for infinity in portal - finding secret passages in ceiling vents in dishonored

Mcdoeswell

Hey Cohorts! Having recently beaten Sea of Stars I thought “I’d love to see Ninja Turtles in this exact format of game.” Much like Yakuza, I was curious as to what you guys think would make the best leap into the turn based rpg genre?

Geoff Enright

Hello Minnmax! (Two Ns) I started playing through Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order after deciding to put it on ultra baby mode or w/e because I don't have the patience on this particular genre. What game genre are you finally able to say, "I'm good" because you don't need to see any more of it? Since there are gaming fads, are there any in particular which are dominating the Triple A space you think we've hit the peak of it or just think it could have less overall? -Groffles

Tonytheswordsman

WAZZUP!? What is something in the past you threw away or gave away that you regret? Also can we get a kamehameha for Akira Toriyama RIP

Rikimaru

Hey, MinnMax! Rise of the Ronin is my most anticipated game for this year. It will be the first game directed by Fumihiko Yasuda since Nioh 2 in 2020. In the past, Team Ninja has made an effort to focus on gameplay over presentation, leading to some of the best combat systems out there. However, I've already seen a lot of the gaming community start to bash the game's visuals. In a time when AAA games are at risk of long development times, cancellations, and layoffs, shouldn't we be celebrating smaller or midsize games that have a focus? Thanks for all you do!

HaulingGas

Hi Kelsey, As the RPG expert of the group, what are some of 2024's under-the-radar RPGs that we all should keep an eye out for? Also the show is better every time you're on it! I'll fight anyone who disagrees with that.

Nick from Atlanta

Hello Cohorts! I did it - after two and a half years, I finally have the Platinum trophy for Returnal! It's definitely one of my favorite games of all time. Do you have any gaming goals you've achieved recently you want to brag about? Here's your chance! Thanks, Nick from Atlanta

Stevelution

Hey everyone! Especially with Kelsey on, as we move towards what feels like an inevitable all digital future and the big platforms concentrate on building digital libraries to transfer between consoles, do you think physical games media can survive much in the same way vinyl has with music. Do you think there’ll always be enough of a demand for great outlets like I Am 8Bit from physical collectors? Personally I’d be really sad to see it go away completely.

Derek Achoy

I was wondering with Unicorn Overlord, where do you all draw the line with blatantly sexualized character designs? I'm not against sexy stuff in games, but I really dislike the boys club feeling when it's almost always just the female characters who are designed this way. Unicorn Overlord and Stellar Blade are two games this year that look great otherwise, but leave me wondering if I can or should look past these issues.

Michael Berry

Jeff Minter seems to love llamas hence the name of his company Llamasoft. What animal would you include if you followed Jeff Minter's naming convention for your hypothetical video game company? I would use Pugs.

CaffeineDad

Hey gang! The news of Akira Toriyama’s passing has affected me so much more than I could have imagined. I especially think about the way that the Dragon Ball series helped teach me some of the values I hold dear today, like never giving up, always trying to break your own limits, and, of course, that beans can heal all wounds. What were the cartoons from your childhoods that taught you lessons that you keep today? RIP Toriyama!

Christian Hall

Hi Minnmax! With all this talk of Yakuza / Like a Dragon, I've been thinking of revisiting the series to play Infinite Wealth. I tried out Yakuza Zero last year and I couldn't get into it because the beat-em-up combat felt super janky to me. That and the baseball mini game made me go crazy -- Truly one of the hardest quick time events in any video game. My question is, do y'all have any notable games you just can't get into, even when they are widely praised / well-received? Love the content! Keep up the good work :)

Elliot Barker

Hey Minnmax! With more publishers clearly shying away from idea of pouring money into new live service games, are there any franchises (video games or otherwise, get silly with it if you want to!) that you'd have loved to see as a live service game? And what things would you put in their season/battle pass or shop? Love the show, thanks for all the content, Elliot

Mike Lynch

Is there a game you'd love to replay, but likely never will because there is *one* section you never want to play through again?

RamenDoodlesArt

Hello you sexii uwu people Thinking about Akira Toriyama and other famous Anime/Manga artists. Is there a Series or Artist with a distinct style that you'd love to see create a game?

p9xm

When you're making or ordering a big, good ol' plate of greasy nachos, what's your favorite topping?

bizkiut (Nick S.)

Hey CLCs! Just started a new job and I want to bring a lunch from home more than I have been in the past. I know most of this crew works from home, but what was/is your favorite lunch to pack/have for work?

pbpufs

What game series would you like to see visually redesigned in the signature Akira Toriyama art style?

Brody Weller

Hey y’all! After just attending and cosplaying at my first comic con up in Seattle and knowing how often Kelsey attends/works at cons, it got me wondering, what is the most niche, deep cut cosplay you’ve ever seen? Thanks for everything you all do!

TRUEfoe

Hi friends. I saw Dan visit a retro gaming store recently and it sparked a memory in me. Did any of you guys also eat your game manuals or am I nuts? I vividly remember as a toddler sneaking away and eating all of my parents Sega Master instructions manuals, the ones that came in the white rectangular boxes. Did you do anything weird as a kid?

Adam Walters

What was your first standout "HD GAMING" moment? A moment that left you awestruck with your first HD console/TV. I bought my first HD TV after a summer internship during college and the first thing I did was put in Mass Effect 2 and start a new game. (Spoilers for the start of that game...) The moment when the Normandy has been blown open and your walking slowly though the bridge, with a nearby planet above you. I could not believe how good it looked.

Sam Evans

Hey Guys, whats a difficult decision you made at a game store? I once chose ratchet and clank over Vexx, the cool 3d platformed I'm sure we all remember. On the opposite end I once chose spongebob:lights camera action over shadow hearts: covenant. You win some, you lose some.

SenttheProphet

Which open world franchise will first advertise having “ChatGPT” NPCs in their game? (Ex. GTA, Assassin’s Creed etc )

Aging_Poorly

The other day, I admitted to my TV-loving friend that I had never watched "Friday Night Lights." To my relief, she told me that it was OK to have skipped, because it is no longer considered "essential" TV. It felt so good to get it off my mental backlog. Can you do the same for me for video games? What's a game that 5-, 10-, or 15- years ago was deemed "essential to play", but I can now safely remove from my backlog?

Travis in Fargo

What one arcade cabinet or pinball table would you most like to own?

Trevor

Hey MinnMaxine Hong Kingston! What historical figure do you think you could take in a modern-day-rules boxing match? For context, you're going back in time with all of the necessary equipment, then returning immediately afterwards. Also, every detail will be recorded by several sources so that your fight will be described accurately in every 6-12th grade history book starting the day you return. No one more recent than the 1960's. And no one who is still alive. Now touch gloves and don't embarrass yourself in front of recorded human history!

Bob Buel

What’s your favorite deleted scene of all time?

Bon Jon Bovi

I always feel a little bitter about the games industry after the Oscars. Every year I end up reading over the lineup of Best Picture nominees and go "Wow, that sounds like a really interesting story." for like half of them. I understand that games are not a vehicle for narrative in the way that film typically is, but the types of stories told in games are so limited that it bums me out. Why can't I get a subtle romance like Past Lives? Or a historical biopic like Oppenheimer? I know the idea of a game in the vein of Poor Things or The Zone of Interest sounds hilariously ill-advised, but why? Why have the combined arts of audio, visual design, storytelling, and interactivity resulted in such a limited range of narrative experiences? There are plenty of obvious answers here (and I'd be interested in hearing what you come up with), but to me one of the biggest is this: combat. Gaming is hamstrung by its inability to provide other gameplay loops as engaging as combat systems, which in turn limits the types of stories being told to those about conquering some kind of opposing force. Even our more thoughtful games are often ruminations on violence (The Last of Us, God of War, Spec Ops: The Line). I always wonder why there aren't more choose-your-own-adventure games being made, as a way of offering the types of stories that combat can't support without reducing interactivity to the level of something like a visual novel. It's not like these games' mechanics aren't widely appealing: everyone I knew was completely engrossed by Detroit: Become Human, and that game's story isn't even good! With all of that said, I guess my questions for the panel are these: 1. Do you agree that game narratives feel more limited than other mediums? If so, why? 2. Why don't we get more choose-your-own-adventure games?

Devin Atlee-Nutts

Hey MinnMaxers, Has there ever been a good sewer level? What about a good underwater level? Cheers, Tom

Azza G

Hey MinnMax, random question but I remember Ben once saying on a GameInfomer podcast that he loves AngryJoeShow. I'm not sure if I made this up but I'm curious to hear the crews thoughts on him considering how critical he is of big media outlets like gameinformer, gamespot and IGN. Or just any thoughts you had in general on him and other youtubers that tend to bash critics a lot. I used to watch a lot of him and found him to be an interesting critic but I don't watch any YouTube anymore apart from MinnMax content. Thanks and Tempest 4000 is one of my favourite games, I love llamasoft.

D M

Have you ever asked someone to keep a secret, but they revealed the secret to others?

Beau!

Are all Anime fans perverts or are all perverts Anime fans?

Funky Duck

What informed your idea of "cool" as a kid? A big one for me was Trunks's first appearance in Dragon Ball Z. To this day, in my 30th year, I still think that's some of the coolest s*** ever.

Chris Fennessy

Which RPG game was your favorite attempt to bring RPG gamers to the Xbox 360 - Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Infinite Undiscovery, or the Last Remnant? Why do you think these titles failed to gain traction?

Limp Bizquick

Do you guys have food allergies? I’m guessing Kyle and Jeff M are a yes and Hanson and Kelsey are no.

Evolved Protozoa

Should I play Dragons dogma 2 or Rise of the ronin?

Luca Alberti

Hey Crew, do you eat the yogurt that's left on the lid or do you throw it away?

Windowed Mode

Have you guys played any other games with "Unicorn" in the title?

Matty P

Have you ever been recommended a game by a friend and then didn’t like it? Or have you recommended a game, and they came back saying they didn’t enjoy it? If so what game was it?

Jared Piers

If there was a silverback gorilla whose sole purpose in life was to kill you, do you think you could survive? In this scenario, you dont know when the gorilla will strike but you have time to prepare.

HelloAndre!

Hi Yall! What do you think about the Oscar winners? Did you have an Oscar pool thing? I was a huge fan of Oppenheimer and poor things, so I feel really good about it. Would have loved spider verse winning but I totally understand.

Michael Lardieri

Hi Ben and the Cohorts, love the show, long-time supporter. However, I think you guys badly need a finance person on the show once in a while to talk through news about the layoffs. I’m a CPA and long-time CFO, aka the bad guy. Framing layoffs as mainly the result of bloated game budgets is doing the dirty work for people like me. I assure you that if a studio painfully laid off employees and brought in a great game under budget, all it would take is a slimy tech-bro coming to the CEO and telling them the studio could’ve used AI or new software to make the same game with 15% less staff, and you’ll see the CEO announcing layoffs a few weeks later due to, you guessed it, bloated hiring budgets. You can see the truth of this with stock buybacks. Great example: EA laid off 700 employees shortly after doing $1.9 billion in stock buybacks, thus showing EA has so much profit and cash, it’s using it to inflate the share price as nakedly as possible rather than actually run the business. Again, as the person on the other end of the table, I assure you that people like me will still want to do layoffs, even if game budgets come down. The only thing that will ever slightly protect game developers (emphasis on the slightly) is unionizing. Any developers listening to this, please heed these honest words from the Finance side. Thank you!

JT

Hello Minn and the Max. I recently started playing Death Stranding and my monkey brain decided to really start grinding early on. Making deliveries until I can get 5-stars in each place. When I finally got the ability to fast travel, it felt like an insane level of upgrade. So my question to you is, in what gaming scenario (maybe even real life) did getting something new felt like the biggest leap in upgrade, a game changer if you will. PS. Sorry to shill out for a bit. As reddit may be going downhill, I do want to give a shoutout to Lemmy. A open-source decentralized reddit alternative, it may take some time getting used to, but it feels like reddit from the good ol'days.