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The holidays draw ever-nearer, making this our final recording of 2024. (Fear not, though: As tradition dictates, episodes will continue uninterrupted throughout the break, and indeed, everything is already in the can!) Not surprisingly, the news is a little light this time of year, though there are some interesting tidbits to pick up on. For starters, we take a look at two titles shown at The Game Awards that we skipped over last week, in the form of Crimson Desert and Midnight Murder Club, the latter a second party, Sony-published offering. We also delve into Mark Cerny's recent PS5 Pro technical presentation, wade through the (now rectified) drama surrounding Helldivers 2's exciting Killzone crossover, analyze whether the upcoming sci-fi RPG Exodus has the potential to be the true next Mass Effect, and more. But at the end of our show, we replace our typical six questions about random topics with six questions about something more than 50 of you wrote in about on the most recent thread. The topic at hand is obviously Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Naughty Dog's upcoming PS5 exclusive. So many wrote in, in fact, that it felt disingenuous to ignore all of the noise. So instead, let's dive way deeper. What should PlayStation's next move be when it comes to rolling out this new product? Could the game flop on the market, either outright or by Naughty Dog's lofty standards? Do the masses suffer from some combination of Naughty Dog and Neil Druckmann Derangement Syndrome? And what does all of this insanity mean for The Last of Us: Part III... if anything at all?Timestamps:0:00:00 - Intro

0:20:37 - Tri Breaker is out now!

0:33:46 - What gives us the right?

0:36:50 - Changes for LSM in 2025

0:46:09 - Gooning over the landlady

0:54:01 - Jurassic: The Hunted

0:56:00 - Chis = Smeargle

1:01:47 - New Astro Bot level

1:06:54 - Game Awards clarifications

1:15:28 - new Mark Cerny ASMR video

1:20:12 - Helldivers 2 x Killzone is real

1:31:18 - Exodus could be the next Mass Effect?

1:40:09 - Secret Level renewed

1:46:05 - Please don't make FF7 NSFW mods

1:49:06 - More Tales of remasters are coming

1:52:33 - What We're Playing

2:09:50 - Sony has bought an additional 8% of Kadokawa

2:21:18 - Circana November data

2:30:44 - Will Intergalactic flop due to the early reaction?

2:40:36 - Naughty Dog derangement

2:55:24 - Neil Druckmann derangement

3:11:16 - What will Sony's strategy be around the game?

3:20:41 - PlayStation and female characters

3:27:16 - When will we get The Last of Us Part 3?

Files

Comments

Christian

I would love for Colin to discuss this with those assholes from Geeks and Gamers, Nerdrodic and RK outpost. These guys will NEVER change their minds on Naughty Dog and Neil Drukman. Kinda sad tbh.

WreckItRoush

I think an issue with modern movies and games is placing protagonists who appear to have just jumped out of Vogue magazine, into worlds where the individual in question would last approximately 15 seconds. They look like they don’t belong. Pair this with the overt, currently unearned arrogance of your main protagonist and you get lots of dislikes on your YouTube trailer.

Haru Discourse

So glad to hear that they are remastering more Tales of games. Hope Tales of the Abyss is up 🔜

Big Fudge

My thing is this, most people don’t want to play as a butch masculine bald woman. The vast majority of women aren’t butch and jacked or strong and it feels like they’re trying to push something especially when you consider the context of Abby from TLOU 2. The trailer showed no gameplay and looked pretty generic. I was left unimpressed. The game could still be good of course. And when they do show gameplay my opinion could change, but that’s where I’m at and I think most people are too. In any event Merry Christmas to all and I hope you boys have a great holiday break and come back fresh for another great year at LSM!

OCEL0T

After listening the main point for me is the artist’s reason for creating the character the way they did. You can never really know what their reasoning is but characters like Furiosa and Ripley feel like they fit in their world and weren’t created because of politics or to meet a quota, you trust the creators and that’s what matters. The politics for the MC for intergalactic are certainly something and you can say the same thing about the actress for the new ghost game too. Sure is interesting. Also the number of female MCs for Sony games is wild, you guys forgot Yotei. Feels forced and unnatural, that’s the problem.

Eric Smith the Bartender (not the Sony Employee)

Dustin! I worked at a Family Video in Ontario up until they closed in 2020. We needed to remind customers that they needed a 4k Blu Ray player to play 4K discs because people would routinely grab them without knowing. Your little anecdote brought back some great memories ahaha

Cousin Kenny

Last Jedi isn’t responsible for disrespecting Luke… it was the natural progression of the lame story they set up in TFA. Love you guys. Great episode. Merry Christmas.

Diddy’s Dong Quest

How come for years people praised Game of Thrones for “no plot armor”, but when Naughty Dog does it it’s a sin? I think many people take it as a metaphor. The non-typically attractive girl *spoilers* a big burly white guy.

Beyond the Touchline - A Premier League Podcast

Haven’t listened to the intergalactic segment yet, but after reading the discourse and some of these comments, why do some people NEED male representation to enjoy a game? Intergalactic looks interesting but that’s as far as I’ll go, we really need more information and gameplay to make more of an impression. But i cannot understand the “must play as a man” argument which people take and use as a reason for why the game will be bad. It’s really odd, im a white male in real life. I dont need to play as a white male in every game i try out in a world that can never be relatable to begin with. If anything there should be more diverse representation in gaming.

Lunar Tear

The Buzz Lightyear movie is largely framed around time dialation.

Tony Upstairs Lazzaro

Just saw Colin's open letter to the community. Goodbye in advance to all the lads it seems are going to be excommunicated for being dickheads in the comments. You had a good run.

Prince Borutski

The Mavis Beacon game idea is fantastic!

Francis

Appreciate that the files were named again. I think I'm up to 1(6) as the file name for the last one.

FoundWaldo

“Tesseract” 🥸

Ben Haner

The problem with The Last of Us Pt 2 is I believe the timeframe it was released 2020, the height of the pandemic, the mental bandwidth of most was challenged/tested at the most vulnerable state. If it had come out a year or two later I do not believe the discourse would have been as intense as it turned out to be

Steve Gray

Whoever came up with that thumbnail, well fucking done

Daddy T

Hardened survivor of over 20+ years in Tlou “yeah of course he’s gonna die!” Usually agree with the boys but the ND glazing is fucking bonkers

GameSimp

Dude I would play that typing RPG in 5 seconds, that’s a great idea

NeO JD

Who the fuck is Canoe Reeves? 🤣 You guys are super critical on Secret Level tho. I enjoyed every ep. Can’t wait for S2.

PairOfShuse

Before anything, I do agree that insults shouldn’t just be thrown around when discussing things. That being said, I really don’t think the attitudes shown in this episode help the discourse. I find it highly arrogant and presumptuous to tell people what they can and can’t find palatable to them. Just because YOU like Naughty Dog a ton, doesn’t mean anyone else has to. I’ve played most of their games, and while I find them good, there are definitely things they have done recently that I don’t care for at all. To tell people it’s insane or derangement to not enjoy something or that your legit criticism isn’t correct is the exact thing that causes the discourse to become what it is. Take Intergalactic for example - I don’t have to like the character design. Colin admittedly doesn’t watch movies really anymore, never watched marvel besides less than a handful of the movies, doesn’t interact with tv, so how can you sit there and say that oh why wouldn’t you like this character? Because they have a bald head and looks butch? Yes. And I’m allowed to. Just as someone is allowed to not like a character that looks like Eve from Stellar Blade. The character in Intergalactic, from what is shown, looks like mid 20 year old that has the attitude of a snarky 15 year old from a Marvel movie. The shaved head aesthetic on this specific character, which that attitude is highly unappealing to me. Where do you get off saying I cannot think that and tell me it isn’t legitimate. With that logic you can’t have any criticism or personal preference on any character design in anything ever. It’s such a disingenuous take, I don’t know how you can say it with a straight face. From what is shown in the trailer, I don’t like it. There is nothing wrong with that. As for the woke claims, nothing is blatantly that right now but said character design and attitude is a trend among the woke media that they put out. Colin, you have constantly said, you notice things when these types of things are put out there, and that when it is pointed out, people get mad. Well, this is one of those cases. I truthfully think your Naughty Dog bias is clouding this whole thing. That what it feels like anyways. I think the truly disgusting thing with the Neil hate is the blatant hate for him and being Jewish. That’s way more disgusting than any type of accusations of being woke, and the majority of that hate comes from the left side, from what I’ve seen. I think it is stupid when people are like ugh I don’t want to play as a woman just because it’s a female character. That’s stupid and female characters have been a thing in gaming since the NES. Both sides are disingenuous about this. But this specific type of character, I completely understand (and I agree) why people wouldn’t like them. My take is not some knee jerk reaction. I look at things and make nuanced point and an in depth point on why I don’t like or why I like something. This whole calling people deranged or saying their take is crazy when you have a reasonable dislike for something is what causes people to get to ridiculous levels of outrage since they are being dismissed, when maybe people have legit reasoning.

Robbie Agnew

Great episode from all including Kyle 🤭

WhatDarrenPlays

Hey Col, just so you're aware, the Wormhole placed near Saturn in the movie Interstellar does indeed lead to another Galaxy. This makes the communication aspect (receiving video messages) pretty much impossible. uuuhoooohhhh tesseract uuuurrrnnngh

Asha Shwarma’s Karma

Don’t forget about the Tales game that unfortunately aged a bit prematurely, Tales of Progeria.

Xemphanis

An hour talking about Naughty Dog and zero mention of gameplay in a discussion about video >GAMES<. I don’t care about characters or designs. I’m there for the ride, but games media has treated PlayStation 1st party like they’re the best developers in the world and I think there’s a lot of people, including myself, that are tired of it. Not every game has to be for everyone, but when talking about games as an art form, old school cut scenes and forced walking so characters can talk doesn’t cut it anymore. Meanwhile, most PlayStation 1st party games are just riffing on other 3rd party franchises. Everyone wonders how all these live service games survive. It’s because they’re about gameplay. Story is an afterthought.

Nghtseye

Telling people to not voice their opinion on something they’re passionate about is never going to work. At the end of the day these companies are making games for us to buy and if they choose to upset and alienate a large part of buyers with their product, that’s on them

Trevor Myers

People dont like Neil because he’s an Anita Sarkeesian sympathizer

Andrew Simmons

TLOU2 is objectively a brilliant game. Graphics, mo-cap, voice acting, environments, gameplay. Brilliant. Story, characters and a lack of infected ruined it for me. It's a bad game to me because I compare the story and character development to TLOU as it's awful. I didn't rate Uncharted 3 and 4 either. I desperately wanted Factions 2 but that was canned. I'm just tapped out of ND. Intergalactic looks generic. Robot enemies? Meh. Generic. Oh look, late 70s/80s vibe. Oh look, Guardians of the galaxy-esque crew. Just bland.

Hallic0Hicks

I really hope Colin shows a fraction of the love for his future kids that he does for Naughty Dog and Neil Druckmann haha just teasing Colin 😉

Joseph Cerini

Great episode but to the landlord situation guy. I say go for it, I did it and nothing happen, we went on a few dates and realized it wasn't in the cards. She was always super friendly after that and we would chat randomly. People put situations on a pedestal. There is nothing wrong with saying: Hey, would you like to grab a bite to eat/ or get coffee sometime as a date? If she says no, say ok, had to ask for the heart or some line like that. Most women aren't going to have a problem with that. Just don't push anything and be ready to completely move on from it. Don't let fear cloud such a simple question/interaction.

Michael Joseph Darcy

Not spending $70 dollars to play an ugly, non-feminine MC. And I promise you, it will hurt the overall sales of the game. Look no further than Star Wars Outlaws. If it’s a genuinely great game, I might buy it when it’s 20 bucks.

YaBoyStevieJay

It sucks that this community is so filled with incels and bitter losers that are obsessed with Twitter discourse that Colin feels like he has no choice but to talk about it. I can’t believe we have to actually spend time on the dudes who are so pissed off that they aren’t sexually attracted to the protagonist of a video game. Just the saddest shit ever.

Wesali

All I'll say about intergalactic is that people care about their appearances, and don't find masculine women attractive to play as. If you say this doesn't matter, then why do cosmetic microtransactions sell for billions each year? Anyways, we should all hope the game is great!

Dick Stillhard

You guys must—at some level—understand people's preference for aesthetics. It is not a coincidence that the majority of Hollywood actors are beautiful. It is not a coincidence that male and female leads are generally good-looking and gender-confirming. To think it wouldn't apply to games is naive. There are many legitimate critiques of Naughty Dog regarding its story, characters, pacing, etc. Just as there are many issues you (Colin) have with The Last Jedi that are not unfounded, similar issues can exist in games you love. Also, I implore you to stop looking or acknowledging the most bad faith takes out there. These takes typically lack nuance and represent a more collective frustration than a coherent point. Grumzz is a symptom, not a cure. He is echoing what some people are feeling and badly articulating these points for clout. One final note- please don't police arguments unless it's explicitly offensive. Part of the fun of game discussions is heated back and forth. It'd be disappointing if a monoculture of "best friends" (who coincidentally all repeat the same points) arose.

SleepyJoe

I love hearing Colin complain about the IRS and say they should make filing taxes easier when it is the GOP and Grover Norquist who want to make completing your taxes as painful as possible

Joseph Gedgaudas

Saints Row and Suicide Squad sold better than we think? Didn't the team behind Saints Row get shut down? I also keep reading articles about how bad Suicide Squad bombed.

Gooch Gobbler

My Fiance said I was "gooning over the cat", she meant I was lording over the cat, like a goon but.....we had to have an uncomfortable conversation about her diction

Ryan

Colin: where does this derangement come from? Also Colin: I’d like to welcome my friend stutteringcraig to the show to promote his DEI rage bait “real” game awards show

Gooch Gobbler

I'll love playing as an asian woman just like I loved playing as a fat guy in Dave the Diver. It's different. I'm getting bored out here gents

TheWubbz

I think a certain type saw Colin leaving Kinda Funny and being outwardly conservative as a rallying call for a certain kind of behavior. Now it’s more emboldened in the community due to recent events. If you (the royal you) get upset when you hear or see the word Incel…I’ve got bad news for you.

Jonathan Turner

Both the 'woke' and 'anti-woke' crowds can be equally annoying. A few years ago, people claimed that having straight white male characters in games was some subconscious message of white supremacy or anti-LGBTQ bias, which I thought was ridiculous. Now, it's equally absurd to claim that having a person of color or a non-traditional female character is some 'woke' agenda. Both sides are overreacting—just play the games and decide if you like them!

Seth

LOU2 would of been game of the year if there was an option immediately when you take control of Abby there was a button prompt for her to shoot herself in the head, the end credits roll, and a trophy pops up called "The Only Good Ending". Instead we got a 7/10.. Sad.

Buster Crabcakes

Seeing Colin's letter promising increased moderation of fan discourse after glazing Naughty Dog for an hour is a hell of a one-two combo

TL

I love TLOU 1 & 2, they are my favorite games. Ellie’s sexuality as a creative choice in the day was executed well. Also, I am looking forward to Intergalactic as a day one buy, ND is amazing. The outside perspective I can see (not saying it’s a driving force for me) is how tentpole characters of Sony, Ellie and Aloy, are both lesbian. People are then assuming this character will be, which isn’t a safe assumption. Those who are preoccupied with anti woke are drawn to this type of shit like moths to a flame. The interesting point to me that may come out of this, is if the character in Intergalactic is lesbian. Why have arguably your three top Sony characters all lesbian? LGBTQ is far more than even just lesbian. Where is the gay male main character? Bisexual character? Sexuality shouldn’t even necessarily matter in a game, but Sony has entered this realm with their choices. Just food for thought. As stated, I look forward to playing Intergalactic 100%. ND makes my favorite types of games.

Ryan Hayman

I'm very glad I played TLOU2 on my own prior to reading or hearing anything, as I went on media blackout. I feel like people have such confirmation bias (unintentionally) that It's impossible to even see a consensus take for te game.

Bailey Callis

Is it possible some people that prefer to play as a man aren't sexist? And a lot of people that aren't interested in the direction Naughty dog are heading aren't angry babies?

Ryan

Seeing the opening shots of the first new Naughty Dog IP in a decade being a buff woman shaving her head and then unironically being like, “Um why do people think this is woke??” Is crazyyyyy. Personally I feel the boys all DEFINITELY know how it is but really, really tamper their reactions down. It’s simply disingenuous to act like people are weird for reacting to Intergalactic this way especially after the TLOU2 backlash. To be clear: there’s nothing wrong with this creatively and in a vacuum I think it’s pretty cool but at a certain point it seems everyone else championing “how special it is seeing someone that looks like me” in games simply can’t not apply for the 80% of people who actually play them lol

Cornelius

I wouldn't know whether it's good for business or not, but what Colin said about putting random episodes once in a while based on whims would definitely make great final products and I would happily listen!

Draven E.

Any one calling Intergalactic “woke” off of that trailer is a massive dork 😂😂😂

Caz

Instead of asking if it’s OK, ask why it’s happening.